Lib Dem Women: Amplifying women's voices at Conference[IMG: Donna Harris speaking at Autumn Conference 2026] I've just about emerged from the mayhem of Brighton — and I'm most definitely ready for a break! But now I've had a chance to catch my breath, it has really struck me just how much Lib Dem Women, the official organisation representing women in the Lib Dems, achieved over the course of conference. From motions and amendments to our childcare campaign, new bursaries, fringes, campaigning and celebrating the achievements of women in our party, the voice and representation of women was truly amplified throughout conference. And I'm incredibly proud of what ... (more) |
How Home Secretaries change immigration rules without telling ParliamentThe latest edition of my email newsletter about work in Parliament, A Lord's Eye View, is out and you can also read it in full below. But if you'd like to get future editions emailed direct to you as soon as they are published, sign up now: No records, no notice: the Home Office's hidden way of changing immigration rules [IMG: The Home Office in Westminster] The Home Office in Westminster. This Marsham Street photograph is by Steve Cadman and used under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license. The Home Secretary has the power to alter rules over who is allowed ... (more) |
The wrong bridge - lost Reform UK in blunderNation Cymru reports that Reform UK's Newport and Islwyn branch has been mocked for using an AI-generated "slop" advert featuring an English transporter bridge to urge locals to stand as candidates in the upcoming council elections. The website says that the AI image shared on Facebook called for "passionate and committed" Reform UK supporters in Newport to "step forward" and become a candidate at the 2027 council elections. However, instead of using an image of Newport's iconic Transporter Bridge, the advertisement featured Middlesborough's famous Tees Transporter Bridge which connects the industrial town on the south bank of the River Tees ... (more) |
Christine Jardine "will not be Lib Dem candidate" at next electionChristine Jardine MP (Photo: The Scotsman) Christine Jardine, the Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West has confirmed she will not stand as a Liberal Democrat at the next General Election. This is what Christine has shared on her social media channels: Note that she says "I'm said I won't be there". The decision is clearly not one she wanted to make. In a fuller statement, she says: "I have written to my local party to let them know I shall not be standing as the Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Edinburgh West at the next election, following the recent decision ... (more) |
Rick Wakeman performs piano concert to 150 rescued moon bears in VietnamI told the judges they needed a holiday and much good it did. So, through gritted teeth... Congratulations to the Guardian for winning our Headline of the Day Award. (more) |
Christine Jardine will not be re-standing for ParliamentThe Edinburgh Reporter reports that Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine is not going to be standing at the next Westminster general election: Ms Jardine, who won the seat back from the SNP in 2017 and has a majority of 16,470, said that it had been a challenging few weeks and a difficult decision, but that she felt it was the best thing to do for the party. She said to The Edinburgh Reporter: "I've got my staff to think about. I think it's important that they know what I'm thinking and what the future potentially holds. What I would have ... (more) |
Christine Jardine to stand down as MP at next election[IMG: Official portrait of Christine Jardine @HouseofCommons/Roger Harris] Many of our readers will be very sad to see that Christine Jardine MP will not fight the next election. In a statement tongiht she said: "I have written to my local party to let them know I shall not be standing as the Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Edinburgh West at the next election, following the recent decision by some of the local party. I have informed them that although I am able to request a ballot of the membership, it is with a heavy heart I have decided not to ... (more) |
A Tollesbury relative of mine was charged with piracy in 1894Daniel Thomas has been charged with criminal damage and failing to disclose the PIN for his phone, so far, at least, disappointing those who hoped he would be charged with piracy. I take an interest in such matters because a relative of mine was one of five men charged with piracy in 1894. These was not, as I have been given to claiming, the last prosecutions for piracy in Britain, because five Grimsby trawlermen were convicted under the Piracy Act as recently as 1966. Still, the story of the five Tollesbury men charged with piracy, my relative Stephen Appleton among ... (more) |
Lib Dems most liked by political rivals, study findsA press release from King's College London brought the news last week: The Lib Dems are the party most liked by their political rivals, according to a new study published ahead of the party's annual conference in Brighton. The research, by the Policy Institute at King's College London, finds rival parties' supporters rate their warmth towards Lib Dem voters at 39 out of 100 - four points higher than Labour voters, who rank second, with 35.1 Reform UK supporters are viewed most coldly by their rivals, with a rating of 20. The Lib Dems are also seen by their opponents ... (more) |
A Week in Politics #7Helen Morgan MP (Photo: Shropshire Live) Unsurprisingly, following our party conference, I have a few cheers to offer this week. Cheers to Helen Morgan MP for keeping maternity safety on the agenda. On 21 September, the party published its analysis of rising serious childbirth injuries and called for staffing, training and resources to improve care. Cheers to Tim Farronfor putting water company reform back in the spotlight. The party set out plans aimed at making water companies answer to billpayers and tackling the close relationship between the industry and its regulators. Cheers to Lib Dem members for backing a new ... (more) |