Politics at SchoolWhen I was a secondary school student at a single sex council Grammar School in Newcastle in the mid-sixties some subjects crept into staff-student conversations in unlikely ways. An enlightened Anglican priest decided to include some sex education in his Religious Education efforts. The English teacher had no worries about students looking at the world hrough current party political eyes. We could do that because we were not short of youthful activists. There was Henry, an old-style Conservative, who would struggle to find a home in today's Tory party. Julian was what some would call soft-left Labour. Robert was Labour ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1561"My husband, son, and I have been locked up for months - despite being permanent residents with no criminal record. It is an unendurable, unending nightmare." Maryam Tahmasebi writes from the hell of ICE detention. Femi Owolade argues that Black academics suffer when life stories eclipse scholarship: "Academics are ... expected to have stories that capture attention. University websites, media profiles and press releases often lead with biographies before discussing research. Stories of hardship, resilience and unlikely success have become part of higher education branding. The academic is no longer just a scholar but an integral part of the university's ... (more) |
Conservative councillor Heather McLain joins Lib DemsGloucestershire Live reports news of Heather McLain joining the Lib Dems in Tewkesbury: A Conservative councillor has defected to the Liberal Democrats after the "final straw" of the selection of an ex neo-Nazi as a Tory candidate in Somerset and Kemi Badenoch's comments about councillors. Heather McLain, who represents Severn Vale North at Tewkesbury Borough Council ... also said she has been very impressed with the "collaborative approach" of the Tewkesbury Lib Dems. Tewkebury Borough Council's Lib Dem leader Richard Stanley said his group is "absolutely delighted" to welcome her. Sign up to get the latest news and analysis (more) |
Recycling centres to stay shut due to "high demand"Yes, Leicestershire County Council is run by Reform. Why do you ask? Anyway, BBC News wins our Headline of the Day Award. (more) |
Has a convicted fraudster moved into Reform UK party HQ?The Times reports that the convicted fraudster who secretly bankrolled Nigel Farage has moved his company's address to the same building as Reform UK's headquarters, amid questions over how close he remains to the party. The paper says that Geostrategy International Unlimited, set up by George Cottrell last year, has changed its registered company address from the address of a company formation provider in the City of London to Millbank Tower where Reform UK has its offices. This is despite the fact that Reform UK say George Cottrell has no role in the party and that he paid for Farage's ... (more) |
John Maynard Keynes: A very political economistEmbed from Getty ImagesPaul Addison reviewed Robert Skidelsky's biography of John Maynard Keynes for the London Review of Books in 1993. Keynes remains an attractive figure to British Liberals but, Addison suggests, a hard one to pin down: As Skidelsky emphasises, Keynes was at all times a political economist: "He invented theory to justify what he wanted to do. He understood that theory had to be usable for politicians and administrators." But if so, what were Keynes's political objectives and how radical was he? The ultimate objective of the General Theory was to save the capitalist system from the two ... (more) |
Lib Dem Federal Conference: use the drafting advice serviceI've just sent off to the drafting advice service a possible amendment to a motion up for debate at the party's Autumn Federal Conference in Brighton. The drafting advice deadline for amendments and emergency motions this time around is 1pm on Tuesday 25 August 2026. More information and the link to the advice form is on the party website. I've asked for the drafting advice even though the amendment is on a topic which falls within my area of responsibility in the House of Lords, and even though I've therefore also already checked it with relevant Parliamentary and staff colleagues. ... (more) |
Is the market for flats in England/Liverpool dead?So, what is happening with the market for flats in Liverpool? In June, the property website Zoopla issued data showing that the average price of a house was up 43% since 2016 across the UK, but flats had increased by only 10% over the same period. Zoopla said, "uncertainty around leasehold in England is affecting the pricing of flats versus houses" and that flats were taking longer to sell as a result. Most flats listed for sale in England are leasehold. And the long list of scandals and controversies associated with this form of ownership - from high service charges ... (more) |
Zack Polanski on the Fringe[IMG: Iain Dale and Zack Polanski] My weekend at the Edinburgh fringe continued with Iain Dale's All Talk event with the Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, Zack Polanski. I'm usually one of the younger people at Iain Dale's shows. This time I felt positively geriatric. The audience was very young. The event didn't have to be moved to the bigger theatre, like Nicola Sturgeon's earlier that day, but the smaller theatre was full. Polanski talked about his decision to change his name to one that reflects his Jewish heritage. He had thought originally that his family ... (more) |
X-Ray Spex: Germfree AdolescentsThis is wonderfully bleak. So bleak it reminds me of Vanbrugh College snack bar on the original campus at York. (more) |