Not so cosy: A podcast on Agatha Christie's The MousetrapI came across a new podcast today - Garlic & Pearls- via a really good episode on Agatha Christie's play The Mousetrap. It's thoroughly researched and emphasises how far from cosy Christie's works can be. The Mousetrap is set in a dislocated postwar world in which the class structure has been shaken and there is an air of paranoid watchfulness. The BBC's adaptations of the Miss Marple books, which starred the incomparable Joan Hickson, were set firmly in this world. And it's noticeable that when Bertram's Hotel appears to have survived the changes unscathed, it turns out to be too ... (more) |
Just back from the printersI took delivery of 2000 Sunniside Focuses yesterday. My next job is to bundle them into their patches. Tomorrow we start delivering them! They all have to be out before 26th November. That's when the Christmas tree lights switch on is happening, and the front page of the Focus is all about it. (more) |
ALDC By-Election Report 6th NovemberThis week, there were ten by-elections, of which two were on Tuesday. Three by-elections did not have a Liberal Democrat candidate. Congratulations to Councillor Jan Goffey and the local Liberal Democrat team for gaining a seat in Devon, despite beginning from a standing start. We were able to secure a decisive victory, whilst both the Conservatives and an independent were vying for second place. West Devon BC, Okehampton South Liberal Democrats (Jan Goffey): 356 (57.1%, new) Conservative: 152 (24.4%, -5.9) Independent: 116 (18.6%, - 17.0) Liberal Democrat GAIN from Green Party Turnout: 22% Congratulations are also due to Councillor Martin ... (more) |
Beyond the picket line: why Liberal Democrats must rebuild bridges with Britain's workersIn an era when populism erodes democratic norms and insecurity pervades the modern workplace, the defence of liberal democracy must extend beyond parliaments and ballot boxes. It must reach the factory floor, the classroom, and the hospital wards. The right to organise, to be treated fairly, and to have a voice at work are not socialist luxuries. They are the foundations of a free society, and the current situation demands our immediate attention and action. More than twenty years ago, Charles Kennedy understood this. In 2002, addressing the Trades Union Congress in Blackpool, he declared: We Liberal Democrats believe in ... (more) |
Economics: Thinking about ResourcesI've noticed here on LibDemVoice that when we have a discussion about the economy and what the Government can afford, it usually descends into a very technical argument about the nature of money: is money a flow, as mainstream economics says, or is it destroyed by tax, as Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) advocates believe? Wouldn't it be nice if there were an alternative way to think about expenditure that avoided these arguments and got to the root of what is really going on when we decide whether something is affordable? Well, there is! Instead of counting money, try thinking about ... (more) |
By-election analysis - nearly every seat changed handsThey don't quite have the sparkle of the results of the past couple of weeks but nonetheless, yesterday's by-elections were still favourable for the Lib Dems.Let's start with Okehampton, West Devon:The Greens were defending but lost. They weren't helped by their own failure to field a candidate. Why didn't someone from their surging claims of new members come forward to defend the seat? Anyway (more) |
Write a guest post for Liberal EnglandOne of the things I enjoy most about blogging these days is publishing guest posts. Have you thought of writing something for Liberal England yourself? I'm happy to entertain a range of political views, but I'd hate you to spend time writing something I wouldn't want to publish, so please get in touch first. These are the 10 most recent guest posts on Liberal England - as you can see, I welcome posts on subjects beyond politics:Dad's Army and the decline of the Conservatives - Anselm AnonThe state of our canals - and canalside pubs - today - Peter ChambersForget ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1432Rose Runswick argues against building Liberal Democrat strategy on an attempt to win over one-nations Conservatives. They are not natural Liberals and our advance at the last general election came through tactical anti-Conservative voting. "Our polling suggests that a clear divide exists in local government along overlapping economic and cultural lines. Reform councillors typically take the most right-wing positions (except on the NHS), followed by the Conservatives, including on the tax and spend question. There is often little difference between Labour and the Liberal Democrats on the centre left/left, and then the Greens take the most left-wing position."David Jeffrey and ... (more) |
Review of "Ending Wars" co-edited by Lord John Alderdice and Padraig O MalleyEnding Wars is the bold title of a new book co-edited by Lord John Alderdice and Padraig O Malley and published earlier this year by the New England Journal of Public Policy. Its companion publication entitled The Changing Character of War and Peacemaking (2023) was curated along the same lines as a compilation of articles penned by a wide range of contributors to the conferences organised by the Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflicts (CRIC) held at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Most would remember Francis Fukuyama's End of History and the Last ... (more) |
West End Local Community Planning Partnership Café Conversation #dundeewestendThe next West End LCPP meeting is on Thursday 20th November from 9.30am until 11am at The Friary in Tullideph Road. Working with What Matters to You this will be the first Café Conversation in the West End. The LCCP Chair said : "These sessions have been held in other parts of Dundee and offer a relaxed space for community members, practitioners, and strategic leaders to come together. The aim is to talk about what's working well, what could be better, and how we can improve things together. We're encouraging people to share real experiences. We'll spend time listening, identifying ... (more) |