District council backs a parish council for Market HarboroughAn extraordinary meeting of Harborough District Council has voted unanimously in favour of a parish council for Market Harborough, reports BBC News. This vote, which took place on Monday, followed a public poll in which 86 per cent of those who voted supported the establishment of a new council. I was one of them. The BBC report makes great play of the fact that only 24 per cent of those eligible cast a vote, but I wonder if this is such a bad figure for such a poll. Given the possibility that Market Harborough will be governed from Glenfield in ... (more) |
New by-election poll gives Burnham 5 point leadWe've already had two Survation polls for the Makerfield Parliamentary by-election, putting Andy Burnham first three and then ten points ahead. Now a new More in Common / UCL Policy Lab poll puts him five points ahead: [IMG: More in Common graph of Makerfield Parliamentary by-election poll] The sample size of just over 500 for the mixed phone and online poll is, as with the earlier Survation polls, large enough that any problems with the sample are almost certainly going to be due to its quality rather than its size. The fieldwork dates for this poll, understandably, stretch over time ... (more) |
Lib Dems force government to end Russian sanctions exemptionA party press release brings the news: The Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the Lords, Lord Purvis, has secured a commitment from the government that it will close the previously open-ended exemption on the ban of trade in Russian refined oil products. A previously open-ended exemption on the ban of trade in Russian refined oil products will now cease no later than the end of the year. After pressure from the Liberal Democrats the government has announced it will now set a clear end of January 1st 2027, with a sunset provision, which had not been in place when ... (more) |
Bobby Charlton and Arnie Sidebottom at Stamford BridgeBobby Charlton played his last game for Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on 2 April 1973. Thanks to a rather flukey goal from Peter Osgood, Chelsea won 1-0. You can see brief highlights and Charlton's exit in the video below, but first take a look at the photo above. Who is the United player looking on as Charlton plays the ball? It's Arnie Sidebottom, who was to play one cricket test for England 12 years later. His son Ryan played many more. Arnie Sidebottom, a centre back, played 16 games for United before joining Huddersfield Town and then Halifax Town. ... (more) |
Latest voting intention and leadership ratings opinion pollsWelcome to my summary of the latest national voting intention polls for the next general election, along with the latest MRP projections and party leadership ratings. If you'd like to find out more about how polls work, how reliable they are and how to make sense of them, check out my book, Polling UnPacked: the History, Uses and Abuses of Political Opinion Polls, or sign up for my weekly email, The Week in Polls: General election voting intention polls PollsterConLabLDGrnRefLab leadFieldwork Find Out Now 18% (+1) 16% (+1) 13% (+2) 17% (nc) 25% (-2) -9% (4th, vs Ref) 10-11/6 GB ... (more) |
ALDC's By Election Report 11.06.26[IMG: 4 parallel white vertical lines on orange background ALDC logo] Three principal authority by-elections took place this week in Cheshire West and Chester, Dacroum and Slough. Cheshire West and Chester Council - Christleton and Huntington Our first by-election was triggered by the sad passing of the sitting Conservative councillor. At the last election in 2023, Christleton and Huntington was closely contested, with all nine candidates in the two-member ward finishing within 12.5% of each other and extensive split voting across the ward. The two Conservatives edged out the third-placed Green candidate by just 24 votes. The Lib Dem candidates ... (more) |
We need a tax rise to fund additional defence spendingI am an "Orange Book" Lib Dem - I think we should have taxes as low as possible because people make the best decisions about how to spend their own money. That doesn't of course mean that we don't need taxes - there are lots of things the state needs to do to ensure everyone a decent society - and tax as a % of GDP is currently a Post war high. But it's very clear that our failure to adequately fund our Defences is putting our future as a safe, democratic nation at risk. John Healey's resignation letter could ... (more) |
Lib Dems successful in tricky by-election defence[IMG: Lib Dems campaigning for Hugo Hardy] Campaigning in Dacorum. There were three principal authority council by-elections this week starting with a tricky Liberal Democrat defence of a seat where the Lib Dem councillor had been one of eight to leave the Lib Dem group before she then later resigned as a councillor. Apsley & Corner Hall (Dacorum) Council By-Election Result: [IMG: 🔶] LDM: 32.9% (-15.6) [IMG: ➡] RFM: 24.5% (New) [IMG: 🌳] CON: 17.9% (-14.9) [IMG: 🙋] Ind: 9.5% (New) [IMG: 🌍] GRN: 8.0% (New) [IMG: 🌹] LAB: 7.1% (-11.5)Liberal Democrat HOLD.Changes w/ 2023. — Election Maps UK (@electionmaps.uk) ... (more) |
An eye for an eye is not the way forwardIt is not enough to condemn the rioting and violence that has taken place in the wake of Henry Nowak's death, and the horrific knife attack in Belfast. We need to understand why it is happening and look at ways to deal with the root cause. There does seem to have been a rise in the number of violent crimes committed by those that have come to the UK as immigrants or asylum seekers. Certainly if one believes the red-tops, this is the case. However it would need someone with more time and expertise than I have to do an ... (more) |
Putting Liberal values into practice in the heart of LondonFor 16 years, Southwark Liberal Democrats have stood up for residents and held Labour to account. In May, voters sent a clear message: Southwark needed change. The election ended Labour's majority and left the council in No Overall Control. That presented us with a choice. We could stand aside, prop up a tired and failed administration, or work with others to deliver the change residents had voted for. We chose change. For the first time in 16 years, Liberal Democrats have returned to administration in Southwark through a Joint Administration with the Southwark Green Party. Many Liberal Democrats will understandably ... (more) |