29-31 August 2026 - the long weekend's press releasesBaxter to lead debate on wildfires in Scottish Parliament Cole-Hamilton sets out expectations for Programme for Government New record for sewage: Over 100,000 "disgusting" sewage dumps in 2025 Harley responds to hospital flow plan Baxter to lead debate on wildfires in Scottish Parliament As parliament returns from its summer recess, Scottish Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Andrew Baxter will lead a debate on wildfires, following the devastating blaze that raged across the Cairngorms for more than a month. On Tuesday, MSPs will debate a motion brought forward by the Scottish Liberal Democrat member for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch. As well ... (more) |
Wells to Walsingham: The world's smallest public railwayI travelled on the Wells & Walsingham some 20 years ago and remember it as taking itself commendably seriously. Walsingham had its heyday before the Reformation, which means that a great many ancient buildings are to be found there. Because it remains a place of pilgrimage for both Roman Catholics and Anglicans, there's also an awful lot of religious tat on sale in the village. The original Walsingham station is now an Orthodox church. (more) |
Brexiters' effort to resettle Chagos Islands hit by lack of proper boatEmbed from Getty ImagesThe story may be languishing behind the Financial Times's paywall, but its headline has won the Pink 'Un our Headline of the Day Award. (more) |
Funding Political PartiesThe shine on Andy Burnham's reputation as a progressive willing to co-operate with other parties to transform our politics in the UK continues to become more tarnished. His latest U-turn is to shy away from his proposal that limits should be placed on the amounts individuals can contribute to their preferred political parties. For years it has been a commonplace that political office in the US, including the Presidency, is "up for sale." Advertising and other expenditure on campaigns at all levels in the US far exceeds anything contemplated in the UK. But we are moving in that direction. Expenditure ... (more) |
Gareth Epps and the quiet lanes of OxfordshireLiberator's Gareth Epps has made the BBC News Oxfordshire pages because the Liberal Democrat run authority is about to approve its first 'quiet lane' at Stanton St John, a village to the north east of the city of Oxford. Quiet lanes are closed to almost all through motor traffic, with exceptions made for residents and emergency services, to create safer and more pleasant routes for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. I was hoping to add a killer quote here from Gareth, the council's cabinet member for place, environment and climate action, but BBC News, true to form, is more interested ... (more) |
Government says it won't tackle election turnout blindspotThe 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: Welcome to my latest update on work in the House of Lords, this time a look at the problem with getting turnout data for some local elections. Turnout in multi-member elections is not always made available The standard measure of turnout used in the UK is to take the number of votes cast ... (more) |
The ongoing cost of BrexitThe Independent reports that new figures show that Brexit is costing the UK £11.7bn a year in lost exports, piling further pressure on Andy Burnham to rejoin the EU's single market and customs union. The paper says that the damning findings by Logistics UK, which represents freight companies and is one of the largest trade associations in the UK, show that the loss in revenue compared with 2019 is worth £400 per household in the UK per year. They add that the organisation has called on the prime minister to push for greater alignment with EU regulations as campaign groups ... (more) |