Rumer Godden writes about a multiracial London street in 1956I'm reading An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden - it's for a thing - and have come across another early celebration of multiracial London. The previous one, by Marjorie Allingham, dated from 1965: this one from Rumer Godden dates from 1956: The ugly accents of the Street children were unmistakably English, but the older people could have belonged anywhere; a great many had come from somewhere else, all tongues were spoken in Catford Street, faces were all colours, but even the people who had been born there and lived and died in it were like any people anywhere. It ... (more) |
What is the point of this Labour government?Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves (Photo: Getty Images) I don't know about you, but I'm really not sure what the point of the Labour government in Westminster is. I was reasonably happy when Labour won the General Election in 2024, although admittedly my feelings were probably more of relief at the Conservatives being ousted. I may not have been overly pleased at how disproportionate the outcome was, with Labour securing 411 seats with 33.7% of the vote, but I couldn't really argue with voters returning just 121 Conservative MPs - the party's worst performance since the emergence of party politics ... (more) |
WATCH: All the fun of the Conference RallyThe quality of my life dramatically improved when I realised i didn't actually have to sit through the rally. I could go and have a quiet dinner out with friends and then watch it on You Tube later. Here is Friday night's event which had a real live member of the Tracy Family from Thunderbirds. Honest. It wasn't Wokingham MP Clive Jones dressed up, honest. Enjoy. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings (more) |
Coming soon to Suffolk - Local Government Reform and DevolutionIt's now more than a week (but feels so much longer) since I chaired the recent Mid Suffolk Forum of the Suffolk Association of Local Councils. And, unsurprisingly, the main item on the agenda was moves to abolish the current Borough, County and District Councils and replace them with some sort of Unitary arrangement. In Suffolk, previous attempts have run aground on the inability of the parties to agree. The County Council always wants a Unitary County, whilst the Districts don't, and Ipswich wants the biggest unit that Labour can reliably control, some sort of "Greater Ipswich". In 2009, when ... (more) |
Rare fossil named 'Sue' after palaeontologist's mumBBC News wins our Headline of the Day Award for this tale of life at the University of Leicester. (more) |
Everything starts smallI type this with several trays of compost-filled pots balanced precariously on the window sill beside me. They contain the first seed sowings of the year for my flower and vegetable garden, namely tomatoes and sweet peas. They'll be followed, in due course, by peas, beetroot, lettuce, spinach, zinnia, sunflowers and much more. Over the course of the next few months, these seeds will sprout and their seedlings will emerge slowly from the soil. They'll unfurl their tiny leaves and soak up their first rays of sunlight. As they grow, I'll transplant them to larger pots in the greenhouse or ... (more) |
Why liberals should back CANZUKReading the Financial Times is not for the easily troubled. At once the news it is mission-bound to report is confusing, intimidating, and depressing when the reader becomes aware of just how much money we don't have and trivialities on which the rest of it is being spent. However, amidst the gloom of flicking through the pink 'un these days, there is the occasional flicker of light, such as the recent article featuring Sir Ed Davey in which the Lib Dem leader endorsed a great idea - a closer working relationship between Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and our own United ... (more) |
Why I've realised I'm a Socialist, and why Liberals and Socialists must work togetherFor a long time, I simply considered myself a liberal. I believed in personal freedom, a strong but fair economy, and the power of government to create opportunity. I wanted a system that worked for everyone, but I also thought markets, when properly regulated, could be a force for good. But over the years, I've come to realise that these values of equality, fairness, and a society that serves all its people are not just liberal values. They are socialist ones too. This isn't about abandoning liberalism. My liberal resolve has never been stronger. But, I have been forced to ... (more) |
West End street surgeries tonight #dundeewestendWe are holding a street surgery tonight to speak with residents on any local issues or concerns they may have. Should you have an issue you wish to discuss with us, e-mail us at westend@dundeelibdems.org.uk or call us on Dundee 459378 and we will be pleased to meet you - many thanks. (more) |
WATCH: Layla Moran on PestonLayla Moran appeared on the Peston programme last night to talk about, amongst other things, the Spring statement. Watch here: She made the point that it is going to be much harder for disabled people to get into work because of the increase in employers' National Insurance contribution and confirmed that the Lib Dems would oppose changes which adversely affected disabled people and carers. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings (more) |