Could Andy Burnham rival William Beveridge in impact?In the midst of the Second World War, the Liberal Civil Servant William Beveridge wrote of the terrible state he saw that Britain was in, and in his report, 'Social Insurance and Allied Services' published by the wartime Government in December 1942, he proposed remedies which gained immediate attention and after the war much Government-directed successful action. Can Andy Burnham, despite the threat from hostile powers requiring now major escalation of British Defence forces, find remedies for the terrible mess which so many Britons believe defines the current state of our nation? Are the perceived problems comparable? Beveridge defined Five ... (more) |
Richard O'Sullivan's This is Your Life from 1974The actor Richard O'Sullivan has died at the age of 82. He was never out of the studio as child star in the Fifties and early Sixties, and became a sitcom heartthrob of the Seventies. Talking Pictures TV is currently running the children's show Dick Turpin that he made at the start of the Eighties. O'Sullivan retired from acting after suffering a stroke in 2003. This edition of This is Your Life was filmed just as O'Sullivan's adult career had taken off because of his starring role in ITV's Man About the House. Look out for an appearance by a ... (more) |
The Death of Stalin: Armando Iannucci's 2017 black comedyThe latest edition of the email newsletter for my podcast, Political Fictions, 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: Get the books As well as covering some books in the podcast, we also mention others in the newsletter's bonus content. You can browse all the books mentioned and get them for yourself via my Bookshop.org page (affiliate link), such as in this case the graphic novel which inspired the film. The Death of Stalin [IMG: ... (more) |
Lib Dems gain majority control of Oxfordshire County CouncilThe principal authority council by-elections this week started with a relatively rare Wednesday contest and good news for the Liberal Democrats: Kingswood (Stroud) Council By-Election Result: [IMG: 🔶] LDM: 64.0% (-18.1) [IMG: 🌳] CON: 15.8% (+6.4) [IMG: ➡] RFM: 10.1% (New) [IMG: 🌍] GRN: 5.8% (+1.0) [IMG: 🌹] LAB: 4.3% (+0.5)Liberal Democrat HOLD.Changes w/ 2024. — Election Maps UK (@electionmaps.uk) 2026-09-02T22:22:05.515Z Note also the continuation of two patterns we've seen in recent weeks: Reform's progress in by-elections stalling, and Labour's tide of defeats in by-elections being stemmed. For what all this means for the running total of council by-election results ... (more) |
World Suicide Prevention Day, 10th SeptemberThis article discusses suicide and could cause distress to some readers. On the 10th September The World Health Organisation will promote World Suicide Prevention Day. This is a three-year programme, supported by The Samaritans, MIND, and ithrive Edinburgh as well as other organisations, with the theme "Changing the Narrative". This initiative is aimed at encouraging people to speak about mental health, the complex reasons why people take their own lives, extending empathy and confronting stigma. Good early intervention can help a person in crisis so that they can be supported at crisis level then have timely access to treatment which ... (more) |
In which I agree with Kemi BadenochThere are not many views I share with the Tories (if any) and even fewer occasions where I believe that Kemi Badenoch is on the right track, but her assertion that Reform UK's decision to ban some journalists from its conference shows that Nigel Farage would use state power to target opponents and be authoritarian in government is spot on. The Independent reports: Answering questions after a speech on defence in London, the Conservative leader was asked about Reform's decision to refuse accreditation to a series of journalists for its conference this week. One of the journalists was Anna Isaac, ... (more) |
Sarah Olney: I would like to be next Lib Dem London Mayor candidateNews from the Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park since 2019 (and prior to that 2016-17): View this post on Instagram (more) |
Cole-Hamilton: Violence against women and girls demands action nowAt First Minister's Questions, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP urged the government to act with urgency to tackle violence against women and girls, as he stated that it should not take victims, including those like Vikki Solomon and Stacey Hunter, to lose their lives before proper action is taken. The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader has repeatedly pressed the government over their failure to implement important domestic abuse protections, which are still not in force despite being passed by parliament five years ago. Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling for: Homes with a history of domestic violence should be properly ... (more) |
Lisa Smart calls for police to investigate Reform's James OrrFollowing tonight's Channel 4 scoop about foreign and hidden donations to Reform, Lisa Smart has called on the police to investigate Reform's James Orr. Here's her letter in full: [IMG: Lisa Smart letter to police about Reform] Here is the Channel 4 report in full: It is also written up here. UPDATE There is also this from Ed Davey: This is serious. If Reform blatantly, intentionally and knowingly broke election law, they should be held fully accountable. Liberal Democrats have asked the Police and the Electoral Commission to investigate. — Ed Davey (@eddavey.libdems.org.uk) 2026-09-03T20:21:47.247Z (more) |
That Channel 4 News report on Reform UK and illicit funding in fullFrom this evening's Channel 4 News... (more) |