Ed Davey's Conference speechCaron threw down a gauntlet in her article on Ed's conference speech. Most of the comments seem to have been negative on two main grounds - that the radical proposals on taxation had been bounced on the party and that whatever gains are made from Europe should be spent by the state. While I agree with much of what is said about Ed - the failure to inspire, the lack of ability to clearly define what Liberalism is, the instinctive tendency to see every vote of protest and none of purpose, in this case I suspect that a very cautious ... (more) |
Buried alive: A 1954 rescue of a teenager from a Surrey chalk caveI've a habit of digging up forgotten disasters and scandals from old newspapers, but a couple of British caving disasters that I've come across have proved to horrible to write about. The BBC News Surrey page, however, has turned up a potential caving disaster from February 1954 that had a happy ending - the cutting is from the Bradford Observer for the 15th of that month: The Westhumble cave, located in the North Downs near Dorking, was once mined for its chalk. In February 1954, four adventurous youngsters - including Fred Topliffe - from London wanted to explore the site. ... (more) |
Lord Bonkers' foreword to the new Liberator SongbookAs far as I know, this foreword appeared in the new Liberator Songbook on sale at Brighton. It's not perhaps his lordship's most seminal work, but I'm posting it here for completeness and so I don't lose it. Besides, he's reminded me that my rent falls due on Lady Day. Talking of Liberator, you can download the latest issue for free from the magazine's website. And, while you're on there, why not sign up to be notified each time a new issue drops? Bonkers HallRutland Tel. Rutland 7 Don't get me wrong, I love the Home Counties. I'm never happier ... (more) |
The continuing cost of BrexitThe Guardian reports on the conclusion of the IPPR thinktank that the UK is losing out on annual exports to the EU that could be worth as much as £6.5bn without a deal with Brussels that allows manufacturers to jettison duplicate product testing. The paper says that in the latest attempt to calculate the loss of trade with the EU after Brexit, the thinktank said many companies have given up selling goods to the EU or set up subsidiaries inside the trade bloc after successive governments failed to secure a mutual recognition agreement that would avoid the extra administration costs: ... (more) |
Alan Garner: The Edge of The CeilingAlan Garner talks about his life and writing career. This documentary was first shown by the BBC in June 1980, and first posted on this blog 10 years ago. (more) |
My days in the Lib Dem News broom cupboard with Jock GallagherHere's something sad that I had missed: Jock Gallagher died in May of last year at the age of 87. I've not found an obituary for him, but there was a news report in the Daily Express. I knew Jock in the days when I helped with the production of the issue of Liberal Democrat News that was put together during the Liberal Democrat's autumn conference - one year I copped for all the desktop publishing work. My reward was that I got to chat to two other people who pitched in to help: Adrian Slade and Jock. I talked ... (more) |
Conference or What?Who can actually afford to take part in Liberal Democrat democracy? A conversation with Donna Harris about her campaigning on childcare got me thinking. Donna's work is fundamentally about removing barriers. Barriers that prevent women from participating fully in society, work and public life. It made me wonder whether we sometimes overlook the barriers within our own party. Because there is a slightly uncomfortable question we should be asking after Brighton 2026: Who actually gets to participate in Liberal Democrat democracy? The Liberal Democrats proudly say that conference is where the party makes its decisions. Every member has an equal ... (more) |
Where next on the Triple Lock?At conference this weekend, there was a rare - and welcome - moment of controversy in the hall. During Ed Davey's Q&A, journalist Carolyn Quinn asked for a show of hands. Should the Liberal Democrats continue supporting the triple lock pension? It was close. The triple lock survived the straw poll, but only narrowly. For a party which proudly introduced the triple lock, that tells us something. There is an appetite among Liberal Democrats for a serious conversation about intergenerational fairness. We should have it. The triple lock was the right policy for its time. When Liberal Democrats entered government ... (more) |
I watched Ed Davey's speech. Here's why it mattersWhilst those in the media world and the Westminster bubble speculate about the future of our party leader, Ed Davey, Ed focused on what matters most – a plan to end the squeeze on middle-income earners, put hundreds of pounds back in the pocket of millions of people, and take ordinary workers out of paying the higher tax rate that was designed for stockbrokers. Ed announced that the Liberal Democrats would raise the tax-free personal allowance to £15,000 and increase the higher rate threshold from £50,270 to £56,000. He said that would mean taking two million more people out of ... (more) |
Citizens abroad and party strategyThere were many things to support in the party strategy motion. It includes confident liberalism, modern campaigning, and reaching new communities. However, there is one notable exclusion. In fact, around five million notable exclusions: citizens abroad. The strategy talks about reaching out to all communities in our country. These five million people are not in the UK, but they are served by our democracy. I live in Switzerland now, having moved for a job. Yet decisions made in Westminster continue to affect my life. The starkest of those in recent years was of course Brexit. Many of the million British ... (more) |