Are the Tories seeking to undermine the UK's energy security?The Mirror reports that Kemi Badenoch has been accused of trying to "outsource" Britain's energy security to fossil fuel markets. The paper says that the Tory leader was ridiculed ahead of launching a "Get Britain Drilling" campaign calling for the UK to maximise the use of its oil and gas reserves: It follows a spike in energy prices caused by the war in the Middle East, something Ms Badenoch had supported joining only to U-turn a week later. Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has led to a drastic rise in oil prices across the globe. On Sunday Ms ... (more) |
Only the Lib Dems can beat Reform in GatesheadLabour have got into a bit of a tantrum about our claim that Gateshead Lib Dems are better placed than Labour to beat Reform at the local elections in May. Labour's vote has collapsed. Everyone knows that. (more) |
The implosion of the Conservatives in GatesheadWe have heard on the grapevine that the Conservatives in Gateshead have imploded on the eve of the local elections. Perhaps we should not get too carried away as there was little to implode anyway. The last time a Conservative councillor was elected in Gateshead was in 1992 and much of that was the result of the Conservatives doing well nationally - they had just pulled off a surprise general (more) |
From our Trivia Desk: Aleister Crowley, Harold Davidson and chessOur Trivial Facts of the Day both come from a post by Richard James, who was my captain when I played chess for Richmond & Twickenham long ago. He is writing about the annual Varsity chess match: Aleister Crowley, "the wickedest man in the world", ... played for Cambridge in 1896 and 1897, while Harold Davidson, "the rector who was eaten by a lion" (he was actually mauled rather than eaten, but that's jumping ahead), represented Oxford between 1901 and 1903. As I've said before, it's great fun on my Trivia Desk, but you have to work weekends. Both Aleister ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1496Julia Lurie collates accounts of conditions inside ICE's only family detention centre: "My younger son does not eat the food here; he is hungry all the time. He will only accept breast milk and it is not enough for him. He is growing. He is 2 and a half, and he needs to eat. I often worry that I will stop being able to produce breast milk for him. I hardly sleep and I am anxious all the time; I don't know what we would do. My toddler is losing weight very quickly." Hannah Aldridge explains why having a decent ... (more) |
Dunston Hill - the full historyOn Wednesday I will be chairing the next meeting of Sunniside History Society. The speaker is Dr Richard Pears and he will be talking about Dunston Hill, the home of the Carr-Ellison family. (more) |
The Kylie and Jason of Gateshead Lib DemsThis photo was doing the rounds of Gateshead Lib Dems yesterday. Marilynn Ord and I in 1987 at a party to celebrate the election of myself and Ione Rippeth to Gateshead Council. We were immediately dubbed the Kylie and Jason of Gateshead Lib Dems! Marilynn was elected councillor in 1998.I am pleased to report that I have since found a decent hairdresser! Alas, I am no longer the brunette (more) |
RIP Noel RippethSad news. On Friday we learnt of the passing of Noel Rippeth, former Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Leader of the Opposition on Gateshead Council. He was a founder member of the SDP in 1981 and had been a Lib Dem campaigner ever since. He was elected to Gateshead Council in 1992 and became Leader in 1994, holding the position until 2010. Unfortunately, poor health forced Noel's (more) |
WATCH: Hina Bokhari speak to yesterday's Together Alliance march in LondonYesterday, Together Alliance, a coalition of civil society groups aimed at standing up to the far right held a march in London at which our Leader in the London Assembly, Hina Bokhari, spoke. Watch her speech here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hina Bokhari OBE AM (@hinabokharild) Hina has written before for us about her own experience of racism and Islamophobia. Nobody should have to put up with that. (more) |
Lord Bonkers' Diary: Alpacas sitting in the front rowAnd so another week with Rutland's most celebrated fictional peer draws to a close. I also found the The Blue Bell that weekend and can heartily recommend it. York remains a wonderful city. Sunday What with the badgers and the nuclear warheads, I give the leader's speech a miss and spend my time in The Blue Bell, Fossgate, instead. I am told Ed Davey had those alpacas he met the other day sitting in the front row. Poor empty-headed creatures, they will vote for anyone who admires their hairstyles. Lord Bonkers was Liberal MP for Rutland South West, 1906-10. Earlier ... (more) |