Depeerage packages[IMG: House of Lords. Photo: Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament] Ninety-two hereditary Peers of the Realm are packing up their ermine and saying farewell to their traditional home from home. As Liberal Democrats we are pleased that Parliament has taken one more step towards the full reform of the House of Lords – although we won't rest until we have a fully elected Upper House. But spare a thought for those departing peers. They are the product of families who have served this country for many hundreds of years, with many lifetimes of experience in ... (more) |
EXCLUSIVE: New focus group insights on political party leaders[IMG: a person holding a brown envelope] An envelope. Photo by Kerngker Stock on Pexels.com. Focus group questions such as 'if a political party leader were an animal, what sort of animal would they be?' often get mentioned in order to ridicule them. But the reason they are used is the same reason I love them: the answers tease out something useful. As I wrote in my book, Polling UnPacked: If this book were an animal, what sort of animal would it be? That is the sort of apparently absurd question beloved of media coverage of focus groups. But there ... (more) |
UK faces existential energy shock from Iran warThe Independent reports on warnings by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the UK is facing one of the largest shocks from the conflict in the Middle East, and that Britain's economy is "especially exposed" to spiralling prices because of its reliance on gas‑fired power. They have compared the impact of rising prices to a "large sudden tax on income" for a family, warning that the "de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to regional infrastructure have produced the largest disruption to the global oil market in its history": Writing in a blog post on Monday, it ... (more) |
31 March 2026 - today's press releaseRecall Parliament to address ferry crisis say Scottish Liberal Democrats Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today called for the Scottish Parliament to be recalled to address the crisis engulfing Scotland's ferry network as communities in Argyll & Bute and up and down the west coast face yet more upheaval, with up to eight ferries out of action. The Scottish Parliament can be recalled up until 8th April. Mr Cole-Hamilton made the comments as he and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey visited the key target seat of Strathkelvin & Bearsden to play tennis with community activist and candidate Adam ... (more) |
Ed Davey on Keir Starmer's "staggering lack of backbone"A Liberal Democrat media release says: Responding to confirmation that the King will make a second state visit to the US, Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "The Prime Minister is showing a staggering lack of backbone by pushing ahead with this state visit while Donald Trump treats our country with contempt. "To send the King on a state visit to the US after Trump dismissed our Royal Navy as 'toys' is a humiliation, and a sign of a government too weak to stand up to bullies. "What appalling thing does Trump have to do next to make ... (more) |
Something amazing: A Shropshire businessman falling out of the sky and Mystery at WitchendThe latest Secret Shropshire programme on BBC Sounds is intriguing:In 1937 Max Wenner fell to his death from a plane in one of aviation's greatest mysteries. Wenner was a wealthy landowner and pilot living at Batchcott Hall outside Picklescott in the foothills of the Long Mynd. Wenner's frequent flights to Germany in the 1930s and visits from high profile Nazis like Joachim von Ribbentrop led to speculation that Wenner may be leading a double life. In January 1937 his body was found in woodland near Genk, in Belgium. He had fallen out of a passenger plane but no could explain ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1497"A child who grew up in the United Kingdom, attended British schools, made British friends, and considers this country their home will find, at the threshold of adulthood, that the system treats them as a temporary guest. That is a remarkable way to build community cohesion." Labour's plans on earned settlement are a social policy disaster in the making, argues Colin Yeo. Alan Rusbridger asks if Britain has stopped believing the freedom to protest: "The police burst in, broke up the gathering and arrested everyone involved. They carted them off to the cells, confiscated their phones and, in at least ... (more) |
Council by-elections results: the quarterly statsHere are the scores on the doors for the latest quarter of principal authority council by-elections. (more) |
Birtley South action dayI missed the Birtley North and Lamesley action day last week as I was at the Whickham Library easter fair. I was however able to make it to the Birtley South event the following day. 13 of us finished the delivery of target letters in the ward.Birtley South is an interesting ward. We first won a seat in the ward from Labour in 2023. A year later we won another seat from Labour but this time (more) |
Labour's council tax rise in Gateshead(more) |