Political spending: the gap even better donation rules wouldn't coverI'll be speaking later today in Parliament about the need to tighten up by the rules over money coming into politics – such as with a donations cap – as well as the rules about how money is then spent. The latter has had much less attention in the last few days than the former, but is an important part of the picture, as I explained on Times Radio at the weekend: A party can spend unlimited sums on direct mail before May's local elections, as long as the leaflets avoid naming the candidate. Mark Pack told Times Radio the ... (more) |
Nigel Farage's ratings hit record low with YouGovAlthough hitting a record high unfavourable rating is what catches the eye in the latest YouGov Nigel Farage tracker, note the longer term trends shown below. It isn't just one moment of trouble for Nigel Farage, but rather a sustained pattern. 69% of Britons now have an unfavourable opinion of Nigel Farage (9-10 Sep 2026), the highest recorded by our tracker in the decade it has runFavourable: 24% (+1 from 13-14 Aug)Unfavourable: 69% (+2)Net: -45 (-1)yougov.com/en-gb/articl... — YouGov (@yougov.co.uk) 2026-09-14T09:23:28.459Z Nigel Farage's unfavourability stretches to those who voted Leave in the 2016 referendum. No surprise that Remain supporters split 88%-9% ... (more) |
"Change the locks on the Penny Lane Community Centre," urges local councillor Richard KempThis is a press release that I have issued in despair at the snail like pace of the Liverpool City Council Penny Lane ward councillor, Richard Kemp, has criticised the council and AMS the administrators for the former organisation which ran the community centre, and property agents acting for the administrators for delay and obfuscation in getting open the former centre reopened after more than nine months. The development trust closed for business at the beginning of December 2025 when it ran into financial difficulties and had to call in administrators. The administrators believe that the lease has value which ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1576Anna Sabine, Liberal Democrat MP for Frome and East Somerset, has discovered what happens when a politician loses her voice: "There's a thing about: do I seem weak now? Like, does this make me seem weaker? Which is another reason to be really clear: I will do national media, and I will carry on campaigning." "The council's constitution, which sets out how it is run, says it must have a cabinet and a leader at the top and this is required by UK law. The local authority is also required to have an elected member overseeing children's services. The absence ... (more) |
What can £72 million buy nowadays?I go away for the weekend and two very rich cryptocurrency billionaires give £72 million between them to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. But will he be able to spend it? THe Guardian reports that communities secretary, Angela Rayner believes that the donation could be caught in a new bill which will apply retrospectively. The paper says that Labour MPs have voiced anger on internal WhatsApp groups that the government did not act last week to restrict domestic donations in the elections bill after Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo gave Reform UK a total of £72m over the weekend: Several MPs ... (more) |
The National Health Service (UK)I did mention it may be worth writing a blog about the NHS in the UK given our recent interactions with the service. It may also be worth providing some historic use of the service and the one time I needed accident and emergency (A&E) (I believe called ER in the USA). So the first thing I will do for any readers outside of the UK is to dispel a popular myth. The NHS is definitely not free, for anyone of working age who has a job that pays over a certain threshold we a taxed something that is called ... (more) |
John Pardoe, Margaret Thatcher and antisemitism in FinchleyEmbed from Getty ImagesThe photograph above is captioned on Getty Images: British Liberal Party politician John Pardoe with his wife Joyce, UK, 24th September 1964. Pardoe is standing against Conservative MP Margaret Thatcher as the Liberal candidate for Finchley. And Pardoe did very well at Finchley in the 1964 general election, putting the Liberals into second place and recording a seven per cent swing against the sitting Conservative MP Margaret Thatcher. A Jewish Chronicle article by Robert Philpot from 2017 gives an important reason for this achievement: When Mrs Thatcher was selected as Finchley's Conservative candidate in July 1958, she ... (more) |
Zoo advertises tickets for 'child predator tour'BBC News wins our Headline of the Day Award for this tale from Chester. I am reminded of the glory days of Lord Bonkers' safari park at the Hall. (more) |
Memories of 9-11I remember distinctly 11th September 2001. I was working for the Lib Dem group at the Local Government Association at the LGA HQ in London. The internet was more basic and slower back then but I was able to pick up a news report that a plane had hit one of the towers of the World Trade Centre in New York. My initial thought was that it was a small plane that was involved in the collision. A few (more) |
The liberalism we need: a platform for people to thrive and live their version of a best lifeWe need a single guiding point that policy, communication, and a revitalised brand can flow from. Without losing the breadth of values that makes us strong Most liberals and Liberal Democrats have instincts - and often detailed, powerful, personal articulations - for why they are liberal and/or Lib Dems. Our constitution is also an impressive illustration, as is the history of liberal ideas and achievements. We have many pillars: internationalism, environmentalism, liberty, equality, community, and more - all working together. But that breadth which is so often a strength also presents a struggle: communicating a single, clear vision or "north ... (more) |