Back on the campaign trailIt feels as though election campaigning is never going to end in Gateshead. We have a by-election in High Fell caused by the resignation of a Reform Councillor after only 11 days in the job. Polling day is on 9th July. Lots to do and my Saturday morning was taken up trudging the streets of High Fell delivering the next leaflet for the Lib Dems. We have 18 patches in the ward. Most were done (more) |
1963: London's summer of the HoverbusJago Hazzard looks back to a short-lived transport experiment that took place in London in the summer of 1963. From 1 July to 31 October, a hovercraft service operated on the Thames in London between Festival Pier at Waterloo and Tower Bridge. The experiment was not a success and the Hoverbus's manufacturers, Denny, went out of business the following year. But Jago is right: hovercraft were once seen as the future. Later in the Sixties, I can recall, you often got mini-hovercraft rides at more ambitious fetes. But then, as Jonathan Meades once pointed out, the future happened briefly in ... (more) |
High Fell by-election leaflet watch 3: the proof is in the readingReform's High Fell by-election leaflet fell into my hands over the weekend. Take a look. Anyone spot the error? The text ends abruptly. Always get someone else to proof read drafts of leaflets. Had Reform done so, they would have spotted half their leaflet is missing! (A bit like ex-Councillor Cavanagh.) (more) |
J.M. Keynes "Anything we can actually do, we can afford."Reading Chris Bowers' recent Yorkist post, I thought it to be an excellently optimistic paper – the diagram grouping the Liberal Democrats in the Progressive Left, Anti-System group is very persuasive. The idea of promoting a Keynesian economic philosophy is brilliant and needs to challenge the current economic orthodoxy. The final paragraph on page 22 of The New Deal reads: The Lib Dems need to be unashamedly Keynesian in their approach to the 2029 election. This will not be an easy task, as it means challenging the orthodoxy that has taken root in both the Treasury and the Bank of ... (more) |
Mathew on Monday: Banning Under-16s from Social Media is the Wrong AnswerThe newly announced ban on social media for under-16s may be politically popular, but popularity alone does not make good policy. As liberals, we should be deeply sceptical of blanket bans that restrict freedom while failing to tackle the root causes of a problem. There is no doubt that social media can be harmful. Young people are exposed to bullying, misinformation, unhealthy content and algorithms designed to maximise engagement rather than well-being. These are serious concerns and they demand action. But the question is whether an outright ban is the right response. I do not believe it is. First, the ... (more) |
Spread it out: the liberal case for a wealth taxWe are at a crossroads. Trust in politics is low, and people are right to feel let down. The economy works beautifully for those at the top and barely at all for everyone else. Across the West, that frustration is being picked up by people who offer someone to blame rather than something to fix. Liberals can offer something better. It's in our DNA, but sometimes we get confused about what liberalism is and fail to make the case. So let's say it plainly. Liberalism has one founding fight, and we have fought it in every century - the fight ... (more) |
We need a long term strategy with vocational education and apprenticeships at the heartAt a time when students face increasing academic pressure, uncertainty about future careers, spiralling debt and challenges related to mental health and wellbeing. Now is a good time to review our post 16 and further education system. In a recent article by Jon Henley, and Senay Boztas titled What can the Dutch teach the UK about how to tackle the youth jobs crisis? The article argues that the Netherlands has the lowest NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or training) rate in the EU, at around 5%. Researchers and policy experts attribute the low youth unemployment partly to the country's strong ... (more) |
Violent Bonham Carter features on Fake or Fortune?The notorious gender-fluid London gang boss of the Sixties gets a mention in a post from last year on the Herstmonceux Castle website. BBC's Fake or Fortune here at the Castle On Monday, 21st July, viewers were treated to a fascinating episode of Fake or Fortune, much of which was filmed here at Herstmonceux Castle. We thought Dylan and Claire acquitted themselves brilliantly on camera in the garden and amongst the archives. The episode provided insights into a painting, seemingly by Winston Churchill, of his wife Clementine, as they were staying at Hertsmonceux Castle together with his mother and Violent ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1533James Ball argues that Labour's social media ban for teenagers is an admission of total and utter failure to govern online spaces: "The UK government has lots of powers to govern the internet that it simply isn't using. Hosting images of child abuse is a strict liability offence, one that Elon Musk's X platform blatantly breached with its Grok chatbot. The government gave itself extensive powers to regulate social platforms under the Online Safety Act, which it has never even made an attempt to enforce." "This week contained two stories, which dominated the headlines. One took place on the streets ... (more) |
Separation of Powers and Civil Liberties in the UK are now at breaking pointPlease note that this article has been updated by the author to reflect one key aspect of the events of 6 August 2024. We need to discuss, as a Party, how we are going to put ourselves forward in defence of civil liberties. In March 2024, I, along with my girlfriend, helped a friend move from Wales to London, because we had access to a van and were looking for an excuse to meet up and hang out. On the long drive along the M4, we had several long discussions about my friend's unique experiences, notably in refugee volunteering and ... (more) |