A murder mystery set in Parliament, written by a pioneering MPThe latest edition of the email newsletter for my podcast, Political Fictions, is out and you can also read it in full below. But if you'd like to get future editions emailed direct to you as soon as they are published, sign up now: Welcome to the latest email for our podcast, Political Fictions: political drama on screen and on the page. Please do spread the word about the podcast to your friends, colleagues and even dastardly rivals who you want to distract from doing something else. Now, on to the proper business of this email. The Division Bell Mystery ... (more) |
Climate change ushers in record-breaking JulyThe Guardian reports on the assertion by the Met Office that July 2026 was the driest month in southern England since records began nearly 200 years ago. The paper adds that England and Wales also provisionally recorded their driest July since records began in 1836, with Wales having its joint warmest July on record for mean temperature, while England recorded its second warmest July: The Met Office said the "remarkable conditions" this year came amid a summer marked by multiple heat records. The heatwaves have been made more intense and more likely by the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis. The heatwave ... (more) |
The future of war has arrived: It's the NavyThe character of warfare is undergoing a profound transformation. While the fundamental nature of war – competition, coercion and violence remains unchanged, the methods by which states pursue strategic advantage have evolved dramatically. Conventional military forces remain essential, but the decisive battles of the twenty-first century are increasingly fought beyond traditional frontlines. The new centre of gravity lies in the resilience of a nation's Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). Energy grids, telecommunications networks, transport systems, financial institutions, water supplies and digital connectivity have become both strategic assets and prime targets. The future of conflict is increasingly focused on disrupting, degrading and ... (more) |
"Making Liverpool a global force," Liverpool Lib Dem proposals for regenerating our economyThe Liverpool Liberal Democrats have officially launched "Liverpool First: Global Ambitions for a Global City", a new policy paper setting out the party's plan to back the city's businesses, restore Liverpool's global standing and make it one of the most dynamic city economies in the world. You can look at the paper in detail by using this link, https://hlnks.co/edca8af3. Members of the Liberal Democrat team would be pleased to come and discuss what this would mean to your Business Association or your business. On Monday and Tuesday Liverpool Liberal Democrats published their economic development strategy for our city at two ... (more) |
Before Paddington Bear there was Mary PlainIf the Paddington phenomenon has Gone A Bit Far, as Lord Bonkers would put it, is there an alternative bear whose adventures we can enjoy? There is. A post on Scones and Chaises Longues has reminded me that I enjoyed the Mary Plain books when I was very young: Readers of a certain age (mine) may remember Gwynedd Rae's Mary Plain books. I have fond memories of sitting on one of the little wooden chairs in the children's section of Bromley Public Library, working my way through the adventures of the bear cub from Berne while my mother chose her ... (more) |
Burnham and the devolved national governmentsThe Guardian has an interesting editorial on how Andy Burnham should approach Scotland and Wales in the context of his commitment to devolving more powers to England's mayoral authorities. There are one or to missteps in the article, for example they are sceptical of Burnham's claim that "the people of Dundee and Bangor feel just as distant from Holyrood and the Senedd as they do from Westminster", when in fact many people in north Wales do feel equally remote from the Cardiff-based Welsh government, but they are right that the Prime Minister needs to sort out anomalies in the devolution ... (more) |