Now Ed Davey is implying that Nigel Farage is rightPhoto © BadgerHero Early last week I sent off my latest piece for Central Bylines. In it I praised Ed Davey's willingness to challenge the right's claims to patriotism: People on the left tend to be uneasy about patriotism - the last refuge of the scoundrel and all that - but it's remarkable how many right-wing politicians and commentators give every impression of disliking their own country. They hanker after the fake past they see online in AI images, but have little love for the country as it really was or is. By the time it appeared, Ed Davey had ... (more) |
One Hub, Two Services: Why Police and Healthcare Should Share the Same Front DoorAcross the United Kingdom, the role of the local high street is changing. Many of the civic buildings that once anchored communities, such as local police stations, small health centres, and council offices, are gradually disappearing as services modernise and budgets tighten. While change is inevitable, it raises an important question: how can we keep public services visible, accessible, and connected to the communities they serve? One promising answer is the Integrated Community Hub. This would be a shared public building where Community Minor Injury Units (MIUs) and Neighbourhood Police Teams operate under the same roof. Rather than maintaining separate ... (more) |
Another Reform tax scandalThe Mirror reports that Reform UK's deputy leader is under pressure to "urgently" explain himself over reports he avoided paying nearly £600,000 in corporation tax. The paper says that Richard Tice reportedly avoided paying corporation tax on his property company Quidnet Reit Ltd over a three-year period after gaining a rare legal status for his firm: The Reform MP is accused of avoiding hundreds of thousands in corporation tax by listing his firm on the Guernsey stock exchange and applying for it to become a real estate investment trust (REIT), according to the Sunday Times. Mr Tice's firm reportedly did ... (more) |
When John Smith's Magnet Ales were advertised across YorkWhen I was a student in York the corner shops in the backstreets all had advertising John Smith's Magnet Ales. The shops have mostly closed and, while the name Magnet still survives, the beer is no longer brewed at John Smith's Tadcaster brewery but produced under licence by Cameron's in Hartlepool. I did find a couple of relics of Magnet advertising when I went hunting for the blue plaque on Frankie Howerd's childhood home in York. (more) |
Mathew on Monday: Serious Times Demand Serious Leadership - Ed Davey needs to stop with the clowning aroundThese are not normal political times. These are not easy times. And they are certainly not times when large swathes of the electorate is crying out for gimmicks, distractions, or anything that looks remotely unserious. They are times of international instability, economic uncertainty, pressure on public services, and a deep distrust in politics. In moments like these, what voters are looking for above all else is seriousness, serious ideas. Serious tone, serious leadership. Which is why, for many of us watching Ed Davey's speech at Spring Conference in York yesterday, there was such deep frustration. Because there were good things ... (more) |
NullWide gunmetal skies. Plans reach an end. Nemesis falls in flakes like snow. (more) |
Sign up to be informed each time a new issue of Liberator dropsThe next issue of Liberator - "The magazine for all Liberals"- will drop in a couple of weeks. If you'd like to be notified as soon as it's posted on the magazine's website, then add your email address to the magazine's mailing list. Liberator publishes six issues a year. Once you're on the list you will receive an email each time a new one appears. You can download issues from the magazine's website as a pdf free of charge. There's also a large archive of back numbers of Liberator to explore there. See the recent issues and the archive of ... (more) |
Nuclear deterrent?It's the wrong time for any serious party leader to advocate getting rid of our nuclear weapons. Yesterday, Ed probably said the most sensible thing anyone could say. If we're going to keep nuclear weapons, there is now a pressing need for them to be British. It's been said that it might be possible to jailbreak an F35. It's also been said it doesn't work like that. I don't know if you can jailbreak a nuclear missile, but maybe we should have somebody working on it.* But there is a substantial argument that our nuclear weapons will soon be useless ... (more) |
Apply for a postal voteThe local elections in May will elect an entirely new Council. If you are going away on Thursday, 7th May and don't have a Postal Vote, your voice will not be heard. You can apply for a Postal Vote here: really important that everyone has a chance to have their say so if you are going to be away please do apply for a (more) |
Gateshead Lib Dems at conferenceOver the weekend, Lib Dem spring conference was held in York. 5 of us from Gateshead attended: me, David Randall, Daniel Duggan, Amanda Wintcher and Jamie Rickelton. Amanda and Jamie attended as stewards but were given time off to take part in debates (Jamie made his maiden speech) and to meet up with us for a Gateshead Lib Dem dinner. Here are the first photos. Some more to follow (more) |