The Grimond Society and economic democracyThe Grimond Society, a Liberal Democrat group that aims to build support for economic democracy and a more cooperative and mutualistic economy, gets a good write up on the Co-op News website. It quotes the society's founder, Jack Meredith:"The Liberal Democrats have always stood for the idea of liberty and freedom from poverty, from homelessness, from what Beveridge called the evils of society. And why would we stop at the ballot box? Clearly it makes sense that if we want to try and enrich people's lives, and help them find meaning, why aren't we supporting co-operatives more and being more ... (more) |
Observations of an Expat: West Bank Settler SanctionsCompeting demographic trends inside Israel and its Western traditional supporters in are stacked against the Jewish state. This week's round of British-led sanctions against goods produced by West Bank settlers is a recognition of changing Western attitudes towards Israel. Democracies by their very nature are dominated by short-term electoral cycles of two, four or five years. Demographic attitudinal changes, on the other hand, run over decades. Governments can postpone responding to the demographic realities because the electoral penalty is initially small. Then, quite suddenly, the accumulated change becomes impossible to ignore. Especially if there is a catalyst such as Gaza ... (more) |
A stone out of place and timeWhether you are interested in neolithic graves or not, the trip to Arthur's Stone is worth taking for the view if nothing else. Right at the top of Cefn Bryn, the backbone of Gower, you can see Oxwich Bay to the south and the Loughor Estuary to the north. To the west is Rhossili Bay, boasting the highest point on the peninsular, once a favourite haunt of hang gliders, though I can't recall seeing many for some time. As the Discover Britain website tells us, the stone is easy to miss from the road and not marked on many maps, ... (more) |
Latest voting intention and leadership ratings opinion pollsWelcome to my summary of the latest national voting intention polls for the next general election, along with the latest MRP projections and party leadership ratings. If you'd like to find out more about how polls work, how reliable they are and how to make sense of them, check out my book, Polling UnPacked: the History, Uses and Abuses of Political Opinion Polls, or sign up for my weekly email, The Week in Polls: General election voting intention polls PollsterConLabLDGrnRefLab leadFieldwork Survation 21% (+2) 28% (+1) 10% (+1) 8% (-2) 23% (-1) 5% (vs Ref) 9-10/9 UK Find Out Now ... (more) |
Recollections of 9/11George Cunningham was present in New York on 9/11. Here are his personal recollections of what happened taken from his book, "Journey to Become a Diplomat" ISBN 978-0871242136 At first, I did not know anything had happened. It was one of those typically summery Septembers in New York in 2001, and I was attending as an EU diplomat the traditional international prayer breakfast at the start of a new United Nations (UN) General Assembly. Mr. Hang Seung-soo of South Korea stood up to make his speech. There was a hush to hear his words, but something made my ears prick ... (more) |
Why we need a Trade NATOMark Carney was right: if middle powers aren't at the table, they're on the menu. A credible 'Trade NATO' would make the great powers think twice. At Davos earlier this year, Mark Carney delivered a stark warning: the rules-based international order no longer works and a new architecture is needed. We are living through a "rupture", not a transition, in which great powers increasingly use tariffs, supply chains and economic dependence as tools of coercion. At the Lowy Institute in March, Carney put more flesh on the bones. He called for a "dense web" of middle-power partnerships and "variable geometry": ... (more) |
'I Fear a Target on My Back' — A Liberal Democrat's fight for Hong Kong's freedomHong Kong, September 2019. I was on the streets every other day, having just joined the Protect the Children Action group (PtCA). It was the height of the pro-democracy protests. The Hong Kong police shot two people in the eye, a nurse and a journalist, and tear-gassed care homes full of elderly residents. Hong Kongers fought back. Young people may have been the backbone of the protest, but the whole of society mobilised. Alongside those marching peacefully, others handed out food and drink, and the Methodist Church in Wan Chai opened its doors to everyone, offering shelter and comfort. PtCA ... (more) |
A website on Alec Guinness's two BBC series as George SmileyHere's what we need: a website devoted to the BBC productions of John le Carré's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley's People. Guinness is Smiley explains: The aim of this website is to publish fresh material about both series, identify some of the filming locations and signpost visitors to the wonderful content that is already out there. This website is not a commercial endeavour and will hopefully be of interest to fans of both productions. I have my dad to thank for my love of these series. He watched each episode beside me when they were first broadcast, but I ... (more) |
Another ward becomes a Reform vs Lib Dem contestThere were four principal authority council by-elections this week and, after the halt to Reform net gains in the last few weeks, Reform are back to making progress against Labour and the Conservatives, for this week at least. Let's start though with another ward which has become a Reform versus Lib Dem tussle as a result of a by-election: Hutton & Locking (North Somerset) Council By-Election Result: [IMG: ➡] RFM: 38.5% (New) [IMG: 🔶] LDM: 33.3% (+13.7) [IMG: 🌳] CON: 15.3% (-21.2) [IMG: 🌹] LAB: 7.2% (-9.2) [IMG: 🌍] GRN: 5.7% (New)No Ind (-27.5) as previous.Reform GAIN from Conservative.Changes w/ ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1575Zöe Franklin celebrates the 98th anniversary of the Equal Franchise Act, which gave women equal voting rights with men and calls for further reforms: "Today, barriers remain for women, disabled people, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and others who are underrepresented in public life." Abandoning the triple lock on pensions is more likely to condemn today's younger generations to an old age of poverty than help them, argues Mark E. Thomas. Josiah Mortimer on a study that finds the introduction of mandatory voter ID has damaged trust in British elections, not improved it. "It's not hard to see the appeal ... (more) |