Observations of an Expat: Court with a BackboneIt has been a bad week for President Donald J. Trump. He was overwhelmingly trounced in every election held this week. The Democrats exceeded all expectations. Then Pope Leo criticised his human rights record. A former chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court said that his missile attacks on Venezuelan boats were a "crime against humanity". The government shutdown entered a record week and Transport Secretary Sean Duffy warned that he would have to start cancelling flights. But perhaps the most impactful event occurred not at the polling stations but in the dusty and cerebral corridors of the US Supreme ... (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 Find Out Now 16% (nc) 15% (-1) 11% (-1) 18% (+1) 33% (+1) -18% (vs Ref) 5/11 GB YouGov ... (more) |
Sheep in nappy spotted on Polish high-speed trainThe judges were in no doubt: Notes from Poland wins Headline of the Day. There will, as they observed, be dancing in the streets of Kraków tonight. (more) |
Bank of England Citizen's Forum meeting in DundeeThe Bank of England is holding a Citizen's Forum meeting here in Dundee on the 19th November and looking to add to its Citizen's Panel. The bank explains : "We launched our Citizens' Forum in 2018 to improve engagement with members of the public. Our forum consists of about 4,500 people from across the UK. Joining allows you to put your views directly to the Bank of England. It is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about our policies." You can sign up to the 19th November meeting using the QR code is on the poster or it ... (more) |
The castle that isn'tMorris Castle or Castle Graig (Castell Morris or Castell Craig) is a ruined residential building situated on the Cnap-llwyd common in the Trewyddfa area of Swansea. It was constructed by Sir John Morris to house the families of workers and is one of the earliest examples of a tenement building. This website takes up the story: In the late 18th century industry was booming in the area around Swansea in Wales. Ever more sophisticated machines were powering the various works, and coal was required to fuel the industry. With copper works and coal mines, John Morris was a wealthy man ... (more) |
Not so cosy: A podcast on Agatha Christie's The MousetrapI came across a new podcast today - Garlic & Pearls- via a really good episode on Agatha Christie's play The Mousetrap. It's thoroughly researched and emphasises how far from cosy Christie's works can be. The Mousetrap is set in a dislocated postwar world in which the class structure has been shaken and there is an air of paranoid watchfulness. The BBC's adaptations of the Miss Marple books, which starred the incomparable Joan Hickson, were set firmly in this world. And it's noticeable that when Bertram's Hotel appears to have survived the changes unscathed, it turns out to be too ... (more) |
Just back from the printersI took delivery of 2000 Sunniside Focuses yesterday. My next job is to bundle them into their patches. Tomorrow we start delivering them! They all have to be out before 26th November. That's when the Christmas tree lights switch on is happening, and the front page of the Focus is all about it. (more) |
ALDC By-Election Report 6th NovemberThis week, there were ten by-elections, of which two were on Tuesday. Three by-elections did not have a Liberal Democrat candidate. Congratulations to Councillor Jan Goffey and the local Liberal Democrat team for gaining a seat in Devon, despite beginning from a standing start. We were able to secure a decisive victory, whilst both the Conservatives and an independent were vying for second place. West Devon BC, Okehampton South Liberal Democrats (Jan Goffey): 356 (57.1%, new) Conservative: 152 (24.4%, -5.9) Independent: 116 (18.6%, - 17.0) Liberal Democrat GAIN from Green Party Turnout: 22% Congratulations are also due to Councillor Martin ... (more) |
Beyond the picket line: why Liberal Democrats must rebuild bridges with Britain's workersIn an era when populism erodes democratic norms and insecurity pervades the modern workplace, the defence of liberal democracy must extend beyond parliaments and ballot boxes. It must reach the factory floor, the classroom, and the hospital wards. The right to organise, to be treated fairly, and to have a voice at work are not socialist luxuries. They are the foundations of a free society, and the current situation demands our immediate attention and action. More than twenty years ago, Charles Kennedy understood this. In 2002, addressing the Trades Union Congress in Blackpool, he declared: We Liberal Democrats believe in ... (more) |
Economics: Thinking about ResourcesI've noticed here on LibDemVoice that when we have a discussion about the economy and what the Government can afford, it usually descends into a very technical argument about the nature of money: is money a flow, as mainstream economics says, or is it destroyed by tax, as Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) advocates believe? Wouldn't it be nice if there were an alternative way to think about expenditure that avoided these arguments and got to the root of what is really going on when we decide whether something is affordable? Well, there is! Instead of counting money, try thinking about ... (more) |