Martin Wainwright's Guardian obituary of Michael MeadowcroftEmbed from Getty ImagesMichael Meadowcroft, who wrote so many obituaries himself, is remembered in the Guardian by Martin Wainwright, the son of a fellow Yorkshire Liberal MP: Michael Meadowcroft, who has died aged 84 after a short illness, was a Yorkshire Liberal politician and activist of great resource and flair. He constantly wrong-footed Labour in its former heartlands in Leeds as a nimble source of new ideas, closely in touch with voters and patient at working with them to get local problems solved. He served as a Liberal party member of Leeds city council from 1968 to 1983, and then ... (more) |
Evaluating different electoral systems for the House of CommonsI spoke at the launch this week of What could future electoral systems ;look like?, an excellent report from Make Votes Matter. I'm of course an STV stalwart (having counted my first STV election around 30 years ago). But it's right to recognise that there are other forms of PR which are also superior to first past the post, and indeed that the variety of other systems which we have in place in the UK are better than first past the post. Which is why in Parliament I tried (and failed!) to get the government to go for the alternative ... (more) |
Chris Isaak: Wicked GameThis was released as a single in 1989 but did not become a hit until it was featured in David Lynch's film Wild at Heart the following year. (more) |
Lib Dem Rutland plans cycle-path from Oakham to Rutland WaterRutland County Council is consulting residents on plans for a new cycling route connecting Oakham town centre with Rutland Water.. The council, which is run by a minority Liberal Democrat administration, says the scheme would improve accessibility for residents and visitors, support tourism and local businesses, and reduce reliance on cars. Oliver Hemsley, the council's portfolio holder for environment and transport, told BBC News: Rutland Water is one of the county's most valued destinations for both residents and visitors, and these proposals are about making it easier and safer for people to travel there by bike or on foot. There's ... (more) |
Vince Cable writes...Labour and Fiscal RulesThe nation waits for the people of Makerfield to decide whether Keir Starmer will face a challenge from his most plausible and electable Labour critic. Were Andy Burnham to emerge victorious and to challenge for the party leadership, this would signal a shift to what is being called the 'soft left'. One of the most deeply held convictions of those in this political space is that the government is being held back from more 'progressive' policies by unduly restrictive fiscal rules which exist to reassure 'the bond markets' that the UK is a trustworthy, reliable borrower. Andy Burnham's position on ... (more) |
Regional Mayors are here: we have a duty to fight these elections properlyMany Liberal Democrats feel an instinctive unease when confronted with the idea of directly-elected regional mayors. This hesitation is understandable. These roles concentrate a significant degree of executive authority in a single individual, while the combined authorities designed to support and scrutinise them often lack the strength and visibility of more established democratic institutions. Concerns about accountability, checks and balances, and the potential for over-centralisation at a regional level are therefore entirely legitimate. However, focusing solely on these risks carries the separate risk of overlooking the substantial benefits that regional mayors can bring. While the model is not without its ... (more) |
Alex Cole-Hamilton announces new spokesperson teamAlex Cole-Hamilton has announced the Scottish Liberal Democrats new spokesperson team, declaring that they are "ready to roll up their sleeves and get things done". And the party's social media gurus clearly had the World Cup in mind when they did their comms on this: The spokesperson line-up will be as follows: • Andrew Baxter - Rural Affairs • Yi-pei Chou Turvey - Justice • Sanne Dijkstra-Downie - Climate, Environment & Energy • Duncan Dunlop - Education, Children & Young People • David Green - Public Service Reform, Europe, External Affairs & Culture • Adam Harley - Health & Care ... (more) |
Brexit and summer holidaysThe Independent reports that an official has warned that British travellers heading to the European Union could face significant delays for up to two years, as the bloc's new Entry Exit System (EES) continues to cause disruption at borders. The paper says that Uku Sarekanno, deputy executive director of EU border agency Frontex, stated that some member states are "struggling" to implement the new digital checks, which require fingerprints and photographs from non-EU citizens entering the Schengen Area: British travellers heading to the European Union could face significant delays for up to two years, an official has warned, as the ... (more) |