2 down, 64 to go!We are two weeks into the local election campaign in Gateshead and Reform have already lost 2 candidates (that's an average of one a week). Firstly, Peter Gray has resigned in Crawcrook and Greenside. The reasons for this are not clear. Yesterday brought us the second loss - David Prior was kicked out because of his previously undeclared membership of the racist, anti-semitic and far right (more) |
Reform's BNP candidate kicked outYet another example of Reform's useless vetting of candidates was on display last night when David Prior was expelled, half way through the election campaign here in Gateshead. Prior had previously been in the BNP, membership of which is regarded as incompatible with Reform. Prior had been chosen as one of the three Reform candidates for Saltwell, a ward which contains one of the largest orthodox (more) |
My latest article for Central Bylines: Freda Jackson and Henry Bird"There has never been anybody like her. To say that she loved acting just would not be enough. We realised only recently when we were looking at some old clippings that newspaper banner headlines had called her London's greatest actress." This is the Northampton-born artist Henry Bird paying tribute to his wife Freda Jackson when she died in 1990. My latest article for Central Bylines pays tribute to them: Northampton's arts power couple. (more) |
W.H. Auden wrote a sonnet about Richard JefferiesI was reading Nicholas Jenkins's The Island: W. H. Auden and the Last of Englishness- or scanning for a column I'm writing, if I'm honest - when I came across a reference to a sonnet by Auden on Richard Jefferies. It turns out to have been written when the poet was 18 years old and to be included in the collection W. H. Auden. Juvenilia: Poems 1922-28. It also seems that the young Auden's chief acquaintance with Jefferies' work came via the biography of him by Edward Thomas. I can't find the whole sonnet online, but here is an extract: ... (more) |
Why A&E must stay free. But funding must change.Few institutions define modern Britain as strongly as the National Health Service. Created in 1948 under the leadership of Aneurin Bevan, the NHS was founded on a simple but powerful promise: Healthcare would be free at the point of use, based on need rather than ability to pay. For generations this principle has been a source of national pride. Yet today the NHS faces unprecedented pressure, and unless we are prepared to rethink how it is funded, that founding promise itself may become impossible to sustain. Demand on the system has grown dramatically over the past two decades. Britain has ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1508"Between calling for an end to 'the postwar neutering of Germany and Japan' and a reinstatement of the draft, Palantir also demanded an end to cancel culture and more competitive pay for civil servants. One particularly disturbing point makes the claim that some cultures are objectively superior due to the advances they've made in technology, while 'others remain dysfunctional and regressive'." Cydney Hayes reports on the backlash against Peter Thiel's company Palantir. Tanya Park defends Lib Dem South Cambridgeshire and its four-day week: "Its staff complete 100 per cent of their work in 80 per cent of the time, for ... (more) |
Council by-election results scorecard 2025-2026Here's the tally of seats changing hands in principal authority council by-elections held between the May 2025 and the May 2026 local elections: Con Lab Lib Dem Green Reform SNP Plaid Ind/ Other Net Con [17] +2 (+2/0) -9 (+3/-12) +2 (+2/0) -20 (+3/-23) -1 (0/-1) – +2 (+3/-1) -24 Lab -2 (0/-2) [16] -5 (0/-5) -8 (0/-8) -31 (+1/-32) – -2 (0/-2) -7 (0/-7) -55 Lib Dem +9 (+12/-3) +5 (+5/0) [35] +2 (+4/-2) -2 (+2/-4) +2 (+2/0) – +4 (+4/0) +20 Grn -2 (0/-2) +8 (+8/0) -2 (+2/-4) [8] +2 (+2/0) – – -1 (0/-1) +5 Ref +20 ... (more) |
Dave Mason (1946-2026)Dave Mason, one of the founding members of Traffic, has died. Steve Winwood, now the only one of the four still with us, paid this tribute: We were deeply saddened to hear of Dave Mason's passing. Dave was part of Traffic during its earliest chapter, and played an important role in shaping the band's sound and identity during that time. His songwriting, musicianship and distinctive spirit helped create music that has lasted far beyond its era, and continues to mean so much to listeners around the world. Those years remain a special part of the band's story, and Dave's contribution ... (more) |
Happy seventh birthday to JennieHappy birthday to Steve Darling's guide dog Jennie. She is seven today. Leaving aside the unfortunate episode when she briefly crossed the floor, she has consistently been one of the most impressive members of the Liberal Democrat parliamentary party I can confirm that Jennie is in good health: she has a nice wet nose, as I learnt when she booped me on her way into the Glee Club at last year's Lib Dem autumn conference. I felt honoured. Photo from Steve Darling on Bluesky. (more) |
South Cambridgeshire proved it works. It should be Lib Dem policyIn July 2025, South Cambridgeshire District Council did something no other UK council had done. It made the four-day week permanent. Not as a trial, not as a temporary arrangement, but as the way the council works. Its staff complete 100% of their work in 80% of the time, for 100% of the pay. The government told them to stop. They didn't. The results came in: £371,500 in annual savings, a 120% rise in job applications, a 40% fall in staff turnover. Services maintained. Budget improved. Staff retained. South Cambridgeshire is a Lib Dem council. This is our proof of ... (more) |