GUEST POST To realise the health benefits of nature we must first admit we are part of itStuart Whomsley reminds us that, though we evolved as a species surrounded by the blue and green stuff, we also have the power to destroy it. Let me start by stating what should be obvious, but it is something that can be lost in the way the discourse on this topic is constructed, humans are part of nature. We are not an entity separate from the rest of nature. We need to break the demarcation of humans as separate from nature, humans vs nature. This includes where the aims are positive, such as nature as a treatment that can be ... (more) |
How declining public services boost the populist rightWelcome to the latest in my occasional series highlighting interesting findings from academic research. Today – new research which bolsters the argument that declining public services fuel support for the populist right. As one of the authors, Zach Dickson, explains: We study NHS GP practice closures in England: nearly 1,700 practices closed since 2013, directly affecting 600k+ patients. Using a staggered DID design, we find that closures reduce patient satisfaction AND increase support for populist right parties (UKIP, Brexit Party, Reform UK) by 2-4 percentage points. The effects are immediate, persistent (4-5 years), and replicated across two independent panel datasets... ... (more) |
Back to BridgesOn Sunday Gateshead Lib Dems had the last action day before the election expenses kick in. Again, it was another mopping up day in which bundles of manifesto leaflets were delivered. We split into 4 groups. All deliveries in the morning were in the blocks of flats on or near the Quayside. The final bundles were delivered on a new estate near Gateshead Stadium. The to Tesco (yet again) for (more) |
Saltwell action dayOn Saturday Gateshead Lib Dems had yet another action day, this time in Saltwell. The aim was to mop up remaining target letters. Job done and we then headed to Tesco cafe for lunch. Over the past two years of action days, Tesco has been our regular eating place. I dread to think of how much Lib Dems have spent in the place.Promoted by Ron Beadle on behalf of Jonathan Wallace (Liberal (more) |
Trump has shown us who he is. It's time Britain started acting like it.Let me be blunt. Donald Trump wants to pull America out of NATO. And my honest reaction? Let him. I'm not saying it doesn't matter. I'm saying we need to stop acting like heartbroken teenagers waiting for Washington to text back. The special relationship is dead. It's been dead for a while. Trump just had the decency to say it out loud. So what now? We do what Britain has always done when its back is against the wall. We get serious. We get moving. And we stop relying on people who have made it crystal clear they don't care ... (more) |
Good to see the media at the manifesto launchGateshead Lib Dems held their manifesto launch at the Tynesider on Gateshead High Street on Tuesday. Good to see both the BBC and Chronicle attending.The Chronicle focused on the battle for Gateshead being between Lib Dems and Reform. You can read the write up, and Reform's attack on us, in this link. (more) |
World's oldest tortoise caught in viral crypto death scamThe Guardian wins our Headline of the Day Award. As Lord Bonkers remarked, it's probably not wise to let a tortoise that old have a smart phone. (more) |
The Thick of It, Series 1: Political Fictions podcast[IMG: The Thick of It Season 1 on BBC iPlayer] The Thick of It is available in the UK on iPlayer. Take an listen to our podcast to see if it is still worth watching. (Spoiler: it is.) The latest episode of Political Fictions is out, taking a look at Malcolm Tucker and his colleagues in a TV show that in no-way bears any relation to any of my own political experiences or memories: Mark and Cory talk about political TV for the first time, and there's nowhere better to start than The Thick of It. After rewatching the first ... (more) |
Defending Local DemocracyWhile we are all campaigning in this year's local elections, Liberal Democrats need to be aware of the implications of the 'English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill', which has already passed the Commons and is now close to completing its passage in the Lords. It's designed to complete the project the Conservatives began of imposing elected mayors and 'Combined Authorities' all across England, with larger unitary authorities to replace remaining district and county councils. As the Liberal Democrat group's Cabinet Office spokesman, I had not intended to get actively involved in the Bill beyond its constitutional significance for the governance ... (more) |
The importance of posters for political campaigns[IMG: Liberal Democrat winning here election poster in garden] I've forgotten whose home I took this photo at. Let me know if it is yours! At election time, Liberal Democrat members and supporters are often asked to put up a poster in their window or if the local team can put up a poster on stakeboard outside their home. We often treat such requests as if it is obvious why someone should say 'yes'. But we also get people saying 'yes' more often if we treat them respectfully and also explain why putting up a poster is a helpful thing ... (more) |