The Mandelson Debacle - some implicationsHow did His Majesty's Government get itself in such an integrity-destroying tangle over Peter Mandelson's appointment as Ambassador to the USA? The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, 10 Downing Street, Cabinet Office, Security Services and the senior Civil Service have all faced serious potential reputational damage. What's at the root of this? Flashback to the late 1970s and early 1980s. To an extent the early 1970s was the heyday of Soviet Socialism. There was much admiration of the Soviet system even among the British middle classes, albeit more in theory than in practice. At my university there were several active ... (more) |
Observations of an Expat: Energy SecurityEnergy Security. The Ukraine War made it a hot topic for a Europe dependent on Russian oil and gas. The Iran War – alongside the climate change debate – has revived the issue for the rest of the world. The world's main fossil fuel production centres are unstable. As a result, demand is growing to replace oil and gas with renewable energy. Furthermore, the renewable energy should be produced in areas which the consuming countries control. Many countries are already doing just that. Some better than others. Surprisingly, Trump's "drill, baby, drill" America does well when it comes to renewable ... (more) |
An historic structureMumbles Pier was opened to the public on the 10th May 1898, the project was carried out by seasoned pier specialists Mayoh and Haley and was overseen and designed by celebrated Victorian engineer W.Sutcliffe Marsh. The pier's website says that the 835ft structure cost £10,000 to complete, and its completion which was relatively late in the history of Piers, takes on many of the architectural successes learnt from other piers all over the country. They add that along with the opening of the Pier came the extension of the Mumbles Railway line from Oystermouth to the newly built Pier Terminus: ... (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% (-1) 15% (-1) 11% (nc) 21% (+1) 25% (-1) -10% (4th, vs Ref) 22-23/4 GB ... (more) |
ALDC by-election report, 23rd AprilThere were two principal council by-elections this week, both of which had a Liberal Democrat candidate on the ballot. Salford City Council, Barton & Winton The first by-election of the week took place on Wednesday in Salford. It was triggered by the sad passing of former Labour councillor David Lancaster MBE, who was widely regarded as England's longest-serving councillor after six decades of service. There was significant controversy surrounding the timing of the contest, with Reform UK forcing the by-election despite local elections being scheduled for Salford in just two weeks' time. Turnout is generally low in Barton & Winton, ... (more) |
Russian submarine found in Lake WindermereThis land sits right next to the Furness railway line - a vital transport link to both BAE Submarines in Barrow and Sellafield nuclear power station. That's why I made representations to ministers asking whether this sale would be compliant with the UK's sanctions against Russia. [image or embed] — Tim Farron (@timfarron.bsky.social) 24 April 2026 at 15:37A story peeks out at me from behind the Financial Times paywall: Russian businessman and his daughter have triggered national security concerns by seeking to buy a golf course located next to the railway that serves the UK's main shipyard for nuclear-powered attack ... (more) |
In 2028, the Democrats must not repeat their 'Tim problem'Despite it being more than two years away, there is a great deal of interest in the 2028 US presidential election. As such, there is fierce speculation about who the Democrats' candidate will be. While it is a fool's errand to definitively say who that will be - given the candidacies of past 'shoo-ins' such as Edmund Muskie or Gary Hart - it may be worth considering who their running mate could or should be. The role of Vice President is not insignificant. Fifteen out of forty-five Presidents previously served as VP, with eight directly succeeding following deaths in office ... (more) |
With one bound....? Starmer's Houdini actWhat just happened at Westminster? Does anyone else think Keir Starmer played MPs and the media like a violin this week? On Monday, I thought at least one MP would ask the simple and obvious question. "Why did the PM appoint Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to Washington nine days after receiving a briefing that informed him that: 'Mandelson reportedly stayed in Epstein's house while he was in jail in 2009.'" Surely that explosive sentence should have been enough, if not to block the appointment, at least to postpone it pending investigation. The sentence, from a report by JP Morgan, speaks ... (more) |
Fisherman's Friend factory construction held up by reptileCongratulations to the citizen journalists at North West Bylines: they've won our Headline of the Day Award. (more) |
Two council by-elections on two different daysOnly the two principal authority council by-elections this week but split over two days. Wednesday brought this: Barton & Winton (Salford) Council By-Election Result: [IMG: ➡] RFM: 34.9% (New) [IMG: 🌹] LAB: 33.2% (-29.1) [IMG: 🌍] GRN: 18.7% (+4.0) [IMG: 🌳] CON: 6.1% (-8.2) [IMG: 🔶] LDM: 4.9% (-3.8) [IMG: 🙋] Ind: 2.3% (New)Reform GAIN from Labour.Changes w/ 2024. — Election Maps UK (@electionmaps.uk) 2026-04-23T06:22:24.149Z These by-election results round-ups cover principal authority by-elections as it's only those for which comprehensive results are available. But this week, my eye was caught at the town/parish/community council level by: [IMG: Lib Dems beat ... (more) |