BREAKING NEWS Whip removed from Chris Rennard pending investigationStatement given to @TimesRadio from Lib Dem leader https://t.co/89GWfHq2Z2 pic.twitter.com/9lnWHkGvWE — Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) February 6, 2026 Note that we are not allowing comments because of the pending investigation. * Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems. (more) |
Brown bears, lynx and wolves could be seen again in RutlandA planning application has been submitted to build the Wild Rutland attraction on Burley Estate farmland, parkland and woods between the Oakham bypass, Rutland Water and Burley Wood, reports BBC News: Long-term aspirations could see native animals including Eurasian brown bears, lynx and wolves reintroduced inside holding pens, according to developers. Planning documents said the project would showcase "the wonder of British wildlife" if given the go ahead. Lord Bonkers is all in favour (I suspect he may he an investor om the project). When I ask what would happen if the brown bears, lynx and wolves escaped, he merely ... (more) |
Three council by-elections this weekThree principal authority council by-elections this week, one a traditional non-party affair for the City of London Corporation. Starting with that one: Coleman St. (City of London) Aldermanic Election Result: [IMG: 🙋] S. Saluga: 45.2% [IMG: 🙋] L. Yueh: 31.4% [IMG: 🙋] D. Wright: 13.1% [IMG: 🙋] C. Hall: 6.7% [IMG: 🙋] J. Wasu: 1.3% [IMG: 🙋] J. May: 1.0% [IMG: 🙋] D. Stringer-Lamarre: 0.6% [IMG: 🙋] R. Thomas: 0.6%Independent GAIN from Independent.2019 Election Unopposed. — Election Maps UK (@electionmaps.uk) 2026-02-06T00:58:22.552Z For what all this means for the running total of council by-election results since the last May elections, see ... (more) |
ALDC by-election report, 5th FebruaryThis week, there were two principal council by-elections. Only one contest had a Liberal Democrat candidate. In the seaside town of Clevedon, where Labour was attempting to defend this seat, they managed to hold, albeit with an unconvincing margin against Reform. Thank you to Jude Chambers and the local Liberal Democrat team for flying the flag. North Somerset Council, Clevedon South Labour: 350 (29.0%, -25.4) Reform UK: 334 (27.7%, new) Conservative: 224 (18.6%, -27.0) Green Party: 197 (16.3%, new) Liberal Democrats (Jude Chambers): 100 (8.3%, new) Labour HOLD Turnout: 36.8% There was no Liberal Democrat candidate in the Welsh contest. ... (more) |
Great talk at the history societyWe had our monthly meeting of Sunniside History Society on Wednesday. The speaker was Liz Purcell who gave a talk about horses in warfare. It was a fascinating presentation. Numbers attending were up as well. The next meeting is on Wednesday 4th March when we will be looking at some of the slides and photos which the society received from Francis Newman, one of the founders of the organisation. (more) |
Gateshead executive meetingOn Tuesday, Gateshead Lib Dem executive met in the Civic Centre. Final changes and additions to the manifesto for the local elections in May were considered and agreed. We also discussed the local election campaign (which is already well underway) and the timetable for action days during February. Lots to do! (more) |
The Sunniside HeronLast week when I was delivering Focus in Sunniside I spotted a Heron in the pond next to Kingsway, opposite Riding Barns Way. Herons are not a common sight in the village and it's been a few years since I last saw one. Nevertheless, there are enough of them to cause people to net their garden ponds in Sunniside. I doubt however that the Heron I saw was going to have a successful day (more) |
Dixon of Dock Green: "It's not jolly - in fact it's unremittingly grim"Dixon of Dock Green does not deserve its reputation for cosiness. I wrote to that effect three years ago, but Tim Dowling was there long before me. Here he is choosing a box set of the police drama back in 2012:The stories are as gritty as anything you would find in The Bill, and happy outcomes are rare. In the little monologues that top and tail each programme, Dixon is likely to tell you the suspect was never convicted due to a lack of evidence, or that a wife-beater escaped punishment because the police were powerless to intervene. It's not ... (more) |
How long can Starmer last after Mandelson revelations?The Independent reports that Keir Starmer's leadership has been plunged into turmoil after furious Labour MPs forced him into a humiliating climbdown over the release of full vetting documents relating to Peter Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador in the US. The paper says that Starmer's dramatic U-turn followed intense pressure, led by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, just hours after he admitted that he knew about Lord Mandelson's continued friendship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein - but appointed him as US ambassador anyway: Sir Keir Starmer's leadership has been plunged into turmoil after furious Labour MPs forced him ... (more) |
Howard Sykes retiring as a councillorA press release brings news of the end of an era: Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Oldham Borough's longest serving councillor, is to retire from Oldham Council and has announced he will not be standing in the Council elections this May. Standing in Howard's place for the Liberal Democrats will be his colleague, councillor Tom Penketh, who has served on Shaw and Crompton Town Council for the past three years, and who was the youngest councillor in the country when elected. Councillor Sykes was first elected in 1987 and was Oldham's youngest councillor at the time. He has always championed Oldham ... (more) |