http://www.progressonline.org.uk/2015/10/16/british-liberal-leaders/
A thoughtful article by Roger Liddle
Friday, 16 October 2015
Monday, 12 October 2015
Wednesday, 7 October 2015
Will good luck help Faron relaunch the Lib Dems ?
The SNP is facing the prospect of a by-election in Edinburgh West. If you could pick a seat where the Lib Dems would be well placed to win a by-election, they don't come better than Edinburgh West. With Labour and Conservatives having no chance of winning, there vote could be squeezed, the new Corbyn Labour party might win back some votes from the SNP, and the Lib Dems just 3210 votes behind in 2015 could win.
http://beta.scotsman.com/news/politics/snp-prepare-for-tough-by-election-in-thomson-s-seat-1-3906662
2015 Result:Conservative: 6732 (12.3%)
Labour: 6425 (11.7%)
Lib Dem: 18168 (33.1%)
SNP: 21378 (39%)
Green: 1140 (2.1%)
UKIP: 1015 (1.9%)
MAJORITY: 3210 (5.9%
Before getting too excited though, the Lib Dems have to remember that their membership in Scotland is pathetic and they will be easily overwhelmed by SNP activist and money.
The SNP have risen further in the polls since the general election, and if the have sense, they will call the by-election as soon as possible. Better to accept their MP has done wrong and choose someone else than hang on until it starts to irritate people into not voting or switching to other parties.
One of the features of Nick Cleggs leadership was the Lib Dems awful performance in by-elections. The stakes for the Lib Dems are high, if there is a by-election and the Lib Dems don't improve on 2015, then it is another nail in the coffin.
http://beta.scotsman.com/news/politics/snp-prepare-for-tough-by-election-in-thomson-s-seat-1-3906662
2015 Result:Conservative: 6732 (12.3%)
Labour: 6425 (11.7%)
Lib Dem: 18168 (33.1%)
SNP: 21378 (39%)
Green: 1140 (2.1%)
UKIP: 1015 (1.9%)
MAJORITY: 3210 (5.9%
Before getting too excited though, the Lib Dems have to remember that their membership in Scotland is pathetic and they will be easily overwhelmed by SNP activist and money.
The SNP have risen further in the polls since the general election, and if the have sense, they will call the by-election as soon as possible. Better to accept their MP has done wrong and choose someone else than hang on until it starts to irritate people into not voting or switching to other parties.
One of the features of Nick Cleggs leadership was the Lib Dems awful performance in by-elections. The stakes for the Lib Dems are high, if there is a by-election and the Lib Dems don't improve on 2015, then it is another nail in the coffin.
Thursday, 1 October 2015
Military Madness
Why does anyone want the UK to replace the Trident Nuclear Missiles ?
During the cold war, at least the bit I was alive for, I supported the idea of deterrence and Nato having nuclear weapons - I didn't see the point of the UK having it own nuclear weapons. I couldn't for see anytime when we'd need a British nuclear strike as opposed to a Nato one.
Now the number of MPs lining up to say how vital replacing Trident is quite staggering. Partly I think it is people reliving their early political battles and partly its shear stupidity and inability to think of current and future needs.
History is full of people who prepared for the last conflict, not the next one. Trident is like the Maginot Line, a Dreadnaught in the time of mines and aircraft carriers, a medieval castle in the age of cannon.
During the cold war, at least the bit I was alive for, I supported the idea of deterrence and Nato having nuclear weapons - I didn't see the point of the UK having it own nuclear weapons. I couldn't for see anytime when we'd need a British nuclear strike as opposed to a Nato one.
Now the number of MPs lining up to say how vital replacing Trident is quite staggering. Partly I think it is people reliving their early political battles and partly its shear stupidity and inability to think of current and future needs.
History is full of people who prepared for the last conflict, not the next one. Trident is like the Maginot Line, a Dreadnaught in the time of mines and aircraft carriers, a medieval castle in the age of cannon.
Wednesday, 23 September 2015
10 million people in the UK entitled to vote aren't even on the electoral register
http://www.progressonline.org.uk/2015/09/23/1-9m-people-are-about-to-lose-their-vote/
10 million, that more than voted for the Labour Party at the last general election.
I have often thought that perhaps parliament should have empty seats to represent the people who didn't vote.
Unfortunately, (or fortunately) at the last general election 30,691,680 people voted, 66.1% of those registered to vote, that means that something like 15,740,513 people didn't vote, add to them the estimated 8 million not even registered to vote and that's a massive 23.7 million people who could have voted but didn't.
10 million, that more than voted for the Labour Party at the last general election.
I have often thought that perhaps parliament should have empty seats to represent the people who didn't vote.
Unfortunately, (or fortunately) at the last general election 30,691,680 people voted, 66.1% of those registered to vote, that means that something like 15,740,513 people didn't vote, add to them the estimated 8 million not even registered to vote and that's a massive 23.7 million people who could have voted but didn't.
Tuesday, 8 September 2015
Sarah Palin
Former USA Vice-Presidential candidate has call on immigrants to the USA to speak American or English.
Palin has had her own brushes with mangling English with her call to "Refudiate" the building of a Mosque (which wasn't a Mosque)
Of course the idea that no one should emigrate without first learning the language comes a bit late for the indigenous nations who occupied the USA before European showed up,
Palin has had her own brushes with mangling English with her call to "Refudiate" the building of a Mosque (which wasn't a Mosque)
Of course the idea that no one should emigrate without first learning the language comes a bit late for the indigenous nations who occupied the USA before European showed up,
Tuesday, 1 September 2015
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