Category Archives: Politics

16 years ago today: Quebec votes against Sovereignty. Time for a UK Clarity Act?

30th October, 1995: 16 years ago today. By the narrowest of margins, the mostly French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec votes against sovereignty, and decides to remain part of Canada: Quebec Referendum, 30th October 1995: Do you agree that Quebec should … Continue reading

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Is this the best Parliamentary Question ever?

Possibly not the best, but definitely one of the most entertaining – how many other PQs feature ‘burlesque chanteuse Lady Beau Peep’ ?!? From yesterday’s written answers: Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government … Continue reading

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Vince on regional development: “the centre-piece has to be jobs”

Confession : I don’t have a great deal of faith in the Government’s regional policy.  £1.4bn of Regional Growth Fund money does not, in my view, a regional policy make. It’s less than half what the three northern Regional Development … Continue reading

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Vince on Northern Rock : “It would be good if we could get a mutual buyer”

There aren’t many things that would tempt me to stand on a drizzly platform at Durham Station before 7am on a Saturday morning, but the Social Liberal Forum‘s conference is one of them. The fact I had an extra spring … Continue reading

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A red carpet of opportunity?

Looking at today’s papers, I thought today might be a good time to remind ourselves of my favourite Toynbee-ism: So Labour looks set fair, whatever its own depressives think. Only mighty blunders of great idiocy can stop Miliband’s party winning … Continue reading

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#impartialityfail – Sunderland Council and the political tweet

Reading my twitter feed last night, amongst all the “OMG! Take That are in Sunderland” nonsense, I was surprised to see this tweet, retweeted by Sunderland Council’s official account: Yes, that is a ‘labourwin’ hashtag on the end of that. … Continue reading

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