Give Us a Break
MAYTIME - spring flowers, some sunshine and, if you live in Windsor, incessant aeroplane noise - sometimes 600 aircraft daily.
MAYTIME - spring flowers, some sunshine and, if you live in Windsor, incessant aeroplane noise - sometimes 600 aircraft daily.
Although the national trend was away from Labour and towards the Conservatives, at least in England, the Liberal Democrats are overall very pleased with the results of the May 1st local elections of 2003. Although losing control of some councils, this was balanced by gaining control of others, including Windsor and Maidenhead. The Conservatives lost 15 seats and the Liberal Democrats picked up 13 with five seats won by independents giving them a majority on the council of 11.
The Tories were accused yesterday of planning to scrap the basic state pension as they draw up new policies on savings.
The inexorable rise of Tom Bursnall, controversial Chair of Conservative Future, scary young Hague-a-like and ever-obliging darling of these pages, seems to have hit an obstacle. Some CF pundits, apparently, had their money on Tory Boy as a dead cert to do a Billy and become Conservative Head Boy before his 21st birthday. But recent revelations have somewhat shaken this assertion. "Any old man can drink 14 pints, but whether they can still put a sentence together is another thing," a sober Bursnall recently confessed. "I start to wobble and shake after several beers, and probably couldn't stomach 14." How sweet: a student who can't hold his liquor. Perhaps Mummy's little ray of sunshine's just not destined for Tory greatness, after all.
British universities are a world-leading export and an engine for innovation, but today, the sector is at a breaking point. Liberal Democrats have passed a new plan to deliver a fairer deal for students and graduates and secure the future of the sector.
Liberal Democrats are committed to building town centres that inspire pride for generations to come. It is time to stop ignoring the decline of our high streets and breathe new life into them as vibrant hubs for the future.
The right to a trial by jury has been a cornerstone of our democracy for over 800 years. Liberal Democrat members have passed a new plan to tackle court backlogs without scrapping juries.