Earlier this afternoon, I was encouraged by a friend on Facebook to visit Vote to Remain to pledge my vote to remain. Long term readers of this blog and of my other posts on other blogs will know of a … Continue reading Lib Dems pledge to “keep Great Britain in Europe”. What about Northern Ireland?
Following this afternoon’s vote in the debate on the third reading of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, Christopher Lovell has expressed his disappointment at Tim Farron’s “abstention” today. It seems that Mr Lovell who lives in Leeds, not in Tim’s constituency, feels that because there is no vote recorded by Tim Farron in today’s debate, Tim abstained. I counter that this is not true. Tim did in fact, quite clearly not vote. It has been suggested by Erskine May that there is a procedure in Parliament to register an abstention: voting in both lobbies (Erskine May, Parliamentary Practice, 23rd edition, 2004, p412).
A House of Commons Briefing Paper, Divisions in the House of Commons, SN/PC/06401 states
If fewer than 40 Members, including the Speaker and the tellers, participate in a division, it does not meet the quorum required. The House then moves on to the next business, and the subject of the division is postponed until the next sitting day. Members who wish to defeat a particular item of business may engineer a division and then stay out of the lobbies, as they can thus render the division inquorate. Continue reading “Disappointed with Tim Farron or Naomi Long? I’m not…”
This afternoon we have seen the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill pass its third reading in the House of Commons. Many people start claiming that Equal Marriage is home and dry. This is quite far from the case. The Bill … Continue reading We’re being left behind in Northern Ireland: why I am a proud Liberal Democrat
Originally posted at Liberal Democrats in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats have received expressions of concern from a number of stakeholder parties at uncertainties over the future of Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, currently under review by the Department … Continue reading Concern about the future of Causeway Hospital
When I applied to university the first time around, back when I was a pupil at Ballymena Academy, I couldn’t understand why we had to apply based on the results of our predicted grades. It seemed to me, and still does, that it would be fairer to have the university admissions process after real grades had been awarded. The recent action [inaction?] by UCAS to put off a decision on having post-results admissions has been rightly condemned by the President of NUS-USI, Adrianne Peltz, who said that basing offers on predicted grades is an unreliable system and that going by predicted grades … Continue reading NUS-USI President calls for university admissions to be after results are published
It’s has happened again. What? I hear you ask. Nothing simpler than another occasion in which those in Lib Dem HQ in London forget about us in Northern Ireland.
It is often said to me that the Lib Dems don’t make policy on issues affecting Northern Ireland only – that is on issues devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Last time I looked, taxation was not one of them. It may be in the future, but at present it is not.
So why, does Tim Gordon’s great new website asking us what we would do with £60 extra in every month, not allow people from Northern Ireland to answer? Continue reading “It really would try the patience of a saint…”
Article on Lib Dem Voice by Michael asking whether Nick Clegg meant what he said and said what he meant about standing in every seat in the elections in 2015. Continue reading Opinion on LibDemVoice: the forgotten family member and what Nick said
There was a time when travelling from Northern Ireland to London you could travel by sleeper from Stranraer Harbour to Euston – and indeed in the same manner in the opposite direction. Even as late as 1990 this was possible. However, sadly, this is now no longer possible, you have to take a train up to Glasgow to be able to connect with the sleeper. I know that I have enjoyed travelling using the services of the Caledonian Sleeper when I have needed to be in London fresh-faced for a meeting in the morning. But it seems that we may … Continue reading Saving a Scottish Institution: what we all can do to save the Caledonian Sleeper
I ought to have been in Birmingham this morning, voting on the motion on Accredtiation for Party Conference and between the amendments to it. This motion was brought to conference as a result of the so-called security measures that were brought in for this conference by the Federal Conference Committee (FCC) and the Constabulary. I know which way I would have voted. But sadly, my vote does not count this year. I am not there. I read from Andy that, and indeed the coverage on BBC Parliament allowed us to hear that, some people do not believe that there are … Continue reading #ldconf and why I stayed away
The Total Politics Blogger Top 100 Lib Dem blogs 2011 list is out. Much to my surprise, Gyronny Herald comes out at number 66, the collaborative Liberal Democrats in Northern Ireland blog comes in at number 72 (up from 75 last year), and Stephen Glenn’s Stephen’s Liberal Journal comes romping in at number 5 which is two up from on last year. The full list can be seen here: There are a few quirks in the list including the interloper The Will Patterson Notebook from the SNP! And lucky Craig Murray being in at number 40 and number 100. I suspect that there … Continue reading Today is brought to you by the numbers 72, 66 and 5…
Gyronny Herald 