Iain
@iainbhx.bsky.social
Former politician, keen psephologist, cat dad, Germanophile, likes traveling by train, average cook, occasional writer. Oh and I do things with SQL for coin.
Was looking up something for work and for once Copilot found some decent sources quoting @oraclebase.bsky.social
November 26, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Was looking up something for work and for once Copilot found some decent sources quoting @oraclebase.bsky.social
Whilst all focus is as, usual, going to be on London borough elections in 2026 and especially on Westminster, K&C and Wandsworth, its worth remembering that there are lots of Mets all up next year and plenty of those are pretty fertile ground for Reform as things stand at the moment. 1 / 2
November 25, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Whilst all focus is as, usual, going to be on London borough elections in 2026 and especially on Westminster, K&C and Wandsworth, its worth remembering that there are lots of Mets all up next year and plenty of those are pretty fertile ground for Reform as things stand at the moment. 1 / 2
I will, of course, closer to the event be doing ward by ward predictions for Birmingham in 2026 which I will probably revise after the SOPN's and when I work out who is related to whom. But my current feel is Reform as the largest party, Muslim Indos second, Labour a very poor third.
November 25, 2025 at 8:14 PM
I will, of course, closer to the event be doing ward by ward predictions for Birmingham in 2026 which I will probably revise after the SOPN's and when I work out who is related to whom. But my current feel is Reform as the largest party, Muslim Indos second, Labour a very poor third.
Right, I've had my annual Festive Bake, so it is now officially the festering season. Also, I think they may have changed it because it was much nicer than last years. Or perhaps I was just very hungry.
November 25, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Right, I've had my annual Festive Bake, so it is now officially the festering season. Also, I think they may have changed it because it was much nicer than last years. Or perhaps I was just very hungry.
And tonight's dinner as we are both in, chicken breast with morel sauce, roast potatoes with rosemary, broccoli and cavolo nero. Worked fairly well.
November 23, 2025 at 8:48 PM
And tonight's dinner as we are both in, chicken breast with morel sauce, roast potatoes with rosemary, broccoli and cavolo nero. Worked fairly well.
The by-elections for Stratford DC were held last Thursday, Quinton was a LibDem hold with an increased majority with Reform coming second. Salford Priors and Alcester Rural was a Reform victory with the LibDems coming second just 3 votes behind, the Conservatives who held the seat came 3rd 1 / 3
November 23, 2025 at 8:36 AM
The by-elections for Stratford DC were held last Thursday, Quinton was a LibDem hold with an increased majority with Reform coming second. Salford Priors and Alcester Rural was a Reform victory with the LibDems coming second just 3 votes behind, the Conservatives who held the seat came 3rd 1 / 3
Ah well, I never liked grapefruit that much anyway.
November 21, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Ah well, I never liked grapefruit that much anyway.
Harold Wilson said at the Labour conference in 1962 - "This party is a moral crusade or it is nothing". I think we now have the answer - it is nothing.
November 17, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Harold Wilson said at the Labour conference in 1962 - "This party is a moral crusade or it is nothing". I think we now have the answer - it is nothing.
So if our Home Secretary takes inspiration from Kristi Noem, when is she going to shoot some puppies?
November 16, 2025 at 9:34 PM
So if our Home Secretary takes inspiration from Kristi Noem, when is she going to shoot some puppies?
The two by-elections on Stratford DC are this week, both are being contested only by the Westminster Five parties - Con/Grn/Lab/LDm/Rfm. Quinton is a LDm defence, Salford Priors and Alcester Rural is a Con defence. Quinton is probably a LDm/Rfm contest, Salford Priors a possible 3-way. 1 / 3
November 16, 2025 at 10:01 AM
The two by-elections on Stratford DC are this week, both are being contested only by the Westminster Five parties - Con/Grn/Lab/LDm/Rfm. Quinton is a LDm defence, Salford Priors and Alcester Rural is a Con defence. Quinton is probably a LDm/Rfm contest, Salford Priors a possible 3-way. 1 / 3
Cllrs Chris and Paul Bott (Walsall MBC, Darlaston South) have left the Labour party over the representation on the board for the £20m Town Regeneration fund. They have gone Independent, the Bott's were long term Independent councillors for this ward until they joined Labour in 2019.
November 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Cllrs Chris and Paul Bott (Walsall MBC, Darlaston South) have left the Labour party over the representation on the board for the £20m Town Regeneration fund. They have gone Independent, the Bott's were long term Independent councillors for this ward until they joined Labour in 2019.
In west midlands news - Cllrs Jason Thorne and James Clinton (Dudley MBC, Pedmore & Stourbridge East) have defected from the Conservatives to Reform. Pedmore is historically the Tories strongest ward in the Stourbridge constituency.
November 10, 2025 at 5:38 AM
In west midlands news - Cllrs Jason Thorne and James Clinton (Dudley MBC, Pedmore & Stourbridge East) have defected from the Conservatives to Reform. Pedmore is historically the Tories strongest ward in the Stourbridge constituency.
Just waiting for this idiot government to appoint Darren Grimes as the next DG.
November 9, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Just waiting for this idiot government to appoint Darren Grimes as the next DG.
So, no new local government elections announced in the West Midlands this week. However there have been some councillors changing their colours all of them on Stoke-on-Trent UA - Cllr Daniel Jellyman (Hanford, Newstead & Trentham) - Conservative to Reform 1 / 2
November 9, 2025 at 4:52 PM
So, no new local government elections announced in the West Midlands this week. However there have been some councillors changing their colours all of them on Stoke-on-Trent UA - Cllr Daniel Jellyman (Hanford, Newstead & Trentham) - Conservative to Reform 1 / 2
Always worth remembering that both billion and trillion have short forms and long form. Billion is now accepted as 10⁹ but was 10¹² in my youth and Trillion is now accepted as 10¹² but was 10¹⁸ in those distant gilded days. 10⁹ was a thousand million or if your were really antiquated a milliard.
November 7, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Always worth remembering that both billion and trillion have short forms and long form. Billion is now accepted as 10⁹ but was 10¹² in my youth and Trillion is now accepted as 10¹² but was 10¹⁸ in those distant gilded days. 10⁹ was a thousand million or if your were really antiquated a milliard.
Feeling a bit full of cold and not wanting to mess cooking too much - so tonight was sausage, egg, beans and chippings.
November 6, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Feeling a bit full of cold and not wanting to mess cooking too much - so tonight was sausage, egg, beans and chippings.
It's been quite a week for councillors moving parties, but not in the West Midlands. With the vacancy filled on Worcestershire CC by Sam Ammar(LDm) winning Bromsgrove South. that leaves two vacancies on Stratford DC which will be on the 20th of November both are contested by Con/Grn/Lab/LDm/Rfm.
November 2, 2025 at 7:56 AM
It's been quite a week for councillors moving parties, but not in the West Midlands. With the vacancy filled on Worcestershire CC by Sam Ammar(LDm) winning Bromsgrove South. that leaves two vacancies on Stratford DC which will be on the 20th of November both are contested by Con/Grn/Lab/LDm/Rfm.
I'm just an ordinary member, but after some consideration I've decided to give my first preference to @joshbabarinde.bsky.social to be the next president of the LibDems.
November 1, 2025 at 10:27 AM
I'm just an ordinary member, but after some consideration I've decided to give my first preference to @joshbabarinde.bsky.social to be the next president of the LibDems.
In West Midlands politics news - the Liberal Democrats won the Worcestershire CC by-election in Bromsgrove South from the Reform Party with the LibDems increasing their vote share to 50% of the poll.
October 31, 2025 at 6:00 AM
In West Midlands politics news - the Liberal Democrats won the Worcestershire CC by-election in Bromsgrove South from the Reform Party with the LibDems increasing their vote share to 50% of the poll.
So in the West Midlands, the Moseley by-election last week was won by the LibDems, this week is the Bromsgrove South by-election for Worcestershire County Council. The two Stratford by-elections are scheduled for the 20th Nov. 1 / 2
October 26, 2025 at 6:38 AM
So in the West Midlands, the Moseley by-election last week was won by the LibDems, this week is the Bromsgrove South by-election for Worcestershire County Council. The two Stratford by-elections are scheduled for the 20th Nov. 1 / 2
Falls victim to a half bottle sale - now where am I going to put it all. Half bottles are good, I can no longer do a full bottle on my own without consequences and HWMBO is on duty so often he can't help out and there were some nice little temptations.
October 25, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Falls victim to a half bottle sale - now where am I going to put it all. Half bottles are good, I can no longer do a full bottle on my own without consequences and HWMBO is on duty so often he can't help out and there were some nice little temptations.
So, the Moseley by-election for Birmingham MBC has been counted and it was a LDM gain from LAB with the following count:
LDm 1634 Lab 1149 Ind 923 Grn 474 Rfm 345 Con 101 BCI 80
That's roughly what I expected except I expected Lab and Ind to be the other way around. So what does it mean 1 / ?
LDm 1634 Lab 1149 Ind 923 Grn 474 Rfm 345 Con 101 BCI 80
That's roughly what I expected except I expected Lab and Ind to be the other way around. So what does it mean 1 / ?
October 24, 2025 at 5:58 AM
So, the Moseley by-election for Birmingham MBC has been counted and it was a LDM gain from LAB with the following count:
LDm 1634 Lab 1149 Ind 923 Grn 474 Rfm 345 Con 101 BCI 80
That's roughly what I expected except I expected Lab and Ind to be the other way around. So what does it mean 1 / ?
LDm 1634 Lab 1149 Ind 923 Grn 474 Rfm 345 Con 101 BCI 80
That's roughly what I expected except I expected Lab and Ind to be the other way around. So what does it mean 1 / ?
As much as the Tories like to pretend the State Pension isn't a benefit because it offends their only remaining reliable voters of 2024, their new IRL proposal surely means if you have ILR you get deported after six months of State Pension. Just not a serious party anymore are they?
October 22, 2025 at 5:35 AM
As much as the Tories like to pretend the State Pension isn't a benefit because it offends their only remaining reliable voters of 2024, their new IRL proposal surely means if you have ILR you get deported after six months of State Pension. Just not a serious party anymore are they?
I can't help but feel that V-levels is going to be a really unfortunate name.
October 20, 2025 at 7:41 PM
I can't help but feel that V-levels is going to be a really unfortunate name.
Meanwhile in West Midlands local council news, the Birmingham MBC, Moseley by-election is this Thursday and the Worcestershire CC, Bromsgrove Sth by-election is on the 30th. Two byes have been called on Stratford on Avon DC for the Quinton & Salford Priors and Alcester Rural on the 20 Nov 1 / 2
October 19, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Meanwhile in West Midlands local council news, the Birmingham MBC, Moseley by-election is this Thursday and the Worcestershire CC, Bromsgrove Sth by-election is on the 30th. Two byes have been called on Stratford on Avon DC for the Quinton & Salford Priors and Alcester Rural on the 20 Nov 1 / 2