Graham Evans
@mars164.bsky.social
Retired HR manager who's followed, and often participated in, party politics since my early teenage years.
The provisional name Social and Liberal Democrats was dropped in 1988, underlining the Liberals had de facto taken over the old SDP, and so continued to follow the localism strategy of the Liberals. I was merely making the point that come 2029 party policy may come much more under the spotlight.
December 20, 2025 at 9:41 PM
The provisional name Social and Liberal Democrats was dropped in 1988, underlining the Liberals had de facto taken over the old SDP, and so continued to follow the localism strategy of the Liberals. I was merely making the point that come 2029 party policy may come much more under the spotlight.
With the outcome of the 2029 uncertain, unless of course it looks like Reforn are heading for a clear majority, national policies will become important as a pointer to what post-election coalition might emerge.
December 20, 2025 at 7:34 PM
With the outcome of the 2029 uncertain, unless of course it looks like Reforn are heading for a clear majority, national policies will become important as a pointer to what post-election coalition might emerge.
The Liberals did it because local newspapers gave them a fair hearing while the nationals ignored them. Focusing on a local champion countered the emphasis on the leaders of the Lab and Tory parties. Not much has changed since then except the decline of local newspapers.
December 20, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The Liberals did it because local newspapers gave them a fair hearing while the nationals ignored them. Focusing on a local champion countered the emphasis on the leaders of the Lab and Tory parties. Not much has changed since then except the decline of local newspapers.
This govt spends much of its time putting things out for consultatiin or instigating a review. The TUs have been pressing for this change for years. What does the govt expect to get from this consultation other than opposition from right-wingers who oppose any form of industrial action?
December 20, 2025 at 1:53 PM
This govt spends much of its time putting things out for consultatiin or instigating a review. The TUs have been pressing for this change for years. What does the govt expect to get from this consultation other than opposition from right-wingers who oppose any form of industrial action?
It might help turnout, for internal elections and industrial action, if voting was online. Postal voting these days is extremely expensive. We had the recent farce of the BMA being able to conduct a survey online but couldn't extend its current mandate for industrial action without a postal ballot.
December 20, 2025 at 11:19 AM
It might help turnout, for internal elections and industrial action, if voting was online. Postal voting these days is extremely expensive. We had the recent farce of the BMA being able to conduct a survey online but couldn't extend its current mandate for industrial action without a postal ballot.
Workers Rights - Not much benefit when employers are discouraged from taking on young people because of increases to employer NICs. 4/
December 18, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Workers Rights - Not much benefit when employers are discouraged from taking on young people because of increases to employer NICs. 4/
Healing the NHS - Resident doctors again on strike because Lab had no plan to address the shortage of training places.
Workers Rights - Mainly window dressing to appease the TUs. 3/
Workers Rights - Mainly window dressing to appease the TUs. 3/
December 18, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Healing the NHS - Resident doctors again on strike because Lab had no plan to address the shortage of training places.
Workers Rights - Mainly window dressing to appease the TUs. 3/
Workers Rights - Mainly window dressing to appease the TUs. 3/
Closer ties with the EU - pure rhetoric. The UK govt opted out of SAFE, even though Canada on the other side of the Atlantic has joined.
Erasmus - Lab have been in office for 17 months and only just got round to an agreement that won't be implemented till 2027. 2/
Erasmus - Lab have been in office for 17 months and only just got round to an agreement that won't be implemented till 2027. 2/
December 18, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Closer ties with the EU - pure rhetoric. The UK govt opted out of SAFE, even though Canada on the other side of the Atlantic has joined.
Erasmus - Lab have been in office for 17 months and only just got round to an agreement that won't be implemented till 2027. 2/
Erasmus - Lab have been in office for 17 months and only just got round to an agreement that won't be implemented till 2027. 2/
Minimum wage - the Tories used raising the minimum wage as a way of transferring some of the costs of UC to employers. Labour are doing the same.
Immigration - The recent falls are the result of measures introduced by the last Tory govt, plus the one off fall in refugees from Ukraine and HK. 1/
Immigration - The recent falls are the result of measures introduced by the last Tory govt, plus the one off fall in refugees from Ukraine and HK. 1/
December 18, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Minimum wage - the Tories used raising the minimum wage as a way of transferring some of the costs of UC to employers. Labour are doing the same.
Immigration - The recent falls are the result of measures introduced by the last Tory govt, plus the one off fall in refugees from Ukraine and HK. 1/
Immigration - The recent falls are the result of measures introduced by the last Tory govt, plus the one off fall in refugees from Ukraine and HK. 1/
I imagine the demand comes from the organisations that use the student accommodation in the vacs, particularly in the summer. These days no conference or summer school organiser would consider offering accommodation without en suite bathrooms.
December 17, 2025 at 5:28 PM
I imagine the demand comes from the organisations that use the student accommodation in the vacs, particularly in the summer. These days no conference or summer school organiser would consider offering accommodation without en suite bathrooms.
It's back to end of year exams with little continuous assessment. That may help the boys and disadvantage the girls, bringing back the grade differential that once existed between STEM subjects and arts subjects.
December 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM
It's back to end of year exams with little continuous assessment. That may help the boys and disadvantage the girls, bringing back the grade differential that once existed between STEM subjects and arts subjects.
I don't see Greens and Lib Dems prioritising defeat for Labour. More likely they won't go out of their way to tactically vote for Lab.
December 17, 2025 at 10:18 AM
I don't see Greens and Lib Dems prioritising defeat for Labour. More likely they won't go out of their way to tactically vote for Lab.
The things Lab are doing badly, very badly, matter more to voters than things they are doing well. It's difficult to recover from reputational damage, as the Lib Dems showed after their 2010 coalition with the Tories.
December 17, 2025 at 9:12 AM
The things Lab are doing badly, very badly, matter more to voters than things they are doing well. It's difficult to recover from reputational damage, as the Lib Dems showed after their 2010 coalition with the Tories.
As a sixth former in the late 1960s I was advised to choose a uni well away from home to prevent the urge of parents to visit me, and vice versa. Without even mobile phones we had to build a new friendship circle with fellow students. Perhaps the advice now should be choose a uni close to home.
December 17, 2025 at 9:00 AM
As a sixth former in the late 1960s I was advised to choose a uni well away from home to prevent the urge of parents to visit me, and vice versa. Without even mobile phones we had to build a new friendship circle with fellow students. Perhaps the advice now should be choose a uni close to home.
As a baby boomer, I find this report very sad. Is this a result of the expansion of HE such that the facilities, etc, in unis are much poorer than they were 30 years ago, or has the advent of social media and smart phones fundamentally changed the way young people build social relationships?
December 17, 2025 at 8:30 AM
As a baby boomer, I find this report very sad. Is this a result of the expansion of HE such that the facilities, etc, in unis are much poorer than they were 30 years ago, or has the advent of social media and smart phones fundamentally changed the way young people build social relationships?
A 2023 report indicated that 25% of Labour MPs had opposed building affordable homes in their constituencies. Let's hope you're not represented by one of these MPs.
December 17, 2025 at 7:25 AM
A 2023 report indicated that 25% of Labour MPs had opposed building affordable homes in their constituencies. Let's hope you're not represented by one of these MPs.
The fundamental problems remains that Starmer’s not very good at politics, and his govt never learns from its mistakes.
December 16, 2025 at 9:24 PM
The fundamental problems remains that Starmer’s not very good at politics, and his govt never learns from its mistakes.
The famous cartoon "Careful mate, that foreigner wants your cookie" epitomises how the right operate.
December 16, 2025 at 2:09 PM
The famous cartoon "Careful mate, that foreigner wants your cookie" epitomises how the right operate.
Essentially Australia's points-based immigration system was designed to encourage immigration to meet the needs of the economy. In earlier times the policy had simply been to increase the white population and exclude non-whites. The UK on the other hand now has the worst of both worlds.
December 16, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Essentially Australia's points-based immigration system was designed to encourage immigration to meet the needs of the economy. In earlier times the policy had simply been to increase the white population and exclude non-whites. The UK on the other hand now has the worst of both worlds.
When people start to experience the impact on health and social care they will blame it on immigrants, and press for even tighter immigration controls. It will be a downward spiral, not a course correction.
December 16, 2025 at 12:37 PM
When people start to experience the impact on health and social care they will blame it on immigrants, and press for even tighter immigration controls. It will be a downward spiral, not a course correction.
At the current rate of attrition, after 2029 Lab will have even fewer MPs than it had after Corbyn's defeat in 2019.
December 16, 2025 at 9:07 AM
At the current rate of attrition, after 2029 Lab will have even fewer MPs than it had after Corbyn's defeat in 2019.
Loving Starmer helps Farage even more, because it means Lab under Starmer won't change.
December 16, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Loving Starmer helps Farage even more, because it means Lab under Starmer won't change.
This would duplicate the strategy of the Lib Dems and Lab in 2024. It worked well because there were few Lab/Lib Dem marginals. For the Greens it's more tricky. Two of their existing seats were formerly Tory seats and two Lab, but almost all their second place or third placed seats are Lab.
December 16, 2025 at 7:35 AM
This would duplicate the strategy of the Lib Dems and Lab in 2024. It worked well because there were few Lab/Lib Dem marginals. For the Greens it's more tricky. Two of their existing seats were formerly Tory seats and two Lab, but almost all their second place or third placed seats are Lab.