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bdmuk.bsky.social
Breandan
@bdmuk.bsky.social
55 followers 130 following 7 posts
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Reposted by Breandan
pauldfollows.bsky.social
SURREY RESIDENTS AMONG MILLIONS DENIED THE CHANCE TO VOTE IN 2025

🔸 Conservative request to CANCEL May local elections granted by government

🔸 Opposed by Lib Dems at every level

🔸 Your elected Lib Dems will work to make sure you are democratically and locally represented
February 5, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Reposted by Breandan
waverleylibdems.bsky.social
Letters to the Leader of Surrey County Council, Cllr Tim Oliver and Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner.

This followed a full council debate about the English Devolution White Paper where the Conservatives decided to hold firm in their desire to cancel the Surrey County Council elections this May.
To The Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government-Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, The Minister of State for Local Government & English Devolution, Hon. Jim McMahon MP. Re: English Devolution White Paper and Surrey County Council Proposals The White Paper issued by your department before Christmas offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform Local Government and establish an enduring and sustainable system that works for residents, our distinct local communities, and the national government. We recognise the clear intention and direction of the government, and we acknowledge the problems within local government, both locally and nationally, and understand the need for urgent and meaningful change. However, we cannot support the postponement of the Surrey County Council elections scheduled for May 2025. Surrey County Council has not developed plans that address the specific and complex issues within Local Government in Surrey, including the significant funding and debt matters, or your aspirations for genuinely strategic-level authorities in England. Nor does it have broader support from Surrey Districts and Boroughs or any democratic mandate to pursue such plans unilaterally. We do not believe that a sustainable and enduring Local Government settlement can or should be made based on present concerns and should reflect the distinct local character of our communities. As of the submission of this letter, over 2500 residents of Surrey have signed a petition opposing the plans of Surrey County Council and asking that elections be held as planned. We believe that other options, more compatible with the White Paper's aims, and more viable for local and strategic authority possibilities, should also be considered. To date, Surrey County Council has not meaningfully engaged with or had conversations with the District and Borough Councils, other than a meeting due to take place on January 7th. We want to work with you the District and Borough Leaders of Surrey, and the Surrey County Council, to agree on a sustainable future for Surrey. Any changes must be carefully considered, transparent, and inclusive, and we must ensure that residents and businesses within our county are fully engaged in shaping Surrey's future governance This cannot happen within the timescales currently stated, and we ask that you allow Surrey as a county more time to thoroughly consider these matters, by continuing with elections as planned, and thereby giving those elected a mandate to bring forward proposals. Yours sincerely. Councillor Paul Follows Leader, Waverley Borough Council and Liberal Democrat Group Councillor Peter Clark Group Leader. Farnham Residents Councillor Janet Crowe, Group Leader, Labour Councillor Steve Williams Group Leader, Green Party Date: 8 January 2025To:Leader of Surrey County Council Cllr Tim Oliver CC. Chief Executive of Surrey County Council, Terence HerbertRe: English Devolution White Paper and Surrey County Council ProposalsDear Tim,Following notification of Surrey County Council's proposals regarding Local Government re-organisation, the Executive of Waverley, Borough Council (and the undersigned political group leaders of our local authority) wish to relay our objection to your proposals and strongly associate ourselves with the comments of the Surrey Leaders Group in their letter of 7th January 2025We cannot support the proposed postponement of local elections scheduled for May 2025. Surrey County Council has not developed plans that address the specific and complex issues within Local Government in Surrey, including the significant funding and debt matters, and there has been no articulation of the benefits of being in this first tranche of re-organisation. There has also been no indication of how the government will address the long-term, structural funding issues in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, SEND provision and Highways in the county.We do not believe that a sustainable and enduring Local Government settlement within our county can or should be made based on present concerns and should reflect the distinct local character of our communities.Your proposals were produced in a matter of days, over the Christmas and New Year period, without consultation with the Surrey Districts and Boroughs until 7th January 2025 and without any democratic mandate to pursue such plansAs of the submission of this letter, over 2500 Surrey residents have signed a petition opposing Surrey County Council's plans and asking that elections be held as planned.We believe that other options, more compatible with the White Paper's aims and more viable for local and strategic authority possibilities should also be considered. We want to work with you, the other District and Borough Leaders of Surrey, and the government to agree on a sustainable future for Surrey Any changes must be carefully considered, transparent, and inclusive, and we must ensure that residents and businesses within our county are fully engaged in shaping Surrey's future governance. Ultimately, Surrey County Council has a choice and is not required by the government to take early action or postpone elections Thorough consideration and proper consultation cannot happen within the timeframes currently stated, and we ask that you follow the example of your Conservative colleagues in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamsben, and allow more time to consider these matters thoroughly. By continuing with elections as planned, you will thereby give those elected a mandate to bring forward proposals. Yours sincerely, Councillor Paul Follows Leader of Waverley Borough Council and Liberal Democrat Group Councillor Peter Clark Group Leader. Farnham Residents Councillor Janet Crowe, Group Leader, Labour Councillor Steve Williams Group Leader, Green Party
January 8, 2025 at 12:19 PM
bdmuk.bsky.social
Nice set of ammonites from Charmouth beach, UK at half term with little monsters recently! #geology
Ammonites from Charmouth beach, UK.
November 19, 2024 at 7:29 PM
Reposted by Breandan
kelpiesi.bsky.social
Today: Monday 18, 16:00 CET - for #LGBTSTEMDay the European Geosciences Union will be hosting a webinar discussing the challenges, impacts and paths forward for LGBTQ+ people engaged in field work

(sadly, i am unwell today and won't be attending due to illness)

register here: egu.eu/9VW3IU/
November 18, 2024 at 7:53 AM
Reposted by Breandan
sarahperry.bsky.social
Any ideas on what we might have seen on our BRUVS video? Video captured in Cardigan Bay, Wales.

#CardiganBay #Wales #BRUVS #MarineLife
cbmwc.bsky.social CBMWC @cbmwc.bsky.social · Nov 15
🦈 We captured something fishy on our BRUVS 📹
💡 We have our own ideas, but what do you think?
💬 Comment below👇

👀 Watch carefully..

@sarahperry.bsky.social @neildcook.bsky.social

#BRUVS #NatureNetworksFund #CardiganBay #Wales #CBMWC #WTSWW #Elasmobranch #MarineConservation #MarineLife
November 15, 2024 at 11:32 AM
Reposted by Breandan
adambienkov.bsky.social
Oh
October 23, 2024 at 8:31 PM
Reposted by Breandan
willforster.bsky.social
Despite the parliamentary recess, I was still working hard for #Woking last week.
My diary included school visits, radio interviews, councillor surgeries, and plenty of casework.
October 7, 2024 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Breandan
colinyeo.bsky.social
Just incredible they've been getting away with this. To make matters worse, a lot of the extra funds required but not budgeted for have been plundered from the international aid budget.
benzaranko.bsky.social Ben Zaranko @benzaranko.bsky.social · Aug 29
New analysis @maxwarner.bsky.social and I, looking at how the Home Office has budgeted for asylum costs in recent years (spoiler: not very well) and what this means for the recent dispute between Rachel Reeves and Jeremy Hunt.

Read here: ifs.org.uk/articles/hom...
August 29, 2024 at 10:46 AM
Reposted by Breandan
kiwiincolorado.bsky.social
Our Very Strange Search for #SeaLevel
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tinyurl.com/yfsm6mdb
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #elevation #vertical #geoid #datum #risingsealevel #RSL #climatechange #survey #change #geology #glaciation #groundwater #remotesensing #GPS #LiDAR #altimetry #spatialanalysis #model #modeling #spatiotemporal
August 27, 2024 at 5:49 AM
Reposted by Breandan
shyamalirodrigues.bsky.social
Liberalism..
August 15, 2024 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by Breandan
markpackuk.bsky.social
Calling a practical joke intimidation that shouldn't be allowed sounds a bit like... calling for cancel culture?
August 14, 2024 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by Breandan
happytoast.co.uk
November 11, 2023 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Breandan
dave43law.bsky.social
Rishi Sunak wastes taxpayer cash on helicopter trip that would be £50 on train

Says it all about the self important loser that even now he is still doing this
Rishi Sunak wastes taxpayer cash on helicopter trip that would be £50 on train
The Prime Minister used a chopper to get to Lincolnshire this morning when it would have taken just an hour if he had caught the 7:27am train from London Kings Cross to Grantham
www.mirror.co.uk
November 8, 2023 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by Breandan
willforster.bsky.social
Here’s my second regular column in the Woking News and Mail - I’ve written about why Woking Council needs to leave no stone unturned in trying to keep Pool in the Park open and the news that Victoria Arch won’t now be replaced. Have a read here: t.co/UJ1yoAIMVl
Woking's Cllr Will Forster writes exclusively for the News & Mail
By Will Forster, Lib Dem deputy leader, Woking Borough Council
t.co
October 2, 2023 at 4:58 PM
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ellzsummary.bsky.social
Lots of support for #WillForster in #MountHermon this morning. Many residents, including some former Tory voters, tell us they want a change of government in Westminster. #WokingLibDems @libdems.bsky.social #Woking #LibDem
September 30, 2023 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Breandan
nichstarling.bsky.social
Let’s all follow back to widen the pool of LibDems on here.
October 15, 2023 at 10:36 AM