Showing 251 - 275 of 317 Records
Interview with Catherine Smart the Cambridge Liberal Democrat Agent: Local Elections
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/24
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Date : - 2018-05-09 (creation)
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Description : - Smart is a former LD Councillor and as agent she had to take charge of election literature of others, the expenses of her election, which are tightly regulated, and was there at the Count in Guild Hall in Cambridge on May 4th. Smart talks about her role in the mid-term local elections, the Liberal Democrats had a surprise win taking control of the neighbouring council in South Cambridgeshire although in Cambridge itself, Labour kept control. Smart requested that Antoinette Jackson, the CEO of Cambridge City council conduct a recount in Trumpington Ward which was a knife edge win for Labour by four votes, but originally two votes had been put on the wrong pile. Smart discusses the election, voting and her role. Sones was in the Guild Hall during the vote, and asks Smart to explain how the ballot papers are counted. Smart says that there are three different aspects to council work: case work, including planning issues; campaigning; committee work. Smart was Councillor for Romsey, she lost her seat and Sones asks if it was because of the national swing in politics. Smart agreed and goes onto explain why she joined the Liberal Democrats, pinning it on Thatcherism. Smart and Sones discuss Brexit and Cambridge voting to Remain. Smart clarifies that the Liberal Democrats want a public vote on the deal that has been agreed. The pair move onto discuss #Vote100, and Sones asks about all-women shortlists. Smart notes the amount of women in local politics and the importance of them, especially in Cambridge.
#Vote100 Readings by Elizabeth Crawford
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/2
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Date : - 2018-01-02 (creation)
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Description : - Elizabeth Crawford was asked to read from her book, 'Enterprising Women: The Garrett's and their Circle'. Elizabeth discusses politics, education, the home and culture of the Garrett family. The book, tells the story of the Garrett family, who in the second half of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth changed the position of women in Britain forever. They pioneered access to education at all levels and involved themselves in politics. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Emily Davies, Millicent Fawcett left few personal papers, and biographers have had to rely on a few family letters. Crawford looked to re-create these women's lives. Crawford discusses how these women molded themselves within society.
Interview with Helen Goodman MP: supporting Labour's new Brexit Bill Reasoned Amendment
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/31
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Date : - 2018-06-06 (creation)
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Description : - Goodman, Labour MP for Bishop Auckland talks about the announcement that Labour will be putting forward its own reasoned amendment on the Brexit Bill when all 15 Lords amendments will be debated in one day to ensure it does not have to support membership of the European Economic Area. This would have meant that the UK would remain part of the Single Market, but would also have to accept all of the four freedoms including the freedom of movement of people. Goodman represents a constituency that voted to leave the EU and as a member of the Shadow Cabinet she supports this new amendment and says she will be voting with Jeremy Corbyn. She also spoke up in favour of two other of those fifteen amendments, including membership of a customs union and the right for MPs to vote on the final agreement.
Interview with Nicky Massey and Katie Thornburrow as they take up their council seats in Cambridge: Abbey and Trumpington Wards
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/28
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Date : - 2018-05-21 (creation)
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Description : - Both were selected on all-women shortlists for Labour and both campaigned on local issues. Nicky led the fight to get 10,000 signatures on a petition to keep Sure Start Centres open in the face of national closures and campaigned on a host of issues including traffic flows and garden fences that had blown down. While Thornburrow, an architect, spoke up for environmental improvement: more cycle ways; more electric car charging points; the introduction of water fountains; and affordable food shops. Sones, Massey and Thornburrow discuss the voting for the local elections and local issues concerning Cambridge. Sones asks about Brexit, Massey and Thornburrow discuss the sadness of talking to EU Nationals in Cambridge.
Interview with Sarah Wollaston MP: a new law on stalking and supporting Theresa May on her new Brexit Plan
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/37
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Date : - 2018-06-12 (creation)
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Description : - Wollaston, MP for Totnes had a new Private Members Bill going through Parliament that would allow victims of stalking to get the police to take out stalking protection orders. She hoped the government would expedite the PMB just like it did with Wera Hobhouse MP's Upskirting Bill. On the new Chequers Brexit Plan, Wollaston states that she thinks Theresa May is doing a 'very good job'.
Interview with Peter Clarke, Professor Emeritus of Modern British History at the University of Cambridge on 'Are the Conservatives entering their third historical political phase of self-destruction?'
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/52
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Date : - 2018-11-05 (creation)
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Description : - Clarke discusses Theresa May's leadership of the Conservative Party, the Brexit negotiations and the outcomes of her Chequers Deal. He looks back to the 19th Century Corn Law reforms which led to the resignation of the Prime Minister, Robert Peel and later the 20th Century tariff reforms under Arthur Balfour's Prime-ministership which ended disastrously for the party leading to a historic election defeat. Clarke believes that May dug herself into the subsequent difficulties she faced. Clarke believes that she 'needn't have done any of that', referring to triggering Article 50 and spelling out her 'red lines' in 2016. Clarke discusses how the UK arrived at the Brexit Referendum, referring to the United Kingdom Independence Party and how the Conservative Party became ideological, as they did before First World War when the issue of Tariff Reform. Clarke believed there could be both a People's Vote and a General Election and ended by warning that the Conservative Party have been most successful when they were the moderate party of pragmatism and they have left these sort of ideological contortions to the party opposite - be it Liberal or Labour.
Interview with Carolyn Harris MP: Fixed Odd Betting Terminals the Chancellor climbs down
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/55
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Date : - 2018-11-17 (creation)
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Description : - Carolyn Harris is Labour MP for Swansea East is the Chair for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals. She discusses the u-turn the Chancellor Phillip Hammond did on introducing changes to the rules governing FOBT lowering the maximum stake that can be waged to just two pounds sooner rather than later.
Speaking up for Fathers and why Westminster Hall is such a good debating Chamber
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/66
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Date : - 2019-01-30 (creation)
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Description : - Tracey Crouch, Conservative MP for Chatham and Aylesford and former Sports, Civil Society and Loneliness minister led the Fathers debate. Several of her male colleagues chipped in to say how left out they felt and often lonely as various health procedures made them feel 'outsiders' in the birth of their own children. The health minister responded to these after PMQs. Crouch was the first Conservative Minister to take maternity leave and welcomed the introduction of Proxy Voting, allowing Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, who delayed giving birth to attend the Brexit-deal vote two weeks before. Crouch talks to Sones about her Fathers debate and other campaigns. Crouch and her other half took shared parenting and she says her partner found it intimidating to go into any toddler and baby group not least because it was mostly badged mother and baby groups, or that they were mostly women.
Personal Independence Payments: A Westminster Hall Debate with Sharon Hodgson MP and Ruth George MP
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/7
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Date : - 2018-01-31 (creation)
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Description : - Hodgson and George discuss the impact of new rules introduced for Personal Independence Payment and the impact this will have on constituents. The same week, the government said it would review every person receiving PIP after the Department for Work and Pensions decided not to challenge a court ruling saying that PIP changes were unfair. Hodgson and George were shocked about the response from the Conservative Ministers when asked about PIP as they ignored the evidence put forward by MPs. They discuss how the claims assessment process is not made for claimants and the aggressive environment it has created. This recording ends with a comment from 'Disabled People Against Cuts', they criticise the Conservative Government's response to PIP changes and austerity.
Interview with Emma Lewell-Buck MP on her Food Insecurity Bill - What gets measured gets mended
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/68/1
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Date : - 2019-02-27 (creation)
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Description : - Lewell-Buck's bill looks to ensure that the Government knows how many people are going without food. There are record levels of in work poverty and childhood poverty. The Food Foundation and the UN have suggested that eight million households and four million children live in food poverty. Although Lewell-Buck's Bill will not become law, the government has said that it will be adopting its recommendations and collecting and publishing information. Lewell-Buck gave her response to the Department of Education's announcement that the government will introduce relationship education in primary schools and sex and relationship education in secondary schools from September 2020. Lewell-Buck proceeds to tell Sones why she believes the Labour MP Chris Williamson should be suspended from the Party over his comments on Antisemitism and why the party needs to take a tougher line. On the breakaway Independent Group, she admits feeling 'flat'. As a Remain MP in a Leave voting constituency and she does not support her leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
Interview with Dr Lisa Cameron, SNP MP for East Kilbride and psychologist on Brexit, Lucy's Law and 'Dump the Scales'
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/3
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Date : - 2019-05-16 (creation)
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Description : - Cameron sits on the Parliamentary Radio's Advisory Board. Sones asks about Theresa May not reaching out to the devolved assemblies about Brexit, but did invite Jeremy Corbyn to talk. Cameron does not believe that May considered the Scottish First Minister enough, nor that the Scottish people have had their voice heard since the Brexit Referendum. Cameron discusses the Scottish National Party's position on the Customs Union and Single Market. Cameron hopes that May's 'red lines' are moveable and that talks are meaningful. Cameron has been campaigning on animal welfare, cancer campaigns and the movement to get women to stop using scales to promote good body identity, Sones asks about these issues because Brexit has clouded debate in the past few years. Cameron acknowledges that there is life beyond Brexit and issues that are important to her constituencies. Cameron talks about 'puppy smuggling' being banned, and talks about the patient experience of young people with cancer, ensuring that mental wellbeing is prioritised. Sones asks about Scottish Nationalism and Independence, Cameron thinks that Brexit emphasises the need for another Independence Referendum because of the chaos in Westminster. Cameron sees a 'no-deal' Brexit as one that could result in an independent Scotland.
Interview with Siobhan McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/68/6
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Date : - 2019-03-15 (creation)
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Description : - McDonagh speaks about Brexit, the Labour Party, antisemitism and knife crime
Monday: The Green Surge in the East
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/4
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Date : - 2019-05-13 (creation)
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Description : - Green Party event in Cambridge, Caroline Lucas MP speaking about the membership of the Green Party and the upcoming European Election. Lucas discusses the People's Vote campaign and Remain. Sones then talks to Lucas and Catherine Rowett - lead Green Party Candidate, outside the Guildhall in Cambridge. Lucas talks about their chances in the European Elections in the East about the green and European Union issues. Sones and Lucas talk about political commentators and their predictions of a victory for the Brexit Party. Rowett and Sones discuss her chances of being elected as an MEP. Rowett says that people she meets are talking about Extinction Rebellion and the Children's Strikes on Climate Change. Sones asks about a possible splintering of the Remain vote in the Election, Rowett rejects that the Green Party are similar to the Liberal Democrats. Sones then talks to Naomi Bennett, Green Candidate in Cambridge, Sones asks her about the key issues. Bennett thinks that people are disillusioned by the 'bully boy' tactics in Parliament and that there is a struggle in getting people to vote at all. Bennett talks extensively about 'door-knocking' and the importance of it in comparison to social media. The Greens in Cambridge have not been putting out social media adverts. Bennett talks about Cambridge being one of the richest cities in the country, but has nine food banks and hidden homelessness.
The Oona King diaries read by Oona King
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Reference Code : - SOBA 6/3/4
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Description : - From the 'Documentaries' section
'When There's A Woman in the Room - Part 2 New Edition' manuscript
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Reference Code : - SOBA 3/2
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Date : - 2018-1-15 (creation)
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Description : - Manuscript of 'When There’s a Woman in the Room Part 2 (New Edition)'
Website content
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Reference Code : - SOBA 5/3
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Description : - Material supplied separately as word docs, as opposed to a copy of the site as published. At time of cataloguing, the site is still live at http://www.bonisonesproductions.com/lookingglass/index.html
Judy Mallaber MP on the pay gap
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Reference Code : - SOBA 6/3/8
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Description : - From the 'Head to Heads' section
Keith Garrett – Rebooting Democracy general election candidate
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Reference Code : - SOBA 5/1/14
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Date : - 2015-5-7 (creation)
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Description : - Interviewed at the Cambridge Guildhall General Election count. As described by the depositor: We caught up with a PPC l Candidate, Keith Garrett, who started his own party from scratch, called Rebooting Democracy after he read a book of the same name. Keith told us: “I want to help run the country better. I am a systems administrator so I run computers. It isn’t actually that big a task to start a party, others should do it. You just have to fill in some forms, stand up there, talk to people, it is not that hard a thing to do. “To register the party cost me £150 and to stand as an MP was £500, and you get that back if you get 5 per cent of the vote. “No”, I won’t get that. The post office will give you a free mailing to everybody in the constituency. You have to print the leaflets yourself which I did. It cost me £700 to print the black and white leaflets which went to 53,600 homes. “Rebooting Democracy only has one pledge which is to change the system of government from the current one to one where the Country decides where it is going to go, and then we use citizen’s panels which are selected like juries, randomly, to come up with the decisions to take the Country forward. The current system has let us down so badly with the rise of social inequality, and climate change. This is only the beginning of the process for us we are going to move towards having an MP in every seat.”
Julian Huppert – Liberal Democrat general election candidate
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Reference Code : - SOBA 5/1/13
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Date : - 2015-4-4-2015-4-20 (creation)
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Description : - Interviewed at the April 4th 'Unite Against Fascism' picnic, and April 20th 'Unite Against Fascism' hustings. As described by the depositor: First we spoke to Julian at the Unite Against Fascism picnic on April 4th where all the parties came together to condemn a recent racist attack in Petersfield Park. We then spoke with Councillor Oscar Gillespie who was up for nomination in Market Ward as a councillor for the Green Party and who did then win his seat. We also met the woman who had been the subject of the racist abuse. Julian said: “I am a Liberal I care about people as individuals but unfortunately what we are seeing with the rise of UKIP is anti-foreigners xenophobic commentary. The other parties Labour and the Conservatives are following that same route. I will stand firm as a Liberal.” At the April 20th unite Against Fascism Hustings, Julian pointed out that Cambridge had seen two EDL (English Defence League) marches in recent years and he said that the community has dealt with it very well. He said: “We have seen people assaulted because of their race, and that is not OK.” A Green Party Candidate for Petersfield in the local elections, Atus Mariqueo-Russell, spoke alongside Julian. He said he wanted to challenge the other candidates on foreign policy and immigration. “The debate has become very dangerous and polarising.” Both Julian and Atus Tweeted about the event but Julian never Tweets until he has arrived somewhere, just in case he doesn’t make it.
Student voters and Green party activist
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Reference Code : - SOBA 5/1/37
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Date : - 2015-5-7 (creation)
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Description : - Various interviews at Newnham. As described by the depositor: The Student voters: Later we travelled across the City to Newnham where Robinson College University of Cambridge students Richard and Amy were queuing to vote and refused to give their polling number to the Tellers. We asked them to self-narrate the scene as they moved slowly down the queue of 50 or more so that historians of the future could picture it. The student vote is said to have won the seat for Labour from the Liberal Democrat’s by just 599 votes. Richard said: “The queue is surprisingly long, longer than what I expected, about 50 and a lot of them at this time of day, midday are students. I applied to vote and chose to vote here rather than back home as this is a marginal and my vote will make more of a difference. A lot of these people couldn’t vote in 2010, the tuition fee hike gets people interested. Because the polls are predicting a tie between Labour and Conservative you feel you need to come out here and do something about it. The election will be to the wire even after the results are announced because we don’t know what is going to happen. I looked things up online as well and got emails and letters from the candidates Julian and Daniel, in an attempt to engage us – things are moving onto the internet, the Green Party is good on Facebook. I decided how to vote two weeks ago”. Amy said: “The Scottish Referendum and talk of an EU Referendum makes people more interested in politics now. I have been on the internet and watched some of the parody videos that mock the system. There are quite a lot of quizzes around that are very unreliable that tell you what you are supposed to be voting for. I decided how to vote yesterday, there is a lot of scare mongering and policies not set in stone that I don’t trust yet.” One Green Activist Ruth Lambert from Newnham had literally “plastered” the front of her house with posters: Ruth said: “I think we are on the cusp of a Whoosh!” “I think we are not looking at a future as we were before, there is going to be a surge in greens, humanity and people centred policies rather than power centred policies. We need to rebuild community and that is the point of this window.”
Daniel Zeichner – Labour Party PPC general election candidate
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Reference Code : - SOBA 5/1/12
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Date : - 2015-2-25-2015-5-4 (creation)
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Description : - Interviewed Feb 25th on Labour’s 'Pink Bus'; April 12th, Super Sunday leafleting; April 27th at the U3A hustings at the Friends Meeting House; and May 4th Bank Holiday Monday at the Labour Party HQ in Norfolk Street, telephone canvassing. As described by the depositor: At the Harriet Harman Pink Bus visit Daniel told us: “I think it is a fantastic idea, for the first time I can remember women’s issues are at the front of the campaign. Here we are talking about domestic violence, and how we are trying to turn Cambridge into a much safer city, particularly for women. The police will tell you the incidence of DV in Cambridge, has shot up and I am pleased Harriet is here talking to women about what needs to be done to help them, this is a hidden crisis that is going on in many homes. At the U3A Friends Meeting House Hustings Daniel said: “The problem with the Hustings in Cambridge is that we have a huge number of them, two a day today, and it needed some leadership from the incumbent MP to structure this differently. We discussed education, poverty, but not zero hour’s contracts, We could have had fewer hustings events with larger audiences and I think this would have taken us further.” At the Labour HQ on Bank Holiday Monday Daniel was telephone canvassing. He said: “We want our volunteers to get the vote out, in close campaigns and with some many people so undecided, these last minute conversations could be critically important. It does matter to phone canvass people, we have an enthusiasm on the ground, and this time we are seeing hundreds of students getting involved. That gives you more people you can use in key moments, like that four hours on election day when people come home from work, between four and 8 O’clock. “I mainly do door knocking, people like to look the candidate in the eye, I will flirt with the cat, flirt with the dog, flirt with the voter if necessary, it is all about the theatre of politics, but politics is about a relationship with people, and they do like to know who their representative is. I have been contesting this seat now for nearly ten years, so I have met most of the people in one way or another and it is surprising how many of the conversations you do recollect, especially with the dogs!” At the 30th Hustings which was the last one for the University of Cambridge European Society at St John’s auditorium Daniel was delighted that the hustings events had finished: “It is not about the husting or the leafleting we have done, the votes will be won and lost with the thousands of conversations we have had on the doorstep. It is about the one to one looking people in the eye and talking to people. Ed asked us to have 4 million conversations across the Country, and in Cambridge we have had about 15 to 20000. I am feeling very happy and I don’t know how the vote will go!”
Labour Councillor and voters
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Reference Code : - SOBA 5/1/38
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Date : - 2015-5-7 (creation)
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Description : - Interviews with Kevin Blencowe, Labour Councillor, and assorted voters. As described by the depositor: Alison again with friend Juliet: On the night of the count at 6pm we returned to find our St Matthew’s voter Alison Litherland with a friend, Juliet, in front of the telly waiting for the close of polls. Both had already voted. Alison said: ”Because I have spent time living around political people I realise the enormous amount of work that goes into running an election and all of it behind the scenes. Workers have to deliver leaflets and knock on doors and they suddenly come out and do an awful lot of work. They gather the lists of names and tick them off, they give a huge amount of time it is impressive.” Juliet said: “I read all the literature that came through my door, it was just a whim. I had left it all sitting there and then a couple of days ago I thought I would just read through it all. It took me about half an hour and about 20 leaflets in all. I was probably going to Vote Green but I read them all. It could have influenced me if there was something in there that had really grabbed me. I thought long and hard because it is a marginal here, and then I thought “No” because Labour and Lib Dem are ultimately the same and I won’t get the things I want like end of austerity and end of Trident.” Kevin Blinco, Labour supporter. Labour Party HQ, Alex Wood Hall, Norfolk Street We found Labour activist and councillor Kevin Blinco at 9 pm at night in the Alex Wood Hall in Norfolk Street still working and getting his “knocker up” list to go out and encourage other Labour supporters to vote. Kevin said: “The people we have identified as probable Labour voters and they haven’t voted - we try and dig them out, we either phone them or knock on the door and say you have another hour to vote. It was a very good start to the day, lots of people queuing up to vote and I think that the good weather helped. I am always hopeful.” Ann, another party worker had given Kevin the “knocker upper” list. She said: “We have been very busy, we are working away like mad, we are still phoning some of the area, but in others where there are elderly people living it is not appropriate. Kevin is taking the last batch of the knock ups. I won’t celebrate until I get the result, we are hoping for a good result!” Students: Rob, India, Eleanor and Raff: We then at 9.20 pm captured the very last Hustings of the campaign at the famous Cambridge Union Society where the Footlights team were engaging students in political satire and spoke to four students. These four first time voters, who had all cast their vote, collectively concluded: “Every student and everyone our age should be out there and voting.”
City Council’s Electoral Services Manager and a Presiding Officer
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Reference Code : - SOBA 5/1/4
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Date : - 2015-4-22 (creation)
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Description : - As described by the depositor: At a training night for Presiding Officers on April 22nd we secured interviews with Vicky and a long serving Presiding Officer, Robert Osborn, who looks after East Chesterton. Robert also delivers poll cards. Polling booths open at 7 am and close at 10 pm. Robert told us that the Polling agents from the parties are allowed to witness the sealing of the ballot boxes before they are put in the booths. At the end of the day the papers are taken back to the Guildhall where the count is taking place.
Acting Returning Officer and CEO of the City Council
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Reference Code : - SOBA 5/1/9
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Date : - 2015-5-7 (creation)
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Description : - As described by the depositor: On the night of the count we interviewed Antoinette Jackson, the Acting Returning Officer and CEO of the City Council just before the vote was declared in the early hours of the next morning May 8th:“The first ballot box was back at about 10.15 pm and the last one about 11.15 pm. I am responsible for the safe conduct of the count. I have to make sure that we are counting accurately and that the secrecy of the ballot is maintained and that the journalists are acting appropriately and not revealing things they shouldn’t be. It feels like one team working to make sure it is a successful count no matter what their role is.”