The town's voters, long taken for granted in this traditional Labour heartland, knew they had delivered a historic victory to the Liberal Democrats. And many admitted that a deliberate snub had been delivered to Labour.

"As long as Rennie keeps his promises to fight for the local hospital, schools and jobs then we just might let him keep the job," said Helen Taylor, 46, a former Labour voter who admitted that she had become disillusioned with the status quo.

Nine months ago, Labour ( Read more... )
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"Personally I think he's wrong," explained Mr Azam. "But it's difficult to argue against him because all the information he gets is taken from the internet and it makes him sound very knowledgeable."

Such a debate between two young British Muslims would have been almost unthinkable two decades ago. But today it is frequently the internet that young Muslims turn to when looking for spiritual advice. And what they find in cyberspace is often shockingly intolerant. "Do not congratulate [the ( Read more... )
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In the pub, you expected to find a farm labourer talking about silage making; instead, there in the ladies is Kate Moss, swopping stories about Milan Fashion Week. Riding down that country lane, the person you might have thought was a hunt kennelman turns out, on closer inspection, to be Liz Hurley.

These things make a difference. Most of us want to visit the country and find a recognisably rural experience, not the glitz and bling that we thought we had left behind us at Harvey Nichols.

But ( Read more... )
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Thousands of the photographs aircrew risked their lives to bring back are now being made publicly available for the first time. The first batch of 4,000 pictures that have remained in storage since the war go online today in a project to make up to 10 million air reconnaisance pictures available.

Images that can be seen include photographs showing the progress of the Allied invasion forces on D-Day, 6 June 1944. So detailed are the photographs that individual vehicles can be seen leaving ( Read more... )
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They are there for the annual lucky dip. The prestigious college asks around 1,000 artists ? from the famous to recent graduates ? to donate up to six postcards of new work. Art-lovers can buy no more than four, at £40 each. The catch is that no one knows the name of their artist until after they have bought the work.

This year's coup was Gerhard Richter. The German, considered one of the world's greatest artists, painted six cards in his distinctive blurred abstract style. Other sought-after ( Read more... )
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Widespread rain could bring rainfall totals of 30-50mm with up to 70mm on higher ground.

Forecaster Tom Tobler, from Meteogroup UK, said the north west of the country was likely to be worst affected. "Starting today, through Thursday and Friday there could be a stream of heavy rain, especially in the north west so there is a risk of flooding."

Saturday saw winds of 70mph, with gusts reaching a top speed of 100mph in outlying areas, driving rain and lightning strikes ( Read more... )
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Those who take part will be joining a growing band of "frugalistas", for whom spending money on something new is terribly last season. If you haven't made it yourself, it simply has to be second-hand; the delicatessen is out and home-grown produce is in; and turning old clothes into carrier bags is the latest craze.

In the new mood of austerity ? born largely amid the credit crunch and the rising cost of food and fuel ? some surprisingly well-heeled and glamorous allies have been recruited ( Read more... )
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The original glass bottles weren't ideal in choppy conditions, so the handy little lozenges were invented. As well as being reassuringly hot, the eucalyptus is good for your tubes, you know. Still based in Fleetwood, the factory churns out a million packs a year in a bewildering number of variations on the original theme, including the especially curious salmiak-flavoured version, salmiak being a sort of salty liquorice favoured by fishermen in Nordic states.

Lemon, ( Read more... )
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From pagan horn dancers in Staffordshire to Dzogchen monks in Lincolnshire and Zoroastrianism in London, the photographs capture an eclectic array of colourful traditions from around the UK and the rest of the world.

The exhibition forms part of the government?s inter-faith week, endorsed by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, which aims to promote good relations between religions and provide increasing understanding between faiths and wider society.

The BBC named them as Jake Scrace, 25, and Lewis Crathern, 24, both from Worthing, and said they had been planning the jump for years.

They were filmed taking off from the west side in gusts of more than 40mph.

Both are very experienced kite surfers - one makes kite boards and the other is a professional kite surfer - and they stressed ift was not a feat to be attempted by amateurs.

Mr Crathern was quoted as saying: "It was everything I have lived for - ( Read more... )
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The stakes are highest for Ben Pridmore, a 33-year-old accountant from Beeston, Nottinghamshire. The reigning World Champion is in silver medal position going into day three, and it is touch and go whether he'll retain his crown. Men's Health magazine may have named him one of six "superhumans", but that is little consolation when it comes to battling the combined grey matter of the 16-strong Chinese team in the afternoon's speed cards discipline.

If he hadn't fluffed the first of the decamentathlon ( Read more... )
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That's because a night on the pies often as not follows a night on the tiles and, in the way of things, partial memory loss. Consider the numbers.

The Pukka Pie firm, its name faintly redolent of empire, was founded in Leicestershire in 1963, remains in family ownership, and now its 250 staff knock out 50 million pies a year.

Their bestseller is the large round single-portion steak and kidney pie, closely followed by chicken and mushroom, then beef and onion. ( Read more... )
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The ONS said that, since 1997, the ?gender gap? between the typical pay of a man and a woman in full time work has fallen to 12.2 per cent ? still a source of injustice but much lower than the 17.4 per cent it stood at in 1997, and much bigger disparities before then. The ONS add that, since last year, the gender gap has narrowed for full time and part time work. Indeed, women are typically earning more than men in part time jobs ? 2 per cent more, though that is down from a ( Read more... )
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A female police sergeant who claimed she was victimised because she was seen as "dominant" has reached a £200,000 settlement with the Metropolitan Police.

Sergeant Belinda Sinclair, 40, a training officer stationed at Streatham, in south London, had also alleged that her senior officer had told her she was "very confident for a woman".

Yesterday, the Met agreed to pay Sgt Sinclair £10,000 in settlement of the claim. They also agreed to pay her an ill health medical pension for 17 years' ( Read more... )
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The closure of the Terry's factory in York, with the loss of 316 jobs, means that only Nestlé-Rowntree remains in the one-time British capital of chocolate-making. Even there the workforce has shrunk since Nestlé took ownership in 1988 and the company has been called a "business in crisis" by its managing director.

John Pollock, Terry's plant director, said: "We all feel a great sadness at the closure of a facility with such a long-standing role in the community." The firm's American owner, ( Read more... )
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Speaking of her delight at being selected for the prestigious aerobatics display team, Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore, 32, said her father Robbie Stewart was a retired Tornado navigator.

Earlier this year she saw off competition from up to 40 other pilots keen to join the team, which carries out displays all over the world.

She has been training with them since September and today she spoke to the media for the first time since her successful application.

( Read more... )
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WIFE OF 31-YEAR-OLD CORPORAL ON SECOND TOUR OF IRAQ

"I am so very proud of my husband and all that he has achieved as part of the most highly respected British Army. This respect has now been diminished by the Government's decision to use them in this immoral and illegal war.

"The war does not correspond to the oath that he took. I know that he has to go, because he has been told to, not because he wants to. He should be serving his Queen and country, not Iraq or President Bush. ( Read more... )
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A new report from Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, will say that the public needs to be made more aware of the "creeping encroachment" on civil liberties created by email monitoring, CCTV and computer tracking of our buying habits.

It is understood that one of the concerns in Mr Thomas's report is the use of special listening devices which can be placed in lamp posts, street furniture and offices. These are already widely used in the Netherlands to combat crime and anti-social ( Read more... )
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The syndicate of seven or eight staff were unaware they had won when they turned up for work at BT's Royal House centre in Wood Street this morning.

They held one of two tickets that scooped a share of Friday night's £91 million jackpot.

A company source said: "The lucky people do work in our Wood Street centre in Liverpool.

"They are employed by Hewlett Packard or by Manpower to do internal IT work, computer support.

"Some of them went ( Read more... )
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