( Boris Johnson - my part in his downfall...)

December 13th recedes a little further into the past.

In January there are about 800 people in Antiparos, I'm told by Bob and Sue in Soulatso's. Which seems to be the only place serving beer in this small harbour settlement, where most locals live. La Liga in the corner. Messi looking frustrated. Basketball on another T.V. That's what the locals are interested in. Panathinaikos taking on some German team. 15 or so Greek men watch anxiously. All smoking. Playing cards on their tables. People here aren't wild about Germany, it turns out. Maybe that can wait....... Bob and Sue have just got back from England. West Country folk. Lovely gentle Devon accents. They spend most of their time in Antiparos now. Sue fell in love with it years ago. Bob's more of an I don't care where I live as long as it's warm kind of guy. He goes outside to have a smoke. Obviously English.

Dominic Cummings famously declared that he didn't care about appearances-he'd stuck to the letter of the law and that's all that matters. It sounds like an unsympathetic insurance company wriggling out of a claim but I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt because the real issue, for me, is that appearances do matter. And we'll be able to tell in about a week's time whether I'm right.

This is Aldbourne resident John Gill- ...Aldbourne? Village. Near Ramsbury. No? Near Hungerford? Ring any bells? No? Oh well, it's in Wiltshire, and like most other Wiltshire villages, is packed with people who unthinkingly vote Tory and think Boris is "a right laugh". I've lived in a beautiful 17th-century cottage here for 10 years. My name's John Gillett. But locally I'm known as "John the actor". Probably other things too, but mainly that one, because.... well, because I'm an actor. I'm known as Aden Gillett when I swan about the stage, but John the Actor when I swan about The Blue Boar or Crown in Aldbourne.

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Weekly Whip w/c 6th July

Monday 6^th July

There are some two million victims of domestic abuse a year. More than one in ten of all offences recorded by the police are domestic abuse related. In 2017, the Conservative government committed to introduce a bill to transform the approach of the justice system and wider statutory agencies. It has now been 3 ½ years since this commitment, but the Domestic Abuse Bill finally passed through the House of Commons on Monday night with cross-party support.

On Thursday 16th July, the two candidates for leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey and Layla Moran will be answering questions from a panel of experts in a new hustings format.

So you want to be leader? Is styled like a job interview. Candidates will get to make their pitch to the panel on why they should be leader and that'll be followed up by questions from the panel on the skills they'll need to make being leader a success.

Over the last 2 weeks, members have been nominating candidates to stand as the next leader of the Liberal Democrats.

This is the first time that the system has been run mostly online and also the first time we have published these totals.

We decided to publish the totals as we felt it gave candidates a chance to demonstrate some of the key skills they'll need as leader.

What are Party Awards?

Party Awards recognise publicly those who have given the party outstanding service and commitment in the past year. They are presented at Autumn Conference (national conditions allowing) and each winner receives a trophy to keep and a special mention.

Candidates must themselves be party members, and be nominated and seconded by two party members.

Countless families are facing serious financial hardship due to the COVID-19 crisis. More than a million people have lost their jobs and many more are worried about losing theirs in the weeks and months ahead.

We are also facing big challenges in deep-seated inequality and the climate emergency.

We must ensure no one is left behind.