Latest news with #MUGA
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Public to decide what will be in proposed play facility in one area of Cleland
A consultation has been published by Cleland Community Council asking locals for their opinions on a proposed new play area in Parkside. The public can decide what they would like to see in a proposed play facility in one area of Cleland. A consultation has been published by Cleland Community Council asking locals for their opinions on a proposed new play area in Parkside. Options include a new bike track of Multi Use Games Area (MUGA). In a statement on their Facebook page, Cleland Community Council said: 'We are working closely with North Lanarkshire Council's Community Partnership Team to develop a new proposal for a possible facility for children and young people in Parkside. 'We want to hear from you on your preference of which of these two possible facilities children and young people would want to see and would use more regularly. 'We are working to access funding through the council's Local Development Programme fund to hopefully secure the budget to create a proposal plan leading to this project.' There are also in-person consultations to be held. These will be on Tuesday, June 17, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm in Cleland Community Centre and on Wednesday, June 18, from 10am to 11.30am in Cleland Library. The issue of better play equipment for Parkside kids has been an issue for residents for several years. Back in 2022, over 700 people signed a petition demanding an upgrade to play facilities. Speaking at that time, concerned resident Lizann Carroll said: 'We have been promised facilities since even before Covid, but we are hoping the council can look at this again and bring the proposals forward. 'The kids have got nothing up here and that's just not good enough.' Progressive Change Murdostoun councillor Cameron McManus is encouraging locals to complete the survey. He said: 'This is welcome news as many have been campaigning for better play facilities in Parkside long before Covid. 'It is important people express their views. Whether it's a bike track of a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA), people have to have their say. 'The more people that complete the survey then we will have a much better idea of exactly what local people are looking for.' Labour's Murdostoun councillor Louise Roarty added: 'I'm delighted this consultation has been developed to give the people of Parkside a voice to express what they consider to be the best options for the children and the community.' You can fill in the online survey by logging onto the Cleland Community Council Facebook page. The survey will close on June 23.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Axson or Lyman? Utah Republican delegates to elect their next leader
Utah Republican Party delegates will choose between former state lawmaker Phil Lyman, left, and incumbent Chair Rob Axson, right, to lead the party during their state organizing convention. (Photos by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) An incumbent who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump? Or a challenger who paints himself as the 'Make Utah Great Again' candidate? Some 4,000 Utah Republican Party delegates will elect their next leader during their state organizing convention on Saturday at Utah Valley University in Orem. Their decision will have major implications for the future direction of the Utah GOP, and it's sure to stir heated debate between two factions within the party — those who like the direction the party has already been heading under incumbent Chair Rob Axson versus anti-establishment conservatives who are fans of former state lawmaker and failed gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman. Lyman is likely to get a warm reception from delegates, who handed him the party's nomination in his bid for governor with 67.5% of the vote during last year's nominating convention. But because Gov. Spencer Cox used the state's other option to get his name on the ballot as a Republican by gathering signatures, Cox and Lyman both qualified for the GOP primary, which Lyman lost. He still didn't give up, continuing his bid in the general election as an unaffiliated write-in candidate, which he also lost — however, he captured more than 13.5% of the vote, which was the most ever seen for a write-in bid. But Axson, who has served as Utah GOP chair since 2023, got a major boost when Trump endorsed him in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, with just over a week to go before the convention. Axson has also been endorsed by other Utah Republican Party heavyweights including Sen. Mike Lee, who called him in a post on X 'one of the most effective state party chairmen we've ever had in Utah, he's one of the best in the entire country.' 'He's uniformly respected and admired as a member of the RNC,' Lee added. 'He's an unusually dedicated, talented, and energetic person. I've known and worked closely with him throughout the last 16 years, and he's one of the most decent people I've ever known.' Lyman — who is championing a 'MUGA' slogan, often mirrors Trump's style and was even pardoned by Trump back in 2020 for leading an illegal ATV protest on federal lands — shrugged off Trump's endorsement of his opponent. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Reminder – MAGA is about America – and I love it,' Lyman wrote in a post on X. 'My support for Donald Trump is not contingent on his support for me. We have work to do. Oh, and Cox cheated.' Lyman also continues to refuse to accept that Cox legally won the election, even though Lyman and his team have lost every single court challenge. Throughout both his campaigns for governor and Utah GOP chair, Lyman has also catered largely to a faction of Utah Republicans who continue to despise SB54, the 2014 law that set a dual path to the primary ballot through both the caucus and convention system and through signature gathering. After more than 10 years, SB54 has survived years of court challenges — to the point of almost bankrupting the Utah GOP. But angst over SB54 persists, and it's one of the biggest wedges dividing Utah Republicans. That angst is sure to boil up again Saturday in more ways than one. According to the convention's agenda, delegates are also slated to consider a proposed amendment to the party's constitution that would temporarily revoke a Republican candidate's party membership if they gain access to the ballot through signature gathering rather than through the caucus convention system. 'Any person who seeks public office ballot access as a Republican by any mechanism other than that specifically provided within this Constitution shall be deemed to have failed to comply with the Republican Party Constitution and that person's membership shall immediately be revoked for one year,' the proposed amendment reads. In its bylaws, the Utah Republican Party accepts the caucus and convention process as the nominating process. Because of SB54, however, state law specifies that candidates can get their name on the ballot through the convention nomination, the signature gathering path, or both. State law also specifies two types of political parties: registered parties and qualified political parties. Candidates of registered parties must use signature gathering to access the ballot, while candidates of qualified parties (a designation the Utah GOP currently functions under), can either gather signatures or be nominated at convention. Utah law does not have a designation that lets parties only allow ballot access through nomination. If the GOP's proposed amendment to strip a candidate's party membership for using a legal pathway to the ballot passes, it's possible it could lead to yet another court challenge. It's also possible that party leaders could try to push the Utah Legislature to change the law. Axson, in a statement on his campaign website, pledged he will 'keep pushing back against signature gathering on all fronts.' He added that the 'timing is right' because 'for the first time since SB54 was signed into law, there will be no statewide offices up for election this cycle.' 'Unlike previous attempts to reverse SB54, we must be strategic and work with the Legislature to protect the most meaningful nominating process in the country – our neighborhood delegates!' Axson said. Lyman, in multiple posts on his X profile, has promised to prioritize 'pursuing the possibility of the party running its own primary elections independent of the state.' He has also said the party has been 'infiltrated with those who do not respect the GOP, who do not accept our platform, and who are actively trying to undermine our caucus system.' He's also called for a 'revival' within the party. 'A revival of our caucus-convention system where delegate voices matter. A revival of transparent, honest elections so we can feel comfortable that are (sic) elected officials earned their responsibilities. A revival of a party that stands its ground and doesn't bow to the wishes of the elites and lobbyists,' Lyman said in a post on X. Axson, on the other hand, has campaigned with the slogan 'redder is better,' with an emphasis on 'connecting and building relationships.' He has also pointed to his past experience leading the party, noting that after he was elected chair in 2023, he and his team raised nearly $3 million, a record amount for a year that saw some of the most conservative wins in an election cycle. 'As Chair, Rob is committed to sustaining a serious statewide political organization to further the goals of conservatives in Utah,' Axson's website says. 'Gone are the days of debt and fear of bankruptcy!' Given both Axson and Lyman appear to be well liked among delegates, Saturday's convention will be revealing — not just of infighting, but of what kind of leadership style resonates most with delegates and what kind of strategy to expect for future challenges of SB54. 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Yahoo
13-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
PICTURES: Cute wee ones have a ball at Greenock centre's Easter play scheme
CUTE kids had a ball at a Greenock community centre's Easter playscheme. Youngsters enjoyed a range of free fun activities at Branchton Community Centre, including arts and crafts, a bouncy castle and outdoor games. They also tucked into a free lunch afterwards. (Image: George Munro) (Image: George Munro) (Image: George Munro) (Image: George Munro) Shelley McIlroy, chair of the board at Branchton Community Centre, said: "We're delighted to run activities at Branchton, especially with the cost of living crisis "It's difficult for parents in the school holidays with the extra cost of activities, especially if they have two, three or four children. "We are happy to know the activities we run are helping parents. It also means they can spend time doing the activities with their children." (Image: George Munro) (Image: George Munro) (Image: George Munro) (Image: George Munro) Mum Taramichelle McGeown is a frequent visitor to the centre and brought along her daughters Amelia Rose, 7, and six-year-old Willow Eloise. Taramichelle said: "We always come to the activities here. The staff are really lovely and it's great there is the added food option - it saves you going back home to prepare lunch, and it's free. "I think it's useful. It also helps them to meet children in the area. They can form friendships and it helps to break up the school holidays. "I think free playschemes like this are event more important, especially with the cost of living crisis." OTHER NEWS: People tuck in to tasty free meal that is bringing the community together Mirella Medinelli, 26, brought along her seven-year-old twins, Arianna and Amelia, and her son Michele, who is five. She said: "We love coming up here. The kids love the activities, the girls are doing arts and crafts and my wee boy is planning to go out and play in the MUGA and the bouncy castle." Youth workers Steven O'Donnell and Sophie Harrison were on hand to make sure everyone had a great time. Sophie said: "This is the first day and there's been a really good turnout." The playscheme will also run on April 15 and 16 between 10.30am and 12.30pm. All are welcome.
New European
05-03-2025
- Politics
- New European
The Tories lurch towards the extreme
As a logo to brandish on T-shirts and placards, MUGA may not resonate as effectively as MAGA, but it encapsulates the message that right wing politicians now peddle to the electorate. 'Make the UK great again', they proclaim, with all the fervour of Donald Trump. President Trump's stark warning that the US will no longer be a reliable defender of western democracies has provided them with the ammunition to try to justify a move towards dangerously short-sighted isolationism. In what was trailed as a 'keynote' speech at Policy Exchange last week, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch insisted that the UK should be emulating the US, putting the national interest above all other considerations. The Trump regime, she insisted, was not authoritarian but simply upheld the values the UK also held dear: free speech, free enterprise and free trade. This may seem somewhat at odds with Trump's enthusiasm for punitive tariffs in an effort to force companies to do their manufacturing in the US, but Badenoch is not averse to espousing idiosyncratic views. In the wake of the disgraceful treatment of Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the White House last Friday, she may judge that blatant fawning over Trump is best muted for a while, but it will still be there. That is because she shares many of his views, particularly an aversion to widespread immigration. It is where she believes the Conservatives must out-tough Nigel Farage and Reform. The campaigning messages the Tory Party sends to those it judges to be its supporters are peppered with sentiments aimed at driving home the anti-immigration message. 'Western civilisation is in crisis' yelled the headline on one recent outpouring. Picked out in red ink were the following two sentences: 'Just look at Keir Starmer. He took a knee during the Black Lives Matter protests.' That the prime minister should have chosen almost five years ago to join those protesting against the murder of George Floyd, was deemed sufficient to justify the Conservatives alleging only last month that he was not 'robustly defending our values'. It is hard not to conclude that the implicit message here is that supporting the black community goes against British values. Another Tory missive castigated the government for not going far enough to prevent those who come to the UK illegally from any route to citizenship. The message warns voters what the bill for welcoming some of these people might be, claiming that 'the cost of those that might receive leave to remain status (is) currently standing at £234bn for the next 4-5 years'. Not even Conservative Campaign HQ dared to leave out that crucial word 'might', but most recipients would probably be too incensed by the vast number cited to take note of its purely hypothetical nature. The party is determined to pander to anti-immigrant feeling and, lurking not far below the surface, is a more specific but unspoken anti-Muslim attitude. The scandal of the 'grooming gangs' that preyed on vulnerable young girls for years before being exposed has provided ghastly propaganda for those keen to feed that latent prejudice. Robbie Moore, Tory MP for Keighley and Ilkley, put his name to a CCHQ email last month pushing the party's demands for a full national inquiry into the events that involved 'thousands of white working-class girls… (being) tortured and raped by gangs of men'. There is no need for Moore to spell out that these men were almost all of Pakistani Muslim heritage. It is depressing to see the Tory Party stooping to this level in trying to win the support of racists. It is unlikely to be sufficient to stop them moving in ever greater numbers to Reform. Both parties now seem to think the only workable future for the UK is to pull up the drawbridge and rejoice in its island status, enjoying that mythical 'sovereignty' that was so crucial to the proponents of Brexit. But the world has changed since Britannia 'ruled the waves'. The UK is now one small country with limited resources and shrunken armed forces. If the UK is to thrive in the future, it will not be in splendid isolation but by accepting that success depends on working with its closest neighbours. While Badenoch exhorts the UK to follow the US example, ironically, it is Trump who is making it clear that the only slogan that now makes sense is MEGA – Make Europe Great Again.
