Author Archives: Laura Willoughby

Opinion: Down with marriage

By Laura Willoughby | Sat 26th January 2013 - 12:00 pm

It’s always the smallest things that seem to end up creating the biggest noise. Take the current debate over marriage: I know it seems like a big issue, but if you really look, it’s a debate about semantics and contracts that’s become complicated by the fact that history is so unclear about its origins.

The Church thinks that marriage is theirs and that therefore they have a right to dictate who gets to do it. I used to be partly persuaded by the fact that marriage was the Church’s brand and that those of …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged equal marriage, marriage and secularism | 13 Comments

Opinion: Spectators are as important as athletes to develop a sporting nation

By Laura Willoughby | Mon 13th August 2012 - 3:55 pm

Only in Britain could we end up having a debate about success and its ongoing legacy that sounds both ambitious (let’s seize the moment) and a like a moan (well we won’t do as well again)! Of course it is right that we start the debate now and ride the momentum whilst sport is on the front pages and the nation is discussing more than football.

Of course, participation is the key goal but evidence shows that the presence of an Olympics alone does not create a huge change …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged olympics | 2 Comments

Opinion: Will the Lib Dems stand up for creative industries?

By Laura Willoughby | Sun 18th September 2011 - 4:50 pm

A Labour friend of mine was smugly telling me about last week’s launch of the Labour Creative Industries Network. Much of this reminded me of their ‘Cool Britannia’ efforts circa 1997.

However, it also got me thinking about how the creative industries see us. We too have some nice words about creative businesses on our website – but do we really have a sense of how we want to support and promote this economically and culturally important sector? The DCMS is the only department where Lib Dems have no ministerial presence. There is a hair’s breadth in arts policy between …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged bridget fox, creative industries, digital economy act, julian huppert and media | 7 Comments

Liz Rorison passes away

By Laura Willoughby | Mon 4th July 2011 - 9:10 am

As many of you know, our dear friend and colleague, Liz Rorison succumbed to a short illness on the 24th of June.

Music was such an important part of Liz’s life it is no surprise that she is fondly remembered for giving melody to the party’s liberal enthusiasm at the annual Glee Club. Nearly everyone shares the memory of her at the piano playing with huge energy and with a great big smile on her face as Ralph Bancroft led the party faithful in a rendition of The Land.

She first played the piano at an informal singing gathering at the Scarborough …

Posted in Obituaries | Tagged liz rorison | 6 Comments

Opinion: Are the Government in danger of recreating the GLC by the back-door?

By Laura Willoughby | Thu 10th March 2011 - 3:47 pm

When is localism not localism? When it comes to London apparently!

As the Localism Bill makes its way through its committee stages in the House of Commons the clauses that have an impact on London were rushed and hardly discussed on Tuesday afternoon.

This is unfortunate because this is the one part of the bill where the idea of localism is stopped dead in its tracks. In contrast to the localist approach applied across England in the rest of the bill, when it comes to London it seems that devolution stops at a regional level.

There are three specific proposals in the …

Posted in London and Op-eds | Tagged localism bill and london assembly | Leave a comment

Social mobility: is the Coalition doing enough to encourage it?

Stephen Tall asks: "Did Nate Silver write in vain?"

Nick Clegg: "Of course the EU has to change"

"Mad, swivel-eyed loons": a top Tory on the Tories

Author Archives: Laura Willoughby

Opinion: Down with marriage

Opinion: Spectators are as important as athletes to develop a sporting nation

Opinion: Will the Lib Dems stand up for creative industries?

Liz Rorison passes away

Opinion: Are the Government in danger of recreating the GLC by the back-door?

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Social mobility: is the Coalition doing enough to encourage it?

Stephen Tall asks: "Did Nate Silver write in vain?"

Nick Clegg: "Of course the EU has to change"

"Mad, swivel-eyed loons": a top Tory on the Tories

Author Archives: Laura Willoughby

Opinion: Down with marriage

Opinion: Spectators are as important as athletes to develop a sporting nation

Opinion: Will the Lib Dems stand up for creative industries?

Liz Rorison passes away

Opinion: Are the Government in danger of recreating the GLC by the back-door?

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