The only thing I could find this morning was this Q&A between Chris Huhne and the readers of the Independent which includes questions on the nature of liberalism. drug use, whether Chris should be ashamed to be wealthy, and a couple of good policy questions.

If you know of more news web links, do post them in the comments.

I’m blogging the leadership contest from the perspective of a floating voter over on my personal blog where you’ll find:

• Some of the scandals that may befall the contest
• The first episode of a Podcast where I begin to make my decision
• The second episode of said same Podcast (better than the first, there will be more)

The Sunday Telegraph says:

In an article for this newspaper, Chris Huhne aims the first personal shot at Nick Clegg - claiming that his rival risks being seen as little more than a “Tory twin”.

You can read the article here and make your own mind up. While in the Observer a saccharine, though at times revealing, interview with Nick Clegg brings such revelations as:

He wields politics’ deadliest weapon, charm. There is also a sprinkling of stardust. Next week he will meet Halle Berry at a film premiere of his mate Sam Mendes’s Things We Lost In The Fire

And you’ll find that here.

Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne will go head-to-head at the South Central Regional Conference in Newbury, Berkshire today.

I’m sure it will be carried on News24, so if anyone can enlighten us in the comments as to when the hustings is due to start (for some reason News Online systematically deny their readers information like this) then we’d be very grateful!

This story appears in the Guardian and other places:

Commenting on the resignation of Northern Rock’s chairman Matt Ridley, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader and Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable MP said: “The Government should have made Mr Ridley’s departure a condition of its loan, rather than waiting for him to go.

“Furthermore there are other directors, including Derek Wanless, who are equally culpable. All of the senior management of the company led by Mr Applegarth should have been cleared out on day one.

“I nonetheless welcome this step as belated recognition that somebody in Northern Rock should be held accountable for its failures and for the exposure of public money which is now at risk.”

You can find an introduction to Nick’s leadership bid on the web site of his local paper (thanks to Andrea for pointing out) - no campaign web site yet.

He began by sending condolences to the friends and family of Jonathan Matondo. He then paid tribute to Menzies Campbell.

He said the party would have to be “bold” and “move “outside our comfort zone” as “three party politics was in the balance.”

He said “we cannot test the patience of the British people” and that a long term commitment must be made to liberalism.

Clegg said the party should “extend our reach” and “broaden our appeal.”

In a personal address he said he was a Liberal by “choice, conviction, and temperament.” He said that Liberalism has “the best answers” to the problems people face. He said the Liberal Democrats had the opportunity to break “the stifling grip” of two party politics.

He said the party should be a “gathering point for everyone who wants a different type of politics in Britain”. Communities, not beaurocracies should be given power. “We have always put our power in the faith of ordinary men and women to shape the world” - these instincts would be at the heart of his vision for a Liberal Britain.

In questions, he described the Liberal Democrats as an “anti establishment” party, the choice of venue demonstrating a break from Westminster politics.

Hello, me again. Your regular Lib Dem Voice team are away for the weekend running leadership campaigns or “having a life” and have asked me to stand in. Apparently there’s only so much havoc one can wreak in four days.

Today will see the launch of Nick Clegg’s leadership campaign. Here’s what we’re expecting so far:

• It will be in Sheffield
• Former Sheffield Hallam MP Richard Allan is Clegg’s campaign manager
• Weather permitting, it may be outdoors
• The web site will be at www.nickclegg.com

As the launch is in Sheffield, I’ll bet you a big slice of cake that an allusion to Nick’s Parliamentary majority slips in to the speech somewhere. Any one else want to play ‘leadership launch bingo?’ Tell us what you are expecting or hoping the leadership favourite to say.

Please send any comment moderation requests etc to between Friday & Monday. Thank you.

…according to those ever-present “Sky Sources”

UPDATE: David Cameron has appointed non-elected Conservatives to his shadow cabinet, including Sayeeda Warsi (Community Cohesion) and Pauline Neville-Jones (Shadow Secretary of State for Security). Both will take up seats in the House of Lords.

Local choice Nigel Bakhai is set to challenge Labour once more in Ealing Southall, after being selected by Ealing Southall Liberal Democrats. Nigel Bakhai doubled the Lib Dem vote at the 2005 General Election.

The Liberal Democrats are the main challengers to Labour in the seat. They were second at the last General Election.

Local Liberal Democrat Nigel Bakhai said:

“Living in the heart of the constituency I know the issues that local people face. Labour has taken our area for granted for too long.

“This election is about local people electing the best MP to represent our area.

“People here want to know why our streets aren’t safe, why the local NHS is in deficit and why the government squandered millions on an illegal war in Iraq. On all these issues it is the Liberal Democrats who are taking the fight to Labour here in Ealing and Southall.

Lord Rennard, Liberal Democrat Chief Executive said:

“Nigel is a first class candidate and a very experienced local campaigner. The Liberal Democrats are the main challengers in this seat. We were second at the last General Election when our vote doubled.
“Labour know this and are running scared. They have called this by-election at extremely short notice because they know that the Liberal Democrats are the main threat.

“Many Liberal Democrat MPs have already been out campaigning in the constituency over the last few days. Menzies Campbell is set to visit Ealing Southall several times in the next few weeks to take the fight to Labour.”

“I met Gordon Brown at 6:30pm on Wednesday evening. We had a friendly and constructive discussion. I was not offered a Ministerial position and would not have accepted one.

“The Prime Minister and I talked briefly about the dangers of unsecured nuclear materials and nuclear proliferation, subjects I have worked on as a member of the Board of Directors of the Nuclear Threat Initiative in Washington DC.

“NTI is a private organisation established by Senator Sam Nunn of the Democratic Party, former chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee, and Ted Turner, founder of CNN. Senator Richard Lugar of the Republican Party, former chairman and now ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is a Director. 

“NTI, a public charity, is devoted to reducing the risk of use and preventing the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. It builds on the bipartisan Nunn-Lugar initiative after the end of the Cold War, which succeeded in de-activating over 6,000 nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union.   

“NTI has done a great deal to secure nuclear weapons and nuclear materials in the countries of the former Soviet Union, among them Russia itself. It is also concerned with the securing of chemical and biological weapons. I am the only Briton on the board.

“Mr Brown suggested that I might be able to advise his Government on these and related matters. I told him that I would discuss his suggestion with Menzies Campbell and Lord McNally, Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, as well as with NTI, and would then get back to him.”

With a double by-election likely on July 19, the Liberal Democrat by-election machine is now gearing up for action.

The Ealing Southall HQ will open on Saturday morning, near Southall station.  You’ll find it at Unit 5, Urban Hive, Grand Union way, Bridge Road, Southall, UB2 4EX. 

The agent will be Chris Leaman, London Campaigns Officer and agent for Sarah Teather at the last General Election. The agent in Sedgefield will be Campaigns Officer Ruth Millburn.  Chris Rennard told MPs this evening that both campaigns would be very hard fought and that we would make every possible effort over the next three weeks.  Very strong campaign teams are in place for both campaigns and candidates would be announced shortly.

UPDATE: The local websites are www.ealinglibdems.org.uk and www.sedgefieldlibdems.org.uk

According to the 24 hour news channels some of the papers will report tomorrow that Shirley Williams is to  join Gordon Brown’s government - not in ministerial office but in a position that will place her “close” to Gordon Brown.  No more detail yet, but we’ll not have long to wait to find out for certain.

The promotional vehicle for Andrew Rawnsley’s Channel 4 documentary on Tony Blair’s premiereship trundles on, today with a quote on the Guardian arts blog:

“Of course Peter Mandelson had an almost homoerotic admiration for Tony - it was embarrassing,” opined Bazza in one of his gloriously unguarded off-piste moments.”

Greater love hath no man than one who didn’t know he’d be sacked twice in the next ten years.

Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, will be talking to Emily Maitlis on BBC News 24 on Tuesday, 19 June at 1700BST.

You can submit a question here.

A small, simple pleasure - but click to watch David Heathcoat-Amory being given a verbal spanking by Mr Speaker Martin, from last week’s business questions. No wonder the Tories hate him.

Over the last couple of months I’ve been advertising for someone to take over the running of Lib Dem Voice, as unfortunately I’m unable to continue for various reasons - not least of which the amount of time running a site of this nature takes up (Iain Dale may well pop up now and tell me he warned me… and he did!).

I had discussions with a couple of people, and after some investigation it’s been decided that the Lib Dem Voice blog will close to new contributions and comments on June 19th, and the forum will close on the same day. The blog will continue to be available as an archive for some time thereafter, forum posts will not - please ensure you take a copy of any posts that are valuable to you (maybe someone could create a private wiki ‘campaign manual’ out of the useful stuff?).

Running this blog has been a great project - lots of ups, tempered by the occasional down. I hope it’s been valuable to its target audience, Lib Dem activists. If any group (and I do suggest you have a group around you) starts up a similar project / successor blog, let me know and I’ll give you some prominent links to aid you in your site growth. For the moment, for discussion I commend to you the LDYS forum (irrespective of your age), and for blogs the ever excellent Lib Dem Blogs.

LDV will continue to operate until June 19th, but will wind down gradually in the week running up to that date (because I’ll be on holiday!).

Particular thanks to the team who regularly contributed content: Alex Foster (star Podcaster!), Richard Huzzey, Stephen Tall, Mark Pack. Thanks to Ryan Cullen for keeping an eagle eye on the forums, and to Will Howells who made a huge contribution before giving in to the lure of Cowley St!

Thanks to everyone who contributed content (in vaguely chronological order):

Alex Cole-Hamilton
Hywel Morgan
James Graham
Gavin Whenman
Alex Wilcock
Alison Goldsworthy
Chris Keating
Colin Ross
Colin Walklin
Greg Simpson
John Thomson
Paul Walter
Chris Huhne
Mark Valladeres
Martin Hoscik
Charles Anglin
Steve Cooke
Tim Gordon
Adrian Sanders
Serena Hennesy
John Stevens
Nick Harvey
Bridget Fox
Duncan Brack
Grace Goodlad
Carl Quilliam
Geoffrey Payne
Laurence Boyce
Kerry Hutchinson
Ed Maxfield

And of course, thanks to the commenters. As I say, I hope this has been a useful (and sometimes fun) blog to have around.

Welsh Liberal Democrats have agreed to try to revive plans for a coalition assembly government with Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives.

A special Lib Dem conference in Llandrindod Wells voted 125 to 77 to resume talks with the other parties.

It comes days after the “rainbow alliance” collapsed when the party executive failed to back the plans.

More 

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have rejected coalition talks with Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives to form a government in Wales. They have also said they will not reopen coalition talks with Labour and will abstain from voting for a First Minister next week.

Story here.

(I appear somehow to have botched up the publishing of this story yesterday, so it didn’t appear - apologies)

Association of Chief Police Officers’ Director of Communications, Hannah Gardiner, has been appointed as Head of Media for the Liberal Democrats. Gardiner will head up the Liberal Democrats’ Press Office and is expected to take up her post in July.

Hannah Gardiner will play a key role in the Party’s strategic communications team working hand in hand with Director of Policy and Communications, Jon Oates, Head of Policy, Greg Simpson, Leader’s Senior Spokesperson, Mark Webster and Press Secretary, Puja Darbari.

Chief executive of the Liberal Democrats, Lord Rennard said:

“Hannah is a highly experienced PR and media relations expert and I am delighted that she will be joining our communications team. I know that she will make a major contribution to our media communications as we prepare for the next general election.”

Hannah Gardiner said:

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to take up this role with the Liberal Democrats at such a crucial phase in British politics. I am looking forward to working with the rest of the communications team to project the Liberal Democrats vision and values.”

The appointment marks a return to Liberal Democrat HQ for Hannah, who was a Press officer for the party between 1997 and 2000, before moving to the Prison Service and then the Home Office.

Party press release:

The Liberal Democrats today called for the Department of Communities and Local Government to be merged with the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland offices into a single government department.

The call comes following the successful reinstatement of devolution to Northern Ireland. The move could save taxpayers millions of pounds.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Wales and Northern Ireland Secretary, Lembit Öpik MP said:

“With devolution now successfully up and running in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there is absolutely no need to keep wasting taxpayers’ money running four separate departments in London.

“The Government should now recognise that the devolved Parliament in Scotland and the Assemblies in Northern Ireland and Wales are here to stay by abolishing the separate departments in Whitehall.”