Over at The Independent, there is an extract from former Lib Dem leader Lord (Paddy) Ashdown’s speech to the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House examining the situation in Afghanistan. Here’s an excerpt:

… the chief reason for the fact that we are losing lives is not in the ineffectiveness of the Afghan government, who we love to blame, but in our own complete failure to have any coordinated international plan; in our inability to work together between the nations of the coalition; in our determination to see Afghanistan solely through the prism of the place in which we

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The Voice is only a success because of the interest and support from our readers. For many people, just lurking and reading the site is all they want to do – and that’s fine, we’re grateful for people taking the time to read the site.

You can though help us continue to produce interesting content for a growing audience. Here are three simple ways:

1. Let us have your tips for stories. Perhaps there’s something outrageous going on in your local council? Or you’re an expert in a particular area and have spotted a story other people have missed? Or you’ve seen …

Over at The Times, former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown has co-authored an article with former Labour defence secretary George Robertson – they were co-chairs of the IPPR’s Commission on National Security in the 21st Century, whose report was published today – arguing that old-fashioned thinking is hampering British security policy today. Here’s their all-encompassing introduction:

The global recession is likely to worsen the international security environment considerably. It is already making many weak and poor states weaker and, as both 9/11 and recent events in North Korea have shown, the consequences flowing from weak, fragile and pariah states are

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Over at the Daily Mail, Lib Dem deputy leader Vince Cable argues that the vast scale of government debt means we must tackle public sector pensions. Here’s an excerpt:

Gordon Brown’s continual squirming and denials can’t conceal the truth: public finances are in a truly terrible mess. People know that nasty spending cuts and tax increases are on the way. They want political leaders to be frank and spell it out. What, when and how?

They will not be convinced by George Osborne’s alternative: to win an Election and then get Ministers round a table behind closed doors to decide what the

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The Express has the story:

ROYAL Mail bosses were branded draconian yesterday after sacking three postmen in a week – for not wearing cycle helmets. They were accused of adhering rigidly to ­guidelines to cut staff and slash costs ahead of ­privatisation. Many others also face disciplinary action ­following the clampdown in Southport, Merseyside. Several have launched an appeal to be re-instated. Father-of-two David Smith was dismissed after 17 years.

Southport Lib Dem MP John Pugh believes the posties have been treated unfairly:

The only one at risk for not wearing a helmet is the postman himself – so why is

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STV has the news:

Grampian Police is set to investigate allegations of a financial irregularity against an Aberdeen city councillor. They centre on Scott Cassie the planning convenor of the council and the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group. STV News has learned that police were called in following discussions between the authority’s legal team and acting chief executive.

The news comes after a week of speculation surrounding Mr Cassie, prompted by a complaint of a “serious nature” being made to the council by a member of Garthdee Commmunity Council. Councillor Cassie represents the Garthdee ward and his wife is

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Ahead of Armed Forces Day, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has set out five priorities the Government must meet to better support Britain’s service men and women.

We must never forget the enormous sacrifices which our service men and women make on our behalf every day. I know from visiting them in Afghanistan that their selfless dedication is truly humbling.

“Armed Forces Day is a chance to show our gratitude, but also to reflect on how we can best support our troops. This Government has failed them too often. That is why I am setting out five priorities Gordon Brown must

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Nick Clegg set out his views on how Sir John Chilcot’s inquiry into the war with Iraq should be conducted on the BBC1 Andrew Marr show this weekend – you can view a 2-minute excerpt from the interview with Nick HERE. Nick has now met with Sir John to discuss his concerns that Gordon Brown’s insistence the inquiry should be private would undermine its effectiveness – fortunately it seems that Sir John largely agrees. Here’s the open letter Nick has written to Sir John:

Dear Sir John,

Thank you for meeting with me earlier regarding your inquiry.

I was pleased to see how much progress has been made from the initial position set out by the Prime Minister last week regarding the process of the inquiry.

In particular, I was pleased to hear that you will hold sessions in public unless there is a “compelling” reason to do otherwise; that your list of those requested to give evidence will be “comprehensive”; that expert assessors will be appointed to the inquiry to give the panel support in the areas of military process, public and constitutional law and development aid; that you remain open to the idea of publishing an interim report; and that you will specify to witnesses in writing and verbally that their evidence must be truthful and complete to the best of their recollection. It was also good to hear you confirm that you will be seeking evidence from Tony Blair and others in high office at the time, and would want their evidence to be held in public except in very limited circumstances.

These changes to the original proposals set out by the Prime Minister clearly improve the inquiry and make it more likely that it will secure public support. However, I still believe there are further steps that should be taken to improve the inquiry further.

Over at the Daily Mirror, Lib Dem deputy leader Vince Cable writes about the “dangerous mood building up in the City. Bankers are straining at the leash. They sniff a chance to get back to business as usual.” Here’s an excerpt:

Last week the Governor of the Bank of England warned that banks which are “too big to fail” are simply too big. The UK taxpayer cannot stand behind global banks and the casinos, the big investment banks. These make their profits from speculative trades. Casinos are legal but are not banks. They have to be split off. …

Bankers think

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Congratulations to April Pond on her selection today as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Norwich North by-election.

Local campaigner and successful businesswoman April Pond said,

“I’m delighted to be selected for Norwich North and have the opportunity to follow the work of Ian Gibson.

“Talking to Norwich people, it is clear that they are angry and disillusioned with the way things are at the moment. People are concerned about jobs losses and practical worries and see this Government as failing miserably when they should be working hard to put things right. MPs’ expenses and an inability to put in place practical

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There’s an in-depth feature on Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg in today’s Mail – well worth reading in full, but here’s some selected highlights:

On leadership:

His deputy and Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable is acknowledged to have been the wisest head in last year’s economic storm, but it’s a tribute to Clegg’s growing gravitas that people have mostly stopped saying the party chose the wrong man. He was strong during the expenses scandal, calling for a total reform of the system and positioning the Lib Dems as the party for people fed up with politicians.

On MPs’ expenses:

Clegg has also been lucky that his MPs have, on the whole, behaved themselves over expenses, being more likely to claim for a trouser press than a duck house. His own claims fall within the rules, but they still make me wonder: why on earth should we pay for his gardener, or to have his floors sanded?

‘As it happens, the property was not in a habitable state when I bought it,’ he says, insistently. ‘This is a semi-detached pebble-dashed property in a suburban part of Sheffield; it’s not glamorous. The garden was a total eyesore. I didn’t put duck ponds in or helipads. If I don’t keep it tidy, that’s a pain for the neighbours.

‘My attitude is that my second home isn’t mine. It’s the taxpayer’s home, on loan to me. I keep it in good nick and when I sell it, all the gain, pound for pound, goes back to the taxpayer.’

It appears that the Lib Dems have been far less imaginative with their expenses than their rivals. Labour and Conservative MPs have had a different approach, he says.

‘To my knowledge so far, not a single Liberal Democrat MP has received phantom mortgages or turned themselves from public servants into spivvy property speculators. Not a single one has avoided capital gains tax in a big way. If you are an MP for one of the big old parties and you know you could put a blue or a red rosette on a pig in your constituency and it would win, and you could ignore people, I think the rot sets in.

‘If you know that you can’t take any voters for granted, and you might not get re-elected, it’s human nature: you’ll keep a tight ship, you’ll keep your nose clean, you’ll work hard. We’ve never been arrogant enough to assume that we can take any seats for granted.’

On calling for the Speaker’s resignation:

Calling for the Speaker’s head was his most dramatic moment, but in today’s remarkably frank mood, Clegg is willing to admit that he didn’t really know what he was doing. ‘I really rather like Michael Martin as a man,’ he says. ‘It was just so obvious to me that given the public outcry about what was going on in Westminster, we needed a different Speaker to champion reform.’ He didn’t know that no party leader had told the Speaker to go since 1695.

‘I knew it wasn’t done,’ he says with a grin, ‘but I probably hadn’t quite twigged there was this unwritten rule that you can’t say things like that.’ He doesn’t regret it. ‘The leader of the Liberal Democrats should be prepared to break a few unwritten rules.’

On the fringe parties:

Well done to Hilary Benn, Labour secretary of state for environement, food and rural affairs, for recording a video to highlight the importance of tackling climate change – but next time, Mr Benn, perhaps it would be best not to keep your table lamp switched on when it’s broad daylight…

The Telegraph reports:

Students are facing a desperate scramble to get into university amid warnings of a further squeeze on places. … On Wednesday night, Phil Willis, the committee’s Liberal Democrat chairman, wrote to Lord Mandelson to ask how he would meet the huge demand for higher education triggered by the recession. It represents Lord Mandelson’s first test since taking over the new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in the Cabinet reshuffle.

Student leaders have already warned of looming chaos as thousands of teenagers leave school and college without university places or employment. By April this year, almost 525,000

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It could only happen in Southend:

In a letter to the Echo published last month, Lib Dem councillor Ric Morgan said he had been working on the seafront during the airshow when the “nobs” were having lunch at the Cliffs Pavilion. Southend mayor, Lib Dem councillor Brian Smith, was one of only three people at the lunch on bank holiday Monday, even though the council had pre-booked and paid for 60 places.

Shoebury Conservatives accused Mr Morgan of bringing the office of mayor into disrepute and demanded an apology. However, Mr Morgan has stood by his comments and urged his

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Congratulations to Jeff Reid on his selection as Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Blyth Valley:

THE leader of Northumberland County Council has been chosen by the Liberal Democrats as a Parliamentary candidate. Coun Jeff Reid, who leads the minority Liberal Democrat administration at County Hall, will contest the Parliamentary seat of Blyth Valley at the next general election.

Coun Reid faces the task of unseating Ronnie Campbell, the former-miner and Labour MP who has represented Blyth Valley in the House of Commons for 22 years, and holds a majority in excess of 8,000.

“I’m very excited about the forthcoming election,” Coun Reid

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The Guardian splashed this morning on the revelation that Tony Blair was aware of the ­existence of a secret interrogation policy which ­effectively led to British citizens, and others, being ­tortured during ­counter-terrorism investigations:

The policy, devised in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, offered ­guidance to MI5 and MI6 officers ­questioning detainees in Afghanistan whom they knew were being mistreated by the US military.

British intelligence officers were given written instructions that they could not “be seen to condone” torture and that they must not “engage in any activity yourself that involves inhumane or degrading treatment of prisoners”.

But they

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Fresh from their amazing showing in the local and European elections, Burnley Lib Dems have urged local MP Kitty Ussher – who today quit the government over her expenses claims – to let voters have their say on who should now represent them. Here’s the press release issued this morning:

“Burnley Labour MP Kitty Ussher should stand down now and allow the people of Burnley to have their say on her replacement” says Burnley’s Liberal Democrat Council Leader and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Councillor Gordon Birtwistle following the further twist in the story of the MP’s expenses.

From yesterday’s Western Morning News:

THE two-year-old son of Cornwall MP Matthew Taylor was admitted to hospital yesterday after doctors found a tumour on his spine. Arthur Taylor, son of the Truro and St Austell Lib-Dem MP, is in London’s Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital after being admitted for specialist investigation and treatment.

Last week, the youngster was admitted as an emergency to St Thomas’s Hospital in London where a scan revealed the tumour at the base of his spine. Mr Taylor said his son was able to spend “a happy and comfortable weekend at home with the family” before being

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Over at The Independent, Lib Dem deputy leader Vince Cable pours cold water on the idea the economy is bouncing back, arguing that we are seeing an economists’ and financiers’ recovery rather than a real one. Here’s an excerpt:

The mother of all economic crises seems mysteriously to have vanished in the face of a determined counter-offensive by the forces of optimism. There are daily accounts of returning confidence in financial and property markets and bodies like the National Institute of Economic and Social Research are forecasting an early return to growth. Perhaps those government ministers who spotted the “green

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