If this week’s weather hasn’t got you all hot ‘n’ bothered, then what better way of remedying that than by watching tonight’s Question Time (BBC1 and online, 10.35 pm)?

David Laws, the Lib Dems’ children, schools and families, will be the party’s representative. The QT website gives his impressive pre-Commons bio: “Before his election to Parliament in 1997, he had a career in economics and business, during which he was vice president of JP Morgan, and head of US Dollar and Sterling Treasuries at Barclays de Zoete Wedd. He left in 1994 to take up the role of economic adviser …

Yes, it’s that time of the week again – so pour yourself a stiff drink, plump the cushions and settle back in your sofa to enjoy/endure another hour of love it/hate it political debate courtesy of BBC1 Question Time.

Holding up the Lib Dems’ end tonight will be Julia Goldsworthy, MP for Falmouth and Camborne MP, and the party’s shadow communities and local government secretary. And, incidentally, the Lib Dems’ youngest shadow cabinet member (though not, despite her BBC QT profile, “the youngest MP in the House of Commons” – that honour belongs to Jo Swinson).

Joining Julia on …

Lib Dem Voice readers are familiar with our weekly BBC1 Question Time open threads – your chance to sound off about the programme while it’s on-air, or to indulge in some post-match analysis of the panellists’ performances, all from the comfort of your sofa.

Well, tonight, we’re ringing the changes – not too much you’ll be pleased/disappointed to hear. But we’re going to be trialling a Facebook Live Stream. If, like me until a few hours ago, you’ve absolutely no idea what that is, this article may explain:

With the Live Stream Box on your website, users log in

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Thursday rolls around, so once again it’s time to join David Dimbleby and a glittering panel of political stars for Question Time. Batting for the Liberal Democrats this week is Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Chair of Campaigns and Communications Edward Davey. The panel will include Labour peer Lord Falconer (since every last member of the cabinet is apparently too frit), Conservative shadow secretary for business and regulatory reform Kenneth Clarke, political commentator Polly Toynbee, and journalist and campaigner Esther Rantzen will be there to explain why a lifetime of interesting shaped fruit …

Eagle-eared listeners will have just heard BBC Radio 4’s consumer whingefest magazine Your and Yours announce that tomorrow’s Call You and Yours will be an opportunity for the Radio 4 listenership to quiz the Lib Dem leader.

A reasonably fair introduction told us that the recent election results were OK but could have been better; and the worrying statistic that whilst people generally like Nick Clegg when they know him, up to 30% haven’t even heard of the name.

The programme will be 12-1pm tomorrow, Tuesday, and available afterwards as a Listen Again / iPlayer item. There are …

Thursday rolls around, so once again it’s time to join David Dimbleby and a glittering panel of political stars for Question Time. This week’s programme is aired from Birmingham and the panel will include Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain, Conservative shadow communities secretary Caroline Spelman, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne, joint secretary general of Unite Derek Simpson, and director of Global Vision Ruth Lea.

If you’re tuning in, you can join the simultanous online Twitter debate here at #bbcqt, or the LDV debate in the thread below. Meanwhile Lib Dem blogger Mark Thompson will be liveblogging …

Ex-Lib Dem leader Lord (Paddy) Ashdown is on duty for tonight’s BBC Question Time (10.35 pm, BBC1 and online), so we’re in safe – if lethal – hands.

Paddy will be joined by Labour leader of the House of Lords Baroness Royall (had you heard of her?), Tory shadow secretary of state for defence Liam Fox (y’know the one who tells those tasteful jokes about the Spce Girls), journalist and historian Sir Max ‘fusty-but-rather-wonderful’ Hastings, and ex-GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips.

If you’re tuning in, you can join the simultanous online Twitter debate here at #bbcqt, or the LDV debate …

Question Time returns to its previous time slot of 2240 this evening, and the BBC website tells us the panel will be:

Europe Minister Caroline Flint, Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan, Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson Jo Swinson, Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, UKIP leader Nigel Farage, and French businessman Pierre-Yves Gerbeau.

In the last week before the European elections, the programme is billed as a Euro special from London.  If the politicos can avoid being booed off stage merely for being politicos, there are loads of interesting ways the debate can go.  Caroline vs Caroline; Greens vs Lib Dems on who has …

It’s all go on the political reform front today. Apart from Nick Clegg’s op-ed in The Guardian, front page newspaper coverage, detailed policy proposals and new campaign website, there’s also the little matter of today’s party political broadcast, also on the same theme. It’s appearing on TV screens this evening, but you can watch it now:

A quick quiz for you. One of the Haringey local newspapers, The Hornsey Journal, had this story on 14 May:

Under fire councillors opt to take pay freeze
The recession is about to hit councillors in the pocket, after both Haringey Labour and Liberal Democrat parties decided NOT to take a pay rise …

Councillor Claire Kober, Leader of the Labour-controlled council, said, “… This move will mean any savings can go straight into providing essential services for the people of Haringey.”

So, do you think that Labour voted through changes that resulted in the council’s allowances bill:

a) Staying the same, or
b) Increasing by £44,751 (7%)?

I’ll …

BBC’s Question Time is on tonight at the earlier time of 9pm.  As I write this, the BBC’s QT website says

Question Time, the BBC’s premier political debate programme chaired by David Dimbleby, will be in Salisbury on Thursday 21 May, for a special edition going out at 2100 BST on BBC One.

The panel will include Health Minister Ben Bradshaw, Conservative shadow foreign secretary William Hague, treasurer of UKIP Marta Andreasen, former independent MP Martin Bell and one other guest to be confirmed.

Here’s hoping the “one other guest” will be a Lib Dem.

If you’re tuning in, you can join the simultanous …

Here’s the story from the Not The Barnet Times blog:

Yesterday, Not The Barnet Times broke the story that Mike Freer was wasting £10,000 of taxpayers money providing legal services for a councillor being investigated by the Standards Committee. The real scandal of this story was that the council’s insurers were willing to provide a lawyer at no cost to the taxpayer, but the councillor in question wanted one of the biggest London firms to act for him instead.

Our friends at The Barnet Times followed this up with an article of their own in which

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Well, here’s irony for you – Lib Dem representative on tonight’s Question Time (BBC1 and online, 10.35 pm) is none other than Sir Menzies Campbell, former party leader and ardent cushion fan.

And joining Ming on the panel will be Ben Brogan, assistant editor of the Daily Telegraph, the paper which has led the news agenda over the past week by peddling stolen documents. Both were booked weeks ago – it’s simple coincidence tonight’s the night they spar.

Also on the panel are that great Labour survivor (well, survivor anyway) Housing Minister Margaret Beckett, Tory shadow work and pensions …

If you missed it last night, fear not! The latest Lib Dem party election broadcast is yours to view via the magic of YouTube, below – in fact, why watch it just once?

Don’t forget to give it a 5-star rating if you do watch it (only if you feel it merits it, natch), and add it as a favourite – it all helps boost its popularity, giving the broadcast a bigger total audience.

Oh, and give Nick at least one cheer for mentioning Europe in a …

The Lib Dems’ new party political broadcast shows Nick Clegg’s conversations with voters.

Baron Steel of Aikwood will be flying the yellow flag on BBC’s Question Time tonight on behalf of the Lib Dems – BBC1 2235 and online.

He’ll be joined by the Tory MP the unkind call “Mad Nad”, Nadine Dorries; Labour leader in Scotland Iain Gray [ed please check spelling of both names]; Deputy First Minister of Scotland (and what an ungainly title that is) Nicola Sturgeon MSP for the Scot Nats; and Independent columnist and Cameron cheerleader Bruce Anderson.

A lively debate usually takes place on Twitter as well as in the studio – and you can watch that

Stormin’ Norman Baker, the party’s shadow transport secretary and tenacious campaigner par excellence, is the Lib Dem representative on tonight’s Question Time (BBC1 and online, 10.35 pm).

He’ll be joined on the panel by Labour’s environment secretary Hilary (”I’m a Benn not a Bennite”) Benn, Tory shadow health secretary since 2003 Andrew Lansley, comedian, columnist and disaffected Labour supporter Frank Skinner, and Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly member Leanne Wood (who was once thrown out of the chamber for referring to HM The Queen as Mrs Windsor).

Remember, if you’re tuning in, you can join the general debate on Twitter …

Today’s historic victory for the Gurkhas and an historic defeat for Gordon Brown has already been chronicled by our own Alix Mortimer. Here is the Channel 4 News report:

Nick Clegg’s superb performance at today’s PMQ already won him rave reviews, as our Alex Foster noted.

Other mentions in dispatches for the role Nick Clegg played in forcing this issue:

“Credit in particular to Nick Clegg” – The Telegraph’s Benedict Brogan

“the Liberal Democrats can feel justifiably pleased that their long game has truly paid off” – BBC’s Gary …

In an interview now available through the BBC, Nick Clegg spelled out to Newsnight his dedication to reforming MPs’ expenses. He quite rightly notes the chaos over reform just looks like “rats fighting in a sack” to a public wanting transparency and clarity.

Not only is the BBC’s Question Time back tonight after its Easter break (BBC1 and online, 10.35 pm GMT), but it’s back with none other than Lib Dem economic megastar Vince Cable. What more could we hope or wish for? Vince will doubtless be able to dispense his sage counsel on this week’s lamentable Labour budget.

He’ll be joined on the panel by Labour’s Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills John Denham (the only cabinet member to vote against the Iraq war), Tory shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Philip Hammond, historian and broadcaster (not necessarily in that …