Daily View 2×2: 15 March 2010

Happy Monday morning, everyone, and welcome to the Ides of March edition of the Daily View. (I hope David Cameron is watching his back: the Tories don’t do loyalty).

Alongside the assasination of Julius Caesar today marks the anniversary of the first Test cricket match between England and Australia (1877); the registration of the first internet domain name, symbolics.com, 25 years ago; and the 70th birthday of Frank Dobson. O frabjous day!

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator:

• Steps to a more liberal society: Simon Goldie’s six tips.
• Liberal Democrat simultaneous ecstasy!: Paul Walter sums up the response to this weekend’s spring conference and Nick Clegg’s speech.

Spotted any other great posts in the last day from blogs that aren’t on the aggregator? Do post up a comment sharing them with us all.

2 Big Lib Dem Conference Stories

Liberal Democrats pass plans to clean up politics

The Lib Dem Spring Conference this weekend passed plans to clean up politics and urgently create a fairer and more local political system. The proposals include:

· A fairer voting system
· A requirement for those who stand for Parliament or sit in the House of Lords to pay tax in Britain
· A fully elected second chamber
· The right for voters to sack their MP.

Danny Alexander, the party’s manifesto chair, said:

Our broken political system desperately needs to be cleaned up. Public confidence in politics is at an all time low, and the way the country is governed needs urgent reform. The Liberal Democrats have passed plans to make politics fairer, local and more transparent.

“Labour has had 13 years to change our broken politics, and it’s failed to do so. Only the Liberal Democrats would end safe seats, reform the voting system and give local people a real say over how their neighbourhoods are governed.”

Liberal Democrats back green stimulus package

The Lib Dem Spring Conference this weekend backed plans to rebalance the economy and create thousands of new green jobs. The plans will play a vital part in a fair recovery that locks in investment and ensures a path of low-carbon growth.

The plans for a green economic stimulus package are a core part of the Liberal Democrat election manifesto and include:

· Immediate investment to expand our green energy infrastructure
· Bringing hundreds of thousands of empty homes back into use
· Insulating schools and other public buildings
· An ‘eco-cashback’ scheme to reward people who make energy efficiency improvements in their homes
· A National Infrastructure Bank to promote long-term investment in sustainable public transport and renewable energy

Simon Hughes, the party’s shadow energy and climate change secretary, said:

The Liberal Democrats have set out a blueprint for a fair economy that’s fit to last. A green stimulus package will help boost investment in clean energy, reduce fuel bills and create thousands of new jobs.

“Labour and the Tories can’t be trusted to deliver the green growth we need. Only the Liberal Democrats have bold and credible plans to rebalance the economy and put Britain at the forefront of this vital transition.”