Liberal Democrat Voice

The double dip recession that never was?

By Stephen Tall | Sat 11th May 2013 - 12:35 pm

Did the double-dip recession ever happen? It looks increasingly possible that it didn’t — the BBC reports the latest revision to the data:

A revision by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has cast doubt on the UK’s double-dip recession last year. Revised growth estimates now suggest the construction industry shrank in the first quarter of 2012, but by less than previously thought. Analysts say the revision may be enough to mean the overall economy narrowly avoided falling into recession for a second time. The ONS is due to give official confirmation of this in June.

In fact there was a …

Posted in News | Tagged featured, hamish mcrae, niesr, office for national statistics, peter kellner, recession and vince cable | 17 Comments

Praise for Nick Clegg and Liberal Democrats from both sides – should we be worried?

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 11th May 2013 - 12:16 pm

I remember hearing Nick Clegg saying that if he was being attacked from both left and right, then he felt reassured that he was doing something right. He may be feeling slightly worried now, as there have been a couple of not entirely unpleasant pieces in the New Statesman and Daily Telegraph in the last few days.

From the left, we have Rafael Behr, the political editor of the New Statesman, arguing that it’s Nick Clegg, not Nigel Farage, who has shaken up Westminster:

For Lib Dems, the distinction is between two styles of politics. There is the managerial one, laden with

…

Posted in News | Tagged daily mail, daily telegraph, miriam gonzalez durantez, new statesman, nick clegg, peter oborne, quentin letts and rafael behr | 8 Comments

Vince Cable talks sense on immigration

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 11th May 2013 - 10:34 am

Vince Cable has spoken up for the economic benefits of immigration in the Queen’s Speech debate, challenging the half truth and hyperbole in the illiberal rhetoric that’s doing the rounds at the moment. He reserved much of his ire for the Labour party:

I was hesitant about raising the subject because it is essentially covered by the Home Office, but substantial economic issues are also involved and it is important to refer to them. I was provoked into feeling that we should debate the issue in this context because a couple of days ago I was on the radio on the

…

Posted in News | Tagged ed davey, hansard, immigration and vince cable | 23 Comments

The LDV Friday Five: 10 May 2013

By Helen Duffett | Fri 10th May 2013 - 5:00 pm

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

Local elections 2013: Summary of overnight Council results (25 comments) by Caron Lindsay
What the 2013 local elections mean – for the Lib Dems and the next election (and beyond) (79 comments) by Stephen Tall
Local elections 2013 live blog….. (19 comments) by The Voice

Posted in Friday Five | Leave a comment

Tom McNally writes… transforming rehabilitation

By Lord Tom McNally | Fri 10th May 2013 - 4:23 pm

For decades Britain has been locking people up for short periods of time only to see them reoffend as soon as they are released from prison. This party has long recognised that the criminal justice system just wasn’t working in preventing reoffending.

Nearly half – 47.5% – of those leaving prison are reconvicted within a year. For prisoners sentenced to less than 12 months it is almost 60%. The cost of reoffending by ex-offenders to our economy each year is between £9.5bn and £13bn. This is not good enough. Victims of crime deserve better than this. Society as a whole …

Posted in News and Parliament | Tagged penal reform and rehabilitation | 6 Comments

Fancy working for the Liberal Democrats?

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 10th May 2013 - 1:30 pm

I thought it might make sense to do an occasional round up of jobs available around the country with the party, as advertised on the Work for an MP website.

If you are wanting to apply to work for either Michael Moore MP or John Leech MP, you need to get your skates on, as applications close later today.

New jobs up for grabs this week include a Policy Officer post with the Welsh Liberal Democrats. I spent a weekend in Cardiff last year and fell in love with the place, so if you fancy working near the beautiful …

Posted in News | Tagged fancy working for the liberal democrats and w4mp | 7 Comments

The Independent View: Universal Credit..will it work?

By Alison Garnham | Fri 10th May 2013 - 11:53 am

When the first Universal Credit (UC) pilot was launched in Ashton-under-Lyne last week, much attention was paid to the practicalities of the new benefit, from the timetable to the IT system, the challenge of online claims to the problems with monthly payments. A new report published this week by Child Poverty Action Group and the TUC, however, considers the bigger question of whether UC can deliver on its broader objectives, and in particular on how the new benefit can truly ‘make work pay’.

UC relies on two key design features to deliver on this promise. First, it allows claimants who …

Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Tagged Child Poverty Action Group, universal credit and welfare reform | 21 Comments

The Sun’s new superhero: Greg Mulholland, the Casked Crusader

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 10th May 2013 - 10:35 am

Liberal Democrats have long known about Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland’s efforts to protect the Great British Pub. Now, the Sun has caught on to his work and interests and, today, have dubbed him The Casked Crusader, illustrated in this fetching portrait. In this article, entitled Scandaleous, they quote him as saying:

The pubco model is a scam. No one has got to grips with it — it’s a corporate scandal as big as Libor or Enron but no one’s even probing it.

What I’m saying is, enough is

…

Posted in News | Tagged fair deal for your local campaign, greg mulholland the sun, pubcos, pubs and yorkshire post | 2 Comments

LibLink…Fiona Hall MEP: Lawson’s EU lunacy is a recipe for economic disaster

By NewsHound | Fri 10th May 2013 - 8:55 am

Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament Fiona Hall has responded to former Chancellor Nigel Lawson’s call for Britain to leave the EU.

Writing in the Independent, she spelled out some of the economic consequences of such a move:

We are currently on the cusp of a game-changing trade deal between the EU and the US, which will bring billions of pounds to the British economy and create tens of thousands of jobs. The US has also made it quite clear that our ‘special relationship’ would cease to be special were the UK outside the EU. Major trade agreements with India and

…

Posted in Europe / International and LibLink | Tagged eu, fiona hall, nigel lawson and the independent | 29 Comments

Vince in not-so-coded call for Lib-Lab cooperation

By Stephen Tall | Fri 10th May 2013 - 7:55 am

Vince Cable published an interesting piece in the New Statesman last month (I missed it at the time): My advice to young Lib Dems — rise above the tribalism.

It’s a biographical reflection on his political journey — from Young Liberal to Mr Wilson’s ‘White Heat’ Labour to the breakaway SDP and finally to the Liberal Democrats, where he joined “some of the descendants of Grimond and Crosland”.

However, it also has a very clear political message. At least, I think it does. Tell me below-the-line if you think I’m …

Posted in News | Tagged new statesman and vince cable | 6 Comments

Opinion: The Liberal Democrats and the County Council elections – a whole new chapter?

By Ed Maxfield | Thu 9th May 2013 - 5:43 pm

A wise man said to me today: “are you going to write a new chapter for the book after you came third in your election?” The chapters in 101 Ways to Win an Election are each the same length as an LDV article so I thought, “why not!?”

The first and most obvious point to make is to never stop learning. Each campaign has the potential to teach you something new. The trick is to learn the right lessons, which generally will come from listening carefully to what the voters are telling you about your campaign.

In this

…

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged campaigning and local elections 2013 | 12 Comments

The Independent View: Voters support pro-wind energy candidates

By Jennifer Webber | Thu 9th May 2013 - 4:55 pm

Nine months ago Nick Clegg made his Leader’s speech to Conference in front of a backdrop featuring wind turbines. There followed months of speculation about the relationship between Lib Dem Energy Secretary Edward Davey and his junior Minister John Hayes, until the latter was moved. So were Clegg and Davey right to be so forthright in support? New polling numbers suggest so, despite what certain fossilised parts of the media would have us believe.

Over the last year there’s been a slew of opinion polls showing strong support for wind – as Davey said to the Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy …

Posted in The Independent View | Tagged comres, ed davey, nigel farage, renewable energy and renewableuk | 4 Comments

LibLink: Richard Marbrow – Ukip is essentially a ‘party of the south east’ despite gains

By Nick Thornsby | Thu 9th May 2013 - 3:33 pm

Writing for Public Service Europe, Lib Dem campaigner Richard Marbrow has an interesting piece on the distinctly geographical ‘success’ of Ukip.

Here’s an excerpt:

For those of us who ply our politics in the north or the west of the United Kingdom, the inability of the British press to understand the existence of parts of the country more than an hour from London is a source of never ending frustration. The game changer of UKIP gains in the county council elections is a phenomenon largely contained in the South and East of England. Their breakthrough did not even extend into the South

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged europe and ukip | 22 Comments

Opinion: Why Lib Dems should support the Referendum on the EU – and let’s have it before 2015

By Jemima Bland | Thu 9th May 2013 - 2:23 pm

In Lancing in early 2013, in the heart of the Adur Valley region of English South Coast, our campaign team was putting together a strategy for the May 2013 county elections.

Not long ago, Lancing and Sompting were Liberal-run towns. Lib Dem councillors had recently brought a French market to Lancing, and a local entrepreneur has just introduced direct flights to Paris from our airport in Shoreham. Local businesses export their products to Europe through Shoreham Port. Hundreds leave the South Coast

…

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged europe | 46 Comments

Tom Brake MP writes…Being Deputy Leader of the Commons

By Tom Brake MP | Thu 9th May 2013 - 1:16 pm

In September waiting by the phone finally paid off, I was given my first ministerial position: Deputy Leader of the House of Commons. If I am perfectly honest, when the position was offered to me, I wasn’t exactly sure what it would entail. I had to phone a friend (David Heath in case you are wondering) to find out!

I have since learnt that my lack of awareness was at least partially excusable; much of what the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons does goes unseen, with its principal task, one of managing the precious resource that is

…

Posted in Op-eds | Leave a comment

Opinion: Can the middle classes get some political clout?

By David Boyle | Thu 9th May 2013 - 11:58 am

I have been trying to weave a new political narrative out of the plight of the middle classes. I’ve no idea whether I’ll be successful or not, but I have learned that you gargle with the word ‘class’ at your peril.

One fact alone should tell the story. If house prices rise in the next three decades like they did in the last, the average home will be worth £1.2 million. Does anyone really believe average wages will rise enough for our children or grandchildren to afford to buy or rent a home, certainly in London and the south east?

Despite all …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged middle classes | 11 Comments

Official: the snoopers’ charter is dead in this parliament

By Stephen Tall | Thu 9th May 2013 - 10:30 am

One element missing from the Queen’s Speech was the Communications Data Bill, aka the ‘snoopers’ charter’. No surprise to Lib Dems: Nick Clegg torpedoed it last month.

So I had a momentary spasm of concern to see on ConservativeHome this story from Mark Wallace: The Snoopers’ Charter comes sneaking back. Again.

I asked Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert (who’s played a crucial role in safeguarding civil liberties this parliament, including on this Bill) if there were any truth in it, and got an immediate reply…

@stephentall @wallaceme it’s not coming back. At least this parliament.

— Julian Huppert

…

Posted in News | Tagged alex carlile, civil liberties, draft communications data bill, home office, jonathan calder, julian huppert, mark wallace, snoopers charter and tim farron | 2 Comments

The Coalition: we’re trapped in a loveless marriage with no happy ending in sight

By Stephen Tall | Thu 9th May 2013 - 9:15 am

The Guardian’s Martin Kettle has an acute analysis — This is the beginning of the end for the coalition — of what the Queen’s Speech has revealed about the Coalition Government.

It’s 20 years since Norman Lamont, smarting from being sacked as Chancellor by John Major, accused the Tories’ last majority government of ‘giving the impression of being in office but not in power’. Well, the Coalition is in office and it is in power (the big long-term reforms from Steve Webb on pensions and Norman Lamb on social care show that). But it is no longer in harmony. …

Posted in News | Tagged martin kettle | 28 Comments

Can a global trade deal be rescued?

By Nick Thornsby | Thu 9th May 2013 - 8:13 am

Congratulations to Roberto Azevedo, who, it has just been announced, will take over from Pascal Lamy as the head of the World Trade Organisation later this year. Azevedo, a Brazilian diplomat, beat off Herminio Blanco, a former Mexican finance minister who had the backing of many developed countries.

The most obvious and pressing task facing Azevedo is to rescue the so-called Doha Round of world trade talks, which stalled in 2008 and have made little progress since.

In the absence of global progress, a number of bilateral trade talks have sprung up, most recently …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged featured, free trade and world trade organisation | 3 Comments

The Queen’s Speech from a Liberal Democrat perspective

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 8th May 2013 - 9:16 pm

So, the tiaras are back in their boxes, Alistair Carmichael’s wand is back in its cupboard and the Queen’s Speech has been delivered. There is plenty to make Liberal Democrats cheer, but also areas where more details are required before we can breathe that sigh of relief. There are, also, a couple of areas where I was hiding behind a cushion.

First, though, the truly extraordinary. We Liberal Democrats are kind of used to playing “stronger economy, fairer society” bingo every time one of our ministers opens their mouths. But we weren’t quite expecting this:

My government’s legislative programme will continue to

…

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged liberal youth, queen's speech and willie rennie | 12 Comments

Lord Newby writes… Pick a Peer

By Dick Newby | Wed 8th May 2013 - 5:10 pm

Almost a year ago, I laid down a challenge to the Liberal Democrat group in the House of Lords – probably the largest group of Liberal Democrats in any legislature in the world.

I felt strongly that we needed to do more to work with constituency parties to tell the story of how we are influencing legislation and debate on a daily basis, both to members and to wider groups.

So it was with that in mind that I set the group the target of making 1,000 constituency visits between now and the General Election. And today I can report with some …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged karen chilvers, margaret sharp, tahir maher and tom mcnally | Leave a comment

Don Foster MP writes… Local communities say ‘Yes’ to locally-led housebuilding

By Don Foster MP | Wed 8th May 2013 - 3:55 pm

Amid all the excitement of the local elections, two results of polls on the same day may have passed you by. While in many parts of the country voters were electing local councillors, in Thame in Oxfordshire and in the St.James area of Exeter voters were deciding whether to accept or reject locally developed Neighbourhood Plans.

Like many Liberal Democrats I was anxious to see how well we did in the council elections. But as Minister with responsibility for “localism”, I was also keeping a close eye on these Neighbourhood Plan referenda.

After all Neighbourhood Planning is part of …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged housing, localism and neighbourhood plan | 7 Comments

Opinion: Nick’s journey

By Nigel Lindsay | Wed 8th May 2013 - 1:29 pm

It’s natural for defeated political leaders to make up stories which absolve themselves from blame. After every by-election, those who have done less well offer unconvincing explanations. Nick Clegg is no exception, but his story last week that “the Liberal Democrats are on a journey from a party of protest to a party of government” is curious for two reasons. First, because no previous Liberal or Liberal Democrat leader has presented the party as one of protest and second because the party was very much a party of government before he became leader.

It is wrong and insulting to suggest that …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged liberal democrats achievements in government, Local government, Scotland and Wales | 31 Comments

Opinion: Art for Wealth’s sake

By Simon de Deney | Wed 8th May 2013 - 11:58 am

Pity the artists. The writers, sculptors, composers, musicians and actors. We believed we were struggling in our 21st century garrets, eking out an existence, surviving on our day jobs. At least we were suffering for our art. Only it turns out that we have been bitterly deluded. The latest report from Arts Council England (ACE) demonstrates with forensically gathered evidence and logic that we’re off the scale when it comes to ROI (that’s Return On Investment as any thespian will now tell you).

Outperforming

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR)’s study for ACE shows ACE gets less than 0.1% of …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged arts, arts council of england and economy | 11 Comments

The Independent View: CentreForum’s three headliners for an alternative Queen’s Speech

By Tom Frostick | Wed 8th May 2013 - 10:45 am

The Queen’s Speech today looks set to be a relatively sedate affair. As Stephen Tall observes, “the Coalition is now pretty much intellectually dead” when it comes to its legislative agenda. Enthusiasm for pushing new ideas has been replaced with a business like determination to deliver what is already underway.

The content of the Queen’s Speech is nonetheless important. It will shape what happens over the course of the next parliamentary session, and will therefore influence the outcome of the General Election. If CentreForum had the privilege of writing the Speech, we would focus on three headline issues in particular: …

Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Tagged centre forum, higher education, immigration, planning and queen's speech | 13 Comments

Opinion: Save criminal legal aid

By Geoff Payne | Wed 8th May 2013 - 10:25 am

Having just savaged civil Legal Aid, the Ministry of Justice has launched a consultation paper containing proposals that would do the same in crime. I declare an interest (I am a barrister practising in cases of serious fraud) but I hope that this at least qualifies me to highlight the devastating impact these proposals would have.

The Importance of the right Verdict

For those accused of a crime, representation by a tenacious, high quality lawyer of your choice, as provided currently, is fundamental. Even minor convictions can cost someone their good character and livelihood. A prison sentence can cost them everything. …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged legal aid | 34 Comments

Let’s play fantasy Queen’s Speech

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 8th May 2013 - 9:25 am

With hours to go before the Queen lets us know the Government’s legislative plans for the year ahead, I thought it might be a good idea to ask you for just one idea you would like to see in the Government’s legislative programme.

Liberal Democrats are likely to wince at further curbs on immigration, but be pleased at the presence of Steve Webb’s pension reforms and at the absence of draconian plans to require companies to keep records of every website we visit and every email we send.

But if you were writing the speech, what would you put in it?

I’d go …

Posted in News and Op-eds | Tagged queen's speech | 4 Comments

The Liberal Youth elections are go….

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 8th May 2013 - 8:55 am

As you may have noticed from the spate of posts last week from candidates, elections are currently under way to elect the Liberal Youth Executive for next year. All members of the party under the age of 26, or who are students and those between 26-30 who aren’t students but who have opted to stay as members of LY have the chance to vote.

If you fall into these 3 categories, over the weekend you should have received:

a) An email from me telling you about the elections and where you can find details about the candidates.

b) If you live in England, either …

Posted in News | Tagged liberal youth elections 2013 and the libertine | Leave a comment

Opinion: Saving what’s left of Syria

By Joe Bourke | Tue 7th May 2013 - 5:15 pm

President Obama and the European Union continue to agonise over whether to lift the arms embargo on Syrian rebels.

The al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra control several areas and bring Sunni Islamic law, religious persecution and ethnic cleansing under their slogan of “The Alawites to the grave and the Christians to Beirut.”

Israel strikes the Assad regime even as Iran and Hezbollah equip and train a rump Alawite militia in preparation for the fall of the regime.

The western democracies mull over no-fly zones and safe havens while Russia continues to transport weapons to Assad’s forces.

The lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan loom large …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged syria | 52 Comments

Liberal Democrat Voice

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

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

Ed Davey: Helping consumers to get cheaper energy bills

That EU vote: Stephen Tall's 6 thoughts on what it means

The double dip recession that never was?

Praise for Nick Clegg and Liberal Democrats from both sides – should we be worried?

Vince Cable talks sense on immigration

The LDV Friday Five: 10 May 2013

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

Tom McNally writes… transforming rehabilitation

Fancy working for the Liberal Democrats?

The Independent View: Universal Credit..will it work?

The Sun’s new superhero: Greg Mulholland, the Casked Crusader

LibLink…Fiona Hall MEP: Lawson’s EU lunacy is a recipe for economic disaster

Vince in not-so-coded call for Lib-Lab cooperation

Opinion: The Liberal Democrats and the County Council elections – a whole new chapter?

The Independent View: Voters support pro-wind energy candidates

LibLink: Richard Marbrow – Ukip is essentially a ‘party of the south east’ despite gains

Opinion: Why Lib Dems should support the Referendum on the EU – and let’s have it before 2015

Tom Brake MP writes…Being Deputy Leader of the Commons

Opinion: Can the middle classes get some political clout?

Official: the snoopers’ charter is dead in this parliament

The Coalition: we’re trapped in a loveless marriage with no happy ending in sight

Can a global trade deal be rescued?

The Queen’s Speech from a Liberal Democrat perspective

Lord Newby writes… Pick a Peer

Don Foster MP writes… Local communities say ‘Yes’ to locally-led housebuilding

Opinion: Nick’s journey

Opinion: Art for Wealth’s sake

Outperforming

The Independent View: CentreForum’s three headliners for an alternative Queen’s Speech

Opinion: Save criminal legal aid

Let’s play fantasy Queen’s Speech

The Liberal Youth elections are go….

Opinion: Saving what’s left of Syria

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

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

Ed Davey: Helping consumers to get cheaper energy bills

That EU vote: Stephen Tall's 6 thoughts on what it means

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

Outperforming

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