Tag Archives: andrew rawnsley

David Cameron’s a hostage to his party and the right-wing press. Thank goodness for Nick Clegg

By Stephen Tall | Published 12th December 2011 - 7:35 am

The shockwaves from David Cameron’s decision to reject the proposed ‘Merkozy’ EU treaty is still shaking politics. The UK stands isolated from the other 26 member states. Tory Eurosceptics and, early polls suggest, a majority of the British public think the Prime Minister has played a blinder, ‘sticking up for Britain’.

This is difficult territory for the Lib Dems. Our October survey of party members suggested a more Eurosceptical attitude than traditionally associated with the party, with 51% rejecting a move towards ever closer union.

However, there is nothing more guaranteed to put up liberals’ backs than the full-throated, …

Posted in Europe / International, Op-eds | Also tagged david cameron, europe, featured, mark pack, nick clegg | 42 Comments

What can the Lib Dems do about the Coalition’s ‘Northern problem’?

By Stephen Tall | Published 26th June 2011 - 11:50 am

Andrew Rawnsley in today’s Observer highlights a key issue for both Coalition partners, in particular — the Tories’ failure to make any kind of advance in the north, and the Lib Dems’ difficulties in retaining our popularity there.

With the exception of William Hague, Eric Pickles and two Lib Dem Scots, the cabinet is a very southern English affair. This may not have been much noticed by the south, but it is very evident if you look through the other end of the telescope. Viewed from Leeds or Manchester or Newcastle, Westminster is more remote than ever. It also seems

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Posted in News | Also tagged nick clegg, Scotland | 56 Comments

Interview: Nick Clegg’s year in the eye of the storm

By Nick Thornsby | Published 5th May 2011 - 2:21 pm

Sunday’s Observer featured a lengthy interview with deputy prime minister Nick Clegg from its chief political commentator, Andrew Rawnsley. Rawnsley takes a look at what has been a tumultuous year for the deputy PM, covering a whole variety of topics along the way.

Here’s a short extract from the interview:

His very existence as deputy prime minister is a daily reminder to the Conservatives and their tribalist mouthpieces in the media that the Tories failed to achieve a clear election win, even against an opponent as unpopular as Gordon Brown. For many on the left, Clegg is the great betrayer who sold

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Posted in News | Also tagged nick clegg, the observer | 10 Comments

Meet the Lib Dem bloggers: Jonathan Fryer

By Mark Pack | Published 13th April 2011 - 11:55 am

Welcome to the latest in our series giving the human face behind some of the blogs you can find on the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator.

Today it is Jonathan Fryer, who blogs at www.jonathanfryer.wordpress.com.

1. What’s your formative political memory?
Jo Grimond came to my school during the 1964 general election, kept 400 normally fidgety boys rapt, and I thought, ‘Yes, I believe that!’

2. When did you start blogging?
March 2007.

3. Why did you start blogging?
Blogging replaced many years of keeping a diary. Why only write for myself and whoever clears my house when I snuff it?

Jonathan Fryer screenshot 4. What five words would you use to describe your blog?
Local and global in content.

Posted in Online politics | Also tagged blogging, jo grimond, jonathan fryer, lib dem bloggers, oscar wilde | 2 Comments

Backing for electoral reform in the Scotsman and The Observer

By Mark Pack | Published 20th February 2011 - 12:55 pm

A leader in The Scotsman / Scotland on Sunday backs a Yes vote in May’s referendum:

The fact that it is AV on offer and not one of the other systems is the product of three specific factors: the offer on PR made by the last Labour government to woo the Lib Dems; the arithmetic of the general election result; and the mechanics of the deal between David Cameron and Nick Clegg that delivered the coalition administration. It is the product of specific circumstances. It is also the only game in town. In the world of realpolitik an academic debate

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Posted in News | Also tagged av referendum, electoral reform, scotsman | 10 Comments

3 to see: Lib Dem #GE2010 campaign coverage (11/4/10)

By Stephen Tall | Published 11th April 2010 - 1:30 pm

Pushed for time, but want to keep up-to-date with how the campaign’s going? Here are today’s must-reads ….

Nick Clegg launches policies for families (Lib Dems)

As the Tories launched their tax-war on widows, working couples and jilted wives, Nick Clegg was spelling out his priority: “We will cut taxes for all working families on low and middle incomes, not just a select few.” Launching the party’s policies for families – focusing on fair taxes, high-quality child-care, flexible working, care for older people, and affordable homes – Nick commented:

Modern families come in all shapes and sizes. One-size fits all policies

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Posted in General Election | Also tagged family, nick clegg | 1 Comment

Word of mouth election? That’s so 1997

By Mark Pack | Published 21st March 2010 - 10:16 pm

Douglas Alexander’s soundbite about wanting to make 2010 the “word of mouth” election has got a fair amount of coverage in the last few days, such as in this mostly thoughtful piece by Andrew Rawnsley.

Why do I only say “mostly thoughtful”?

That’s because it’s a good piece, but also displays a weakness so common in contemporary British political commentary. It’s the feeling that it’s more important to talk about what an American did a couple of years ago than how the British political system has worked over the last few elections.

Because if you want “word of mouth”, and you know …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged douglas alexander | 2 Comments

Clegg and Cable resign from PoliticsHome panel in protest at Ashcroft takeover

By Stephen Tall | Published 26th September 2009 - 5:17 pm

A minor media spat broke out this week, following the announcement that Lord (Michael) Ashcroft, the Tory deputy chairman who bankrolls the party’s target seats while refusing to say if he pays tax in this country, has bought a majority stake in the political news and commentary aggregator site, PoliticsHome.

This triggered the resignation of the site’s editor-in-chief, Andrew Rawnsley, who issued a public statement arguing that:

It was essential for users of the site that they could feel absolute confidence in the political independence of PoliticsHome. I do not believe that can be compatible with being under the ownership

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Posted in News | Also tagged iain dale, lord ashcroft, lynne featherstone, martin bright, nick assinder, nick clegg, politicshome.com, stephan shakespeare, vince cable | 15 Comments

Bagehot praises Nick’s Afghan policy

By Stephen Tall | Published 9th September 2009 - 7:33 pm

Bagehot, the pseudonym of The Economist’s British politics columnist/blogger, has written a post sticking up for Nick Clegg following criticism aimed at him from both left (in the shape of The Observer’s Andrew Rawnsley) and right (James Forsyth in The Spectator):

Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has been unfairly treated for saying in public what a large number of other people are confiding in private. … the doubts Mr Clegg has expressed about the strategy, resources and prospects of the Afghan campaign are shared by many others.

Posted in News | Also tagged afghanistan, bagehot, david cameron, ed davey, nick clegg, william hague | 3 Comments

LDV Awards 2008: Political Journalist/Broadcaster and Political Programme of the Year

By Stephen Tall | Published 1st January 2009 - 6:20 pm

Many thanks to the 200+ LDV readers who took part in our end-of-year awards, which ran between 23rd and 28th December. Voting was conducted via Liberty Research using the alternative vote method of ranking the nominees for each of the eight categories. In the last two days, we have revealed the winners of Lib Dem Politician of the Year, and By-election Performance of the Year; and Lib Dem Campaigner of the Year, and Most Desperate Press Release of the Year. Today, we turn our attention to two non-Lib Dem categories:

Political Broadcaster / Journalist of the Year

17%

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Posted in LDV Awards | 1 Comment

The LDV 2008 Awards: start voting NOW

By Stephen Tall | Published 24th December 2008 - 2:08 pm

As trailed – here, here and here – Lib Dem Voice’s end-of-the-year awards are back this year, bigger and better than ~~last year~~ ever before.

In total, there are eight categories for which we’re seeking votes in the LDV 2008 Awards. Nominations were submitted by LDV’s readers; the short-list was agreed by the LDV Collective; and the winners will be decided by a ‘fair votes’ ballot using the alternative vote. How much more impeccably liberal can you get?

Any LDV reader may take part; it should only take a minute or so to complete the survey.

To …

Posted in News | Also tagged camden council | 8 Comments

Who do you think’s the best political journalist in Britain?

By Stephen Tall | Published 19th November 2008 - 5:55 pm

That’s the question Total Politics put to journalists, MPs and the magazine’s Facebook fans – and below, courtesy of The Guardian’s Politics Blog, are the top 20.

As ever with such lists, there are some curiosities – for example, that neither Andrew Neill nor Matthew D’Ancona make it into the premiership. And, personally, I’m a fan of Philip Stephens in the FT. Who do you think’s missing, or been over-promoted?

Posted in News | Also tagged adam boulton, nick robinson, total politics | 4 Comments

Lib Dem tax policy: the media’s starting to listen, so now will the public get to hear about it?

By Stephen Tall | Published 12th November 2008 - 3:20 pm

Earlier today, Lib Dem Voice published this extract from Nick Clegg’s speech to the Royal Commonwealth Society summarising the Lib Dems’ policy of tax cuts for low- and middle-income households:

Real tax cuts – big, permanent and fair – for the people who need them. Funded by making the wealthy pay their fair share, ending the special exemptions and loopholes they’ve profited from for so long. Liberal Democrats would reduce basic rate income tax by 4p in the pound. That would give nearly £1000 back to a worker on £30,000 a year. Funded by four changes.

One: ending upper rate pensions

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Posted in Op-eds, Polls | Also tagged peter mandelson | 8 Comments

Andrew Rawnsley on Gordon Brown

By The Voice | Published 7th September 2008 - 1:55 pm

From The Observer:

A Prime Minister cannot be on perpetual probation. That is a recipe for the government to carry on fragmenting, for his reputation to continue to disintegrate and for the Conservatives to cement their huge poll lead. It is evident what the Labour party should do for the good of its own political health. It ought to make a collective decision either to get rid of Gordon Brown or to rally around him. But Labour can’t do either and why that is so has become evident from the events of the past few days.

The Prime Minister does not

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