Tag Archives: constitution

Julian Huppert MP writes…..The Preamble, 25 years on

25 years ago, our party agreed its new constitution – and the preamble to that constitution, setting out our core values and vision.

Many of us will know some of it – ‘The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, … in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance, or conformity’.

This extract – the bit that appears on membership cards – is in my view truly poetic, and captures brilliantly what we are trying to do. We are concerned about people, and empowering them to do what they can and want to do. …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , and | 54 Comments

Lib Dem conference to vote on whether it can ‘no-con’ the party leader

nick-clegg-birmingham conf9.30 am on Saturday morning may not be a prime-time slot, but on 9th March there will be more than usual interest in a constitutional amendment tabled to the Lib Dem spring conference.

Why? Because the amendment will make it possible for the Lib Dem federal conference to pass a vote of no confidence in the party leader to trigger an election.

Here‘s the proposed amendment:

const amend - mar 2013

‘An election for the Leader shall be called upon a vote

Posted in News | Also tagged and | 41 Comments

The really important issue at Gateshead is a Constitutional Amendment

Discussion about the Gateshead Spring Conference has mainly focused on the potential row about the NHS Bill, but the Agenda also  contains a Constitutional Amendment  which could have a  huge  impact on our ability to work to with either the Tories or Labour after the next election. The Amendment is   called “Support for a Government which contains other Political Parties” and can be seen here.

This is an update of the “Triple Lock”  dating back to 1998  after Paddy was thought to be getting too close to  Blair’s Labour Party. (Mark Pack has a history of the Triple Lock

Posted in Conference and Party policy and internal matters | 21 Comments

Is this the first draft of a UK constitution?

The Cabinet Office have published a book they calling the Draft Cabinet Manual.

You can download a PDF of it.

Here’s a bit of churnalism from the press release.

Posted in Parliament | Also tagged | 8 Comments



Recent Comments

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    "He makes the point that 7 EU countries already have equal marriage with 3 more likely plus Britain to do so. However, he makes the...
  • User AvatarGreg Foxsmith 18th May - 10:21am
    Some good comments about the March in June being too late. There is a demo outside Westminster this Wednesday at 1030 (Par.iament in recess but...
  • User AvatarPeter Watson 18th May - 10:09am
    Using the shorthand acronym FGM makes the horrible practice of female genital mutilation sound quite innocuous, so could I suggest that we stop using that...
  • User AvatarAndrew Brown 18th May - 9:22am
    I was surprised at that figure of ten becoming law last year - and note that these were spread right down to number 17 in...
  • User AvatarChris 18th May - 8:09am
    It is rather striking that after only three years in government the Tory party is already recreating with uncanny accuracy its disaster of the late...