Tag Archives: john leech

Lib Dem MPs set to rebel over ‘back-door’ nuclear power subsidy

By Stephen Tall | Published 2nd July 2011 - 4:15 pm

‘Liberal Democrats have long opposed any new nuclear construction. Conservatives, by contrast, are committed to allowing the replacement of existing nuclear power stations provided that they are subject to the normal planning process for major projects (under a new National Planning Statement), and also provided that they receive no public subsidy.’

So declares the Coalition Agreement. However, as the Guardian reports, the finance bill due to be debated this coming week introduces a form of subsidy, and it’s attracted opposition among the party:

A large group of Lib Dems are concerned about clause 78 of the bill, which MPs will consider

…

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Tim Farron writes… Join the Lib Dems YES! to Fairer Votes campaign

By Tim Farron MP | Published 18th March 2011 - 12:23 pm

Tim Farron launches the Lib Dem YES! campaign

This morning I launched the Liberal Democrats’ Yes! To Fairer Votes campaign in Manchester.

Over 100 local members and supporters came along to hear speeches from Simon Hughes, John Leech, Gordon Birtwistle and Floella Benjamin about how monumentally essential it is that we win this Fairer Votes referendum.

As Nick Clegg has already argued, this is “a battle between reformers and conservatives” and this is our chance, our one opportunity for genuine electoral reform.

By winning this referendum …

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John Leech MP: The door is not shut on Labour

By Helen Duffett | Published 25th September 2010 - 11:33 am

Manchester Withington MP John Leech is due to speak at a Fabian Society fringe event at the Labour Party conference on Monday.

Titled “Is the Lib/Lab coalition Gone Forever?”, the event will also feature former Lib Dem MP Evan Harris, Labour Mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone and former Labour cabinet minister David Blunkett.

According to the Press Association, John Leech has said,

The door is not shut on the Liberal Democrat and Labour parties working together.

Labour need to re-think the mistakes they made over the last 13 years and get out of this immature opposition mentality that they appear to be so

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The LDV Bank Holiday Monday caption competition – the “Nick Clegg meets Tardis” edition

By Stephen Tall | Published 3rd May 2010 - 9:15 pm

There’s no prize at stake – just the opportunity to prove you’re wittier than any other LDV reader …


(Photo: Alex Folkes).

Here’s Nick Clegg campaigning with the Lib Dems’ Manchester Withington MP John Leech at a primary school – but what do you reckon Nick’s saying, or the kids (or John) are thinking?

The winner of our most recent caption competition, the “David Cameron sucks bitter lemon” edition – according to The Voice’s judging panel of one – was this one by Jen.

Posted in Caption Comp | Also tagged | 16 Comments

A straight choice? Does this squeeze message hold water?

By Iain Roberts | Published 4th April 2010 - 6:09 pm

Under our First Past the Post voting system, the squeeze message is a legitimate one, used by all parties when it’s to their benefit.

Voting for the third (or lower) placed party in the seat is, they all argue, a wasted vote. Those lower placed parties will say otherwise, but it’s a fair tactic. Lib Dems would say that under a better voting system, tactical voting wouldn’t be needed.

But in this election we’re seeing a new twist on the theme from the Labservatives, and it’s a bit of a stretch to see how it could be honest or …

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Posted in General Election | Also tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

LabourList says accurately quoting TheyWorkForYou = “blatant lies”

By Mark Pack | Published 8th April 2009 - 11:31 pm

TheyWorkForYou says of John Leech, Lib Dem MP for Manchester Withington, “Voted strongly for laws to stop climate change” (source).

John Leech put out a leaflet saying he voted for climate change laws. Fair enough you might think. After all, that claim is backed up by a widely-respected independent website which bases its descriptions of MPs’ voting records directly on the official Hansard voting records.

But LabourList’s response?

To pick up on the leaflet:

In it he claims to have voted for “Climate Change Laws”

And to say of this claim (and one other in the leaflet) that this is a case of:

blatant

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Posted in News, Opposition watch | Also tagged | 16 Comments

Leadership Platform 7: Join Matthew Taylor and John Leech on Chris Huhne’s campaign team

By Anna Werrin | Published 12th December 2007 - 11:23 am

There are just days to go, but there’s time for members to get ballot papers back with a first-class stamp on it! We need the help of Chris’s supporters to call members and get crucial votes returned for him by Saturday.

I’m delighted that two more MPs have chosen to declare their support for Chris Huhne as Liberal Democrat leader today. Matthew Taylor, former Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Chairman, and Campaign Chairman for Charles Kennedy’s Leadership campaign in 1999, has announced his backing. So too has Manchester Withington MP John Leech, our Shadow Transport minister.

Chris was part of Matthew Taylor’s economy …

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Posted in Leadership Election | Also tagged | 2 Comments

How the MPs are lining up (UPDATED)

By Stephen Tall | Published 22nd November 2007 - 11:25 am

By popular request, here’s the current list of which Lib Dem MPs have declared for which leadership candidate so far. (Originally compiled with the help of Jonathan Isaby of The Daily Telegraph.)

The list shows that Nick has attracted two MPs who supported Chris as leader in 2006: Greg Mulholland and Stephen Williams; and eight who supported Simon Hughes (all listed below). Chris has attracted one former Ming Campbell backer – Tom Brake – and three MPs who supported Simon Hughes last time.

Eight MPs have stated they will not declare for any candidate; four have yet – so far as I’m aware – to state their intentions.

As we continue to note, the number of MPs who declare for any one candidate is, in one sense, irrelevant: we are a one-member-one-vote party. Clearly, however, MPs’ endorsements will carry some influence with party members, especially among non-activists.

The full list appears below:

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How the MPs are lining up (UPDATED)

By Stephen Tall | Published 25th October 2007 - 2:57 pm

I’m grateful to Jonathan Isaby of The Daily Telegraph, who has compiled (and allowed me to reproduce here) his up-to-date list of which Lib Dem MPs have declared for which leadership candidate so far.

Jonathan comments: “Below are my most up-to-date lists, which suggest that Huhne now cannot possibly overtake Clegg in terms of MPs declaring. Brackets state where they went in the 2006 election.”

The list shows that Nick has attracted two MPs who supported Chris as leader in 2006: Greg Mulholland and Stephen Williams; and seven who supported Simon Hughes (all listed below). Chris has attracted one former Ming Campbell backer – Tom Brake – and two MPs who supported Simon Hughes last time.

Nine MPs have stated they will not declare for any candidate; 14 have yet to state their intentions.

As was pointed out in the comments on yesterday’s thread, the number of MPs who declare for any one candidate is, in one sense, irrelevant: we are a one-member-one-vote party. Clearly, however, MPs’ endorsements will carry some influence with party members, especially among non-activists.

It will also influence how the media perceives, and then reports, the strengths of the respective leadership campaigns. Though, of course, being seen as the favourite is not always the most comfortable of positions, as Ming Campbell discovered last time. Lib Dems do love an underdog.

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Posted in Leadership Election, News | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

What Lib Dem MPs will be reading this summer

By Stephen Tall | Published 2nd July 2007 - 1:37 pm

We’re into July, yet summer seems to have decided to give the UK a miss this year (so far). No matter.

Packing books for the beach (or wherever) is as much a summer ritual as the Brits crashing out of Wimbledon, and helping out in the latest Parliamentary by-elections. So Lib Dem Voice asked a few of the party’s MPs which books they’d be taking with them on holiday this year. Here’s what they told us:

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