Tag Archives: john thurso

PMQs: Penguin in the menage à trois

By Paul Walter | Published 9th December 2011 - 10:45 am

The first big subject at Prime Minister’s Questions this week was Europe. Tory MP Andrew Rosindell asked if David Cameron would show “bulldog spirit” at the forthcoming summit. Later, similar points came from various Tory Eurosceptic MPs, including the Father of the House, Sir Peter Tapsell. He is always heard with great respect, despite his long-winded, rather pompous and, in this case, halting mini-speeches which have barely inquisitive constructions stuck on the end of them.

Ed Miliband started on Europe as well, asking if Cameron would fulfil his promise that treaty change might give the opportunity to “repatriate powers”. The Prime …

Posted in PMQs | Also tagged david cameron, ed balls, ed miliband, european union, ian swales, spending cuts | 4 Comments

PMQs: Bits start to fall off Cameron’s wagon

By Paul Walter | Published 22nd June 2011 - 7:53 pm

After last week’s Miliband success at Prime Minister’s Questions, this time we started off with Ed Miliband in softly softly mode. He asked about Libya and the service chiefs’ concern about an extended campaign. Displaying a becoming measure of gravitas, he also asked whether the defence review should be revisited in the light of the “Arab Spring” which William Hague has described as more important than 9-11. That’s a good question given that the review didn’t mention Libya, Tunisia or Egypt.

David Cameron said he has been assured by the military grand fromage that we could keep the campaign going as …

Posted in Parliament, PMQs | Also tagged andrew george, angie bray, david cameron, dna samples, ed balls, ed miliband, greg mulholland, iainstewart, libya, the speaker, theresa may | 9 Comments

Lords reform: the Liberal Democrat trio announced

By Mark Pack | Published 6th June 2011 - 7:23 am

Over the weekend Mark Valladares blogged about the three Liberal Democrats being appointed to the Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament carrying out pre-legislative scrutiny committee on Lords reform:

From the Lords, representing the constitutional wonk tendency (in a good way), Lord Tyler is the first of the two nominees. Paul has been leading calls for a complete overhaul of the Second Chamber for a very long time and is one of the Party’s foremost constitutional experts…

From the Commons, that rather unusual beast, a former member of the House of Lords, John Thurso. As he has already been abolished once,

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Posted in News | Also tagged constitutional reform, david steel, house of lords, lords reform, mark valladares, paddy ashdown, paul tyler, paul walter, ros scott | 12 Comments

LibLink: Moving house – the John Thurso story

By Helen Duffett | Published 23rd February 2011 - 2:25 pm

BBC Politics yesterday profiled the life of John Archibald Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso – better known as John Thurso, the MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross:

John Thurso has spent a decade as an MP, but still regards himself as “an entirely accidental politician”.

Living in the “ruins” of his family castle in the northernmost part of Scotland, he might appear a gentleman amateur in the careerist world of Westminster.

Yet politics is in the blood of this grandson of former Liberal leader Sir Archibald Sinclair.

Mr Thurso, the 57-year-old Lib Dem MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, was the first

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Posted in LibLink | Also tagged archibald sinclair, Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross | 5 Comments

Lib Dems launch ‘Enterprise in a fair society’ plans to boost business

By The Voice | Published 1st April 2010 - 11:00 am

Want to know what the Lib Dems will do to boost the enterprise culture here in the UK? Well, Nick Clegg and shadow business secretary John Thurso this week launched their programme in keeping with the party’s campaign emphasis on fairness, Enterprise in a fair society.

Here’s the party’s news release announcing the programe …

The proposals include:

…

Posted in News | Also tagged business, enterprise, nick clegg | 2 Comments

What the papers say…

By Philip Young | Published 13th December 2009 - 10:05 am

Over at the Daily Mail, is the shine coming off Brand Cameron, or, is this just a kick up the pants? First comes the big slap…then the boot, with a stiletto heel.

Daily Mail, leader-column, 12.12.09:

“At a time like this, it’s madness to ring-fence any budget at the expense of the rest. Even sacred cows can be hugely overweight. Since 1977, billions have been poured into health and education, without the improvements in standards we’d expect.

“How can Mr. Darling claim there’s no scope for cuts in the NHS, on the day we learn it is spending £1 …

Posted in News | Also tagged alistair darling, azad ootam, bob ainsworth, chris huhne, david cameron, george osborne, john maples, norman lamb, PBR, royal mail, steve webb, what the papers say, willie rennie | 3 Comments

Liberal Democrats back campaign to free our postcodes

By Mark Pack | Published 25th November 2009 - 8:51 am

Welcome news from the blog of Lynne Featherstone (who, apart from being a LibDem MP, is also chair of the party’s Technology Advisory Board):

We need postcodes to be owned by the public – not sold to the public. Postcodes are the basic pre-requisite for allowing services to be developed that support democratic accountability.

It’s an important issue because the Royal Mail’s decision to take a hard line in enforcing its legal rights means a range of useful public services – including ones to help unemployed people find jobs and to help residents hear about planning applications near them – have …

Posted in News, Party policy and internal matters | Also tagged don foster, ernest marples, lynne featherstone, postcodes, tom watson | 10 Comments

Jenny Randerson: Wales should have its own stock exchange

By Stephen Tall | Published 17th October 2009 - 2:45 pm

A story we didn’t get the chance to cover this week was Nick Clegg’s speech to the National Liberal Club in which he gave his personal backing to an idea being developed by Lib Dem shadow business secretary John Thurso – the potential for a system of localised stock markets across Britain:

Regional stock exchanges are one way of getting vital investment directly to small and medium-sized businesses. They could give local investors – many of whom are disillusioned with the City – an opportunity to see business grow and keep jobs in their communities.

“Too many are struggling and many viable start-ups just cannot secure the finance they need. We simply can’t rely on wheeler-dealing in London’s Square Mile to keep the country afloat. It’s high time we look at innovative ways to spread growth across the country.”

Well, the idea has found early and firm favour in Wales, where the party’s economic spoksesperson Jenny Randerson has declared her support for the idea:

Posted in Wales | Also tagged jenny randerson, nick clegg, recession, stock exchange | 5 Comments

Daily Mail urges readers, “Vote Lib Dem”

By Stephen Tall | Published 8th September 2009 - 6:20 pm

Well, almost. But those were the two words which leaped out from the screen when I saw this headline on the Mail’s website:

To speak to a human being when you phone customer services… vote LibDem

Here’s the story:

Posted in News | Also tagged call centres, public services | 6 Comments

Meanwhile, in local news…

By Mark Pack | Published 17th April 2009 - 8:51 am

The South Yorkshire Times reports (via Liberal England):

Astonishing in-house ‘harassment and bullying’ row leaves:
* Entire Labour Party branch suspended for over a year
* Detectives drafted in, to probe financial allegations
* Labour fearing 2010 local election disaster
* Party bosses ordering wall of silence

Meanwhile, in the Highlands, Cllr Linda Munro has decided to join the Liberal Democrats:

The Lib Dem politics in action – what I have experienced, I like, understand and trust. Over the past twenty plus years, I have had occasion to seek the support of Robert McLennan, John Thurso and more recently Jamie Stone. They have helped

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Posted in News | Also tagged jamie stone, linda munro, robert mclennan | 1 Comment

NEW POLL: what’s your view on nuclear power?

By Stephen Tall | Published 16th April 2009 - 6:59 pm

Yesterday the Government released a list of 11 sites in England and Wales where new nuclear power stations could be built, with the aim of having the first reactors operational within a decade.

The Lib Dems’ shadow energy and climate change secretary Simon Hughes was unequivocal in stating his anti-nuclear position on behalf of the party, branding this new generation of nuclear power stations a “colossal mistake”:

They are hugely expensive, dangerous and will take too long to build. There is a real danger that the Government is becoming too close to and [sic] the big energy companies.

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Posted in Voice polls | Also tagged chris davies, david howarth, energy, nuclear power, simon hughes | 27 Comments

In praise of ConservativeHome

By Stephen Tall | Published 15th January 2009 - 7:01 pm

Yes, you did indeed read the headline right. To be more specific, I write in praise of Andrew Lilico’s grown-up article today on ConservativeHome’s CentreRight platform, Ridiculous assault or legimitate spin over “green shoots”? which invites readers to

Imagine a Conservative government minister involved in the following exchange:

Interviewer: “When will we see the green shoots of recovery?”
Minister: “…I wouldn’t want to be the one predicting it. I am seeing a few green shoots, but it’s a little bit too early to say exactly how they’ll grow.”

Now imagine that the Opposition and press attacked this minister for the “insensitive”

…

Posted in News, Op-eds | Also tagged andrew lilico, baroness vadera, ConservativeHome, george osborne, vince cable | 3 Comments

John Thurso wins the annual award that matters most to proper liberals

By Mark Pack | Published 28th December 2008 - 11:09 am

Yes, it’s the Parliamentary Beard of the Year award from the Beard Liberation Front (aka Keith Flett). If you doubt just how prestigious this award is, turn to today’s Sunday Times where the award basks in its national media coverage:

John Thurso, the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, has been awarded the title of best parliamentary beard 2008 by something called the Beard Liberation Front. Thurso claims he grew it three years ago on holiday and couldn’t be bothered to shave.

Posted in Humour | 1 Comment

Is John Thurso the sexiest man in the Liberal Democrats?

By The Voice | Published 15th December 2006 - 1:35 pm

Thurso and Willott - the beautiful people All round love walrus John Thurso MP is currently heading a poll to be crowned sexiest man in the Liberal Democrats on the blogger of the year’s site. It’s the ‘tache that does it. Lib Dem Voice unsucessfully lobbied for Jeremy Purvis MSP to be included on the list.

Jenny Willott is currently leading the field for the ladies and… look, I’m just not sure how much more I can say on this whole article without offending anyone, OK? So …

Posted in News, Polls | Also tagged jenny willott, jeremy purvis, ming campbell, stephen tall | 11 Comments

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