Tag Archives: lorely burt

Paul Burstow is new chair of the Parliamentary Party

By Mark Pack | Thu 1st November 2012 - 5:53 pm

A bit of party news today with various posts being filled. Paul Burstow has been elected chair of the Parliamentary Party, succeeding Lorely Burt who in the reshuffle became PPS to Danny Alexander.

Meanwhile there have also been changes at both the Commons and Lords end to the Co-Chairs of various Liberal Democrat Party Parliamentary Committees (often given the same acronym, PPCs, as used for party candidates).

The full list of names now is:

Continue reading »

Posted in News, Parliament and Party policy and internal matters | Also tagged paul burstow | Leave a comment

Hunt out to dry? Clegg refuses to back Tory culture secretary as Lib Dem MPs push inquiry

By Stephen Tall | Sat 2nd June 2012 - 9:05 pm

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg is piling the pressure on Jeremy Hunt, whose closeness to the Murdoch empire has been embarrassingly laid bare by the Leveson Inquiry in the past few weeks, by refusing to endorse David Cameron’s decision not to refer his culture secretary to the official adviser on the ministerial code, Sir Alex Allan. Here’s how The Observer is reporting it:

Nick Clegg refuses to back Jeremy Hunt as Lib Dems demand investigation

Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, has refused to give unequivocal backing to Jeremy Hunt over his handling of the BSkyB takeover controversy as senior Liberal

…

Continue reading »

Posted in News | Also tagged adrian sanders, david cameron, featured, jeremy hunt, news international, nick clegg and richard morris | 12 Comments

Which of the five Lib Dem reshuffle options will Nick Clegg pick?

By Mark Pack | Mon 14th May 2012 - 2:23 pm

Five scenarios for your delectation:

The Lib Dem night of the long beards

The drastic, dramatic and painful option. Clegg says the Liberal Democrats need David Laws’s expertise and media savvy at the heart of economic decision making, restoring him to Chief Secretary to the Treasury and expressing tearful regret that Danny Alexander is off out of the Cabinet, with a resting place as a new Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Cabinet Office where he will not have to handle quite so many tricky TV interviews.

Education, education, education

Too problematic to bring back Laws in a tax and cut role? Bring him …

Continue reading »

Posted in Humour and Op-eds | Also tagged andrew stunell, Danny Alexander, david heath, david laws, Jo Swinson, lembit opik, lynne featherstone, Michael Moore, nick clegg, nick harvey, norman baker and sarah teather | 45 Comments

Grassroutes to Government – a new Lib Dem activists’ network launches today.

By Jock Gallagher | Thu 12th April 2012 - 3:53 pm

A new network of grassroots activists under the leadership of the veteran peer, Roger Roberts, has been formed to develop communications with the party’s senior management. and parliamentarians.

Grassroutes to Government is drawn from across the membership and we launch today via a virtual launch on all the party’s social media platforms.

We can already point to a range of new lines of communication that will ensure the members have a clearer voice and we expect to have continuing discussions to underpin the importance of our activists.

Planning for the new group began soon after Federal Conference in Birmingham last September. Roger Roberts says:

“Pressure

…

Continue reading »

Posted in News | Also tagged Alistair Carmichael, grassroutes to government, internal communications, roger roberts, tim farron and tim gordon | 19 Comments

Lorely Burt MP writes… Freelancers: championing and protecting the little guy

By Lorely Burt MP | Thu 29th March 2012 - 6:54 pm

You don’t need me to tell you that things are tough out there for small businesses. I know: having run several small businesses and having previously been our party’s Small Business spokesperson. The UK’s 4.5 million Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make a huge contribution to our economy, but today they are caught in a perfect storm between contracting markets, a failure of banks to lend, and late payments. The result of these problems is that many viable small businesses have sadly failed.

There is however one sector of small business that is growing. Over the last three years we have …

Continue reading »

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged Danny Alexander and economy | 5 Comments

Nick Clegg does PMQs – my tweets

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 14th March 2012 - 1:16 pm

As always, Paul Walter will be along later with his imitable account of PMQs, but I thought that seeing as our own Nick Clegg was standing in for David Cameron today, we could have a bit of a bonus.

I tweeted my way through a session that could have been a tough one for our leader – but he managed to deal with the predictable Labour attacks on unemployment and the Health and Social Care Bill thoughtfully and without aggression or rancour.

Here is a link to my tweets – with apologies for the spelling mistakes. My fingers had trouble keeping …

Continue reading »

Posted in News and Parliament | Also tagged dennis skinner, harriet harman, nick clegg, peter bone, Peter Lilley and PMQs | 1 Comment

LibLink: Mr Clegg Goes to Peterbrook

By NewsHound | Sun 29th January 2012 - 5:55 pm

We’ve not often LibLinked through to the ‘Breaking News’ section of Peterbrook Primary School’s website. In fact we never have before. But their report of Nick Clegg’s visit, alongside local Solihull MP Lorely Burt, deserves a wide audience, and here’s a snippet:

Together with Solihull M.P Lorely Burt and an entourage of press and media broadcasters, Mr. Clegg came from London to see us so that we could share with him our curriculum developments using ‘Pupil Premium’ funding to support the learning and personal development needs of all pupils, with a specific focus at times, on those pupils who are eligible

…

Continue reading »

Posted in LibLink | Also tagged nick clegg, pupil premium, schools and solihull | 3 Comments

Dealing with Labour’s mess, Part 93: Lib Dems secure future of post offices

By Stephen Tall | Tue 24th January 2012 - 8:29 pm

Remember the last Labour government’s record on post offices? Their numbers fell by more than 7,100, or 38%. But not any more, as a result of Lib Dem action within the Coalition — as Lib Dem Voice first reported here almost 18 months ago.

This is how the Press Association reports it:

Continue reading »

Posted in News | Also tagged ed balls, ed davey, featured, post office and royal mail | 6 Comments

The Independent View: And then there was one… (Unmasked! The only backbench Lib Dem MP 100% loyal to the Coalition)

By Philip Cowley and Mark Stuart | Fri 18th November 2011 - 9:45 am

When a quarter of the parliamentary Conservative party rebels, everyone sits up and takes notice. On 24 October, 2011, 81 Conservative MPs defied a three-line whip to vote in favour of an EU referendum: cue a blaze of negative publicity for David Cameron and the Tory party whips.

But a week or so later one-quarter of Lib Dem MPs rebelled, and (almost) no one noticed. In nine separate votes on 1 and 2 November, a total of 14 Lib Dem MPs voted against various aspects of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. The largest …

Continue reading »

Posted in News, Parliament and The Independent View | Also tagged david laws, featured, legal aid, simon hughes, tom brake, tuition fees and whip | 13 Comments

Nick Clegg’s speech to the Liberal Democrats conference rally

By Nick Clegg MP | Sat 17th September 2011 - 8:30 pm

Welcome to Birmingham, a city with a great, outspoken liberal tradition. The home of Joe Chamberlain, where Gladstone called for Home Rule in one of the most rousing speeches of his life, and where Lloyd George nearly lost his life when he spoke out against the Boer War. Now it’s the home of those great modern day, outspoken liberals – John Hemming and Lorely Burt.

I have spent the last few weeks criss-crossing the country, speaking to as many of you as possible, hearing your concerns and answering your questions. We did what Lib Dems do: discussed, debated, argued – …

Continue reading »

Posted in Conference | Also tagged andrew reeves, chris fox, chris lucas and john hemming | 3 Comments

The cheque bounces back

By Helen Duffett | Wed 13th July 2011 - 8:54 am

The government said yesterday that it would scrap plans to abolish cheques after strong opposition from a variety of groups representing tradespeople, the elderly and disabled, and charities.

From the FT:

A controversial plan to abolish cheques has been scrapped, after banks were warned in parliament that they had “scared the pants off middle England”.

Worried members of the public sent more than one thousand letters and emails to MPs after it was announced that the 350-year-old payment system was to be phased out by late 2018.

The U-turn came after the government indicated it would intervene unless a suitable alternative was found.

The

…

Continue reading »

Posted in News | Also tagged cheques bill and mark hunter | 6 Comments

Where next for Lib Dem ‘muscular liberalism’?

By Nick Thornsby | Mon 20th June 2011 - 10:25 am

Over on the BBC News site, BBC political correspondent Norman Smith has written a piece looking at how the Liberal Democrats will continue to exert their influence in a more public way within the coalition after the combined effect of the AV referendum, the local election results and the success of the party’s push to re-think the NHS reforms.

As Norman says:

From the top to the bottom of the party, there is a hankering for clear yellow lines running through government policy.

However, where those lines should be drawn to best reassert the Lib Dems’ independence, is much harder to agree.

There …

Continue reading »

Posted in News | Also tagged banking, chris white, david hall-matthews, Mark Pack and NHS | Leave a comment

PODCAST: Q&A with Business, Innovation and Skills team

By Alex Foster | Sat 12th March 2011 - 8:11 pm

Earlier today, Simon Hughes, Lorely Burt, Vince Cable and Ed Davey joined chair Sal Brinton to answer questions from the audience about post offices, tuition fees, the education maintenance allowance and cutting red tape for small businesses.

You can hear the session in full by clicking the “play in a new window” link below.

Coming up later today: our podcasts of the Nick Clegg Q&A and a recording of our own fringe meeting, which is happening right now.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:57 — 39.3MB)

Posted in Conference and Podcasts | Also tagged ed davey, educational maintenance allowance, higher education, post offices, sal brinton, simon hughes, tuition fees, universities and vince cable | 2 Comments

Clegg points to “clear liberal direction” of government, as Lib Dems highlight Labour’s economic woes

By The Voice | Mon 10th January 2011 - 8:27 pm

Nick Clegg used a prime-time slot on this morning’s Today Programme to make clear his view that the public will take a “more rounded view” of the Lib Dems’ achievements in government by the next election. As BBC News reports:

said the effect of the spending cuts would be “difficult”, adding: “But I think at the same time there are signs that the repair job we are doing on the government finances and the general creation of greater confidence in the economy might also start showing itself as well.

“I think it will be a crucial year – a crucial year, yes, of some very challenging circumstances for millions of people in this country, but I hope the beginning of a real turnaround as we move forward and as we successfully implement the repair job on the economy.” …

Asked whether the Lib Dems had been unsuccessful in implementing their manifesto commitments since forming the coalition, he replied that they had gone into the arrangement with the Conservatives “with our eyes wide open”. He said policies such as electoral reform, raising the point at which people pay basic-rate income tax and introducing a “pupil premium” to help children from the worst-off families had been largely due to his party’s efforts. Mr Clegg added: “I think this shows a clear liberal direction to this government, on the whole.”

He said: “These are the big benefits in British life which I acknowledge in a sense don’t present themselves immediately to people. Over the course of this parliament I believe people will take a more rounded view of what this government is doing.”

You can listen to a brief excerpt from Nick’s interview here:

Continue reading »

Posted in News | Also tagged alan johnson, ed miliband, nick clegg and stephen williams | 21 Comments

PODCAST: Cabinet Minister Q&A

By Alex Foster | Wed 22nd September 2010 - 5:14 pm

Our final podcast from the conference floor was the penultimate session, a Q&A with cabinet ministers Danny Alexander, Chris Huhne, Michael Moore and Vince Cable.

The last session at Lib Dem conference is usually reserved for the Leader’s Speech – but that was not possible this time as Nick Clegg had to fly out to the UN.

It’s quite a shock for Liberal Democrats to get to quizz cabinet ministers, but it’s something they took in their stride with relative ease. This was taped from the reserved press section – and it’s interesting that over a dozen journalists had stayed till this …

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:30 — 39.8MB)

Continue reading »

Posted in Conference and Podcasts | Also tagged chris huhne, Danny Alexander, Michael Moore and vince cable | Leave a comment

Chris Fox and Lorely Burt continue in post

By Mark Pack | Sun 4th July 2010 - 10:50 am

Chris Fox, the party’s interim Chief Executive, has been appointed to the post permanently whilst Lorely Burt, chair of the Parliamentary Party (in the Commons) has been re-elected unopposed. Best of luck to them both.

Posted in Party policy and internal matters | Also tagged chris fox | 1 Comment

Simon Hughes’ 10 proposals for Lib Dem MPs under Coalition

By Helen Duffett | Mon 7th June 2010 - 8:50 am

From Simon Hughes’ website:

In a letter to Lorely Burt MP, Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party in the House of Commons, Simon Hughes has set out his proposals on how Liberal Democrats should organise themselves in this parliament in order to provide the best supportive but independent voice in a parliament of coalition government:

Continue reading »

Posted in News | Also tagged coalition and simon hughes | 17 Comments

Deputy Leadership: runners, riders, rules

By Mark Pack | Thu 27th May 2010 - 6:01 pm

So far, the Deputy Leadership election looks to be shaping up as a contest between Tim Farron and Simon Hughes. Tim is the one public candidate so far and there’s plenty of chatter about other possible candidates. In particular, there is an impetus from some quarters for a female candidate to balance out the all-male Cabinet team. However, that is rather muted by both the Party President (Ros Scott) and Chair of the Parliamentary Party (Lorely Burt) posts being held by women and the combination of circumstances, such as being a minister or holding a marginal seat, which rules out …

Continue reading »

Posted in News | Also tagged deputy leader election, ros scott, simon hughes and tim farron | 13 Comments

What Lib Dem MPs will be reading this summer

By Stephen Tall | Mon 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:

Continue reading »

Posted in News | Also tagged annette brooke, chris huhne, colin breed, Jo Swinson, john hemming, john leech, john pugh and lorley burt | Leave a comment