Tag Archives: nicol stephen

Fifteen new Liberal Democrat Peers appointed

By Helen Duffett | Published 19th November 2010 - 11:33 am

Fifteen new Liberal Democrat working peers have just been announced…

Dr Sarah (Sal) Brinton – Executive Director of the Association of Universities in the East of England

Dee Doocey OBE – Chair of the London Assembly

Qurban Hussain – Deputy Group Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Luton Borough Council

Judith Jolly – Chair of Executive Committee of Liberal Democrats in Devon and Cornwall

Susan Kramer – former Liberal Democrat MP

Raj Loomba – businessman and campaigner for widows’ rights

Jonathan Marks – commercial and family law QC with specialist interest in human rights and constitutional reform

Monroe Palmer OBE – Liberal

…

Posted in Parliament | Also tagged ben stoneham, claire tyler, dee doocey, featured, house of lords, interim peers panel, jenny randerson, john sharkey, jonathan marks, judith jolly, mike storey, monroe palmer, paul strasburger, qurban hussain, raj loomba, sal brinton, susan kramer | 77 Comments

Nicol Stephen to stand down in May

By Andrew Reeves | Published 25th September 2010 - 1:27 pm

Nicol Stephen MSP has announced he is standing down after nearly three decades in public life, first being elected a councillor, then an MP and latterly an MSP for Aberdeen South.

This isn’t the first time that Nicol has taken the Scottish political world by surprise with an unexpected announcement – just over two years ago he stood down as leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats deciding to put his family first. Nicol and his wife Caris have four children – Macleod, 15, Mirrhyn, 13, Mharni, 9, and Drummond, 6.

I recall the day really well and my phone was buzzing …

Posted in News, Scotland | Also tagged tavish scott | Leave a comment

Our starters for 2008 – how did we do? (Part II)

By Stephen Tall | Published 29th December 2008 - 10:20 am

A year ago, Lib Dem Voice posed 10 questions, the answers to which we believed might shape the Lib Dem year – time to revisit them, wethinks. To read Part I dealing with Qs 1-5, click here.

6. Will Nicol Stephen’s leadership of the Scottish Lib Dems continue to bounce back?

No, it didn’t, though this was in large part due to Nicol’s decision to resign the party leadership at the beginning of July, in order to put “the health and wellbeing” of his family first. The Scottish party has had a tough time, playing third fiddle to …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged alix mortimer, james graham, jonathan calder, kirsty williams, lembit opik, mike german, ros scott, simon hughes, tavish scott | 2 Comments

Vicki Harris passes away

By Mark Pack | Published 23rd December 2008 - 10:22 am

Very sad news from Scotland, as Caron reports:

I was very sad to hear last week of the death of Vicki Harris, former Lib Dem candidate in Aberdeen South. I had worked closely with her since moving back to Scotland in 2000 and particularly in the run up to the 2005 election where she so nearly unseated Anne Begg. She worked hard, campaigning ceaselessly for local people. I admired the fact that she let nothing faze her, and just got on with the job, bringing new people in to extend the delivery network and take on roles within her campaign.

My

…

Posted in News | 2 Comments

Scottish Lib Dem leader nominations close

By Stephen Tall | Published 24th July 2008 - 1:31 pm

The Press Association reports the (unsurprising) news:

The deadline for nominations in the race to lead the Scottish Liberal Democrats has closed with no late challengers in the three-way campaign.

Mike Rumbles and former ministers Tavish Scott and Ross Finnie will now concentrate on winning party support before the poll on August 26.

The candidates are hoping to succeed Aberdeen South MSP Nicol Stephen, who quit the top job earlier this month citing family reasons.

Posted in Leadership Election, Scotland | Also tagged tavish scott | Leave a comment

Ming: Lib Dem MSPs should oppose independence poll regardless of conference

By Stephen Tall | Published 21st July 2008 - 10:15 am

An interesting article in yesterday’s Times, with former national Lib Dem leader Ming Campbell wading into the current Scottish leadership debate, and in particular the controversy over whether Lib Dems should support a referendum on Scottish independence:

Sir Menzies Campbell has warned the next leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats to oppose an independence referendum, even if the party conference votes in favour. …

Two of the three candidates in the race to replace Nicol Stephen as leader of the Scottish Lib Dems have already said they are open-minded about a ballot on breaking up Britain. Mike Rumbles has proposed

…

Posted in News, Scotland | Also tagged ming campbell, tavish scott | 19 Comments

Are you on your way to the Forum?

By Stephen Tall | Published 9th July 2008 - 8:27 pm

Don’t forget, if you’re a party member you can register for the Lib Dem Voice members’ forum – in which case you get to read and post on a rich variety of topics which don’t always make it into the public blog. Here’s a selection of the currently active threads to whet your appetites:

* MPs expenses
* Iran – a dangerous impasse
* Henley result
* The race to succeed Nicol Stephen
* Welsh Euro List
* What are the Lib Dems doing about David Davis?
* What would you do in Glasgow East?
* Who’d be an MP?

(Disclaimer: though LDV’s forum moderators do our best …

Posted in Site news | Leave a comment

It’s a three-way contest for next Scottish Lib Dem leader

By The Voice | Published 8th July 2008 - 12:05 pm

Following Nicol Stephen’s surprise resignation as leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, three MSPs have declared their intent to succeed him, according to today’s papers. Here’s The Times:

Tavish Scott, the former Transport Minister, who is widely tipped as the favourite to replace Nicol Stephen as leader, formally announced his bid only hours after the former Rural Affairs Minister, Ross Finnie, made it clear he too was running. … Mr Scott, who is close to Mr Stephen, has won the backing of six of the party’s MSPs and five MPs. He also enjoys the support of the former UK party

…

Posted in Leadership Election | Also tagged ming campbell, tavish scott | 1 Comment

Glasgow East latest

By Andrew Reeves | Published 6th July 2008 - 5:48 pm

Well, they say a week is a long time in politics! Wednesday saw the shock resignation of our Scottish Party Leader, Nicol Stephen, on Thursday we selected East End Ian Robertson for the Glasgow East by-election and then on Friday Labour selected nobody because the favourite didn’t turn up … you couldn’t make this up, could you?

The Liberal Democrats have a great candidate in Ian Robertson, a great campaign office at 888 Shettleston Road, Glasgow, G32 7XN and a fantastic team coming together.

If you look at the posters on the lampposts it really is only the SNP and the Liberal …

Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Also tagged glasgow east by-election | 22 Comments

Nicol Stephen resigns as Scottish leader

By The Voice | Published 2nd July 2008 - 10:37 pm

As the BBC reports:

The former Scottish deputy first minister said the stresses and strains the job placed on his family life had become too great.

However, he will remain as the MSP for Aberdeen South…

Mr Stephen, who has four children aged between four and 12, said in a statement that family now had to take priority.

“Everyone involved in politics knows that there are stresses and strains on family life. But when it goes beyond that, when it crosses a line, something has to be done.”

“And at that stage – when you have to make a choice between family and politics

…

Posted in Scotland | 14 Comments

BBC Question Time: open thread

By Stephen Tall | Published 28th February 2008 - 9:53 pm

Nicol Stephen, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, is one of the panellists on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).

He’ll be alongside the Deputy Scottish Labour leader Cathy Jamieson, the Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie, the Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon, and Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow George Galloway.

If you’re watching, and want to sound-off, please feel free to use the comments thread.

Posted in Lib Dem TV | Also tagged bbc question time | 20 Comments

High praise for Stephen from Scotsman

By Stephen Tall | Published 12th February 2008 - 11:12 pm

No, not me – it’s the Lib Dems’ Scottish leader Nicol Stephen who has been earning plaudits from The Scotsman’s Hamish MacDonnell:

A couple of weeks ago, Wendy Alexander held a dinner for some members of the Holyrood political press corps. Her aim was to explain her thinking on the constitutional convention but, in the course of the evening, the Scottish Labour leader was told – quite bluntly – that she was pretty awful at First Minister’s Questions. She was informed that not only was she being beaten by Alex Salmond every week, but that Nicol Stephen was doing a much better job for the Liberal Democrats than she was for Labour.

That dinner happened just after one of Ms Alexander’s worst ever performances: she started by asking a question about SportScotland, went on to talk about the Budget and ended on police pensions, failing to score a point with any of her efforts. At the same session, Mr Stephen asked three pointed and direct questions about SportScotland and had the First Minister riled, angry and unable to answer clearly.

Posted in Scotland | Also tagged tavish scott | 6 Comments

Clegg in the press

By Stephen Tall | Published 10th January 2008 - 9:27 pm

Hard to escape Nick Clegg in the media today: he’s everywhere. Here’s a selection…

An audio interview with The Guardian’s Jon Dennis following his PMQs’ debut here – apparently Nick has “always enjoyed” PMQs. (Perhaps Lynne Featherstone should have a word.)

There’s a Q&A with Nick with The Guardian’s Patrick Barkham here – including “why [Nick's] no Cameron clone, why he wants to do more for children – and why we’re all working too hard”.

And, as if The Guardian couldn’t get enough of Nick, the paper also trails his much-anticipated speech on public services to this …

Posted in News | 3 Comments

10 key Lib Dem questions for 2008

By Stephen Tall | Published 29th December 2007 - 4:23 pm

Sky News’s Adam Boulton has posted his rather more worldly ’10 Questions for 2008’ over at his Boulton & Co blog:

A lot will happen that I can’t predict, but working from the known unknowns of next year’s calendar, here are ten questions which I believe will shape politics at home and abroad in 2008.

Forgive Lib Dem Voice for being a little more parochial, and concentrating on the world of Lib Demmery:

1. Will Nick Clegg become as well-known and respected/liked as Paddy and Charles became?

2. Will the party manage to stake out clear and mainstream liberal policy lines while asserting …

Posted in News | Also tagged adam boulton, brian paddick, mike german | 18 Comments

Scottish Lib Dems attitude to SNP’s independence initiative

By Mark Pack | Published 15th August 2007 - 8:55 am

You can read Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen’s views over on the Scottish Liberal Democrats website.

Posted in News | 11 Comments

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