Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 550 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

68% back decarbonisation amendment rebellion

LDV asked: The Government’s Energy Bill was published in November. In exchange for securing significant investment in the renewable sector up to 2020, Ed Davey dropped a commitment to include a 2030 decarbonisation target opposed by George Osborne. Labour are likely to table an amendment to the Energy Bill to create a target to decarbonise the power sector by 2030 with the aim of persuading enough Lib Dem and Conservative rebels to defeat the Government. Would you support or oppose Lib Dem backbench MPs voting for such an amendment?

• Support 68%
• Oppose 19%
• Don’t know 12%

There’s no doubt what Lib Dem members think: by an overwhelming 68% to 19% there is support for backbench MPs to ‘rebel’ by backing the policy favoured by Ed Davey and the Lib Dems — but which the Lib Dem energy secretary has been unable to persuade the Tories to support. (I’ve written about Ed Davey’s canny statements on this here.)

• Over 1,200 Lib Dem paid-up party members are registered with LibDemVoice.org. Over 500 responded to the latest survey, which was conducted between 7th and 11th December.
• Please note: we make no claims that the survey is fully representative of the Lib Dem membership as a whole. However, LibDemVoice.org’s surveys are the largest independent samples of the views of Lib Dem members across the country, and have in the past offered accurate guides to what party members think.
• For further information on the reliability/credibility of our surveys, please refer to FAQs: Are the Liberal Democrat Voice surveys of party members accurate? and polling expert Anthony Wells’ verdict, On that poll of Lib Dem members.
• The full archive of our members’ surveys can be viewed at www.libdemvoice.org/category/ldv-members-poll

* Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.