Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 735 party members responded – thank you – and we’re publishing the full results.
Jo & Lynne top choices for promotion to cabinet
The Lib Dems are expected to hold a ministerial reshuffle after the Scottish independence referendum. Which minister would you most like to see promoted to the cabinet?
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20% – Jo Swinson Minister, Business, Innovation & Skills
19% – Lynne Featherstone Minister, Department for International Development
16% – Steve Webb Minister, Department for Work and Pensions
10% – David Laws Minister, Department for Education (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
6% – Norman Lamb Minister, Department of Health
4% – Simon Hughes Minister, Ministry of Justice
4% – Baroness (Susan) Kramer Minister, Department for Transport
4% – Norman Baker Minister, Home Office
1% – Tom Brake Deputy Leader of the Commons
1% – Baroness (Jenny) Randerson, Minister, Wales Office
1% – Dan Rogerson Minister, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
1% – Lord (Jim) Wallace Lib Dem Leader, House of Lords
1% – Don Foster Lib Dem Chief Whip, Commons
1% – Stephen Williams Minister, Department for Communities and Local Government
4% – None
9% – Don’t know
David Cameron reshuffled his ministerial team in July. When Nick Clegg didn’t follow suit the assumption was that he was waiting until after the Scottish referendum in order to promote Jo Swinson (who would probably have been appointed at the last reshuffle had she not been due to go on maternity leave) to the cabinet, ensuring the Lib Dems don’t go a full parliament without appointing a woman to the top tier of government.
It was expected current Scottish secretary Alistair Carmichael would make way for her. I heard at conference that this plan had fallen apart and that Alistair has no intention of moving from his post. And with none of the other four – Alexander, Cable, Clegg, Davey – likely to want to move on, Nick’s wish to promote her may come to nothing. We shall see.
Jo Swinson tops our members’ poll, though Lynne Featherstone – widely considered to have been one of the party’s most effective ministers – is only just behind. Also scoring well is Steve Webb, though his deep knowledge of his pensions post probably means he’s considered indispensable in his current role.
Huppert & Kennedy top choices for promotions to ministerial office
And which Lib Dem MP would you most like to see appointed as a minister?
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16% – Julian Huppert
12% – Charles Kennedy
10% – Tim Farron
6% – Tessa Munt
6% – Jenny Willott
5% – Lorely Burt
4% – Jeremy Browne
3% – Sarah Teather
2% – Martin Horwood
2% – Duncan Hames
4% – None
5% – Don’t know
Here are the top 10 choices of Lib Dem MPs to be appointed to ministerial office. Activists’ favourite Julian Huppert tops the list, with Charles Kennedy not far behind. Tim Farron, who’ll become eligible when his term as party president expires at the end of the year, comes in third. I suspect, for their different reasons, all three might decline the offer if it were extended.
* Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.
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THis means little without a ‘who would you like to sack?’ corollorary, surely?
It would appear from BBC News that the leader has gone missing. You cannot have a reshuffle without a leader and it appears that the leader may have been ousted in a palace coup.
Not Nick Clegg unfortunately but North Korean leader Kim Jong-un who missed a key political anniversary ceremony, state media said, amid speculation over his absence from public view.
Mr Kim has not been seen for more than a month, State television said he had an “uncomfortable physical condition” .
Any lessons for Liberal Democrats here?
@John Tilley – Any lessons for Liberal Democrats here? Go easy on the emmenthal?
What’s the point of a reshuffle at this point? The only obvious reason would be to spike the guns of those the leadership do not want to be contenders for the leadership after the GE.
Huppert as a minister?! Really? An MP who puts his name to Google’s words verbatim and submits them to become legislation deserves a promotion according to LDV members! If he campaigns to make drinking Coca Cola compulsory will there be calls for him to be party leader/PM?
This is why…etc, etc, ad nauseum.
There are two reasons for a reshuffle now. The first is to make sure that the best communicators are in the right places for the coming election. The second is more long term and is to give ministerial experience to those who are likely to be taking a lead in the future. Given that it is highly unpredictable when Lib Dems might be next in government, the second reason could become more significant in the future.
Any of them with any sense will spend the next seven months working tirelessly to save their seats rather than swanning around London in a ministerial limousine.
Martin
Six month’s experience as a minister in the run up to a general election would be worse than useless. It would waste the time of civil servants and waste the time and energy of any new minister.
Not a sign of good stewardship of public money. Using ministerial posts as baubles or using reshuffles for merely political presentation is the worst sort of politics.
Peter Chegwyn has it right. Any of them with any sense will spend the next seven months working tirelessly to save their seats.
Demote Danny.
(And Welease Wodger… )
A Libdem reshuffle? Rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic? Sorry that’s a bit of a cliche: what about the Lusitania then?
How about all Lib Dems resign from all ministerial posts, and force the Tories to take ownership of their own mess, without using the Liberal Democrats as convenient whipping boys?
No David-1, that doesn’t fit in with emphasizing the good things that the LibDems have done in government and the Tory foolishnesses that they have frustrated. Already we see the Tories trying to claim ownership of the good things that were LibDem policy pre-2010 which the Tories derided then.
It is too late to introduce new ministers to their departments – it probably was in the summer when the Tories did it. So I don’t see any job changes happening unless there are individual reasons why the Incumbent shouldn’t continue, as with William Hague and Michael Gove.
The sensible thing is for current MPs to concentrate on ‘the fight of our lives’ culminating May 2015.
I fear Julian Huppert has enough on his plate defending Cambridge. Which he will, but it will require undivided attention.