A quick round-up of four Lib Dem stories not otherwise covered here on Lib Dem Voice this week…
Lib Dem revolt on solar subsidies crackdown…
The Guardian splashes on how ‘Liberal Democrat councillors and MPs are preparing to revolt over the coalition government’s crackdown on solar subsidies, as a growing number have been greeted with stiff opposition from outraged householders and companies fearing swingeing job cuts.’ Lucy Care wrote about this topic here on LDV earlier this month.
Rochdale Lib Dem defects to Tories…
The Manchester Evening News reports: ‘Coun Jean Ashworth, who represents Smallbridge and Firgrove, resigned as a Lib Dem saying the party was now too small to make a real difference to the town.’
‘Lib Dems fight benefits cut to fund freeze in fuel duty’
According to The Guardian: ‘Liberal Democrat cabinet members are fighting a rearguard action to prevent the Treasury pressing ahead with plans to withhold some benefit increases for the unemployed to fund a delay in the planned 3p rise in fuel duty due in January.’ This bears out a similar story Stephen Tall reported here on LDV, ‘Laws advises Clegg: oppose Tories’ “arbitrary and vindictive” benefits cuts’.
Net swing to the Lib Dems in latest council by-elections
So notes The Independent in its report here.
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A website on Alec Guinness's two BBC series as George Smiley
Another ward becomes a Reform vs Lib Dem contest
Back to reality on datacentres
John Hall
Dr Ruvi ZIEGLER
paul barker
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Pawel Urbanski
3 Comments
4 unrelated stories and 2 of them are really important; solar subsidies and benefit cuts.
I would prefer the 4 to be separated because the comments are going to be very disjointed.
However I am pleased to read there is a rearguard action to oppose the benefits policy. Stephen directs our attention to Laws claiming this is a red line, I would be interested to see if he still says the same today.
If we are to believe the IFS, the switch from RPI to CPI is bad enough and going to cause a big increase in child poverty. It is also the case that food and fuel price increases will hit the poor more and if we want a more accurate measure of inflation for those on low incomes then inflation should be calculated for such people accordingly. If this is not done then poverty will increase.
Funding a cut in petrol prices by cutting benefits is clearly regressive.
@ Geoffrey “4 unrelated stories and 2 of them are really important; solar subsidies and benefit cuts. I would prefer the 4 to be separated because the comments are going to be very disjointed.”
Geoffrey – and you’re welcome to write on any of them for us. LibDemVoice is *our* place to talk, not just the editors’. 🙂
(The two you mention as really important already have recent articles with lively comment threads.)
I am always pushed for time but I might write something over Christmas.