Author Archives: Alexander Ehmann

Alexander Ehmann is a Liberal Democrat Councillor and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. In the past, Alexander has been the Campaign Manager for a number of Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidates, including Duncan Hames, Paul Fox and Theo Butt-Philip. Alexander has worked in communications and public policy for a number of employers over the past 15 years, including the British Army, Institute of Directors and Tata.
Alexander Ehmann

Opinion: No change please, we’re Liberal Democrats

By Alexander Ehmann | Thu 18th June 2015 - 8:55 am

There is an inherent predilection in our political culture towards continual reorganisation.  A culture that often holds us back and stops valuable reforms from maturing and embedding.

This frustrating desire to manifest difference via perpetual revolution may offer some cautionary tales for our own forthcoming leadership election.

I start by saying that I am genuinely open-minded about who it is that should go on to lead our party.  However, I am concerned that two issues risk becoming  incorrectly linked in the emerging campaigns.

That the Liberal Democrats in the last election adopted a ‘centring’ approach is clear.  That the Liberal Democrats suffered a huge electoral defeat is also beyond challenge.  The question is whether there is anything in ‘centring’ that is (almost by nature) politically hazardous or whether in fact the issue was implementation of this strategy.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 29 Comments
Alexander Ehmann

Opinion: The lobbying scandal is nothing of the sort

By Alexander Ehmann | Tue 4th June 2013 - 8:49 am

Big Ben - ParliamentIn recent days the rhetoric regarding lobbyists has notched up a few gears.  These attacks have come from a surprising range of critics.  Yesterday morning Lorraine Kelly on Daybreak suggested to Tom Brake MP that we should ban lobbying altogether and shortly afterwards Lord Oakeshott likened lobbyists to mosquitoes.

I am a lobbyist.  My job requires me to talk and debate issues with politicians, civil servants and others on a daily basis.  There is a great deal of twaddle talked about lobbying.  Some of the nonsense is puff peddled …

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 10 Comments
Alexander Ehmann

Opinion: Cash for coffees and rights for shares

By Alexander Ehmann | Wed 24th April 2013 - 3:29 pm

This morning I purchased a coffee. Not a very eventful start you might think, but if you’ll allow me, I’d like to dwell on the transaction. The deal with the establishment from which I purchased the coffee, was that in exchange for my ability to leave the store with their product, I had to exchange £3.50 for the privilege. In a functioning free market economy, such exchanges are made willingly by the buyer and seller alike. The key to this relationship is choice. Indeed, I had many choices – whether I needed the product, where to buy the coffee from and what price I …

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 55 Comments
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