Author Archives: Andy Boddington

Andy Boddington is a Lib Dem councillor in rural Shropshire

Nick Clegg supports Ed Miliband over his dad – that’s just right

By Andy Boddington | Tue 1st October 2013 - 6:49 pm

Geoffrey Levy on Milibands DadOnce again the Daily Mail has disgraced itself and the journalistic profession.

In an article headlined “The man who hated Britain”, the newspaper attacked Miliband father, a man who fled the Nazis to arrive here as refugee. Ralph Miliband quickly came to love this country and he fought for it in the Second World War. But in common with many of his era, he was attracted to Marxism.

His left leaning and his youthful comments were enough for Geoffrey Levy of the Daily Mail to launch one of the most unpleasant character assassinations in recent history.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 15 Comments

Take a good coalition environmental move and Owen Paterson will undermine it

By Andy Boddington | Tue 1st October 2013 - 2:02 pm

Paterson in Carrier BagPutting an acknowledged environmental sceptic in charge of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was always going to be bad news. Shropshire MP Owen Paterson’s sympathies lie with industrial scale farming and fracked landscapes. He hates windfarms and is a global warming sceptic. Now he’s trying to restrict the scope of the carrier bag charge.

It’s no surprise then that he is reluctant to introduce a charge on supermarket carrier bags. Previously, Defra sat on its heels. Its ministers claimed it needed better evidence about the impact of a charge. That’s an ironic position to take given that Defra has launched a badger cull against the scientific evidence of the Krebs trails.

It is true that under the former Labour government, Defra became obsessed with carbon emissions at the expense of the contribution of the environment to wellbeing and biodiversity – as did much of the environmental movement. It fretted that a one use paper bag used more carbon than a well-used plastic bag. Everyone but CPRE and few other charities ignored the impact of plastic bags on landfill, the landscape, our streets and the seas.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 22 Comments

It’s global warming, stupid – and it’s gonna be cold

By Andy Boddington | Fri 27th September 2013 - 1:35 pm

BookerMost of the attention before and after Ed Miliband’s speech has been on energy prices. That’s no surprise. Soaring energy prices hit everyone, but most of all the poor.

Today Nick Clegg has spoken out against Ed Miliband’s energy price freeze. The energy companies meanwhile are floating a four year fixed price deal to lock in their profits in the event of Ed managing to grab the country’s helm.

But the most important contribution to the energy debate is by Tim Farron. In today’s Guardian, he says:

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 20 Comments

“Mr Sprawl” Miliband abandons localism – but will he deliver good housing?

By Andy Boddington | Fri 27th September 2013 - 10:02 am

Ravilous Labour New TownsSomething big needs saying about housing. I guess Ed Miliband thinks he has achieved it. Maybe, but when I read his speech it struck me as bluster and a recipe for chaos, peppered with some rather cute ideas.

We need new homes. We also need good planning. The success or failure of new towns, urban extensions and housing estates depends on location, fortune, ambition and leadership. But above all those towns that work are a triumph of planning.

For every housing scheme that has been an outstanding success, another has failed. For every booming new town like Milton Keynes or Welwyn Garden City, there is a Cumbernauld or Corby.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 16 Comments

Opinion: Shropshire is slipping into black hole democracy

By Andy Boddington | Fri 20th September 2013 - 9:05 am

Shropshire Logo in Black Hole

I am lucky enough to live in Shropshire, in Ludlow – one of the most treasured places in my known universe.

I am so unlucky to live in Shropshire, in Ludlow – one of the most trashed places in my known universe.

Yesterday, we lost our dream hospital. This was not for any real reason; it just fell through the widening cracks in the national health system.

We have also lost our local tip and recycling centre in Ludlow. It’s not official. It’s just that the staff have been told they have no jobs any more.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 21 Comments

Conference economy debate: Nick Clegg’s summation in full

By Andy Boddington | Mon 16th September 2013 - 12:52 pm

Nick Clegg Economy Motion 4Chairman Andrew Wiseman called Nick Clegg of Sheffield to summate on the economy debate. Nick said:

Colleagues, just to show that I can also agree with Paul Homes, I strongly agree with Paul about what a brilliant, brilliant debate that was. It really, really does show us at our very, very best. No other part could stage such a democratic and respectful debate. Well done to everybody on whatever side you were on the debate.

Continue reading »
Posted in Conference | Tagged , and | 4 Comments

Green groups say all main parties failing on green leadership

By Andy Boddington | Sun 15th September 2013 - 9:01 am

Nick Clegg Cathkin MarshSeven key environment groups have given their verdict on the environmental performance of Cameron, Clegg and Miliband. Their report, Green Standard 2013, is pretty condemning.

After a promising first few months, the coalition government and the UK’s senior politicians have been largely silent about the UK’s environmental goals. The prime minister’s promise that he would lead “the greenest government ever” has been devalued by the chancellor’s framing of high environmental standards as a threat to economic success.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 4 Comments

David Laws: Time to end overpriced school uniforms

By Andy Boddington | Sun 15th September 2013 - 8:30 am

School UniformsLiberal Democrat Schools Minister David Laws has announced he is to revamp guidance on school uniforms to help schools cut costs for parents.

With family budgets squeezed, Laws believes schools should place more emphasis on value for money for parents when choosing new uniforms. He will urge schools to end the practice of using a single uniform supplier, which stops parents from shopping around to find the best deal.

The new guidance, to be issued by the Department for Education tomorrow, will ask governing bodies to:

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 11 Comments

Nick Clegg – “The clouds are lifting. We need to look people in the eye and say – we got it right”

By Andy Boddington | Sat 14th September 2013 - 8:01 am

Clegg WatfordSpeaking to the Independent, Nick Clegg is upbeat:

We need to be unabashed about the fact that we have played a vital, even pivotal, role in saving the British economy and a leading role in providing fairness in the tax, education and skills systems and greening our economy for the future.

Clegg gives a list of Tory proposals that the Lib Dems have vetoed. Among them are  a recent attempt to cut planned child care provision for two-year-olds; a 40p top rate of income tax; cuts in inheritance tax for the rich; workers being “fired at will” without good reason; state schools being run for profit; a divisive two-tier examination system; and regional pay for public sector workers.

We need to explain that this country would be very different indeed – in my view a lot less fair – if the Conservatives had been left to their own devices.

Continue reading »
Posted in Conference and News | Tagged , and | 32 Comments

Menzies and Paddy on coalition politics and the election

By Andy Boddington | Fri 13th September 2013 - 10:03 am

Menzies and PaddyIn today’s Guardian, Menzies Campbell says that Nick Clegg has turned the corner and his role as leader is no longer under threat:

Coalition politics is not for the faint-hearted. Nor is leadership, as Nick Clegg will tell you. As he contemplates his fourth party conference as deputy PM, his thoughts, and his leader’s speech, need to be turning to the general election, now less than two years away. He can do so with more confidence than 12 months ago. Last year’s atrial flutterings over his leadership have died away. His policy of differentiation between the Liberal Democrats and their Tory partners has become overt and even reciprocated.

Continue reading »
Posted in Conference and General Election | Tagged and | 17 Comments

Politics is losing people, especially young people – what do we do about it?

By Andy Boddington | Tue 10th September 2013 - 9:58 am

Generational Trends Politics BSAIt is no surprise, but it still makes grim reading. According to today’s release of the British Social Attitudes survey, most young people are no longer interested in politics. The survey shows that we are not just losing an entire generation to politics. People of all ages are becoming less engaged with the political process.

We face future prospect of governments being elected on turnouts of well below 50%. As disinterest in party politics grows, we must ask whether our political structures, especially political parties, will still be relevant in the decades to come.

Continue reading »
Posted in News and Op-eds | Tagged and | 51 Comments

Lynne Featherstone says “End female genital mutilation in a generation”

By Andy Boddington | Sat 7th September 2013 - 9:03 am

Lynne Reatherstone FGM

Conference Committee is meeting today to discuss amendments to be taken at the Glasgow conference. An amendment to the motion on Domestic and Sexual violence concerns Female Genital Mutilation.

Yesterday international development undersecretary Lynne Featherstone told the Guardian that ending female genital mutilation is a priority for the British government. She said that Africa’s success in outlawing the centuries-old practice means the world now has the opportunity of a lifetime to consign it to history within a generation. Click here for the video.

Continue reading »
Posted in Conference and News | Tagged | 6 Comments

Nick Clegg signals changes to Lobbying Bill to address charity concerns

By Andy Boddington | Fri 6th September 2013 - 3:40 pm

The Guardian and the Independent today report that  the government will backtrack over parts of the Transparency of Lobbying, non-Party Campaigning, and Trade Union Administration Bill.

The coalition has maintained that the bill does not impose undue burdens and restrictions on charities during election periods. A wide range of charities and Unlock Democracy have taken the opposite view. In a report yesterday, the cross-party Political and Constitutional Reform Committee also raised a number of worries and has advised the government to rewrite the bill:

Our main recommendation is that the Government should withdraw the Bill following its Second Reading, and support a motion in the House to set up a special Committee to carry out pre-legislative scrutiny, using the text of the existing Bill as a draft.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 11 Comments

“Yes to New Homes” – time to cure the housing deficit disease

By Andy Boddington | Fri 6th September 2013 - 12:12 pm

Housing completions by tenureWe used to be good at housebuilding. As the economy recovered after the Second World War, house building in England grew to reach a peak of around 352,000 in 1968. That level of housebuilding seems inconceivable now.

The ugly truth is that we have not been building enough houses to cope with our growing population and shrinking household sizes since the late 1970s. We need something like 250,000 new homes a year, yet we are barely building more than 100,000.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 32 Comments

Lib Dem win in Wadebridge East by-election

By Andy Boddington | Fri 6th September 2013 - 8:10 am

There were a number of by-elections yesterday. Congratulations to Stephen Knightley won in Cornwall for the Lib Dems, though press attention is bound to be on the UKIP win in Boston on miserable turnout of less than 14%.

Cornwall Wadebridge East

Stephen Knightley (Lib Dem) was last night elected as the new Cornwall Councillor for Wadebridge East with 408 votes. It was a close fought race with Independent Tony Rush gaining just nine votes less. The by-election was called after Independent Colin Brewer stood down – he was the councillor that said that disabled children “should be put down.” The turnout was a healthy 40.47%.

Continue reading »
Posted in Local government and News | Tagged | 12 Comments

Syria debate: how Lib Dem MPs voted

By Andy Boddington | Fri 30th August 2013 - 9:24 am

Last night, thirty-three Lib Dems voted for the government’s motion; 9 voted against; one abstained and 14 did not vote.

Alexander, Danny: For
Baker, Norman: For
Beith, Sir Alan: For
Birtwistle, Gordon: Against
Brake, Tom: For
Brooke, Annette: Did not vote

Continue reading »
Posted in News and Parliament | Tagged and | 39 Comments

Opinion: Syria vote – A step change in Britain’s relationship with the world

By Andy Boddington | Fri 30th August 2013 - 7:33 am

the_master_of_the_ordnance_500Yesterday’s Commons vote on intervention in Syria is a landmark. And a surprise.

All day I had been reading the pundits in the national press and listening to the BBC. No one expected the government to lose the vote. Least of all the government.

My view is that is one of the most significant votes in our recent history.

This perhaps – hopefully – is the moment when we stop believing we are a world power. At long last we, or at least our parliament, believe that we cannot bomb our way to peace. This could be the point where we believe our best interests, and those of the world, lie in using our financial and political resources to promote a world that works without war.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 19 Comments

Syria debate: The rebel MPs

By Andy Boddington | Fri 30th August 2013 - 5:46 am

In last night’s debate, Nine Liberal Democrats voted against the government’s motion, and thirty Conservatives.

Liberal Democrats

Gordon Birtwistle (Burnley)

Michael Crockart (Edinburgh West)

Andrew George (St Ives)

Julian Huppert (Cambridge)

Dan Rogerson (Cornwall North)

Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove)

Ian Swales (Redcar)

Sarah Teather (Brent Central)

Roger Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire)

Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam) voted in both lobbies, and thereby abstained

Continue reading »
Posted in News | 18 Comments

The Observer claims Lib Dems officially ‘blast fracking’ – no!

By Andy Boddington | Sun 25th August 2013 - 10:01 am

Balcombe FrackingToday’s Observer splashes with “Liberal Democrats blast environmental damage caused by fracking.” Not quite.

We’ve had quite a lively debate here on Lib Dem Voice on the merits and demerits of fracking (Gilbert, Boddington).  In the Observer article Tony Helm suggests that Liberal Democrats have rejected shale gas extraction. As I said not quite.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 22 Comments

Opinion: Government is at its best when it’s boring

By Andy Boddington | Fri 23rd August 2013 - 3:03 pm

If Alistair Darling had ever walked into the pub when I was pulling pints, I would have thrown him out on his ear for introducing the now deceased beer escalator.

Now I find myself applauding him. What he said today about High Speed 2 and transport policy was probably bad politics, but it is exceedingly good government.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 25 Comments

BBC bias? Yes, but not to the left researchers say

By Andy Boddington | Fri 23rd August 2013 - 12:03 pm

BBC not left biasedWriting at The Conversation, Cardiff University lecturer Mike Berry looks at whether the BBC is biased.

He concludes, despite the regular screams of left wing bias by the right wing press, that Tories get more airtime than Labour.

The BBC is not pro-EU, quite the reverse. But reportage “saw Europe almost exclusively through the prism of political infighting between Labour and the Conservatives so a rounded debate… was almost completely absent.” Voices arguing for the benefits of EU membership were, says Berry, very sparse.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 15 Comments

New Statesman staggers over Lib Dem funding

By Andy Boddington | Fri 16th August 2013 - 10:57 am

In a staggering piece on the New Statesman website today, blogger George Eaton – writing The Staggers column – claims that the Lib Dem’s “mounting debts” will force the party to end the coalition ahead of the 2015 general election. Really?

The argument is presented that because the party is running a deficit, it cannot fight the election without the Short Money paid to opposition parties. Really?

The source of this idea appears to be “several in Westminster” – not necessarily Lib Dems, or even people who are well informed.

The author seems not to recognise the absurdity – in public …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 8 Comments

Opinion: Paxman, politics and pogonophobia

By Andy Boddington | Wed 14th August 2013 - 3:32 pm

Bearded Nick Clegg

Oh what a fuss about a beard!

The media has gone mad over Jeremy Paxman’s beard, egged on a ‘Twitter storm’ last night. Even the BBC has got in on the act, declaring its presenter’s beard to be ‘notorious’.

What is it about beards that generate such interest, dislike, even fear? (This fear, the media tell us with glee, is properly called pogonophobia.)

Distrust of beards is nothing new. I grew mine the moment I escaped from sixth form. As an archaeologist, being hirsute was pretty much obligatory for men in those days. But when I led a dig for a county council, the head of personnel laughed out loud at the ‘odd habit’ of us diggers growing facial hair.

Continue reading »
Posted in Humour and Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 15 Comments

Opinion: The Dark Satanic Wells of Fracking

By Andy Boddington | Wed 7th August 2013 - 9:03 am

Like many enthusiasts, I’m looking forward to the bombastic Last Night of the Proms, one month today. And I bet I’ll not be alone in bellowing out the words of England’s most popular anthem, Jerusalem.Blake Newton Fracking

Two centuries ago, William Blake began writing his epic poem Milton, including perhaps Jerusalem, while living in Felpham, Sussex. A few years later, he was back in London where the streets were being illuminated for the first time by gas lamps. The coal gas of Blake’s era gave way in the late 1960s to the cleaner supplies from the North Sea. Now we are witnessing the third coming of gas – hydraulic fracturing of shale. And this takes us directly back to Sussex, where protesters are mounting a blockade against fracking at Balcombe.

Green campaigners’ passions flare at any mention of fracking. The Campaign to Protect Rural England seems less certain that fracking is out of order, at least as a temporary energy fix. But it is at one with the Financial Times in believing that Balcombe is far from the best place to start. The drilling site is within the protected High Weald area of outstanding natural beauty and, even though the blockade is being led by eco-activists, most villagers say they are opposed to fracking in their parish.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 25 Comments

Britain can’t cook, won’t cook. Should we care?

By Andy Boddington | Fri 2nd August 2013 - 7:05 am

A year ago we set up a tiny community garden on the verges of our barren car park. Not a great deal grew in the first season, but what we produced we tried to give away, sometimes without success.

“What will I do with it?” asked J as I offered him a bunch of dirty carrots. A few days ago, I got a glimpse inside J’s fridge. Everything was pre-packed, microwave or oven ready, accompanied by step-by-step instructions. J doesn’t cook and he is not alone.

A review for Defra by Best Foot Forward highlighted that one in six …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 29 Comments

Opinion: Pies, GM pies, and statistics

By Andy Boddington | Mon 29th July 2013 - 9:00 am

Carrots at Farmer's Market - Some rights reserved by Ed YourdonPublic opinion is swinging in favour of GM crops and foods, but are Lib Dem voters really leading the pack?

Here on Lib Dem Voice in June, Baroness Kate Parminter said that it is the duty of the government to take into account public opinion when deciding whether to give the go-ahead to GM crops and food. It now seems that public sentiment is shifting in favour of GM food.

A survey published by the Independent last week suggested that 42% …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 13 Comments

Opinion: Time to take the politics out of housing

By Andy Boddington | Fri 19th July 2013 - 8:55 am

We need an Office of Housing Responsibility to take politics out of housing.

Planning minister, Nick Boles said on 17 July 2013.

Every government member will be able to campaign with pride on the Localism Act at the next election in 2015, because by 2015 it will have delivered.

Nick Boles is wrong. Localism won’t have been delivered by 2015. And it never will be until there is agreement on how to solve the housing crisis.

Localism is not being delivered because local plans are not being completed. Too many plans are being held up with by a four-way ping pong between councils, communities, …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 16 Comments

Opinion: Antisocial behaviour bill set to restrict public protest

By Andy Boddington | Mon 15th July 2013 - 2:54 pm

February 15th 2003 - Iraq war demo in LondonThe Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill, which completes its committee stage today (Monday), is set to join a growing list of parliamentary acts that are used in ways that were not intended by lawmakers. Many of the champions of the freedom to live and roam freely (and, alas, smoke) are raising concerns about the Antisocial Behaviour Bill, including Liberty (pdf), the Manifesto Club (pdf), and the Ramblers. For me the real danger in this bill lies in its …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 7 Comments

Opinion: Statistics don’t vote. Should we care if they are abused?

By Andy Boddington | Wed 10th July 2013 - 10:25 am

Statistics don’t vote – should we care if they are abused?

Statistics are essential to our wellbeing and the bane of our future. We need numbers to understand what is happening in our world. Yet day after day, they end up abused in our media, distorted by our political leaders and muddled in our heads

Yesterday the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) published a cute survey that looks at the difference between statistical perceptions and reality.

Let’s look first at those people who are satisfied with their experience of local council services. That’s 38% of us. This is not great applause, but when …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 6 Comments

Opinion: No social media identity? Be very afraid

By Andy Boddington | Wed 23rd January 2013 - 11:45 am

Twitter logoYesterday the government chief scientist issued a thoughtful Foresight report on social media and social identity. It has important implications for political campaigning. For those in a hurry, here is the main message in a tweet:

@andybodders No online identity? You will fade out of existence #beveryafraid

The report uses rather more eloquent words to express this:

As people have become accustomed to switching seamlessly between the

Continue reading »
Posted in Online politics and Op-eds | Tagged , and | 15 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Mick Taylor
    What a surprise, not...
  • Jason Connor
    The Greens, Lib Dems and Conservatives are all standing. They all see sense and believe in democratic choices....
  • Mick Taylor
    @Lawrence Cox. To read your comment one might want to believe that the Triple Lock has ensured pensioners have decent pensions. It hasn't and UK state pensions ...
  • Chloe
    A Blue Labour response recent events in Hampshire. Well worth a read. https://www.paulembery.com/p/for-the-race-obsessed-british-state...
  • theakes
    A new strategy/approach requires a new leader...