Author Archives: Mary Reid

Mary Reid

Women bishops – at last

By Mary Reid | Tue 15th July 2014 - 11:49 am

women bishopsAll liberals, of whatever political persuasion, will welcome the news that the barriers to appointing women bishops in the Church of England have now been removed.  There has been a lot of misinformation flying around, with the glib portrayal of the bishops as a crowd of geriatric misogynists, so a few facts might help to improve the debate.

The General Synod, which is the governing body of the Church of England, first approved the appointment of female bishops in principle in 2008. Since then it has been trying to agree on the provisions to be made for those local churches which will not accept them, just as it did when women were first ordained as priests.

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

The Sun calls for a VAT cut on UK holidays

By Mary Reid | Tue 1st July 2014 - 3:34 pm

stephen gilbertAfter the energetic debate in these columns over the photo of Nick Clegg holding the free World Cup edition of the Sun, it is, shall we say, interesting to be able to report a Lib Dem MP praising that newspaper for a campaign it is running.

Stephen Gilbert, the MP for St Austell & Newquay, in the holiday county of Cornwall, is quoted as supporting the Sun’s petition to cut VAT on holidays in the UK. He says:

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 12 Comments
Mary Reid

David Cameron should make Nick Clegg end the Coalition, say Tory MPs

By Mary Reid | Tue 24th June 2014 - 10:44 am

Nick Clegg and David CameronThat is the headline over at Huffington Post, and it certainly makes for fascinating reading. How about this:

Tory MP John Redwood said Cameron should deliberately antagonise his Liberal Democrat partners into leaving, and warned the prime minister that terminating the coalition early may not be ‘”wise” as he had “given his word” and “it’ll not look good if the leader of the main party was to end the coalition”.

“What should happen now is the Conservative majority in the government should start to press very strongly for two or three distinctively conservative policies, and if the Liberals really don’t like it, they could push to leave on the grounds that they wish to impede from the benches of opposition,” he said.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 18 Comments
Mary Reid

Steve Webb: Pensions minister with the future of millions in his hands

By Mary Reid | Tue 24th June 2014 - 9:05 am

webb 01In a profile in the FT, Pensions Minister Steve Webb is described as “one of the Coalition’s most hyperactive lieutenants”.

Now Steve is highly efficient and has achieved a huge amount since he took on the role four years ago, but he is also unflappable and “hyperactive” is not a term I would normally use about him. And whilst the term “lieutenant” usually refers to someone who is second in command, which is technically correct for a Junior Minister, no-one in Government beats his deep knowledge of his subject.

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

Nick Clegg attacks human rights abuses in China

By Mary Reid | Tue 17th June 2014 - 11:25 am

Nick Clegg Q&A 12Yesterday we commented on Nick Clegg’s press conference in which he launched the first phase of the manifesto.

We did not then cover the comments he subsequently made about the visit by the Chinese Premier to the UK.

Nick is quoted:

We can’t ignore the large-scale and systematic human rights abuses which still continue in China to this day the very widespread use of the death penalty.

We have seen economic transformation on a scale possibly unheard of in the modern world where millions of people have become economically

…

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

Some questions on those Trojan Horse Ofsted inspections

By Mary Reid | Tue 10th June 2014 - 8:57 am

school lockersYesterday a commenter on Lib Dem Voice asked why the party had not responded to the Trojan Horse allegations about schools in Birmingham. Now I make no claim to any knowledge about the affair, apart from what I read in a decidedly partisan press, but I can at least raise some questions.

I was struck this morning by an article in the Guardian by the assistant principal on one of the schools that has been downgraded from Outstanding to Inadequate.

Lee Donaghy writes under a headline ‘Ofsted’s slur on the Muslim community of Park View School‘:

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | 78 Comments
Mary Reid

++Breaking news: Matthew Oakeshott commissioned the Guardian poll

By Mary Reid | Tue 27th May 2014 - 4:21 pm

Lord Matthew Oakeshott addresses conferenceThe Independent has revealed that Matthew Oakeshott was the ‘Lib Dem supporter’ behind the ICM polling which we covered here.

In an article headed ‘Vince Cable allies accused of plotting to bring down Nick Clegg‘ it claims:

Lord Oakeshott has been a close friend of Mr Cable for many years and has made no secret of his desire to see the Business Secretary succeed Mr Clegg.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 55 Comments
Mary Reid

Research on impact of change of leader on four key seats

By Mary Reid | Tue 27th May 2014 - 8:25 am

Nick Clegg, Danny Alexander and Vince Cable vote for the Make it Happen resolutionThe Guardian today leads with a sorry tale headlined: Clegg taking Lib Dems to wipeout.

An unnamed Lib Dem supporter has commissioned ICM to carry out research in four key Lib Dem constituencies, including Nick Clegg’s own seat, and the report has been leaked to the Guardian.

Voters were asked how they would vote in a General Election if the party were led by Nick Clegg, Vince Cable or Danny Alexander.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , and | 83 Comments
Mary Reid

It’s election time

By Mary Reid | Tue 20th May 2014 - 9:04 am

Liberal Democrat posters - Some rights reserved by Brett PattersonIt’s election week, and all the workers volunteers at LDV towers are heavily involved in the action on the ground.

Not surprisingly many potential contributors are also either shackled to Connect or getting sunburn and blisters while out delivering and canvassing.

So you must excuse the rather thin offerings this week. We will do our best to provide you with some light reading while you are soaking your feet, but can’t guarantee quantity.

On the other hand, if you have something you are dying to say, and you are not needed in the battlefields, now might be a good opportunity for you. See our guidelines for contributors before you send anything in to us.

Good luck to all candidates and activists!

Continue reading »
Posted in Site news | 38 Comments
Mary Reid

Social Liberal Forum conference 2014

By Mary Reid | Tue 6th May 2014 - 4:28 pm

slflogoSocial liberalism is right at the heart of Liberal Democrat values, and all Lib Dems, right across the political spectrum, believe in fighting for the rights and needs of the disenfranchised and disadvantaged.

The Social Liberal Forum is a membership group within the party who are committed to making sure that these values drive policy and strategy. Its key aims are to promote social justice and to narrow gaps in power.

This summer will see its fourth annual conference, with the theme ‘Governing as Liberal Democrats’, taking place in London on Saturday 19th July. All

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 6 Comments
Mary Reid

Nick Clegg announces £500million investment in green cars

By Mary Reid | Tue 29th April 2014 - 2:58 pm

POD-PointThe Liberal Democrats have just announced a new Government initiative to encourage the use of electric cars.

Drivers of electric cars already benefit from zero road tax and zero congestion charge in London, as well as the knowledge that they are helping to reduce air pollution. But they have also had to plan journeys carefully so they can find charge-points when they need them.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 13 Comments
Mary Reid

Pauline Pearce on the Daily Politics Show

By Mary Reid | Tue 8th April 2014 - 2:54 pm

Pauline Pearce was the studio guest in Monday’s Daily Politics. She deals with questions on Iain Duncan Smith’s latest reforms of the welfare system, and on Nigel Farage and the EU.

Half way through the show there is a profile of Pauline, which explains why she became known as the Hackney Heroine. It is followed by a discussion between her and David Lammy about the Hackney riots – I leave you to decide who won!

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 2 Comments
Mary Reid

Imprints on online political ads?

By Mary Reid | Tue 8th April 2014 - 1:52 pm

Do you remember Bingo graphic that Grant Shapps tweeted last month, which not only went viral but attracted a lot of parodies?

At the time nobody commented on the fact that the ad did not have an imprint. Party activists all know that any printed political literature must have a ‘Published, promoted and printed …’ imprint on it, and not having one can be a criminal offence during election time. And yet there is no such requirement for online ads.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 6 Comments
Mary Reid

In the media today, April 1st

By Mary Reid | Tue 1st April 2014 - 12:24 pm

spiralThe Guardian reveals plans for Scotland to switch to driving on the right after Independence. The article includes a video (which we can’t embed here) and uses a natty Lego model to explain how the crossover from left to right at the border will work .

To ease the transition, Scottish transport planners, under strict conditions of secrecy, have begun drawing up plans for a series of spiral interchanges at the major border transport nodes. These will transition drivers to the correct side of the road – whether travelling south–north or north-south – and avoid cross-border crashes – “a PR disaster worse than horsemeat in haggis”, according to one planner.

It is understood that another proposal involving traffic light sequencing has been rejected. Instead of red, amber, green, it would have become red, amber, blue. But there was a fear that this would be adopted south of the border by the Conservatives and so lose any distinctiveness.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | 13 Comments
Mary Reid

Fewer workless households

By Mary Reid | Tue 25th March 2014 - 3:59 pm

welfare-vs-workfare.s600x600Lib Dem HQ tells us that the number of workless households is falling.

Over the last four years, under the Coalition, the number of households in which no-one works has dropped by 450,000, with a substantial drop of 137,000 in the last year alone.

This outcome appears to validate the campaign to make work pay, so that people will always be better off in work than on benefits.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 10 Comments
Mary Reid

By-election victory in Ludlow North

By Mary Reid | Tue 18th March 2014 - 1:54 pm

Congratulations to former Lib Dem Voice editor Andy Boddington on a resounding victory in the Council by-election in Ludlow North!

Winning in Ludlow North

Andy is the man in the hat – as always.

Continue reading »
Posted in Council by-elections | Tagged and | 5 Comments
Mary Reid

“I love how proud we are to be modest” and other things that Nick Clegg did not say

By Mary Reid | Tue 11th March 2014 - 5:21 pm

Craig Brown has written a parody of Nick Clegg’s speech to conference in the Daily Mail. Here is a short extract:

The same nation that came up with the Curly Wurly is now developing Oscar-winning visual effects; cutting-edge design; theatre, fashion, music, film, deputy leadership — you name it, we do it, and we’re up there with the best.

I love our weather forecast, and the way it tells you what the weather might be like tomorrow.

I love the sea, and the way it can be rough one day and calm the next.

I love the sun for the way it

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 5 Comments
Mary Reid

How to follow what is happening at Spring Conference #LDconf

By Mary Reid | Sat 8th March 2014 - 8:37 am

If you are not in York for the Lib Dem Spring Conference, you can follow what is going on in various ways.

For as-it-happens coverage follow the tweets on #LDconf.

Sadly, although the BBC broadcasts the main Autumn conference each year, it does not cover the Spring one – largely because the other parties do not hold similar events. Instead you can follow the live blog on the party website.

For an independent view, the York Press is making the most of having the conference on its doorstep and is also live blogging.

Continue reading »
Posted in Conference | Tagged | Leave a comment
Mary Reid

Liblink: Nick Clegg – security oversight must be fit for the internet age

By Mary Reid | Tue 4th March 2014 - 1:25 pm

nick clegg pondersNick Clegg writes today in the Guardian under the headline: ‘Edward Snowden’s revelations made it clear: security oversight must be fit for the internet age.’

Until this week, the revelations published by the Guardian about the nature and extent of internet surveillance had provoked little reaction from British politicians. The quality of the debate in the US provides an unflattering contrast to the muted debate this side of the Atlantic.

Some of the revelations have described far-reaching intelligence-gathering capabilities. There are questions of principle here that require answers. Are such capabilities necessary and proportionate? Does the benefit to national security clearly outweigh the infringement of privacy? Are there proper checks and balances to guard against abuse? To ask these questions is not to question the good faith of those who work for the agencies. I have had the privilege of working with all three security services, and have nothing but praise for their professionalism.

I don’t doubt that they comply with the legal framework set for them by parliament. The issue is whether the rules we have set are fit for the internet age.

Continue reading »
Posted in LibLink | Tagged , and | 2 Comments
Mary Reid

Nick Clegg announces 2015 negotiating team

By Mary Reid | Tue 4th March 2014 - 11:34 am

Nick Clegg has announced the team who will handle coalition negotiations after the election in 2015 (if needed, of course).  It will consist of Danny Alexander, Steve Webb, Sal Brinton, Lynne Featherstone and David Laws.

In his book ‘22 days in May‘ David Laws revealed that Nick Clegg had appointed the 2010 negotiating team in secret during the previous year. The team was not put together in haste after the election, as many had assumed, so there were really no excuses for the absence of women. Politically David Laws and Danny Alexander were drawn from the economic liberal wing of …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , and | 42 Comments
Mary Reid

Should political parties pay for policing at conferences?

By Mary Reid | Tue 11th February 2014 - 1:37 pm

policeFollowing a Freedom of Information request the BBC has obtained figures for the amounts spent on policing political party conferences.

It seems that over the last five years the Home Office has provided £106 million in special grants to fund the police presence at one-off events such as major protests or the Royal wedding. £50 million of that has gone on party conferences.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 10 Comments
Mary Reid

Call Clegg: On the Somerset floods and Sochi

By Mary Reid | Fri 7th February 2014 - 4:49 pm

Nick Clegg LBC squareOn his weekly phone-in today on LBC, Nick was asked what the Government was going to do to help gay people in Russia, in the light of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. This is what he said:

I am appalled as you are about this law in Russia. It’s just the most regressive law imaginable, it has a very chilling effect, intimidating effect, on many people in the lesbian, bi-sexual, gay community in Russia and elsewhere.

I’m not in favour of sports boycotts, in fact I’m  a big fan of winter sports. We’ll be cheering our athletes as much as anyone else when watching the Sochi games, but I am not going to go and I certainly wouldn’t want any Liberal Democrat minister to go there given the strength of feeling in my party, and I feel this very strongly as well, that what Russia has done, on that legislation, is just plain wrong.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , and | 7 Comments
Mary Reid

Nick Clegg’s Twitter Pic

By Mary Reid | Fri 7th February 2014 - 1:59 pm

When Nick Clegg was at LBC today he was presented with a portrait of himself painted by a 12 year old. He promised to make it his twitter picture for the weekend.

And so he did.

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

Lib Dems amongst the top ten peers’ peers

By Mary Reid | Fri 7th February 2014 - 9:09 am

House of LordsEd Lowther at the BBC has identified the ‘top ten peers’ peers of 2013‘, defined as backbenchers in the House of Lords who were name-checked most frequently by their colleagues in the chamber. As he says: “This approach may not measure popularity or power, but it gives an impression of impact. ”

And are any of those lordly sociometric stars Lib Dem, by any chance? Of course they are.

At number 4 – drumroll, please – is ….

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , and | 5 Comments
Mary Reid

YouGov asks: What is it about Lib Dems and Sci-Fi?

By Mary Reid | Tue 4th February 2014 - 4:59 pm

TARDISYouGov has the hard evidence for something that a lot of us have suspected for a long time – that “There is a strange correlation between supporting the Liberal Democrats and being a fan of Science Fiction“.

YouGov regularly polls its panel of 400,000 people (including me, as it happens) so has built up some rich data. The survey last year on Doctor Who showed that while 31% of the population are interested in the programme, that jumps to 41% for Lib Dem supporters. (Nick Barlow blogged about the survey at the time)

Time and time again the Liberal Democrats appeared as the most correlated political party for Sci-Fi related topics. Movies like The Matrix, Blade Runner, Alien, The Fifth Element, Stargate, Back to the Future and Close Encounters of the Third Kind and sci fi classic books like Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, Dune and I Robot – ALL show positive correlations to support for the Lib Dems.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 29 Comments
Mary Reid

Paddy and Jane Ashdown shaken by fatal car accident

By Mary Reid | Fri 31st January 2014 - 2:20 pm

Paddy AshdownThe Telegraph reports that Paddy and Jane Ashdown were involved in a road accident  yesterday afternoon on the A356 near Crewkerne.  A Vauxhall Corsa clipped their car, and the driver of the Corsa, Mark Hurford, sadly died at the scene.

Paddy Ashdown said:

We were coming back from the station and my wife was driving me home. We were about a mile outside Crewkerne and a car came around the corner.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 1 Comment
Mary Reid

LibLink: Lorely Burt – “Then I went to Holloway”

By Mary Reid | Wed 29th January 2014 - 3:55 pm

lorely-outside-parliament-1

Yesterday, Lorely Burt was beaten by Sir Malcolm Bruce (some say closely) to the Deputy Leadership of the Parliamentary Party.

A few days ago The House Magazine interviewed her. In the article headlined Wouldn’t it be Lorely?, Lorely explains how her  “imaginative parents” chose her unusual name.

There was another child who was named Lorely and as far as I know there has only ever been two of us. They heard about this other child and thought ‘ooohhh that’s a nice name.’

She makes a number of comments relating to women in politics including the “very chauvinistic environment” in the Commons.

Continue reading »
Posted in LibLink | Tagged and | 6 Comments
Mary Reid

Lib Dems appoint Pastoral Care Officer

By Mary Reid | Tue 14th January 2014 - 3:34 pm

jeannetarrantLib Dem HQ has announced that Jeanne Tarrant has been appointed as Pastoral Care Officer. This post was created following the Helena Morrissey Report into process and culture within the party.

In August Party President Tim Farron explained what the party would be doing in response to that report. One of the commitments was to create the new post.

Jeanne introduces herself:

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | Leave a comment
Mary Reid

Stephen Williams says ‘Ask Me Anything’

By Mary Reid | Tue 14th January 2014 - 2:01 pm

Stephen Williams MPStephen Williams used reddit yesterday to answer questions put by his constituents in Bristol West.  He answered questions about web filters, homelessness, foreign policy, CCTV, voting reform, fracking, Bristol’s Mayor, HS2 and academies.

And this:

What is your favourite type of cheese?

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 2 Comments
Mary Reid

Nick Clegg lambasts George Osborne’s “monumental mistake”

By Mary Reid | Tue 7th January 2014 - 11:31 am

Clegg on OsbourneThe media are full of stories and commentary about  George Osborne’s announcement yesterday on the need to make a further £25 billion cuts after the next election, the bulk of which would come from welfare benefits.  Even the Telegraph refers to him as a “prophet of gloom“.

There is also much coverage of Nick Clegg’s response at his monthly press conference in which he said the Tories were making a “monumental mistake”.

You’ve got a Conservative party now who are driven, it seems to me, by two very clear ideological impulses. One is to remorselessly pare back the state – for ideological reasons just cut back the state.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 14 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Steve Trevethan
    Might we have a definition of government debt? Might we have a definition of democracy?...
  • David Raw
    @ Tristan Ward. Given your views on carers, I would strongly advise you to remain healthy and not to grow old....
  • Katrin Harding
    Thanks for grasping this issue! On the consultation sessions- I’d love to join one but the timings are impossible as a parent of young children. I’m happy t...
  • Peter Martin
    @ Kira, The words you quoted were from Peter Davies'. Not me. I wouldn't agree with raising VAT on energy to 15% right now. I'd leave it as is. The point ...
  • Peter Martin
    “‘why can’t social care and NHS spending be treated as ‘investment’’. Of course, that wont wash”. I'd agree if were talking about re...