Author Archives: Daisy Benson

Opinion: Time to concentrate on making our party fairer

Bad things happen in political parties just as they do elsewhere – the important thing is to learn from your mistakes and make every effort not to repeat them.

Recently, serious events forced us as a party to hold up a mirror to ourselves and in a number of areas we were found wanting.

As Helena Morrissey author of Processes and culture within the Liberal Democrats and recommendations for change herself said

Liberal Democrats recognise that the allegations alone and the circumstances surrounding them mean that the Party failed to live up to its own ideology.

Our ideology aka our values …

Posted in Op-eds | 24 Comments

NOW PLAYING: A post-election playlist

Like a lot of Lib Dems this Bank Holiday weekend I’ve been recovering from months of hard slog otherwise known as election campaigning.

A diet of canvassing, leafleting, takeaways and late night phone calls isn’t healthy for an extended period of time, so if you’re feeling knackered – worry not – I have just the thing!

In between resting aching legs/reminding friends and family what I look like/feeding the cats/watching the mayoral election/watching the French Presidential elections/sleeping I have put together a post-election playlist.

I was partly inspired by the Obama 2012 …

Posted in Humour | Tagged | 12 Comments

Opinion: The Campaign for Reading

In Reading, with council elections taking place most years we are used to campaigning all year round.

But this year is different.

For the first time we are defending our record in power at local (and national) level.

We are no longer in our comfort zone but it is exciting to be able to deliver for residents on the really key issues such as housing and social mobility where Labour failed.

And as Andrew Stunell MP, Minister for Local Government observed when he came to visit us last week it is a record of …

Posted in Local government, News and Op-eds | Tagged and | 4 Comments

Opinion: Lib Dems deliver fairness in Reading

Lib Dems deliver a budget to protect the most vulnerable in Reading (whilst keeping local libraries open and freezing Council Tax)

A lot has been written about decisions taken by local councils in recent weeks.

Here in Reading I am proud to say that the Liberal Democrats have played a key role in delivering a budget that seeks to be fair to all and to protect the most vulnerable in our community.

This has not been easy.

Although often characterised by the Centre for Cities as an economic powerhouse, the shocking truth is that after decades of Labour rule in Reading inequality has …

Posted in Op-eds | 6 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Mick Taylor
    We did have a democratic system for the House of Lords and Charles Kennedy made one round of Lords appointment based on it. Then, disgracefully, the party execu...
  • Jason Connor
    That's because the party isn't speaking to the country and by and large the media isn't listening. One policy you haven't mentioned is Burnham plans to raise th...
  • Jana
    “ Democratise Lib Dem Lords appointments” A brilliant idea. I hope you suggestion leads to a constitutional amendment for next Party conference....
  • Peter Martin
    The Labour Party has, at least for many years, been full of those who decline to call themselves Socialist but will, just about, accept they are Social Democra...
  • John Kelly
    Let’s hope the Palestinian elections scheduled for later this year do go ahead - they are indeed long overdue. The last attempt to hold elections was frustra...