Author Archives: Helen Duffett

Lib Dem Special Conference: the statistics

Here are the facts and figures from Sunday’s Special Conference:

  • Time taken to organise: 4 days – compared to the year that a Lib Dem conference usually takes. Even the Liberal-SDP merger conference of 1988 was arranged with 4 months’ notice.
  • Total number of delegates: 1650 (of whom 250 registered on the day). This was larger than any Lib Dem Spring Conference.
  • It featured the longest debate at a Liberal Democrat conference (3.5 hours)
  • Number of speakers cards submitted: 172
  • Number of speeches made: 38
  • Number of intervention cards submitted: 110
  • Number of interventions taken: 30
  • Number of amendments: 9 (all passed)
  • Speeches against the motion as a

Posted in Conference | 5 Comments

Fake “Miliband for Leader” website slams Gordon Brown

Last week David Miliband announced his intention to stand for the Labour leadership, and there are already websites promoting and discussing potential contenders.

However, one of them is not what it seems:

David Miliband fake website screenshot

It looks exactly like David Miliband’s personal website, http://www.davidmiliband.info, right down to the photo slideshow, and work has clearly gone into making it come out well in Google search results (known as Search Engine Optimisation).

If you Google “Miliband for Leader” the seventh result on the first page is http://www.milibandforleader.co.uk.

The …

Posted in News | Tagged , and | 16 Comments

LibLink: Mark Pack – Lib Dems revel in a share of power

At Comment is Free, Mark Pack shares his impressions of the Liberal Democrat Special (not-so-secret) Conference held yesterday in Birmingham.

In an atmosphere I described yesterday as “more wedding than wake” more than a thousand party members met to debate the Lib Dem-Conservative coalition agreement.

Mark captures the mood of a party who now have their hands on the levers of power:

Travelling by train to the Liberal Democrat conference yesterday, I did what I usually do on my way to party conferences – read through the agenda and background policy information.

Except this time there was one key difference. I

Posted in LibLink | Tagged | 7 Comments

Local election roundup from ALDC

The Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors has reported back on last week’s council election results:

Just as the General Election produced a mixed bag of results, so did this year’s council elections. Although overall we had a net loss of 135 seats and control of a number of councils, the outcome was far more complex.

The results in metropolitan and London councils saw a net loss of 52 and 77 seats respectively losing overall control of Richmond upon Thames, Liverpool, Rochdale and Sheffield in the process. However, in unitary councils and the English districts we lost just 5 and 1

Posted in News | Tagged and | 2 Comments

The LDV Friday Five: 14 May 2010

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

1. What should the party do next? Have your say by 2pm on Saturday (394) by Mark Pack
2. Deal or no deal? Here’s what I think (300) by Stephen Tall
3. Thirsk & Malton election delayed after candidate dies (17) by Mark Pack
4. What Lib Dem members think about talking to the Tories: LDV poll results (89) by Stephen Tall
5. The morning after the night before: 10 questions we need to answer (but maybe not today) (100) by Stephen Tall

5 active LDV Members’ Forum threads

Who can attend a Special Conference?
Membership numbers
Fixed term parliaments and the 55% rule
Excuse me, what’s this elephant doing here?
How Do People Feel about a Basic Income?

5 most active groups on ACT

1. Coalition?
2. PR Or Nothing
3. Lib Dems on Twitter
4. Liberal Youth
5. Liberal Democrat Humanist and Secularist Group

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

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Dee Doocey: London Mayor should not take over the Metropolitan Police Authority’s role

Commenting on the statement by Theresa May, the new Home Secretary, that she intends to push through plans for directly elected police commissioners, Dee Doocey, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly policing spokesperson and a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority said:

For ten years the Metropolitan Police Service has been accountable to Londoners through a police authority. To now place all that accountability in the hands of one person would be a serious mistake.

“Boris Johnson struggled to even chair the Metropolitan Police Authority, so the idea that he, or indeed any Mayor, could now do the

Posted in London and News | Tagged , , , and | 3 Comments

Daily View 2×2: 14 May 2010. “Do or do not. There is no try.”

Welcome to the Daily View for May 14. Happy 66th birthday to George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars movies.

“Do or Do not. There is no try” video also available on YouTube.

Perhaps Lynne Featherstone had this in mind this morning when she wrote Doing – not saying! Congratulations, Lynne, on your appointment as Under Secretary of State for Equalities.

Do or do not? – 2 Must-Read Blog Posts

What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here are two posts that caught my eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator:

  • We have to make this work
  • From Cllr Steve Guy’s blog, “The Sandals are Off”:

    To be a Lib Dem who doesn’t agree with the new politics is to fundamentally have misunderstood what being a Lib Dem means. Central to our manifesto in every year of our existence has been our commitment for fair votes (proportional representation). If you believe in PR, then by definition, you believe that the old two party seesaw was bad.

  • Why I am leaving the Liberal Democrats…
  • by Jane Watkinson:

    I do leave the Liberal Democrats still fully supporting what they stand for. Unfortunately, I think we have compromised too many of our central beliefs in a bid for power. I know many of you agree with the coalition, and it has become apparent that it is best I leave instead of trying to argue my case within.

Spotted any other great posts in the last day from blogs that aren’t on the aggregator? Do post up a comment sharing them with us all.

Doing and trying – 2 Big Stories

Posted in Daily View | Tagged , , , , , and | 1 Comment

Dee Doocey elected chair of London Assembly

From a news release by the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group:

The London Assembly has today elected Dee Doocey AM as its new Chair for 2010/11. Jennette Arnold AM has been re-elected as Deputy Chair. At their Annual Meeting Assembly Members also re-established a number of committees to examine the Mayor of London’s policies and investigate issues of importance to London.

Chair of the London Assembly Dee Doocey AM said:

“I am honoured that my colleagues have chosen me to lead the Assembly for the year ahead. I will do my utmost to justify their confidence in handing me this additional opportunity to serve Londoners. I am also proud to be the first Irish person to Chair the London Assembly.

At this changing time in our national political landscape it is more important than ever that London has a strong voice and powerful advocates to make the case for funding vital projects like Crossrail. The London Assembly is determined to ensure that the sound arguments for investing in the capital’s future, and the benefits that will also bring to the rest of the country, do not go unheard.

In the months ahead the Assembly will continue to monitor the refinement of the Mayor’s strategies and measure what impact they do or do not have on the quality of life in London. We will also continue to challenge the London 2012 team to deliver not just an excellent Games but also the long term benefits the capital was promised in the bid.”

You can also listen to Dee’s acceptance speech via Audioboo, courtesy of Mayorwatch:

Listen!

Posted in London and News | Tagged , and | 2 Comments

Special conference now open to all members

Party President Ros Scott has emailed members with more news about this Sunday’s Liberal Democrat Special Conference.

Registration has now been extended to all members; however only voting reps are eligible to vote on the motion.

Conference is closed to journalists and media.

Registration for the Liberal Democrats’ special conference is now open to all party members. Every party member has the right to attend conference and participate in the debate (though of course only voting conference reps will have the right to vote on the motion).

You can register now via the special conference website. The website also contains the agenda for

Posted in Conference | 12 Comments

Where’s the coalition of the sexes?

With most of the key cabinet posts now announced, and other positions coming at a trickle, the new government so far looks overwhelmingly male.

The exceptions so far are Theresa May (Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equality) and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi (Conservative Party Chairman). Reports of a role for Caroline Flint are unconfirmed.

There’s been no word yet about any of the talented female Liberal Democrat MPs being offered a role in the new government. However, I can’t help noticing a correlation with the Lib Dem (all male) negotiating team, with all but Andrew Stunell getting cabinet posts.

I …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , , and | 11 Comments

Liberal Democrat Special Conference called for Sunday 16 May

Liberal Democrat Party President Ros Scott has announced a Special Conference for Liberal Democrat party members.

Note: advance registration is currently open only to those who are voting members of conference.

From Ros’s email to party members :

You will have seen from the news that the party’s Federal Executive and parliamentary party yesterday approved the coalition agreement negotiated with the Conservative Party.

Both bodies endorsed it overwhelmingly, by much more than a three-quarters majority. The provisions of the ‘triple lock’ procedure approved by conference in 1998 have therefore been satisfied, and there is no requirement for a special conference to endorse the

Posted in Conference and News | 14 Comments

Don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be different: the second Lib Dem election broadcast

Posted in General Election and Lib Dem TV | Tagged and | 1 Comment

The LDV Friday Five: 30 April 2010

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

1. The flow diagram which shows you who to vote for (22) by Stephen Tall
2. Labour set for worst share of vote since 1918: why isn’t that a big story? (28) by Mark Pack
3. Dear Ian Cowie… (13) by Mark Pack
4. Well fancy that! Two other poll results The Sun paid for but didn’t report (6) by Mark Pack
5. Exclusive poll: newspaper hostility makes voters more likely to back Lib Dems (10) by Mark Pack

5 active LDV Members’ Forum threads

Lib Dem environmental policy
Doctor Who
Virals and imprints?
Election Communication service from Media Group
Online donations

5 interesting groups on ACT

1. Come on you Yellows!- Lib Dem Football Fans
2. British Constitution Discussion Group
3. FAQ LD
4. Membership Development
5. Liberal Democrat Psephologists

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

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Revealed: the secret of canvassing…

…is to ask people who are on the electoral roll how they intend to vote.

That might be obvious to seasoned activists, whose knuckles are skinned from all that door knocking by this stage in the campaign.

Not so to Tessa Jowell, whose confidence that Labour will hold Islington South and Hampstead & Kilburn seems to be misplaced.

Dave Hill’s excellent London Blog for the Guardian asked yesterday: Lib Dem surge in London: do the polls lie?

Yesterday late-afternoon I spoke to Tessa Jowell. She said that many of those telling canvassers they were thinking of voting Lib Dem were young,

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , and | 3 Comments

The LDV Friday Five: 23 April 2010

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

1. Poll surge continues: is this 2003 or 1974? (43) by Mark Pack
2. Dear Labour Party, You’re messing with my head (11) by Stephen Tall
3. The Second Leaders’ Debate: live-blog and live-chat (21) by Stephen Tall
4. Daily Mail: big boost for Lib Dems in poll – but editorial line even more striking (29) by Mark Pack
5. Torygraph smears Clegg: is this the best the rightwing press can do? (45)by Stephen Tall

5 active LDV Members’ Forum threads

Most bizarre election story
Virals and imprints?
The Clegg factor
Immigration Policy
Eruption to Disrupt?

5 featured groups on ACT

1. Vote Labservative!
2. Debate Nights
3. Bring Back Sue
4. Liberal Youth
5. Act Creative

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

Posted in News | 1 Comment

Dawn Butler apologises for calling Sarah Teather a “hypocrite” over MPs expenses

Labour Minister Dawn Butler has issued a legal apology to Sarah Teather for calling her a hypocrite over MPs’ expenses. Butler made the accusation while the running of Sarah Teather’s office was under investigation. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner later dropped the investigation because there were no grounds to suspect any wrongdoing by Ms Teather.

From the letter (signed by Dawn Butler as well as councillors and senior officials from Brent Central Labour Party):

We accept that statements made in those falsely suggested that you are a hypocrite when you speak on the issue of MPs’ expenses because your own expense

Posted in News | Tagged , and | 5 Comments

The LDV Friday Five: 9 April 2010

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

1. “You’ll be found dead on the streets” – the message from a BNP supporter (16) by Dominic Carman
2. The ‘Digital Economy Bill Saints’: the MPs who voted against Labour’s internet freedom clampdown #DEbill (25) by Richard Flowers
3. Votematch is back: which party most closely matches your policy preferences? (11) by Mark Pack
4. Election purdah period: what can and can’t be done? (0) by Mark Pack
5. BNP hit by allegations of coups, infighting and sabotage (15) by Mark Pack

5 active LDV Members’ Forum threads

Artworking focus on a Mac?
Online donations
Canvassing tales
Public Interest Test
Change logo – Riso

5 featured groups on ACT

1. Vote Labservative!
2. Debate Nights
3. Bring Back Sue
4. Liberal Youth
5. Act Creative

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

Posted in Friday Five | 1 Comment

Election campaign essentials [contains chocolate]

With campaigning going into overdrive this week, take a moment to check that you’ve got all the information you need:

The Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors have pulled together a handy set of election campaign essentials over at the ALDC website (including gratuitous chocolate pic 🙂 ).

From essential forms and artwork templates to official and party guidance, it’s worth going through the list and seeing if there’s anything you’ve missed for your campaign.

Some of the items require a login to view them; you can of course join ALDC here.

Meanwhile on Lib Dem Voice, Mark’s keeping us on track …

Posted in General Election | Tagged and | Leave a comment

The LDV Friday Five: 2 April 2010

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

1. Ask the Chancellors: live blog (21) by Mark Pack
2. What does Zac make of the Tories’ latest nuclear policy? (5) by Stephen Tall
3. Your handy guide to how to be a journalist (9) by Mark Pack
4. Sarah Teather cleared, mystery of forged letters remains (15) by Mark Pack
5. Labservative.com: reaction so far (19) by Mark Pack

5 active LDV Members’ Forum threads

Eve of poll/good morning
Freepost templates
Facebook advertising
Writing literature?
Mephedrone

5 newest groups on ACT

1. Why should the lib dems get my vote?
2. Vote Labservative!
3. A Ministry of Veracity
4. Party Slogans
5. Rage Against the Election

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

Posted in Friday Five | Leave a comment

Daily View 2×2: 2 April 2010

2 General Election/statistics-themed stories

Holding general election on May 6th would save £7m says Government
Which is nothing compared to, say, scrapping the Child Trust Fund – but Gordon Brown’s timing of the election has only ever been about saving political skins, not money.

Figures disclosed in a Parliamentary written answer show that it will cost £82.1m to stage the election on the most likely date, five weeks today.

But if the country went to the polls on any other day, it is estimated that the cost would rise by more than £7m to reach £89.6m.

The 2005 general election, which also coincided with regional votes, is said to have cost £80m.

Posted in Daily View | Tagged , , , , , and | Leave a comment

LDVideo: April (paywall) Fool

In case you missed Lib Dem Voice’s April 1st joke:

Also available on YouTube here.

We told readers this morning:

Posted in Humour | Tagged , and | 2 Comments

Tories cry “foul” at Lib Dems’ fair hearing

More complaints about the Liberal Democrats and media bias – but this time it’s the Conservatives worried that when Liberal Democrats get equal billing, people like what they see.

From the Times:

The Conservatives complained to the programme makers three times during Monday night’s television debate between the candidates for Chancellor, accusing them of skewing coverage in favour of Vince Cable.

At one point during the Channel 4 Ask the Chancellors programme senior Tories phoned the hotline to the production staff claiming that the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman was receiving too much applause.

Yesterday the Conservatives warned broadcasters not to give the Liberal Democrats an easy ride in the leaders’ TV debates.

Although many were happy with the performance of George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, senior Conservatives, including David Cameron, were irritated by the way Mr Cable was able to present himself as a referee between two opponents rather than facing pressure over his own policy positions.

We’ve covered before the familiar problem of media bias against the Liberal Democrats, and explained how you can help.

So what happens when a Liberal Democrat does get an equal chance?

Posted in News | Tagged , , and | 10 Comments

Paul Burstow: Liberal Democrats won’t support the Digital Economy Bill

The Liberal Democrats have now withdrawn their support for the Digital Economy Bill, in a revision of the original plan to vote against certain elements in the “washup” (the last-minute rush to pass laws without debate or detailed scrutiny at the end of a Parliament).

Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip announced on Twitter earlier today:

I have told the Govt we won’t support the Digital Economy Bill as drafted. There is not enough time for MPs to examine it in detail.

The Guardian takes up the story:

Posted in News and Parliament | Tagged and | 5 Comments

LDVideo: Vince Cable’s best bits from Ask The Chancellors

Welcome to this latest LDVideo instalment, highlighting video clips from last night’s Ask The Chancellors debate on Channel 4.

Vince not only speaks the most sense but provokes the best reaction from the audience, getting more rounds of applause and even warm laughter.

On bank bonuses:


available on YouTube here.

I warned of the recession:

Posted in News | Tagged , , , and | 2 Comments

New MPs’ expenses rules published – the end of second homes and first class travel

New rules published today by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority mean that MPs will no longer be able to profit from taxpayer-funded second homes, nor claim for gardening, cleaning or first-class travel.*

However, the scheme has stopped short of a ban on MPs employing family members. Instead, no more than one “connected party” (i.e. close family member, spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner) may work for each MP, within approved salary and job description guidelines.

Professor Sir Ian Kennedy, Chair of the IPSA said,

No longer will MPs benefit from a slack allowances system. This system brings MPs’ expenses into line with those in most other areas of life. Expenses will be reimbursed only for legitimate costs, backed up by receipts.

There will be complete transparency, so that members of the public will see, in detail, expenses claimed by MPs. The rules will be backed up with tough new measures and abuse of the system will not be tolerated.

The new system is fair, workable and transparent. It will enable MPs to carry out the job we ask them to do and will provide reassurance and value for money to the tax-paying public.

Key components include:

Posted in News and Parliament | Tagged , , and | 6 Comments

“Does the government really want to pick a fight with Joanna Lumley six weeks before a general election?”

Joanna Lumley and Peter Carroll, founder of the Gurkha Justice campaign, are to hold a press conference tomorrow to respond to criticism of the campaign.

From yesterday’s Independent:

Joanna Lumley today hit out at what she claimed was a Government smear campaign that saw her accused of “deathly silence” over Gurkhas’ rights.

Earlier this month, defence minister Kevan Jones expressed “irritation” with the actress amid claims that Nepalese veterans had been misled and exploited. “Her deathly silence, frankly, irritates me,” he said.

But in a letter circulated today, Ms Lumley denounced the allegations.

Signed by the actress, campaigner Peter Carroll and

Posted in News | Tagged , , and | 1 Comment

The LDV Friday Five: 26 March 2010

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

1. Ooops! Mirror gets poll graph wrong and inflates Labour’s position (13) by Mark Pack.
2. Were there two YouGov polls for the Sunday Times? (3) by Mark Pack.
3. Roberta Blackman-Woods – desperately sabre-rattling on her MP’s expenses (1) by Stephen Tall.
4. The 7 retiring Lib Dem MPs (and the 7 candidates hoping to replace them) (4) by Stephen Tall.
5. Cameron filmed confused and clueless in gay equality TV interview (9) by Stephen Tall.

5 active LDV Members’ Forum threads

Taking campaign films to a new level
Nick Clegg on the Politics Show
Size of the public sector
Writing literature?
Cutting winter fuel allowance

5 recently active groups on ACT

1. Nick Clegg Meets…
2. Lib Dem Cider Drinkers
3. Southport Liberal Democrats
4. Say No to Trident
5. Lib Dem Media Watch

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

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Daily View 2×2: 26 March 2010

Time flies – Friday already! And is it really 29 years to the day that the Gang of Four launched a new political party: the Social Democrats?

Roy Jenkins said at the launch:

We want to get away from the politics of our dated dogmatism and class confrontation. We want to release the energies of people who are fed up with the old slanging match.

Watch the video of the launch here.

2 Big Stories

Digital economy bill to be pushed through parliament next month

The controversial digital economy bill will be pushed through in the “wash-up” leading up to an election, after the government confirmed that it will receive its second reading in the Commons on 6 April – the same day that Gordon Brown is expected to seek Parliament’s dissolution.

Harriet Harman, the leader of the house, said today that the bill will get its second reading. But when questioned by Labour MPs Neil Gerrard and Tom Watson about the lack of time given to debate over controversial issues in the bill, she said only that “ministers are aware” of the strong feelings that the proposed legislation has engendered.

Posted in Daily View | Tagged , , , , , , and | 1 Comment

The first Google Street View Liberal Democrat superboard of spring?

First we brought you a smudge.

But now there’s no mistaking this Liberal Democrat superboard on Google Streetview.

Well, I say spring, but this image from Bedford looks as though it was taken in autumn – during the campaign to elect Dave Hodgson as mayor?

Anyway, now that the stakes have been raised (ahem), has anyone spotted a more impressive political campaign poster on Google Street View?

Posted in Online politics | Tagged , and | 4 Comments

Social media explained in a new guide for councillors

The Leadership Centre for local government has launched a new website: The councillors’ guide to social media.

The site has a variety of information for councillors, and is particularly accessible for those who haven’t yet tried this way of communicating.

Here’s a flavour:

  • Top ten reasons to use social media
  •  

  • Banished! Ten social media myths
  •  

  • Getting started
  •  

  • Top ten councillors on Twitter which features four Liberal Democrats (including Lib Dem Voice editors Sara Bedford and Alex Foster).
  •  

  • Opportunities not taken is particularly interesting, as it highlights areas for improvement. It says that councillors and officers tend to face cultural, rather than technical barriers to using social media. Some councils still lack a clear social media policy for councillors or officers, either in a personal or professional capacity. Many councils routinely block access to social networking sites on their computers. The guide suggests ways for councillors to hold their councils to account over their social media approach.
  •  

    Connected councillors – a guide to using social media to support local leadership – is available as an interactive version and also downloadable as a pdf.

    The site also features a video of Lib Dem Councillor for Redlands (and 2009 LDV Blog of the Year shortlistee for her use of social media) Daisy Benson explaining why she uses social media:

    Posted in Online politics | Tagged , , , , and | 2 Comments
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