Nick Clegg has released his New Year message to Lib Dem members, a simple and positive riff on the party’s four key manifesto commitments from the 2010 General Election.
In fact, for a New Year’s message, it’s very much about continuity; there are no fireworks or surprises, as I found when I played a little game earlier with a couple of colleagues – “Guess what’s in Nick’s New Year message?”
And we guessed correctly, almost to the word: a reiteration of the party’s “big four” commitments, with examples of where we’ve delivered (more examples here); a quick mention of coalition politics, without dwelling overly on “incredibly difficult decisions”; a look towards three themes for 2011: political reform, social mobility and economic recovery – each with a helpful, yet sparing definition in plain language. (AV, after all, is best presented as a fairer system which makes MPs work harder for your vote, rather than a mathematical conundrum.)
Nick rounds off with a rallying cry, to prove the naysayers wrong, and “continue to build the Liberal fairer, greener Britain that we all believe in.”
Here’s Nick’s message in full:
Well what a year! A white-knuckle election; a new coalition government; Liberals in power for the first time in 70 years.
Just eight months ago we were campaigning on our four big manifesto priorities – fairer taxes; extra money for disadvantaged children in schools; a green, rebalanced economy; a new, open politics.
And now we are delivering on every single one, and more.
It’s an unnecessarily well-kept secret that the Liberal Democrats have already achieved much in Government since the General Election.
Despite the Guardian saying today that “the Liberal Democrats have rushed out a checklist of 67 party manifesto commitments already or nearly achieved in eight months in office” it’s not that easy to find the checklist online, nor to understand why the newspaper used the word “rushed” when the party has waited two thirds of a year before compiling and releasing it in a low-key way to Lib Dem campaigners.
Nonetheless, the list is impressive, and deserves to be shared widely. So I’m publishing it below,
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 201st weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (19th -25th December, 2010), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.
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As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:
Convictions for historic gay sex offences will be erased as part of the Freedom Bill, the Sunday Telegraph reports:
Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat equalities minister, will announce firm proposals for new legislation within days, The Sunday Telegraph has learned.
The move will benefit thousands of men who were prosecuted for gay sex with someone over 16 during decades when the practice was against the law.
Currently, they must disclose the information as part of the programme of Criminal Records Bureau checks if they apply to work or volunteer for charities and other organisations.
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 200th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (12th -18th December, 2010), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.
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As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:
The Lib Dems are going to move the writ for the Oldham East and Saddleworth byelection tomorrow, a party spokesman has just told me. They want the contest to be held on Thursday 13 January. Normally the party that used to hold the seat moves the writ, but this is a convention, not a rule, and the Lib Dems say the constituency has waited long enough for an MP. If Labour opposes the move, there will be a debate and a vote.
I’m sure there is a precedent for holding a byelection campaign over Christmas, but
London Liberal Democrats have today announced their team of candidates for the London Assembly top-up list in 2012. Caroline Pidgeon AM topped the poll of London Liberal Democrat members to lead the London Assembly campaign in 2012.
The list is as follows:
Caroline Pidgeon
Stephen Knight
Bridget Fox
Shas Sheehan
Jeremy Ambache
Merlene Emerson
Emily Davey
Steve Bradley
Marisha Ray
Nick Russell
Ajmal Masroor
Turnout was 55.6%.
Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington and London Spokesperson Tom Brake said:
The Liberal Democrats have a proud record on the London Assembly of holding the Mayor to account. Our Assembly members have led the fight for better value for money from City Hall, better transport services
Today Labour leader Ed Miliband made a pitch for disaffected Lib Dem members at his first monthly press conference as Leader of the Opposition, saying,
…Today I want to make an offer to Liberal Democrats: To those who are reluctant to abandon ship, but are concerned at the direction of their party, I invite them to work with us on issues of common interest.
Commenting on Mr Miliband’s ‘offer’ of policy input, Liberal Democrat President-elect Tim Farron said:
Labour have just spent 13 years sucking up to Rupert Murdoch and George Bush – why would any sane progressive even give them
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 199th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (5 -11 December, 2010), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.
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Welsh Assembly Member Mick Bates was yesterday convicted of three counts of assault and three public order breaches following an incident earlier this year.
BBC News reports:
The AM for Montgomeryshire, Mick Bates, has apologised to NHS staff after being found guilty of public order offences and common assault.
Cardiff Magistrates Court heard he was abusive to paramedics and hospital staff, after injuring his head during a night out in the city.
Bates was ordered to pay a total of £5,490 pounds in fines, costs and compensation.
He says he will remain an independent AM for Montgomeryshire until he retires.
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 198th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (28 November – 4 December, 2010), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.
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Figures released by the Electoral Commission this week reveal that while the Conservative Party outspent all the other parties put together in General Election 2010, it was the Liberal Democrats who got the best value for money.
The Liberal Democrats spent 70p for each vote gained; the Labour Party, 93p and the Conservatives, £1.54.
The biggest change from the previous election was the dramatic depletion of the Labour campaign’s war chest. It spent just over £8m on the three month campaign, less than half the £16.7m spent by the Tories. The figure for the Liberal Democrats was £4.8m,
Nick Clegg, has written to Aaron Porter, President of the National Union of Students, in response to the NUS’ ‘Right to Recall’ campaign.
His letter in full:
Dear Aaron,
Thank you for writing to me about your ‘Right to Recall’ campaign.
The idea of a right to recall was something I proposed when I first became leader of the Liberal Democrats and I am proud that it is now part of the Coalition Agreement. However my proposal was for it to apply to MPs who were found guilty of serious wrongdoing by the parliamentary authorities. My intention has always been that it should be
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 197th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (21st -27th November, 2010), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.
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Yesterday I interviewed David Laws, on the day his book 22 Days in May was published. I asked him about the book, his views on the Coalition Government, as well as about the focus of his current work, plus his thoughts on the Ireland bailout.
In the introduction to the book, David Laws writes that its purpose is to “inform those who are interested in this important period of British politics, and to make sure that an accurate account is left of what really happened in May 2010, before memories fade, myths grow and evidence is lost.”
By Helen Duffett
| Mon 22nd November 2010 - 10:24 pm
There’s been a lot of speculation about the possible date of the Oldham East and Saddleworth election rerun. Three High Court judges are considering Phil Woolas’ request for a judicial review of the ruling that voided the election result in the constituency.
Today there have been reports that there may not be a court judgement this week, which would delay an election until after Christmas.
Lib Dem Voice understands that the situation isn’t quite so clear cut and there is still the …
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 196th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (14th -20th November, 2010), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.
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As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:
Government minister and Hazel Grove MP Andrew Stunell has already been to Oldham East and Saddleworth three weeks in a row to support Elwyn Watkins’ campaign and on his latest visit has recorded this message:
Liberal Democrat Party President-Elect Tim Farron has written to the General Secretary of the Labour Party, Ray Collins, asking him to clarify the Labour Party’s position on Phil Woolas following criticism of Harriet Harman’s decision to suspend him by a number of backbench MPs.
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear General Secretary,
Firstly may I offer you my heartfelt congratulations on the news of your elevation to the House of Lords.
However, I am writing to you to raise the matter of the judgement of the Election Court in Oldham East and Saddleworth on November 5th and
Peter Hirst Inequality must be seen in the round. I appreciate living in the north-west because it gives me easy access to mountains such as in Snowdonia, The Lakes and Der...
Peter Hirst One of the aims of most societies is some sort of redistribution. So fiscal federalism must have a mechanism for the rich regions giving to the poorer. Without ...
Peter Martin The price mechanism is essentially a system of rationing. In wartime it is usually recognised that it isn't the most equitable system! So some better system h...
David Allen A clear, credible, principled strategy from the Yorkists! Makes a welcome change.
Sadly, followed by twenty below-the-line posts, providing nearly twenty ve...
Simon McGrath so we get a permanant increase in costs for these subsidies based on ( alleged ) windfall profits. Its another big increase in spending -how is it to be paid ...
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Brexit and summer holidays
The pine martens of Shropshire
The shame of Liverpool Labour councillors taking their allowances but not turning up to do the work
Peter Hirst 
Peter Martin 
David Allen 
Simon McGrath 