Author Archives: Iain Brodie Browne

Cllr Sinclair d’Albuquerque joins the Liberal Democrats following their local election success 

Southport Lib Dems had a great night in last week’s local election topping the poll with the most votes and winning the majority of the seats in the constituency on the night. And all this “up north” and in one of Labour’s top 50 target parliamentary seats. 

The Lib Dem Group has a new member with this announcement that Southport councillor Sinclair d’Albuquerque has joined the Liberal Democrats. 

Cllr Albuquerque said: 

The way the Liberal Democrats proactively represent the people of Southport has been impressive and visionary. Although elected as a Conservative three years ago, I now consider their principles, ethics and values both locally and nationally are no longer compatible with mine. I am delighted to have joined the Liberal Democrats.

John Pugh, former Lib Dem  MP and Council group leader  commented:

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UK and Europe: Offshore island or part of the main

It is back! The Social Liberal Forum Conference will be held in London after a two year gap. It will be held at Resource for London, 356 Holloway Rd, London N7 6PA and online on 25th June 2022.

We are delighted to be able to give you a first glimpse of the programme. An impressive list of speakers will lead off our discussions on Britain’s role in Europe. We are concentrating on three key areas

  • Environment
  • Economy
  • Security

Although Brexit has allegedly happened and Boris Johnson pretends the UK’s focus is on the “Indo-Pacific”, wherever that may be, and the government sees trading with Australia and the USA as the future, we remain part of the continent of Europe and must not throw away the history of peace, prosperity and environmental protection built by the European Union.  This conference asks the question, how are we to continue to co-operate with our close friends and allies in Europe and who are those friends?

Speakers include former Liberal Democrat MEPs Phil Bennion, Jane Brophy and Rebecca Taylor, leaders of our Social Liberal Dutch colleagues D66, Sophie in ‘t Veld MEP and Gijs de Vries – who formerly was State Secretary of the Interior in the government of The Netherlands and the EU’s first Counter Terrorism Co-ordinator.

The economy session speakers are Professor Chris Grey (author of the ‘must read’ Brexit & Beyond blog) and Will Hutton of the Observer and the author of “The State We’re in” – the biggest selling politico-economic work since the Second World War.

In addition we will be joined by our own Duncan Brack, Wendy Taylor, Denali Boisot, Gordon Lishman, Louise Harris and Baroness Julie Smith.

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Britain in a Post-Trump, Post-Brexit world

The Social Liberal Forum’s highly successful online programme continues on Monday 22nd February with Britain in a Post-Trump, Post-Brexit World. Our two guests are William Wallace-well known to Lib Dem Voice readers- and Professor Anand Menon. You can register for free by following this link to the SLF website: Britain in a Post-Trump, post-Brexit World .

Professor Anand Menon is the Director of the UK in a Changing Europe and Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at Kings College, London.

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D66’s Sophie in t’ Veld MEP confirmed as Keynote speaker at Social Liberal Forum Conference

We delighted to report that D66 MEP Sophie in ‘t‘Veld will be speaking at the SLF Conference and contributing our new book The Wolves in the Forest.  Lib Dem Voice readers who watch BBC’s Newsnight will be familiar with the contribution of Sophie in t’Veld who has frequently been brought on to patiently explain the reality of Brexit. You can register for the conference here.

The new Social Liberal Forum (SLF) book will shortly be on its way to the printers. The editorial group are reading through the contribution and we are impressed by the quality of writing. Lib Dem Voice readers may recall that this book, which we plan to launch at the Conference in Bournemouth, examines a Liberal response to inequality. 

I have just been reading Kirsten Johnson’s (PPC North Devon) really important contribution on ‘Inequality and the Arts’ and , as mention above, I am awaiting Sophie in t’ Veld’s essay (MEP from D66) to arrive in my in box. Altogether we have fifteen chapters covering the topic from a wide range of perspectives.

The title of this new publication is ‘Wolves in the Forest – tackling inequality in the 21st Century’ is taken from Lloyd George’s budget speech of April 1909: “we shall have advanced a great step towards that good time, when poverty, and the wretchedness and human degradation which always follows in its camp, will be as remote to the people of this country as the wolves which once infested its forests.

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Keynote speech from Tony Greaves and climate change feature at SLF AGM

All are welcome at the Social Liberal Forum AGM, in Manchester on Saturday 25th May with Tony Greaves, Jane Brophy, John Pugh, Louise Harris, John Leech.

I need a new pair of shoes. We have all been on the campaign trail for a long time-local elections followed by the European vote. The Social Liberal Forum AGM in Manchester on 25th  May provides an ideal opportunity to reflect and take stock before we set out for the next challenges. Personally I am looking forward to going back Brecon and Radnor, I was last there in 1985 for Richard Livsey’s outstanding by-election triumph. There seems every chance that 2019 will see another Brecon and Radnor by-election. 

We kick off at 1.00pm with a key note speech from Tony Greaves. I think we can guarantee that he will provide a stimulating commentary on the political situation. The Euro votes will have been counted and we will be awaiting the declarations. Jane Brophy, one of our leading NW candidates, will be joining us. During the afternoon there will plenty of opportunities for everyone to contribute with breakout sessions, one of which Jane will lead focussing on Climate Change.

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