Author Archives: John Alderdice

John Alderdice

Alderdice inquiry on race and ethnicity – A Third Call

By John Alderdice | Tue 11th April 2017 - 10:47 am

I would like to make a further call for evidence regarding my independent inquiry into the processes and culture within the party, with a focus on issues relating to race and ethnicity.

Thank you to all those who have already contributed to the review, whether by written testimony, in person or via other means.

There is no set deadline for the submission of evidence however, as I begin to draw together my initial findings, it is important that I hear from all those who have relevant experiences, insights and views to help me form an accurate picture of the party …

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John Alderdice

Alderdice Review: A Further Call for Evidence

By John Alderdice | Tue 31st January 2017 - 4:07 pm

John, Lord Alderdice, who is conducting an independent inquiry into improving process and culture within the Liberal Democrats – focusing on race and ethnicity – has put out a further invitation for comments and responses on the issue.

I am most grateful to the significant number of Party members, officials and others who have responded in writing or in confidential meetings, to my invitation to provide relevant experiences and views to help me form an accurate picture. I have also appreciated their thoughts and ideas about how to address issues that they have observed. Some have responded to the invitation for evidence and others to direct approaches by me.

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Posted in Party policy and internal matters | Leave a comment
John Alderdice

Call for Evidence: independent inquiry into improving process and culture within the Liberal Democrats – focusing on race and ethnicity

By John Alderdice | Mon 19th December 2016 - 2:58 pm

At the request of the Party President and the Federal Executive I am undertaking an independent inquiry into improving process and culture within the Liberal Democrats, focusing specifically on race and ethnicity.   I have not been asked to address particular individual cases but as part of the party’s commitment to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society this inquiry has been commissioned to focus on issues and/or barriers faced by BAME members and supporters of the Liberal Democrats.

Among the questions I am asking are –

  1. Are there barriers to participation for BAME members? If so, what and where are they?
  2. Do barriers differ in different parts of the party?
  3. How effective are existing mechanisms/procedures in addressing the issue?
  4. Does the Party do enough to engage with BAME voters and ensure accessibility for potential BAME members?
  5. What further steps should, or could, be taken by the Party to address the issues identified in this review

Having embarked on the process of gathering evidence I am keen to hear from all those who have relevant experiences and views to help me form an accurate picture.  All the submissions I receive, whether written or oral, will be treated in confidence, and in respect of written submissions, I may well need to follow up on specific aspects in a face to face conversation.

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Posted in News | Tagged | 17 Comments
John Alderdice

Lord Alderdice writes… Improving the Justice and Security Bill

By John Alderdice | Thu 22nd November 2012 - 12:53 pm

Last night the House of Lords debated and voted on the Justice and Security Bill at its Report stage. I know from reading Lib Dem Voice and from listening to the recent debate at Conference what a touchstone issue this Bill is for many members. Which is why I want to explain how the Bill, which we have now passed to the Commons, is a very different beast from that originally under consideration.

Some of you will have seen that the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) produced a unanimous report last week. We have two eminent Liberal …

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Posted in Parliament | Tagged , , , and | 7 Comments
John Alderdice

Lord Alderdice writes: The NHS Bill is substantially improved

By John Alderdice | Tue 14th June 2011 - 4:24 pm

As Liberal Democrats we are reformist by instinct and as in every other area of our community life we want to see reform of the NHS, not only to enable it to deal with the major resource and demographic challenges of the next twenty years, but also to ensure that it is more clinician-led, patient-centred and outcome-focussed than it has ever been before. That is why our MPs supported the principles of the Secretary of State’s original NHS Bill when it came to 2nd Reading in the House of Commons.

Our very public concerns have centred round whether the precise organizational …

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 25 Comments
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