Author Archives: Jonathan Pile

Opinion: Why changing leader now WILL save the party in 2015 and beyond.

By Jonathan Pile | Tue 24th June 2014 - 4:09 pm

A debate is still raging in the party 5 weeks after the disastrous Local, Euro and Newark byelection results which saw the party slump to 6.9% and to 2.6% at Newark. Numerous opinion polls also point to a historic disaster facing the party on May 7^th 2015.

In my own local party Wakefield just this week a letter went out to party members to ask the question about Nick Clegg’s continuing leadership. Across the party it is reported that some 30 local parties have tabled …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged libdem fightback, libdems4change and nick clegg | 365 Comments

Opinion: Time for Lib Dems to ditch HS2 for alternative HS1 extension

By Jonathan Pile | Thu 1st May 2014 - 4:56 pm

With a recent COMRES poll showing 52% of the public are against the current HS2 plans and with 70 seats and 600,000 Lib Dem voters affected, I sat down one day and decided to find a better scheme. One which did unite the north of Britain to London and the South, one which didn’t cost the earth, one with a minimal human impact and one which actually linked up with HS1, Eurostar and the Channel Tunnel – none of the things HS2 can boast off, but all of which an …