Author Archives: Mark Valladares

I’m a veteran Party bureaucrat, having joined the old Liberal Party at university. And, perhaps not entirely surprisingly, I’ve held a range of positions since then - everything from Secretary-General of the Young Liberals to being a member of the ALDE Party‘s Financial Advisory Committee. Returning Officer, Presidential consort, committee secretary, you name it, I’ve probably done it. These days, I’m the Chair of the Parish Council for a (very) small rural village in Suffolk’s Gipping Valley, and a member of the East of England Regional Candidates Committee.
Mark Valladares

@ALDEParty Council Report: and now, the end is near?…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 30th April 2018 - 9:51 pm

The sun was beating down in Sofia, the sky was blue, there wasn’t a cloud to spoil the view. But there was Brexit in our hearts…

Yes, it was time for the Spring Council meeting of the ALDE Party, hosted by our Bulgarian sister party, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. The key items of business were the continuing work towards the 2019 European Parliamentary election manifesto and the adoption of the 2017 audit. In truth, the latter was never going to be an issue – finances are healthy, and likely to become …

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Posted in Europe / International and News | Tagged , , and | 1 Comment
Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 30 April 2018 – all for you, Sofia…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 30th April 2018 - 7:45 am

Good morning, once again, and welcome to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. You might never guess that I’m a member of the Federal International Relations Committee…

I’ve been here to attend the ALDE Party Council meeting that took place on Saturday, and I’ll be reporting on the mood at that meeting later in the day. Also, I’ll be covering progress towards a European Liberal manifesto for the 2019 European Parliamentary elections, and the selection of a Spitzenkandidat for the Presidency of the European Commission.

It was another punishing week for the Government in the …

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Mark Valladares

LibLink: Derek Laud on the Windrush debacle

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd April 2018 - 10:41 am

The investigative work of Amelia Gentleman in the Guardian has uncovered the implications of Theresa May’s ‘hostile environment’, and let us not kid ourselves with talk of Amber Rudd’s resignation, responsibility for this falls squarely upon the head of our Prime Minister.

Former Conservative speechwriter, and now a member of the Liberal Democrats, Derek Laud wrote for the Guardian over the weekend. In his powerful piece, he highlights that the impact of Government policy on Windrush pensioners is not an isolated error;

It cannot be incidental that some of the most important issues facing us today are about matters of freedom,

…

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Mark Valladares

So, what does being an English Liberal mean?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd April 2018 - 8:43 am

One of the things about being an Englishman by birth, but not by parentage, is that your perspective of what it means to be English can be slightly different from that of those whose English heritage can be traced back through generations.

For me, at least, with an Indian father and a Scots mother, there is a desire to fit in to some extent, and that manifests itself in a generalised belief that people are broadly reasonable, given the opportunity to be so, and that the eccentricities of life here – queuing, cricket, …

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 23 April 2018 – there’s never a dragon around when you want one…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 23rd April 2018 - 8:06 am

It’s St George’s Day today, the anniversary of Queen Anne being crowned at Westminster Abbey (1702), and of the chartering of Connecticut as an English colony in 1662. And, coincidentally, on this day in 1516, Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria endorsed “The German Beer Purity Law”, which I think we could all support.

I’ve been spending the weekend celebrating a significant anniversary, and clearly you’ve all been outside enjoying the fine weather (except our Scottish colleagues, who’ve been at their Conference), or campaigning for elections, as we’ve got precious little in the kitty …

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Mark Valladares

Brexit from afar: a Caribbean perspective…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 16th April 2018 - 2:28 pm

I thought that it might be interesting to find out how Brexit looks from beyond the European Union, and this week’s commentary comes courtesy of the Barbados Advocate, and its columnist, David Jessop.

He starts by summarising what he sees as the current imponderables – the Irish border, the role of the UK Parliament in terms of the final position and, interestingly, the fault lines in both the Conservative and Labour Parties. And then, he turns to the likely impact on the Caribbean Commonwealth;

None of this helps remove the continuing uncertainty for the Caribbean about the possible shape of its future

…

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Posted in Europe / International and News | Tagged , and | 14 Comments
Mark Valladares

From our Lords Correspondent: 18 April – Brexit rears its ugly head again…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 16th April 2018 - 12:32 pm

The Lords return after their Easter Recess, and one can only hope that they’re well rested, because this week sees the debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill become properly serious, with Day 1 of the Report Stage scheduled for Wednesday.

And the battle will be joined immediately, with the very first amendment sponsored by four peers from each of the main groups in the Lords, Lord Kerr of Kinlochard (Crossbenchers), Lord Patten of Barnes (Chris, not John, from the Conservatives), Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour) and our own Sarah Ludford.

The amendment is …

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 16 April 2018 – back to the grind…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 16th April 2018 - 7:43 am

Another week starts here, and today marks the 165th anniversary of the first passenger train in India, which ran from Bori Bunder (now the site of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly Victoria Terminus) to Thane.

Closer to home, the Battle of Culloden was fought on this day in 1746, whilst in 1963, Martin Luther King penned his Letter from Birmingham Jail, whilst imprisoned in Birmingham, Alabama when campaigning against segregation.

For those of you who might be wondering, I’m at home in Suffolk today, which is a good link to our first item today, which comes from a near neighbour on …

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Mark Valladares

Moldova: on the edge of the Union, looking in…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 9th April 2018 - 3:43 pm

The expansion of the European Union over the past two decades seems to have come to an end, at least for the time being, leaving the countries of the Western Balkans and the Black Sea region in a position of being accession candidates without much prospect of actual accession any time soon. It was with this in mind that I set off to find out about the situation in Moldova last week.

Moldova is a country with a unique set of challenges. First of these is its frozen conflict on the River Dnieper, where the predominantly Russian population fought, and won, …

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 9 April 2018 – I went to a marvellous Party…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 9th April 2018 - 7:51 am

Having managed to get into a country that doesn’t exist last week, it would be nice to be somewhere less absurd this week. Unfortunately, I’m in Brexit Britain… However, a responsibility is a responsibility, and so I take up the baton as LDV’s Monday Editor again.

Today sees the 480th anniversary of Christian III of Denmark entering his country into the Schmalkaldische Union, and the 153rd anniversary of the end of the American Civil War after the Battle of Appomattox Courthouse.

So, what do we have for you today?

Harry Samuels makes his debut in response to last week’s criticism of the sugar …

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 2 April 2018 – back in the USSR?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 2nd April 2018 - 7:45 am

Do you know, I’d almost forgotten that I was today’s duty Editor. That’s what a four day weekend does for you. Well, that and the fact that today’s Liberal Democrat Voice is brought to you from Chisinau, the capital of Moldova!

I’m here in part to explore a little known corner of what some describe as New Europe, and also to meet some Moldovan liberals, which should be interesting given the local politics here.

So, moving on, what have we got for you today?

First up is Gordon Lishman, who offers us a report of …

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Mark Valladares

British exceptionalism – why even the Liberal Democrats need to get over themselves

By Mark Valladares | Mon 26th March 2018 - 8:12 am

One of the most dispiriting aspects of British politics over the past two years has been the often expressed view that Europe needs us more than we need them. We are the fifth (or sixth, maybe soon seventh) largest economy in the world, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, etc etc. And yes, we have influence, for good or ill. Other countries look to us for support, or for leadership, and we have some of the world’s leading operators in a range of fields.

But it is all too often what is seen to be good for Britain which …

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 26 March 2018 – everyone loves a parade…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 26th March 2018 - 7:32 am

So, the big weekend of pro-Remain parades is over, with a weekend of Liberal Democrat campaigning still to come. And whilst the Government continues to flounder in the face of all of the things it was warned about, there is still no apparent sign that they will do anything other than keep on going, in the hope that it will be alright on the night. Besides, with a Leader of the Opposition almost as committed to freeing the country from the supposed restrictions placed upon us as the Conservatives are, there is little risk of defeat.

Hope springs eternal though, and …

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Mark Valladares

Brexit: concessions to the left of us, concessions to the right of us…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 19th March 2018 - 3:20 pm

So, a big announcement, with the outline of a transitional deal. The highlights;

  • The transition period will end on 31 December 2020, three months earlier than sought
  • EU citizens arriving during the transition period will have the same rights as those already in the U.K. at 29 March 2019
  • No veto on new EU legislation during the transition period – the “vassal state” clause
  • Gibraltar excluded unless Spain can be persuaded to reach an agreement
  • No repatriation of control over fishing quotas

So, what does this mean for the Conservatives or for the United Kingdom? Good deal, bad …

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Posted in Europe / International and News | Tagged | 106 Comments
Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 19 March 2018 – the chilly breeze of reality…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 19th March 2018 - 7:58 am

Another difficult weekend of cold weather over, it’s time for me to return to my editorial duties for another week, on the 739th anniversary of the Mongolian victory at the naval Battle of Yamen, which ended the Song Dynasty in China. Also, on this day in 1628, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was granted land for settlement.

Admittedly, this isn’t quite as much of a challenge as it might be, because the stocks of submitted articles are close to non-existent. However, we do have a report from Chris Bowers on the “Reclaiming Liberalism” fringe at last weekend’s Federal Conference, challenging you all …

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Mark Valladares

Macdonald Report goes back for a rethink – a member of the English Appeals Panel reflects

By Mark Valladares | Mon 12th March 2018 - 8:15 am

The news that the Macdonald Report, and its allied recommendations, had been narrowly referred back came as something of a surprise, as least to this observer. The ground is normally pretty well prepared for changes like this, and whilst the debate about the Party’s internal disciplinary procedures has been going on for some time now, there appeared to be agreement that something needed to be done. And whilst that possibility isn’t ruled out – yet – there must be some doubt as to whether the proposals will, even if amended, be accepted by a Federal Conference at some future date.

Having …

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Posted in Op-eds and Party policy and internal matters | Tagged and | 7 Comments
Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 12 March 2018 – for those of you recovering from Conference, I salute you…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 12th March 2018 - 7:42 am

It’s a long way from Mid Suffolk to Southport. Actually, it’s a long way from Mid Suffolk to any of the Party’s usual Federal Conference venues, which may explain why I didn’t travel up. Conference isn’t, after all, everyone’s cup of warm beverage…

That does mean that I’ve had some time to prepare for today, so what do I have for you?

In light of the decision by Conference to refer back the Macdonald Report on the Party’s disciplinary procedures, I offer some thoughts from the perspective of someone who sits on Appeal Panels. I’ve tried to be reasonable…

For the benefit of …

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 5 March – thoughts turn towards a future…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 5th March 2018 - 7:52 am

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that last week’s “Beast from the East” has passed. Whilst here in Mid Suffolk, the snow has now pretty much melted, there are still some of you digging yourselves out, and good luck to you.

But neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night prevents a Day Editor from performing their duties, so what have we got for you today?

We kick off with news of cross-party co-operation to oppose the impacts of Brexit, courtesy of the Party’s press team, and it will be interesting …

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Mark Valladares

From our Lords Correspondent: 20-23 February – you might want to think about this… and this… and that…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 26th February 2018 - 10:43 am

Yes, the Lords was back after its usual February recess (think half-term but without the need for childminders), and ready to do battle with the EU Withdrawal Bill. Bearing in mind the agreement on all sides of the House that the intention was not to reject the Bill but to improve it, the Committee Stage has become a marker of the likely problems that will get a thorough airing over the coming weeks.

With three hundred and seventy-one amendments already tabled at the beginning of the week, it was clear that the Government’s …

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 12 February 2018 – it might be a pisco sour kind of a day…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 12th February 2018 - 8:01 am

It was, supposedly, on this day in 1541 that the city of Santiago was founded, and in 1818, the nation it is the capital city of became independent from Spain. And that is a happy coincidence because today is brought to you from Valparaiso, Chile. As you read this, I’m asleep, but that doesn’t necessarily stand between a Day Editor and his/her duty.

But enough of my travel schedule, what have we got for you today?

We kick off with a report of November’s ALDC Kickstart weekend, designed to encourage some of you to attend the similar events that are scheduled for …

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Mark Valladares

From our Lords correspondent: the Bill cometh, but will the building fall down before it can be passed?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 5th February 2018 - 10:12 am

And so, the EU Withdrawal Bill came to be debated in the Lords over two days. One hundred and eighty-seven speakers, all heard courteously enough but, at the end of it, it was just the hors d’oeuvres before the real work on the Bill begins.

It seemed to be broadly accepted accepted across the Chamber that the House of Lords does not see its role as stopping Brexit – the lack of an electoral mandate hangs heavy on all corners – and as Dick Newby put it, opening for the Liberal Democrats;

I should

…

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 5 February 2018 – time to wrap up a little warmer?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 5th February 2018 - 7:45 am

It seems that the forecast for the coming week is for temperatures to drop a bit. So, be like me and make sure that you wrap up warmly, especially if you’re campaigning for the May elections!

This week, I’m hoping for a sign, any sign, that the Government has a clearly stated plan for how it is going to handle negotiations with the European Union. Admittedly, there are a number of potential plans out there, but as there isn’t an apparent majority for any of them, we may have to keep on waiting.

Today …

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Mark Valladares

You’ve spoken, so what am I planning to do about it?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 29th January 2018 - 2:23 pm

We humble day editors are given a surprising amount of leeway by Caron, and readers will note that I’ve taken the opportunity to think about moderation and content. It’s been… interesting, and from the perspective of a returning member of the editorial team, it’s given me a useful steer in terms of how I might proceed in the months ahead.

So, let’s outline how I’m going to respond.

Firstly, we stopped polling you, partly because it’s all a bit complex technically. And funnily enough, given the radical change in the nature of the Party over the past two years – …

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Mark Valladares

From our Lords Correspondent: the Government see sense, and the Brexit Bill comes…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 29th January 2018 - 8:05 am

Last week saw the fallout from the previous week’s defeat of the Government over the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill and, all credit to the Minister, Lord Ahmed of Wimbledon, he had returned with a series of amendments designed to remedy the Bill’s original flaws. At the forefront of the cross-Party collaboration were Sharon Bowles and Susan Kramer, both of whom bring vast amounts of expertise to the table. As Sharon Bowles explained;

When we started out with the Bill, there was no policy in Part 2, yet it gave sweeping powers

…

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 29 January 2018 – is something pecking at you…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 29th January 2018 - 7:45 am

Never let it be said that we’re on message here, but I really ought to remind you that, if you are due to file a Self Assessment tax return, and you haven’t, the deadline is coming up fast…

Public Service Announcement complete, welcome to another Monday of drama and passion. Alright, I may be exaggerating just a bit, but the fun really starts this week, as the EU Withdrawal Bill reaches the House of Lords, where the Government have to find a way of getting the Bill past an unfriendly chamber. Remember, the …

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Mark Valladares

A question for our readers. What do you think Liberal Democrat Voice is for?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 22nd January 2018 - 2:02 pm

Liberal Democrat Voice has existed for more than eleven years now but, a bit like the axe of my grandfather, it has seen quite a bit of renewal. The editorial team has changed, the style and content have evolved. As an editorial team, we are scattered across the country, with a range of experience within the Party – organisers, councillors, campaigners, bureaucrats.

And, occasionally, it is good to ask oneself, what draws people to the website, what does it do well, or badly, what is missing or how might it be more effective. So, here’s your chance to let us know …

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Mark Valladares

From your Lords correspondent… the Government falls foul of Lord Judge…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 22nd January 2018 - 12:15 pm

As noted earlier, a change to the format, in that I’ll be looking back at the highlights of the last week in the Lords and briefly pointing out the likely big issues in the week ahead. I may not get it all right…

As the noble lord, Lord Greaves, is watching, we’ll start with last week’s major Government defeat on the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill, over the issue of ‘Henry VIII powers’. Lord Judge, from the cross-benches, and the former Chief Justice of England and Wales, was ‘disappointed’ to see the Government again attempt to gain the power to create …

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 22 January – the experiments continue…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 22nd January 2018 - 7:39 am

Good morning, on the 328th anniversary of the summoning of the Convention Parliament by Prince William of Orange to discuss ruling jointly with his wife Mary – an occasion when the English positively welcomed an intervention from the Continent… And it’s also the anniversary of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, which may feel a bit familiar to those of you who’ve been members for a few years…

So, what have we got for you today? Well, Federal International Relations Committee (FIRC) has concluded that it needs to reach out to the wider membership more effectively (some might suggest ‘at all’), and …

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Mark Valladares

A progressive alliance for decency in the news media defeats the Government in the Lords

By Mark Valladares | Mon 15th January 2018 - 9:51 am

In writing my preview of last week’s events in the Lords, I rather glossed over the debate on the Data Protection Bill on Wednesday. That will rather teach me to do more research, as it turned out that there was to be an attempt to set up a new Leveson-style inquiry into the nefarious activities of some of our news outlets…

As the noble Lord Greaves pointed out last week, Wednesday saw the Government defeated on a vote to require them to set up and inquiry into issues arising from data protection breaches …

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Mark Valladares

Welcome to my day: 15 January 2018 – more experiments in moderation?

By Mark Valladares | Mon 15th January 2018 - 7:28 am

So, I find myself splashing about in the turbulent waters of Liberal Democrat Voice again on another Monday morning. At least this week, the waters aren’t frozen, as I’m back in the country after two weeks in the United States.

On the moderation front, we’re still in mid-experiment as I understand it, so do bear with us. I do find myself wondering whether or not moderation should be more transparent. For example, comments could be edited to take out the off-topic, discourteous or simply rude bits, with some explanation of why. It might …

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