Author Archives: Mark Pack

Mark was the Liberal Democrat Head of Innovations until June 2009 and is now at Blue Rubicon. He also lectures at City University and is co-author of 101 Ways To Win An Election. He blogs at www.markpack.org.uk and is on Twitter as @markpack. He likes chocolate. Lots of it.
Mark Pack

It’s not just MPs who’ve got problems with their expenses

By Mark Pack | Mon 8th June 2009 - 7:50 am

There looks to be a growing story in Berkshire with, amongst other news, a Tory councillor in West Berkshire (Joe Mooney) ordered to stop claiming for first class train travel. More news on Reading List.

UPDATE: The council have been in touch, stating that Joe Mooney has never claimed for first class train travel from the council and nor has any instruction been issued to him about his expense claims. We’re happy to put the record straight and apologies for highlighting an erroneous story.

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Mark Pack

How to make the most of Facebook, part 2

By Mark Pack | Sun 7th June 2009 - 12:47 pm

June’s edition of Total Politics carries the second part of a two part series from me about how people in politics can get the most out of Facebook.

In the May edition of Total Politics, I went through some of the steps to get started with using Facebook, including getting your privacy settings right and pulling in content from elsewhere. But once you’ve done that, what next?

Facebook groups are a good place to start. You can hunt out groups that cover issues or organisations in your patch and also set up one or more groups to compliment your own …

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Mark Pack

Daily View 2×2: 7 June 2009

By Mark Pack | Sun 7th June 2009 - 8:00 am

Welcome to the Sunday outing for our Daily View. As it’s a Sunday, today it comes with a moving, talking, full colour Hugo Chavez.

2 Big Stories

Gordon Brown – too popular for Labour’s own good
Yes, you read that right. In amongst all the speculation and rumour, the one substantive piece of news is the YouGov poll for Channel 4 of Labour Party members. Although the reporting has hyped up how unpopular Gordon Brown is with party members, the real problem for Labour is actually how much popularity he still retains:

Gordon Brown should step down immediately 21%
Gordon Brown should stay for the time being but step down before the general election 26%
Gordon Brown should lead Labour into the next general election 46%

So 46% want him to stay and fight the next general election, and 47% want him to go before the next general election. It’d have been better for Labour if Brown was less popular with members, as that might have given the dithering rebels the prod to dither less and rebel more. But with that split, it’s just a recipe for more dithering.

D-Day anniversay
The other big story in the news is the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings. It’s already been covered extensively elsewhere, so here instead is Vera Lynn singing at the 50th anniversary:

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Mark Pack

Lib Dems gain control of Bristol Council

By Mark Pack | Fri 5th June 2009 - 3:03 am

The first big electoral news is good for the Liberal Democrats: four gains from Labour in Bristol have given the LibDems overall control of the council. Labour won just 2 wards out of 23 on the night, compared with 10 out of 24 in 2007.

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Mark Pack

How small could the Cabinet be?

By Mark Pack | Thu 4th June 2009 - 11:52 pm

It looks like Gordon Brown might be finding it a bit hard to persuade people to serve in the Cabinet. But good news for him, there’s plenty of historical precedent of small Cabinets. George Grenville in the mid-eighteenth century had a Cabinet of just nine, whilst the Fox-North coalition of the late eighteenth century managed with only seven. So that’s Gordon, Ed Balls and er…

Posted in Parliament | Tagged and | 5 Comments
Mark Pack

Ending as I begun: unusual legal advice

By Mark Pack | Thu 4th June 2009 - 11:05 pm

I started working for the Liberal Democrats in 2000, just as the Electoral Commission was being created. Through the years a regular part of my job has been dealing with telegrams, phone calls or emails from people along the lines of “The Council says the Electoral Commission has told them that no-one with vowels in their surname is allowed to stand in our by-election. Is that right?”

It’s fair to say that generally things have got better: the Electoral Commission’s staff do get the law right much more often than they used to,* and councils and other bodies are much more …

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Mark Pack

James Purnell quits and tells Gordon Brown his time is up

By Mark Pack | Thu 4th June 2009 - 10:06 pm

From The Guardian:

James Purnell, the work and pensions secretary, tonight dealt a monumental blow to Gordon Brown’s chances of holding onto office when he dramatically announced he was quitting the cabinet and asking Brown “to stand aside to give Labour a fighting chance of winning the next election”.

His statement, effectively declaring Brown as unelectable, will further weaken the prime minister’s waning authority and takes the challenge to his leadership to a new dangerous level. Purnell made his sensational move after polls closed in the local and European elections, informing Brown by phone tonight.

The prime minister had no inkling that

…

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Mark Pack

Belfast’s new Lord Mayor is from the Alliance

By Mark Pack | Thu 4th June 2009 - 10:00 pm

With the polls closed and the first results awaited, here is some cheery news from our sister party in Northern Ireland:

Naomi Long of the Alliance Party is the new lord mayor of Belfast.

The east Belfast councillor defeated the DUP’s William Humphrey by 26 votes to 24 in a vote at a council meeting on Monday afternoon.

She takes over from Sinn Fein’s Tom Hartley and is the first woman to hold the post for nearly 30 years.

The 37-year-old is the deputy leader of the Alliance Party and represents the Victoria ward. She has been a member of Belfast City

…

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Mark Pack

Four confirmed candidates for Speaker so far

By Mark Pack | Thu 4th June 2009 - 5:11 pm

News from the Hansard Society via email:

The Hansard Society will be holding a hustings meeting for potential candidates for the role of Speaker of the House of Commons. Potential candidates will have the opportunity to make a statement and answer questions both from MPs and those submitted by members of the public via the Hansard Society website.

We have invited potential candidates for the position of Speaker to participate. Since the position will still be fluid then, it is not our aim to be exclusive.  Confirmed participants in the Hansard Society Speaker Hustings thus far include:

  • Alan Beith MP
  • John

…

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Mark Pack

Reasons to vote Liberal Democrat

By Mark Pack | Thu 4th June 2009 - 10:54 am

The Voice has covered the succession of positive reasons to vote for the Liberal Democrats given in recent days by The Observer, Polly Toynbee, The Guardian and The Independent, so it seems only fitting to top that list today with a reminder of the party’s own choice of words (from europe.libdems.org.uk):

The European Parliament election is a big choice for Britain.

Labour’s arrogance has messed up Britain’s relationship with other European countries

The Conservatives and UKIP think that on its own Britain can face the economic storm, climate change, international crime, people-trafficking and terrorism

Liberal Democrats know effective cooperation creates prosperity – more

…

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Mark Pack

The Independent backs the Liberal Democrats

By Mark Pack | Thu 4th June 2009 - 8:35 am

Less surprising than the news from The Observer and The Guardian this week, but nonetheless a welcome leader today:

Only the Liberal Democrats have consistently put the case for Europe, doing so even when seeking to hold seats in parts of the country, such as the south-west of England, that are more euro-sceptic than others. Like his recent predecessors, Nick Clegg is unequivocal in his support for the EU. A strong vote for his party would show that parts of the electorate recognise the importance of Britain playing a positive role at the heart of Europe. On that basis alone the

…

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Mark Pack

David Lammy accused of misleading Parliament

By Mark Pack | Wed 3rd June 2009 - 6:03 pm

Being meaning to blog about this for a little while, but elections  keeping on getting in the way … so here’s the story from The Times Higher Education Supplement from a couple of weeks ago:

MPs demand apology from Lammy as they learn there will be no new scrutiny of London Met crisis

The “independent inquiry” announced by David Lammy into the crisis at London Metropolitan University is nothing more than an ongoing exercise commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England,

…

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Mark Pack

Gordon Brown and expenses: he has a bit of form

By Mark Pack | Wed 3rd June 2009 - 4:40 pm

From The Times:

It’s the sort of pratfall performed so entertainingly by John Prescott. But who would have expected that acme of prudence, Gordon Brown, to become embroiled in an embarrassing court action over his failure to declare expenses …

has admitted in legal documents to the error – an offence under the Representation of the People Act carrying a maximum penalty of £5,000 or a prison sentence. However, the Scottish judge hearing the case is expected to take a lenient view of Brown’s behaviour.

(Oh ok, this story is from February 19, 2006. The judge was indeed lenient.)

Posted in Humour and News | Tagged and | 3 Comments
Mark Pack

“Some of the Greens’ proposals are staggeringly extreme”

By Mark Pack | Wed 3rd June 2009 - 8:50 am

That’s the verdict of Mark Henderson in The Times, after taking a look at their attitude towards science:

Two examples stand out. It wants to ban all experiments on embryos, including those designed to improve fertility treatment as well as embryonic stem cell work. And its policies on alternative medicine are the height of naivety. The Greens’ spokesman told Robbins and Swain:

“We want the gradual inclusion of complementary therapies within NHS provision so that patients have access to all available and appropriate treatments. Complementary therapies can often prevent the situation worsening and thus save resources.”

There was no mention at all of

…

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Mark Pack

“Taunton Conservative Candidate Forced To Apologise For Slurs Following Police Investigation”

By Mark Pack | Tue 2nd June 2009 - 9:43 pm

From AboutMyArea:

Taunton Conservative Candidate Forced To Apologise For Slurs Following Police Investigation

The Somerset County Council election took a step into the gutter today when Conservative candidate in West Taunton, Nick James, was forced to issue a public apology for personal attacks on his Lib Dem opponent, Alan Paul, and non-political officers of the Council. The apology came after Police had warned the Conservative agent that a last-minute Conservative leaflet was illegal.

Hat-tip: Liberal England

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Mark Pack

William Hague’s sideswipe at Alan Duncan

By Mark Pack | Tue 2nd June 2009 - 8:01 pm

Over at ConservativeHome they’ve got an interview with William Hague, in which he makes this comment about Have I Got News For You:

I took the view that appearing on it is not compatible with being on the Front Bench.

Now, who’s recently appeared on that show? His fellow Conservative front bencher, Alan Duncan. Oops.

Or maybe not so oops, given the frequent political chatter that Alan Duncan won’t make it into any future Conservative Cabinet, his little expenses problem, his forgetfulness when it comes to policy ideas, his secret funding controversy and his donation from a …

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Mark Pack

Lib Dem MPs to vote for an early general election

By Mark Pack | Tue 2nd June 2009 - 7:50 pm

From the Coffee House blog:

The SNP and Plaid Cymru are tabling a motion calling for the dissolution of Parliament, and it will get debated in the House next Wednesday afternoon.  The Lib Dems have come out in support of it, and William Hague has said that the Tories will too.

Posted in News | 9 Comments
Mark Pack

One of the very best Conservative leaflets ever

By Mark Pack | Tue 2nd June 2009 - 4:41 pm

Feeling tired as we near the end of a hectic campaign? Well, here’s something to bring a smile to your face. Quite simply, one of the very best Conservative leaflets ever (though it’s headline isn’t in this class). It’s from 2000 I believe:

Conservative leaflet(Click on thumbnail for larger version.)

Posted in Humour and News | Tagged | 7 Comments
Mark Pack

Justice Eady stands up for political freedom of speech

By Mark Pack | Tue 2nd June 2009 - 11:20 am

Cross-posted from The Wardman Wire:

A few weeks ago, Justice Eady (he of News of the World vs Max Mosley) ruled in a legal action taken by a defeated Conservative councillor, Christopher Quinton, against his Liberal Democrat opponent and agent following the 2007 South Oxfordshire elections.

The case arose from comments made in leaflets about local planning and development issues and Christopher Quinton lost the case. He had alleged malicious falsehood against Robin Pierce (the winning candidate) and David Cooper (the agent) over the Liberal Democrat leaflets and also tried an unusual argument under data protection law.

The data protection argument was, …

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Mark Pack

Polly Toynbee: vote Liberal Democrat

By Mark Pack | Mon 1st June 2009 - 9:24 pm

Things are indeed achanging in the Guardian Media Group. Sunday say The Observer unequivocally urge its readers to vote Liberal Democrat for the first time. And now Polly Toynbee is urging a vote for the Liberal Democrats in the European elections and in many local elections too:

Throw out bad councils, and vote for Lib Dems in Europe…
The most consistently wise party on Europe, never flirted with Tory press populism, but that principled stand came at a high price. On the economy or crime co-operation, “stronger together, poorer apart” is a good Lib Dem pro-EU slogan. They best deserve

…

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Mark Pack

Postal voting woes in West Sussex

By Mark Pack | Mon 1st June 2009 - 7:29 pm

Another tail of postal voting trouble; this time from West Sussex. In the Henfield ward ballot papers were printed and sent out to postal voters with the UKIP logo next to the Liberal Democrat candidate and with the Liberal Democrat logo against the Labour candidate. Corrected ballot papers have now been sent out.

UPDATE: Things also went wrong in Riverside ward, where the UKIP logo appeared next to the Peace candidate.

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Mark Pack

Conservative voters back electoral reform; public doesn’t want to cut MP pay

By Mark Pack | Mon 1st June 2009 - 7:15 pm

An interesting snippet from today’s YouGov poll:

Here are some proposals that have been made for reforming our political system. In each case do you agree or disagree with it?

Introduce a new voting system for electing MPs which would link the number of seats to the total vote of each party, and make it harder for a single party to win general elections outright.

Support: 52%
Oppose: 20%

Amongst Conservative voters:

Support: 40%
Oppose: 33%

Not surprisingly, Liberal Democrat voters are much keener, but it’s interesting to note that a majority of Conservatives agreed with this question.

The other question that particularly caught my eye was on MPs’ pay, where the …

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Posted in Polls | Tagged and | 2 Comments
Mark Pack

Forthcoming PPC selections

By Mark Pack | Mon 1st June 2009 - 9:57 am

The Lib Dems 4 Parliament site brings news of two selections closing in June:

Plymouth Moor View
Plymouth Sutton & Devonport

Both close on 5th June. Details here.

Posted in Selection news | 1 Comment
Mark Pack

Nine months on, Daily Telegraph catches up on our Glenda Jackson story

By Mark Pack | Sun 31st May 2009 - 6:40 pm

Today’s Telegraph story about Labour MP Glenda Jackson and how she repaid £8,000 in expenses that had gone on Labour Party campaigning may seem vaguely familiar to readers of The Voice.

That’s because, ahem, I broke the story back at the start of September, following which a complaint went in that resulted in her having to make the repayment, as reported later that month.

Hat tip: Liberal Vision, though their “breaking news” headline is perhaps a little over-keen 🙂

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Mark Pack

What’s the significance of today’s Observer editorial?

By Mark Pack | Sun 31st May 2009 - 6:07 pm

The Observer coming out today and urging a vote for the Liberal Democrats will have put a spring in the step of many deliverers, canvassers and poster teams around the country, especially when combined with the news of the Telegraph ICM poll putting the Liberal Democrats in second place.

In the past both the sister papers – Guardian and Observer – have toyed with urging Liberal Democrat votes, saying nice things about the party and urging tactical voting whilst falling short of the sort of clear support for Lib Dem votes that today’s Observer has. Indeed, it’s easy to joke …

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Mark Pack

Vince Cable rejects Telegraph speculation of deal with Labour

By Mark Pack | Sun 31st May 2009 - 12:42 pm

Both yesterday and today the Telegraph has reported that Gordon Brown is thinking of asking Liberal Democrats, including Vince Cable, to join the government in a major post-European elections reshuffle. Vince’s response when asked about the story on TV this morning was very robust and clear:

“I’m part of the Liberal Democrat team. We’re fighting to maximise our number of votes and seats in upcoming election,” he said.

“I’ve no interest whatever in being co-opted by a Labour government that has become, quite frankly, discredited”.

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Mark Pack

Have you got your virtual window poster up?

By Mark Pack | Sun 31st May 2009 - 9:20 am

Window posters have a key role to play in many winning Liberal Democrat election campaigns because the more likely people think we are to win, the most likely they are to vote for us. Seeing lots of their neighbours displaying posters helps raise that credibility.

The online equivalent is to change your Facebook profile photo, Twitter avatar, instant messaging picture (and so on, depending on which services you use).

There’s a graphic below you can use. Just save it to your computer and then use it to change your profile picture / avatar / icon. You may have seen it spreading quickly already …

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Mark Pack

The Observer says: vote Liberal Democrat

By Mark Pack | Sun 31st May 2009 - 9:17 am

From today’s leader:

Nick Clegg is the most instinctively European leader at Westminster. That is currently a lonely position, but the Lib Dems have a decent record of taking minority stands that are later vindicated. On the environment, on civil liberties and on the mounting debt bubble, the Lib Dems were quietly but consistently ahead of the Westminster curve.

Likewise on transparency. In 2007, they opposed the Conservative move, tacitly encouraged by Labour, to exempt Parliament from the Freedom of Information Act. The Lib Dems alone took a party line for openness…

While MPs from all parties are tainted, the parties themselves

…

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Mark Pack

Daily View 2×2: 31 May 09

By Mark Pack | Sun 31st May 2009 - 8:00 am

Welcome to the Sunday outing for our Daily View. As it’s a Sunday, today’s comes with a special examination paper supplement. If you spot anything for future posts, do let us know on [email protected].

2 Big Stories

Opinion polls

It’s been a tale of two polls: a disappointing Populus poll on Saturday followed by a spectacularly good ICM poll in today’s Sunday Telegraph, putting the Liberal Democrats in second place in both general election and European election voting intentions:

The ICM poll for The Sunday Telegraph is the worst possible news for the Prime Minister as he enters his most important week since taking

…

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Mark Pack

Wikipedia bans Church of Scientology

By Mark Pack | Sat 30th May 2009 - 10:20 am

That’s the headline from The Register:

In an unprecedented effort to crack down on self-serving edits, the Wikipedia supreme court has banned contributions from all IP addresses owned or operated by the Church of Scientology and its associates.

Closing out the longest-running court case in Wikiland history, the site’s Arbitration Committee voted 10 to 0 (with one abstention) in favor of the move, which takes effect immediately…

Some have argued that those editing from Scientology IPs may be doing so without instruction from the Church hierarchy. But a former member of Scientology’s Office of Special Affairs – a department officially responsible

…

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Posted in News and Online politics | Tagged and | 4 Comments
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