Author Archives: NewsHound

Major railway modernisation announced

By NewsHound | Mon 16th July 2012 - 2:15 pm

A £9.4bn package of investment in the railways in England and Wales, including £4.2bn of new schemes, has been unveiled by the government.

The plans include electrification of the Midland Main Line between Bedford and Sheffield.

Posted in News | Tagged high-speed rail and railways | 17 Comments

LibLink: The Lib Dem political plan for the next year

By NewsHound | Mon 16th July 2012 - 11:50 am

Writing over on the Huffington Post, Lib Dem Voice’s Mark Pack has been taking a look at the party’s plan for the next year:

The plan of senior Liberal Democrats is to focus heavily on delivering and communicating the four priorities from the front page of the party’s 2010 manifesto:

“fair taxes – that put money back in your pocket

Posted in LibLink | Tagged chris nicholson, ed davey and Mark Pack | 6 Comments

Nick Clegg talking to young people

By NewsHound | Tue 3rd July 2012 - 1:54 pm

Yesterday Nick Clegg spoke on CBBC’s Newsround about the banking crisis – and he didn’t pull his punches.

Posted in News | Tagged nick clegg and schools | 2 Comments

Nick Robinson: Chancellor to announce banking inquiry this afternoon

By NewsHound | Mon 2nd July 2012 - 3:10 pm

From the BBC’s Nick Robinson:

The government is to set up a wider inquiry into banking to report by the end of the year.

It will not be a full Leveson-style public inquiry. However, it will be separate from, and much wider than, the inquiry already announced into the abuses of LIBOR – inter-bank lending rate – at Barclays and other banks.

Posted in News | Tagged banking | 6 Comments

Nick Clegg wants to see more resignations at Barclays

By NewsHound | Mon 2nd July 2012 - 1:49 pm

The Press Association reports:

Nick Clegg has ramped up the pressure on Bob Diamond by indicating he believed the Barclays chief executive should follow the lead of the bank’s chairman, Marcus Agius.
The Deputy Prime Minister said he had “no problem with more inquires” into what went wrong with the industry after Labour called for a Leveson-style investigation.

Posted in News | Tagged banking | 8 Comments

New economic think-tank for Wales

By NewsHound | Mon 2nd July 2012 - 10:53 am

Last Thursday saw the launch of a centre-right think tank in Wales called Gorwel (Horizon) chaired by the Conservative Assembly Member, David Melding, and including Lib Dems, such as Russell Deacon, Plaid Cymru members and non-party people.

It’s an attempt to challenge the status quo in Wales try and improve Wales economically.

Posted in News and Wales | Tagged Wales | 2 Comments

++ Barclays chairman set to resign

By NewsHound | Sun 1st July 2012 - 7:43 pm

Breaking News from the BBC

Marcus Agius is to resign as the chairman of Barclays, the BBC has learned.

There will be an announcement on Monday morning, BBC business editor Robert Peston says.

It comes after Barclays was fined £290m ($450m) for attempting to manipulate the Libor inter-bank lending rate.

Posted in News | Tagged banking | 5 Comments

LibLink: Nick Clegg – Beware the risks and rewards of a banking union

By NewsHound | Sat 30th June 2012 - 11:50 am

Writing in the Financial Times this week, Nick Clegg warned:

In the debate on banking union we back greater co-operation on various aspects of an integrated financial system: common rules on the restructuring of failed banks, shared principles on how to protect depositors, high minimum standards for the capital EU banks should hold and a strong European Banking Authority.

Posted in Europe / International and LibLink | Tagged banking, euro, european union and nick clegg | 4 Comments

Cable: The City is a massive cesspit

By NewsHound | Sat 30th June 2012 - 8:26 am

The Independent reports:

The Government was under growing pressure last night to call a public inquiry into the behaviour of Britain’s bankers as the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, admitted the sector was a “massive cesspit” that needed cleaning up.

Posted in News | Tagged banking and vince cable | 13 Comments

Vince ahead of the game – again

By NewsHound | Fri 29th June 2012 - 11:43 am

Yesterday the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer made an attempt to appear in tune with public outrage over the behaviour of Barclays’ bankers and the failure of the bank’s Chief Executive to take full responsibility for the market manipulation practised by his staff.

However it seems that once again Vince Cable was ahead of us all.

Hat tip: Richard Morris

Posted in News | Tagged bob diamond, richard morris and vince cable | 3 Comments

Liblink: Danny Alexander to tax dodgers – we are coming to get you!

By NewsHound | Wed 20th June 2012 - 4:27 pm

Following all the publicity about Jimmy Carr’s tax arrangements for his multi million pound fortune which means that he pays just a fraction of the amount the rest of us have to shell out, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander has written for the Sun newspaper about Government measures to clamp down on those who avoid tax.

Frankly, I think people who dodge the tax system are the moral equivalent of benefit cheats.

Both sets of people think they can bend the rules everyone else lives by for their own benefit.

The Coalition are already cutting income tax for

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged Danny Alexander, jimmy carr, tax avoidance and the sun | 19 Comments

A wet flannel, a flip-flop and a rump of a party

By NewsHound | Tue 19th June 2012 - 3:53 pm

People do change their minds on political issues, and so we should not be too surprised when occasionally someone resigns from one party and joins another party or becomes an Independent. But we would hope that such a decision would be made after much thought, especially if the person had been elected on a party platform.

Three curious stories have reached us today.

In Thetford, Labour councillor Carl Clark resigned, apparently because he opposed Labour’s policies on membership of Europe and on abortion, amongst others. He described Ed Miliband as a ‘wet flannel’.

He said “I have never really been Labour. They asked me …

Posted in News | 10 Comments

LibLink: Stephen Tall names Matthew Parris ‘Liberal of the Week’ for calling for end to private schools’ charitable status

By NewsHound | Sat 16th June 2012 - 8:55 am

Over at CentreForum’s blog, LibDemVoice Co-Editor Stephen Tall has named columnist Matthew Parris the inaugural winner of the think-tank’s ‘Liberal of the Week’ for ‘his attack on the charitable status of private schools that are bastions of privilege.’ Here’s an excerpt from Stephen’s reasons:

The fact that private schools are directly equated with charities such as Cancer Research UK and Oxfam – and can therefore benefit from rates relief and exemption from tax on investment income – is breathtaking. It means that the low-paid in society – including those earning less than the minimum wage – are helping to subsidise through

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged centre forum, charity, matthew parris, schools and stephen tall | 13 Comments

Lib Dems will not support Hunt

By NewsHound | Tue 12th June 2012 - 6:24 pm

From the BBC:

Lib Dem MPs are to abstain in a Commons vote on Wednesday calling for an investigation into whether Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has broken the ministerial code of conduct.

Labour want his handling of News Corp’s BSkyB bid examined by David Cameron’s adviser on ministers interests.

The BBC’s Nick Robinson said Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg had told a meeting of his MPs and peers not to “support the Tories on this one” and “to stay away”.

Mr Cameron has fully backed Mr Hunt.

Posted in News | Tagged jeremy hunt | 49 Comments

Oakeshott: Jeremy Hunt should have resigned

By NewsHound | Mon 11th June 2012 - 1:54 pm

There is widespread press coverage today about this. For example, the Independent reports:

A senior Liberal Democrat has said culture secretary Jeremy Hunt should have resigned following his evidence to the Leveson Inquiry about News Corp’s failed takeover of BSkyB.

Lord Oakeshott, who was one of Vince Cable’s closest colleagues when the business secretary was overseeing News Corp’s ill-fated bid, said Rupert Murdoch’s empire was treated differently from other firms by the Government and criticised Mr Hunt, saying “no self-respecting minister” would have stayed in his post.

Posted in News | Tagged jeremy hunt and Lord oakeshott | 6 Comments

Vince Cable winning out on employee rights

By NewsHound | Mon 21st May 2012 - 11:20 pm

Via The Voice’s Mark Pack:

Posted in News | Tagged adrian beecroft, david cameron and vince cable | 12 Comments

Liblink: Vince Cable – Complete nonsense to suggest reducing labour rights to beat the recession

By NewsHound | Mon 21st May 2012 - 4:24 pm

In today’s Sun (scroll down), Vince Cable tears into those who would reduce labour rights to try to beat the recession:

Some people think that if labour rights were stripped down to the most basic minimum, employers would start hiring and the economy would soar again.

This is complete nonsense.

British workers are an asset, not just a cost for company bosses.

That is why I am so opposed to the ideological zealots who want to encourage British firms to fire at will. Those who want to shake up the law

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged employment law and vince cable | 29 Comments

Big Switch – ‘A victory for people power over the big gas and electricity companies”

By NewsHound | Mon 14th May 2012 - 11:23 am

The Independent reports:

Co-operative Energy emerged yesterday as winner of the much-heralded Big Switch campaign launched by Which? and 38 Degrees.

The collective bargaining scheme aimed to find cheaper energy deals for more than 280,000 people who signed up. But the Co-op – which won the auction by offering the lowest tariff – will offer its deals to 30,000 people on a first come, first served basis.

Posted in News | Tagged energy | 12 Comments

LibLink: Norman Lamb on the coalition – ‘It’s our national duty’

By NewsHound | Mon 14th May 2012 - 9:54 am

The new edition of House magazine features an extended interview with Norman Lamb, written by Sam Macrory.

Norman features on the cover, with the strapline “The business minister on why ‘flunking’ the coalition is not an option”.

The interview took place on election day, so Norman had thoughts for those facing tough polling fights, while defending the coaltion:

Posted in LibLink | Tagged coalition and norman lamb | 32 Comments

Police probe launched into anti-Lib Dem electoral fraud in Richmond

By NewsHound | Sun 13th May 2012 - 1:00 pm

A couple of days ago Mary Reid, one of LibDemVoice’s day editors, reported the news of the fake election leaflets distributed in Richmond with the seeming intent of misleading voters about the views of local Lib Dems:

A number of local voters have admitted that they were taken in by the leaflets, decided not to vote Lib Dem as a result and voted Conservative in protest. This was a seat that we were hoping to take back from the Conservatives, but Jane Dodds lost by 146 votes.

The BBC now reports that the police are investigating the allegations of electoral …

Posted in Election law | Tagged jane dodds and richmond upon thames council | 3 Comments

LibLink: Nick Clegg – This coalition is stable and the centre will hold

By NewsHound | Mon 7th May 2012 - 2:10 pm

In today’s Guardian, Nick Clegg declares the Coalition isn’t about to lurch to the left or the right in the wake of the governing parties’ bruising election results: “We spent two years on rescue. Now it’s time for reform.” Here are the three lessons Nick says he’s drawing from last week…

1) The coalition must work harder to show that we are governing for the whole country

Both coalition parties got thumped in Scotland, Wales and the north of England. People are afraid for their jobs and their children’s prospects. In my own patch in Sheffield, I know that memories of the

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged local elections 2012 and nick clegg | 49 Comments

LibLink: Mark Pack – Which Liberal Democrat MPs have the media pulling power?

By NewsHound | Fri 4th May 2012 - 3:15 pm

Writing over on his work blog, The Voice’s Mark Pack has been crunching the numbers on the media performances of Liberal Democrat ministers ahead of a likely reshuffle:

No surprise that the top five places are taken by the five Liberal Democrat Cabinet members. Her push for equal marriage reforms has helped put Lynne Featherstone top of the list of non-Cabinet members, whilst Health Minister Paul Burstow’s mid-table ranking is a mixed blessing. He may be a minister in a hugely important area, but given the level of controversy attracted by Andrew Lansley and the Health and Social Care Act, keeping

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged david laws, lynne featherstone and Mark Pack | 1 Comment

LibLink: David Laws – Borrowing to cure a debt problem is not the answer

By NewsHound | Fri 4th May 2012 - 1:51 pm

David Laws has been writing for This is Cornwall. He says:

When Bill Clinton fought to become the US President, one of his staff put up a poster on the wall of the campaign headquarters. The poster read: “It’s the economy, stupid!” It was a blunt reminder to his staff to focus on the big issue of the election, and nothing else. For the British Government, and for people in our region, it is still the economy which is the biggest challenge facing us.

Last week, we received the grim news that the UK economy shrunk in size in the first

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged david laws | 32 Comments

LibLink: Stephen Tall – The Coalition’s mid-term blues: a problem shared (is still a problem)

By NewsHound | Wed 2nd May 2012 - 6:45 pm

Over at the Politics.co.uk website, LibDemVoice Co-Editor Stephen Tall looks at the party’s prospects in Thursday’s elections. Here’s an excerpt:

With the Lib Dems’ national poll ratings flat-lining at around 10-12%, the party faces the uncomfortable prospect of a classic pincer-movement: losing to Labour our hard-won gains in the urban north, and losing to the Tories the no-less-hard-won gains in the suburban south. How the party fares against Labour in Sheffield, Manchester and Cambridge – where there are sitting Lib Dem MPs, including Nick Clegg – and against the Tories in Eastleigh, Three Rivers and Cheltenham will be a crucial test

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged local elections 2012 and stephen tall | 7 Comments

Lib Dems see silver lining in Tories’ cloud

By NewsHound | Mon 30th April 2012 - 6:03 pm

From today’s Times (£):

The string of problems hitting the Tories could save the Liberal Democrats from a catastrophic meltdown in this Thursday’s local elections, party chiefs claimed yesterday. The Lib Dems are still expecting to lose up to half their 650 council seats in England and Wales as voters continue to blame Nick Clegg for joining the coalition. They could do even worse in Scottish local elections. But Gerald Vernon-Jackson, leader of Liberal Democrat councillors in England and Wales, said that in the past two

…

Posted in News | Tagged Council elections and gerald vernon jackson | 7 Comments

LibLink: Paddy Ashdown – I understand why many voters on the progressive wing of politics are struggling with voting for Ken Livingstone

By NewsHound | Fri 27th April 2012 - 12:25 pm

Writing in the Evening Standard, former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown says:

I understand why many voters on the progressive wing of politics are struggling with voting for Ken Livingstone. His campaign has been sad, desperate and divisive. He has just one big idea — a seven per cent cut in Tube fares. It’s a perfectly decent policy at a time when fares have risen for years on end but the problem is he can’t do it and he knows it.

Transport for London knows it too, having worked

…

Posted in LibLink and London | Tagged brian paddick, ken livingstone and paddy ashdown | 14 Comments

Lords Reform – if evidence were needed…

By NewsHound | Tue 24th April 2012 - 11:52 am

Yesterday, Unlock Democracy published new research confirming that a majority of the public support government plans to introduce elections to the House of Lords. A poll conducted by YouGov has found that:

69% support a half, majority or wholly elected second chamber. The most popular response was for a fully elected second chamber (33%). Just 5% support a wholly appointed second chamber (don’t know: 22%).

45% believe members of the House of Lords should not be allowed to block reform; 32% felt they should (don’t know: 17%).

48% supported experts being invited to participate in legislation on an ad hoc basis, rather

…

Posted in News and Parliament | Tagged house of lords and unlock democracy | 5 Comments

LibLink: Mark Pack – Which London Mayor candidates are saying the right things?

By NewsHound | Sat 21st April 2012 - 12:55 pm

Over on his work blog, Lib Dem Voice’s Mark Pack has been looking at the manifesto mailing for the London Mayor elections:

For all the value of the detail of the booklet, the reality is that most voters only glance briefly through such a publication. The initial, quick impression each candidate gives matters far more than the detail of what they say in third paragraph, fourth sentence. Those sentences only make it into wider prominence if an embarrassing typo makes them into diary column fodder or if policy naivety means a small detail can be turned into a tabloid front page

…

Posted in LibLink and London | Tagged Mark Pack | Leave a comment

Tim Farron: LibDems ready to sabotage a key plank of the coalition deal

By NewsHound | Sat 21st April 2012 - 10:32 am

From this morning’s Independent:

Liberal Democrat MPs are prepared to sabotage a key plank of the Coalition agreement unless rebellious Conservative backbenchers back down and support a fully elected House of Lord’s, the party’s president suggested yesterday.

Tim Farron told The Independent that the Liberal Democrats would find it impossible to back Tory proposals to reduce the number of MPs is the House of Commons unless Conservative MPs backed his party’s plan for a fully elected second chamber.

The full story is here.

Posted in News | Tagged house of lords | 31 Comments

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What’s going on with party strategy?

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Author Archives: NewsHound

Major railway modernisation announced

LibLink: The Lib Dem political plan for the next year

Nick Clegg talking to young people

Nick Robinson: Chancellor to announce banking inquiry this afternoon

Nick Clegg wants to see more resignations at Barclays

New economic think-tank for Wales

++ Barclays chairman set to resign

LibLink: Nick Clegg – Beware the risks and rewards of a banking union

Cable: The City is a massive cesspit

Vince ahead of the game – again

Liblink: Danny Alexander to tax dodgers – we are coming to get you!

A wet flannel, a flip-flop and a rump of a party

LibLink: Stephen Tall names Matthew Parris ‘Liberal of the Week’ for calling for end to private schools’ charitable status

Lib Dems will not support Hunt

Oakeshott: Jeremy Hunt should have resigned

Vince Cable winning out on employee rights

Liblink: Vince Cable – Complete nonsense to suggest reducing labour rights to beat the recession

Big Switch – ‘A victory for people power over the big gas and electricity companies”

LibLink: Norman Lamb on the coalition – ‘It’s our national duty’

Police probe launched into anti-Lib Dem electoral fraud in Richmond

LibLink: Nick Clegg – This coalition is stable and the centre will hold

1) The coalition must work harder to show that we are governing for the whole country

LibLink: Mark Pack – Which Liberal Democrat MPs have the media pulling power?

LibLink: David Laws – Borrowing to cure a debt problem is not the answer

LibLink: Stephen Tall – The Coalition’s mid-term blues: a problem shared (is still a problem)

Lib Dems see silver lining in Tories’ cloud

LibLink: Paddy Ashdown – I understand why many voters on the progressive wing of politics are struggling with voting for Ken Livingstone

Lords Reform – if evidence were needed…

LibLink: Mark Pack – Which London Mayor candidates are saying the right things?

Tim Farron: LibDems ready to sabotage a key plank of the coalition deal

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Josh Babarinde writes…The Lib Dem Summer of Strategy

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What’s going on with party strategy?

A strange but welcome feeling

Author Archives: NewsHound

1) The coalition must work harder to show that we are governing for the whole country

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