Author Archives: Paul Walter

Paul Walter

Brecon diary: The rain stopped

By Paul Walter | Wed 31st July 2019 - 8:36 pm

I’m enjoying camping just outside Llandrindod Wells in beautiful surroundings. The photo below shows the first tent I have erected since I took my Duke of Edinburgh award training some 45 years ago! My “yellow peril” vehicle is just on the left hand side of the photo.

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Paul Walter

Brecon diary: It’s not a proper election until you have a delivery injury

By Paul Walter | Wed 31st July 2019 - 9:47 am

Liberal Democrat Voice team members Kirsten Johnson and Paul Walter in the Llandrindod Wells HQ office yesterday
Rain.

And more rain.

That was the hallmark of yesterday.

After a tentside Porridge Pot, I descended on the Llandrindod Wells HQ to find the place humming with activity.

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Paul Walter

Brecon diary – a gorgeous holiday with delivery thrown in

By Paul Walter | Mon 29th July 2019 - 8:59 pm

Talgarth, Powys – What’s not to like?

I arrived at Brecon this morning. After parking, I wondered round to find the Lib Dem HQ (the whereabouts of which I vaguely remembered from my visit back in June).

As I was walking down the street, I was aware of a hubbub. There was the sound of people talking and generally great activity coming out of one shop front.

Well blow me down! It was the Lib Dem office in full swing as volunteers arrived to be given their marching orders.

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Paul Walter

Lee Dillon elected prospective parliamentary candidate for Newbury

By Paul Walter | Sun 28th July 2019 - 11:55 am

Councillor Lee Dillon has been chosen as Prospective Parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats in Newbury Constituency.

Local members overwhelmingly elected Councillor Dillon to win back the seat from the Tories.

Lee is a local family man who has been an activist in the party since he was 15 years old in Thatcham. Both Lee and his wife both work locally and their children go to local schools. Lee’s wider family is long established in the area.

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Posted in Party policy and internal matters | Tagged and | 2 Comments
Paul Walter

Prime Minister Johnson – two potential glimmers of positivity

By Paul Walter | Wed 24th July 2019 - 8:45 am


Embed from Getty Images

I could ramble on for ages on the negative aspects of Prime Minister Johnson. There are, however, two glimmers of positivity:

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 20 Comments
Paul Walter

“Mandate”? A.B.dP.Johnson has a mandate from 0.14% of the UK population

By Paul Walter | Tue 23rd July 2019 - 12:57 pm

There have been a number of Tory voices saying that A.B.dP.Johnson has a “mandate”. It is important to recognise that this “mandate” is from precisely 0.14% of the UK population:

For the record, those parroting the “mandate” word have included our old china plate, Dominic Raab on Radio Five Live (just after the result was announced) and Tim Montgomerie on Twitter:

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Paul Walter

Was the diplomatic leak part of a plot to make Nigel Farage UK ambassador to the US?

By Paul Walter | Mon 8th July 2019 - 2:42 pm


Embed from Getty Images
There was a very interesting discussion on Radio 4’s Westminster Hour, last night, concerning the leaking of memos from the UK ambassador to the USA, Sir Kim Darroch.

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Paul Walter

Highlighting the need for better broadband connectivity across Powys

By Paul Walter | Sat 6th July 2019 - 2:25 pm

If you haven’t already been to Brecon and Radnorshire to help, please do so as soon as you can. Details are the foot of this post.

Jane Dodds and team have been out in the sun in Presteigne. It’s very good to see some distinguished members of the House of Lords in Jane’s coterie:


We can win this by-election, but we need your help! Please come to this lovely constituency NOW!

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Paul Walter

Jane Dodds gives perfect response to Boris on British languages

By Paul Walter | Sat 6th July 2019 - 11:32 am

Yesterday Boris Johnson said:

…too often there are parts of our country and parts of London still and other cities as well where English is not spoken by some people as their first language, and that needs to be changed…

Jane Dodds responded brilliantly:

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Paul Walter

+++The six candidates standing at the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election

By Paul Walter | Fri 5th July 2019 - 5:46 pm

The River Wye near Builth Wells in the Brecon and Radnorshire Counsituency

The BBC reports that there are six candidates standing at the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election.

As expected, Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Green Party have, admirably, agreed not to stand candidates in order to have a united “Remain” candidate in the shape of Jane Dodds.

The six candidates are:

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Paul Walter

If you’re not at Brecon and Radnorshire today, this is what you are missing….

By Paul Walter | Thu 27th June 2019 - 2:30 pm


And this:

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Paul Walter

+++August 1st is date of Brecon and Radnorshire by-election – LDV video from the constituency

By Paul Walter | Thu 27th June 2019 - 10:13 am

https://twitter.com/paulwalteruk/status/1144170404635979777?s=12

The government have just moved the writ for the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election – to occur on August 1st.

As I say in the video above, please come and help here as soon as you can! We can win this and it is a beautiful area to campaign in!

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Paul Walter

“Sorry. I’m not a biker, I’m a Liberal” – Brecon campaign diary

By Paul Walter | Thu 27th June 2019 - 9:21 am

Brecon and Radnorshire is an enormous constituency. By my reckoning it takes up about a seventh of Wales. Geographically, it is the largest constituency in Wales and England.

There are two HQs for the Brecon and Radnorshire campaign. The Brecon HQ is perhaps most accessible for those coming from the south of England. The HQ in Llandrindod Wells is probably a better bet for those coming from the north.

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Paul Walter

Brecon campaign: Mountaineers welcome!

By Paul Walter | Wed 26th June 2019 - 5:16 pm


I knew I’d walked into a very geographically distinctive campaign this morning. The Brecon HQ gurus showed me the position of my delivery rounds using a large “Mountain Map” on the wall.

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Paul Walter

VIDEO: The LDV team is helping now at Brecon and Radnorshire – please join us asap!

By Paul Walter | Wed 26th June 2019 - 12:15 pm

https://twitter.com/paulwalteruk/status/1143831108263526400?s=12

As you can see from the above video, I am Brecon and Radnorshire, busy helping Jane Dodds and her team over the next few days.

We can win this one. Please get yourself down here as soon as possible. We need help now. Help given early in the campaign is inordinately important.

There are two HQs – one in the south at Brecon and one in the north at Llandrindod Wells. They are both open every day from 10am until 7pm:

Brecon HQ: 26 High Street, Brecon, LD3 7LE

Llandrindod HQ: Haslemere, Park Crescent, Llandrindod Wells, LD1 6AB

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Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged | 4 Comments
Paul Walter

+++Lib Dem vote quadruples at Peterborough. Labour wins while dumbstruck Farage leaves hastily by back door

By Paul Walter | Fri 7th June 2019 - 5:49 am

Many congratulations to Beki Sellick and her team on nearly quadrupling the Lib Dem vote share at Peterborough. We won 12.3% of the vote – up from 3.3% at the 2017 by-election.

Here’s the full result from yesterday’s parliamentary by-election, following the recall of Labour’s Fiona Onasanya:

There was much campaign hoo-haa from the Brexit party about them gaining their first MP at this election. They failed, despite all the publicity surrounding their European election performance.

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Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged | 47 Comments
Paul Walter

+++Change UK loses six of its 11 MPs – defections to Lib Dems “expected”

By Paul Walter | Tue 4th June 2019 - 6:24 pm

From The Guardian:

Six of Change UK’s 11 MPs, including its spokesman, Chuka Umunna, and interim leader Heidi Allen, have abandoned the fledgling party after its dire performance at the European elections.

Change UK issued a press release saying it now had just five MPs, who will be led by the former Conservative business minister and anti-Brexit campaigner Anna Soubry.

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Paul Walter

Has this Tory leadership hopeful nailed the format needed for a People’s Vote ballot paper?

By Paul Walter | Mon 3rd June 2019 - 10:55 am


Embed from Getty Images

We’re beginning to hear some voices saying that “No deal” should not be on the ballot paper in the event of a People’s Vote/3rd referendum.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 62 Comments
Paul Walter

Many congratulations to Naomi Long and the Alliance party in Northern Ireland – elected by STV!

By Paul Walter | Tue 28th May 2019 - 4:20 pm


Many congratulations to Naomi Long on a stunning win in Northern Ireland for our sister party, the Alliance. Naomi, who is the leader of the Alliance party, a former MP and Lord Mayor of Belfast, becomes the Alliance party’s first MEP.

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Paul Walter

Voting Liberal Democrat tomorrow: Lord Michael Cashman, former Labour MEP and actor in first British soap opera gay kiss

By Paul Walter | Wed 22nd May 2019 - 11:15 am

Embed from Getty Images

Lord Michael Cashman CBE, former Labour MEP who has been very active for decades in the Labour party, Stonewall and Equity, has said he will be voting Lib Dem tomorrow because of our “absolute consistency”. As an actor, he played Colin Russell in EastEnders, a character who was a particpant in the first gay kiss on a British soap opera.

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Paul Walter

Guy Verhofstadt’s glorious private rant in BBC4’s “Brexit: Behind closed doors”

By Paul Walter | Sat 18th May 2019 - 9:50 am


Snapshot from BBC4’s “Storyville – Brexit: Behind Closed Doors“

If you haven’t already watched it, it’s very much worth watching BBC 4’s “Storyville – Brexit: Behind closed doors” made by Belgian filmmaker Lode Desmet. He had behind-the-scenes access to Guy Verhofstadt and his family and team during the two years of the Brexit negotiations. (Guy Verhofstadt is the Brexit co-ordinator for the European Parliament). Part 1 is available for the next 20 days on BBC iPlayer here. Part 2 is available for 21 days here.

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Posted in TV and film | Tagged , and | 30 Comments
Paul Walter

After last week’s success, thinking of absent friends…

By Paul Walter | Mon 6th May 2019 - 3:00 pm

Richard Gadsden tweeted last Friday:


That’s a sentiment most of us can agree with.

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Posted in Op-eds | 6 Comments
Paul Walter

Thank you everyone – a great idea

By Paul Walter | Sat 4th May 2019 - 5:08 pm

I like this. A handy line in makeshift poster adjustment from a Liberal Democrat who now finds that they are on three councils…

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Posted in News | 3 Comments
Paul Walter

Labour’s mess – now even Baldrick has run out of cunning plans…

By Paul Walter | Sat 4th May 2019 - 2:49 pm

Posted in Humour | Tagged | 9 Comments
Paul Walter

+++Final results – Lib Dems gain a stonking 703 councillors, 11 councils and 19% of the national vote, amid 1334 losses for the Tories and 82 losses for Labour

By Paul Walter | Fri 3rd May 2019 - 9:57 pm


Embed from Getty Images

Here are the final May 2nd council election results, now that all the results are in.

The Lib Dems are UP by a stonking 703 (net) seats, with 688 holds, 683 gains and 7 losses. We’ve gained control of 11 councils. We have become the largest party in a “no overall control” situation in 5 further councils.

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Paul Walter

++Lib Dems win Teignbridge

By Paul Walter | Fri 3rd May 2019 - 3:33 pm

The Lib Dems have just won Teignbridge District Council from no overall council.

We gained 10 seats, while the Tories lost 11 seats. An independent gained one seat.

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Paul Walter

++3pm update – Lib Dems win control of Mole Valley District council

By Paul Walter | Fri 3rd May 2019 - 3:10 pm



The news has just come in that the Liberal Democrats have won control of Mole Valley District Council. We gained 8 seats, while the Tories lost 9. There was one gain for an Independent.

So, the status is currently:

With 162 out of 248 councils declared:

The BBC say we are on 19% of the national vote with the Tories and Labour tied on 28%.

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Paul Walter

First successful recall petition means there will be a parliamentary by-election in Peterborough

By Paul Walter | Wed 1st May 2019 - 8:20 pm

Official portrait of Fiona Onasanya crop 1
Former MP Fiona Onasanya

For the first time, a recall petition under the Recall of MPs Act 2015 has been successful. There will be a parliamentary by-election in Peterborough.

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Paul Walter

Ann Widdecombe: “I’m truculent, I’m succulent, I am a star”

By Paul Walter | Sun 28th April 2019 - 12:00 pm

With Ann Widdecombe’s adoption as a candidate for the European Parliament by the Brexit party, it seems timely to give another outing for this wonderful sketch by Victoria Wood from her Christmas 2000 one-off “Victoria Wood and all the trimmings”. This was well before Ann Widdecombe left politics for a career in celebrity television, most notably sweeping the floor (literally) on Strictly Come Dancing. So this was quite a prophetic work, and a piece of typically gentle genius by the much-missed Victoria Wood.

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Paul Walter

Panic amongst Conservative councillors up for election next Thursday: ‘We’re an endangered species…We’re doomed…It’s extraordinarily bad’

By Paul Walter | Sun 28th April 2019 - 10:30 am

Embed from Getty Images
There are some signs of panic in the ranks of Conservative councillors who are up for election next Thursday.

Councillor Alan Law of West Berkshire Council wrote to the Telegraph on 23rd April:

SIR – I am a member of an endangered species: a Conservative councillor standing for re-election on May 2.

Harry Phibbs on Conservative Home has been regularly talking to Conservative candidates on the ground, finding considerable disquiet:

…among most of the councillors and candidates I spoke to the prevailing mood was still downcast. Seasoned campaigners were shocked by the level of anger they encountered on the nation doorsteps – invariably from Brexiteers who felt betrayed.

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