Author Archives: Paul Walter

Paul Walter

Big swing to Lib Dems in Sheffield Hallam (by-election results 2)

By Paul Walter | Fri 19th January 2024 - 1:21 pm

The victorious Sheffield team last night

Congratulations to new councillor Will Sapwell, who won the Stannington by-election yesterday in Sheffield Hallam constituency. And what a great swing from Labour…


Thank you to Thillainathan Haren for being the Lib Dem candidate in Tooting Broadway, Wandsworth, London:

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 4 Comments
Paul Walter

By-election results 1 – Conservatives lose last seat in Richmond

By Paul Walter | Fri 19th January 2024 - 10:08 am

There were six principal authority council by-elections yesterday, and there were Liberal Democrat candidates in all those contests.

After winning 39 of the 54 seats in Richmond-upon-Thames in 2014, the Tories yesterday lost their last seat on the council!:

We also held a second seat up for grabs in the borough last night:

This is part one of our by-election coverage this week – you can find part two here.

Posted in News | Tagged | 1 Comment
Paul Walter

Annie Nightingale – fantastic, brave radio pioneer

By Paul Walter | Sat 13th January 2024 - 11:30 am

It’s worth listening to the Desert Island Discs of DJ Annie Nightingale, who passed away this week (not least because it contains one of the best put-downs of the Daily Mail ever).

I first started listening to Annie Nightingale when she did “Sounds of the 70s” on Radio 1 in the evenings with Alan Black. It was a revelation in radio, not least because it was a rare Radio 1 show in crystal clear stereo FM. The music and sensible presentation style just seemed so refreshing, in contrast to the saccharin daytime output of Radio 1.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | 1 Comment
Paul Walter

Aotearoa New Zealand pivots….backwards?

By Paul Walter | Tue 5th December 2023 - 4:03 pm

The Aotearoa New Zealand Parliament in Wellington

Visiting close family, I have recently been privileged to visit Aotearoa New Zealand.

Several things I saw impressed on me, once again, as to how forward-looking the country has been and is.

We visited the Auckland Women’s Suffrage Memorial which commemorates the successful 1893 petition which made Aotearoa New Zealand the first self-governing country in the world to enshrine in law the right for women to vote in parliamentary elections. Similarly, in Wellington there were several prominent streets and memorials named after Kate Sheppard, the leading suffragist.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 1 Comment
Paul Walter

Government announces new plan to help those impacted by ME/CFS

By Paul Walter | Tue 3rd October 2023 - 4:27 pm

There’s been a recent government announcement about ME/CFS which deserves some attention.

As the government says:

Plans to help improve the lives of people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) have been outlined by the government today and a consultation launched on how best to deliver the plan.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 1 Comment
Paul Walter

The humbling gratitude of Ukrainians

By Paul Walter | Tue 26th September 2023 - 10:00 am

One word: humbling. That was my feeling as I listened to the remarkable conference speech by Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik on Monday morning. She is leader of Holos, the first Liberal Party to be elected to the Ukrainian Parliament.

All one’s everyday concerns were reduced to insignificance as we heard of the bravery and tenacity of Ukrainians under the most harrowing conditions. Their belief in the survival and eventual flourishing of their country, their incredible solidarity, is absolutely awesome.

Continue reading »
Posted in Conference | Tagged , and | Leave a comment
Paul Walter

…and we’re back in the hall!

By Paul Walter | Sat 23rd September 2023 - 10:44 am

Tim Farron makes the first policy speech of conference this morning

The first policy speech of the first in-person autumn conference since 2019 brought a smile to my face and very positively answered the question “What is Tim Farron for?”

Continue reading »
Posted in Conference | Tagged , , and | 1 Comment
Paul Walter

Helping Emma and team in Mid Beds

By Paul Walter | Tue 5th September 2023 - 11:02 am

Stephen (left) and François at Flitwick by-election HQ this morning

I’ve helped at the odd by-election (!) but normally I don’t see the candidate during brief visits to the HQ to pick up bundles of Focii.

At Mid Beds this week, I have had a double candidate “I Spy” score. As we were watching “Rookie” on Sunday evening, Emma Holland-Lindsay actually phoned me on our landline phone (which these days is a bit like the Carlsberg complaints phone).

Continue reading »
Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged , and | Leave a comment
Paul Walter

Conference papers now available online

By Paul Walter | Tue 22nd August 2023 - 9:25 am

All the papers for the Bournemouth Conference (September 23-26) are now available online here.

Posted in Conference | Leave a comment
Paul Walter

Trump Georgia indictment – this is different

By Paul Walter | Tue 15th August 2023 - 10:45 am

Embed from Getty Images

It’s easy to think that the latest Trump indictment in Georgia is more of the same – 33 more charges to add to his existing 78 – and that people have grown numb to all of this.

But the Georgia charges are significantly different in several ways.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 7 Comments
Paul Walter

LibLink: Mark Pack on Sunak’s ‘war on woke’

By Paul Walter | Tue 15th August 2023 - 9:16 am

The Guardian has an article asking “Can Sunak’s rightwing war on ‘woke’, migrants and the environment save the Tories?” with contributions from a panel including our own President, Mark Pack:

It is, after all, the Liberal Democrats – not the rightwing populists of Reform – who have taken four seats off the government with record-breaking swings in byelections this parliament. The message from voters to Lib-Dem canvassers in those contests was very consistent. It was about the NHS and the cost of living, about sewage and failing public services. It was about being fed up with the Conservatives, their lockdown parties and their failures on the mainstream issues.

That’s borne out by pollsters too. The cost of living and the NHS are consistently the top-rated issues. Even Conservative voters want the most polluting vehicles to pay higher taxes and Conservatives are more supportive of the 2050 net zero target than voters in general.

Continue reading »
Posted in LibLink | Tagged and | 2 Comments
Paul Walter

495 Uxbridge voters tip the whole UK climate policy into madness

By Paul Walter | Tue 1st August 2023 - 8:07 am

Embed from Getty Images

Labour’s vote at Uxbridge went down (by-election compared to last general election). Our vote at Frome went up in the same comparison.

Within that context, it is not fanciful to suggest that if Labour had bussed in an extra 10 helpers the day before the Uxbridge by-election, they could well have won it.

So, it is therefore incredibly frustrating to see Rishi Sunak’s behaviour since July 20th.

We have seen “global boiling”, in the words of the UN Secretary General, becoming normal in July. Rhodes burning, Europe melting. The UK, so far, getting off luckily with fresh weather.

Yet, it seems that just 495 voters in Uxbridge have tipped Rishi Sunak (and Keir Starmer) into climate madness.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 17 Comments
Paul Walter

Somerton and Frome diary – Libby alights on our spatulas!

By Paul Walter | Tue 27th June 2023 - 10:44 am

Photo above – In the Frome HQ, showing off Sarah Dyke’s image and their spatulas, are Holly Gunning (l) and Councillor Emily Pearlstone (r)

2015.

It doesn’t seem a long time ago. That was when I last visited Somerton and Frome to campaign for my good friend, David Rendel, in the general election. It was a mark of the chutzpah of David Rendel that he took on the challenge of Somerton and Frome after being MP for Newbury for 12 years.

In the event, the seat was won, with a large majority, by a Conservative newcomer, one David Warburton.

Continue reading »
Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged and | Leave a comment
Paul Walter

Commons vote puts Boris beyond the pale

By Paul Walter | Tue 20th June 2023 - 10:25 am

Embed from Getty Images

It was very important that there was a clear vote in support of the Privileges Committee vote on Boris Johnson’s lying.

354 votes to seven sounds good to me.

But spare a thought for Labour Chief Whip Sir Alan Campbell. If he had not shouted “No! No! No!” in the Speaker’s Ear and then followed it up with the procedural obligation of a “no” vote (he was one of the seven), then there would not have been a vote, which would have been disgraceful.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 9 Comments
Paul Walter

West Berkshire turns orange

By Paul Walter | Fri 5th May 2023 - 8:31 pm

After 18 years of Conservative control, the Liberal Democrats won control of West Berkshire Council in the most stunning fashion.

Starting from a base of 16 seats, the Lib Dems leap frogged to 29 seats out of 43, winning in traditional Tory rural heartlands such as Bucklebury.

Local issues included a saga involving Newbury’s football pitch, potholes and the Local Plan. There was also a backcloth of local Tory in-fighting and the national picture.

You have to go back 32 years in the district to when control of the main local council changed from Tory to LibDem hands – that was in 1991.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 2 Comments
Paul Walter

Bishop of Oxford’s essay scores A+

By Paul Walter | Tue 21st February 2023 - 11:00 am

“I’m a member of the Church of England” is not a phrase I often shout at the top of my voice in Liberal Democrat circles.

When my ecclesiastical membership becomes apparent, my normal “escape route” is to say that I am a “Tutu Anglican”. In all matters of the church, I find it sufficient to say “What Desmond said”. For example, the great Archbishop said:

I would not worship a God who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this.

Bishop Steven Croft, who as the Bishop of Oxford is a member of the House of Lords, published a 52-page essay on November 4th 2022.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 14 Comments
Paul Walter

Tributes paid to Paul Hannon, former LibDem leader of Newbury District Council

By Paul Walter | Tue 24th January 2023 - 7:35 pm

Over on newburytoday.co.uk, there is a fine obituary of Paul Hannon, former LibDem leader of Newbury District Council.

The piece includes this tribute to Paul from Lord Benyon, former MP for Newbury:

Continue reading »
Posted in Obituaries | Leave a comment
Paul Walter

Do you want to work for the Liberal Democrats?

By Paul Walter | Tue 24th January 2023 - 6:05 pm

Photo by Jon Ball Photo by Jon BallThere’s a special page on the party website which lists “all of the open work and volunteering opportunities with the Liberal Democrats”.

Current opportunities are include the role of Federal HR adviser (part time), a host of paid opportunities with constituency parties such as Campaign Officer with Twickenham and Richmond, to help re-elect Sarah Olney MP.

There are a swathe of volunteer roles that need filling including for Disciplinary sub-group members, volunteers to phone local party officers and Campaign for Gender Balance chairs and vice-chairs.

Continue reading »
Posted in Party policy and internal matters | Tagged , and | Leave a comment
Paul Walter

Donald Trump makes “beyond parody” major announcement

By Paul Walter | Thu 15th December 2022 - 6:43 pm

Donald Trump has said for days that he was going to make a “major announcement”.

After all the waiting – this is it! It has been described by US political commentator Taegan Goddard as “beyond parody”.

Continue reading »
Posted in Humour | Tagged | 2 Comments
Paul Walter

The right to protest peacefully – we must cherish it, even if we disagree with the protesters

By Paul Walter | Tue 22nd November 2022 - 3:33 pm

Embed from Getty Images

The other day, I overheard someone describing how they would like the “Stop Oil” protesters to be dealt with. It was not pleasant and I am not going to repeat their words here for fear of inciting hatred.

Protests can be very tiresome and disturb our normal routine.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 19 Comments
Paul Walter

The chilling parallels between the 1962 Cuban crisis and today in Ukraine

By Paul Walter | Tue 8th November 2022 - 9:55 am

Embed from Getty Images

Historian Max Hastings’ latest book is “Abyss: The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962” (William Collins, £30 557pp).

I was fortunate to attend a talk by Hastings on the book, at the recent Wantage Literary Festival. To a packed house, he gave a compelling narrative about the events.

His conclusion was that we (the world) were very lucky to John F Kennedy as President during the Cuban crisis. He brought a high intelligence to bear on the issue, and, in particular, faced down his military advisers who were “gung ho” for war. This is summed up by this excerpt from the book’s description on Max Hastings’ website:

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 4 Comments
Paul Walter

US Midterms – the ones to watch (if you can stand it)

By Paul Walter | Tue 8th November 2022 - 8:33 am

Bracing yourself for disappointment seems to be a good approach to the US Midterms.

With the Democrats panicking about the New York state governorship (previously thought safe for their Kathy Hochul), it could be a very bad night for the Democrats.

Public focus has turned increasingly to the economy and crime in recent weeks. That’s not good for the Democrats, although there is still a hope that abortion will help them as an issue.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 8 Comments
Paul Walter

70 years of data suggest the Conservatives will suffer a big defeat at the next election’

By Paul Walter | Tue 1st November 2022 - 12:25 pm

Over on The Conversation, Professor Paul Whiteley has written a piece entitled: “70 years of data suggest the Conservatives will suffer a big defeat at the next election – here’s how I worked it out“.

Professor Whiteley goes back to 1945 and looks at polling for the Conservatives taken 19 months before each general election, compared to the seats they won at the subsequent election.

The result is a remarkable correlation, with exceptions for a couple of occasions.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 13 Comments
Paul Walter

Link: Ed Davey interview: ‘I made my priority very clear and it is to beat Conservative MPs’

By Paul Walter | Tue 1st November 2022 - 10:55 am

Embed from Getty Images

Over on Politics Home, there is an in-depth interview with Ed Davey.

Their journalist Tali Fraser covers a broad range of topics with Ed from his personal story, his passion for carers, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, energy policy and our recent by-election successes.

Ed has this verdict on the current situation:

Continue reading »
Posted in LibLink | 9 Comments
Paul Walter

Calls for inquiry into Braverman return as home secretary

By Paul Walter | Wed 26th October 2022 - 1:01 pm

Embed from Getty Images

The Guardian reports that both the Liberal Democrats and Labour have called for an inquiry into the reappointment of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary:

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged | 6 Comments
Paul Walter

Guardian features two Lib Dems whose first date was delivering Focuses in the snow

By Paul Walter | Tue 25th October 2022 - 6:12 pm

This will warm the cockles of your heart, dear reader.

The Guardian has a regular feature called “How we met”, where couples recall the early days of their relationship.

This week, they feature “Nicky, 37, and Simon, 40”. They found love at first sight when they both got up to close a window together at a Lib Dem training weekend in Derby!

Continue reading »
Posted in News | 1 Comment
Paul Walter

Reaction to Sunak as PM

By Paul Walter | Tue 25th October 2022 - 9:34 am


Embed from Getty Images

Rishi Sunak will (not) be kissing the King’s hand this morning.

Here’s some of the Lib Dem reaction to Sunak’s elevation:

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 24 Comments
Paul Walter

Don’t look to the USA mid-term elections for any light relief

By Paul Walter | Sun 23rd October 2022 - 12:30 pm


Embed from Getty Images
After a long lie-down in a darkened room, it’s very good to be back with the LDV team.

Such a crazy time in UK politics might tempt us to look to the USA mid-term elections for some light relief. Sadly, disappointment awaits us at the other side of the pond.

I doubt whether the US mid-term election results will provide any light. Indeed, a great deal of heat and frustration is likely to accompany the outcome.

I won’t, for a second, make any predictions, aside from advising all to adopt the brace position. Prepare for whatever you perceive as the worst outcome.

Continue reading »
Posted in LDVUSA and Op-eds | Tagged , , , and | 2 Comments
Paul Walter

Peaceful protest

By Paul Walter | Tue 13th September 2022 - 12:34 pm

It is very concerning to see incidents of peaceful protesters being arrested.

This is opposite to everything that the late Queen stood for – and presided over – for 70 years.

We have a right to peaceful protest in this country. We cannot pretend that dissent does not exist. There will never be 100% agreement on everything. It is ridiculous to try to pretend that there is 100% approval of the monarchy. Our strength is that we tolerate dissent.

We should wear peaceful protests as a badge of honour. It is sign of a healthy democracy.

The young lad in Edinburgh should have been protected from the mob – not allowed to be yanked about by members of the crowd, and not arrested for some trumped-up charge.

There seems to have been some lack of preparation here. In all the plans about proclamations etc, had no one thought to prepare for peaceful protests?

As Alistair Carmichael tweeted:

 

The greatest way we can honour Her Majesty the Queen is to preserve and celebrate dissent – and the peaceful protest which goes with it – in this country.

There needs to be urgent recalibration of the police response to peaceful protest in the light of the current period of mourning and ceremony.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 18 Comments
Paul Walter

The curious case of a major capital city whose people are disenfranchised (but there could be a bright side)

By Paul Walter | Fri 2nd September 2022 - 9:03 am

One of the privileges of bucket-list-retirement has been to spend a little time in Washington DC.

There is much to admire in the US constitution and some elements of its democracy. The democratic status of its capital city is not admirable. It’s a “special federal district” – the District of Columbia – not a state. So, it does not have voting representation in Congress. That’s an estimated 536,768 people (Stacker.com) eligible to vote, without someone to vote on their behalf in Congress.

Compare that to the state of Wyoming’s voting-eligible population of 434,852, who elect a voting US House representative and two – count them – two US Senators (out of a total of only 100).

It is an egregious case of disenfranchisement. It is an downright ungrateful way to treat hard working staff (bearing in mind that much of the DC population is employed by, connected to employees of, the federal US government.)

It should also be noted that “DC” is heavily Democrat, as any casual walk along its residential streets will tell you – just going by the posters up in house windows.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 7 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Steve Trevethan
    My response to the latest comment of David Raw is that I too am a resident in Scotland where I also find the health service to be outstanding, as well as being ...
  • Geoff Reid
    For a good short read to mark VE Day I recommend George Orwell's 1945 essay "Notes on Nationalism", which manages to be both eccentric and insightful in his hop...
  • Michael BG
    Mark Frankel, Israel broke the terms of the cease fire announced on 15th January, by not engaging in stage two negotiations. Instead of engaging in negotiati...
  • Peter Martin
    "The Palestinians are their own worst enemies." Benjamin Netanyahu would probably claim the 'credit' on that one!...
  • Peter Davies
    by 'The Palestinians' do you mean Hamas. These guys https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c175z14r8pro and https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g20pj6epvo don't....