Author Archives: Paul Walter

Paul Walter

The real reason why Mark Williams MP isn’t in Tim Farron’s front bench team, announced today *

By Paul Walter | Wed 29th July 2015 - 7:41 pm

Mark Williams MP by LIberal Democrats
…Wait for it…

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Paul Walter

Photos: Tim Farron meeting our two sensational Kingston and Richmond by-election victors today

By Paul Walter | Wed 29th July 2015 - 7:23 pm

290715 1
Here’s a couple of photos of Tim Farron today meeting Geraldine Locke and Jon Tolley at Banquet Records in Kingston upon Thames.

Both Geraldine and Jon have scored sensational by-election victories since the general election in May.

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Paul Walter

LibLink: Tim Farron says blood donation rules urgently need to change

By Paul Walter | Wed 29th July 2015 - 4:10 pm

Writing on Huffington Post, Tim Farron calls for changes to the current blood donation rules:

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Paul Walter

The Times’ curious use of single quotation marks in headlines

By Paul Walter | Wed 29th July 2015 - 2:40 pm

times falconer

Women ‘are not tough enough to lead Labour’

Such was the headline in the Times last Friday, above an article by Lord Falconer. You would be forgiven for tinking that Lord Falconer actually said that women “are not tough enough to lead Labour”. But what he actually wrote was:

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Paul Walter

We need to be careful before jumping on the Lord Sewel bandwagon

By Paul Walter | Wed 29th July 2015 - 9:34 am

Nigel Griffiths. Tim Yeo. Mark Oaten. Paddy Ashdown. Ron Davies. Ian Harvey. David Blunkett. John Prescott. Cecil Parkinson. David Mellor (“toe job to no job” – replace orange bra with alleged Chelsea FC strip). Robin Cook. Harvey Proctor.

All those men were MPs who featured in tabloid sex scandals over the last few decades. None involved expenses abuses or other impropriety that I can recall or find in the archives.

The Lord Sewel episode admittedly involves an alleged breach of drugs laws (legislation which liberals have campaigned to reform) and the use of a publicly supported flat.

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Paul Walter

Well, there’s a twist – SNP to torpedo Tory attempt to relax hunting ban

By Paul Walter | Mon 13th July 2015 - 11:14 pm

The Guardian reports:

David Cameron’s plan to relax the foxhunting ban is likely to fail after the Scottish National party decided to take the provocative step of voting against a change in the law that only relates to England and Wales.

After a meeting of its MPs in Westminster, the SNP decided it would vote down the motion even though it would only bring the law in England and Wales into line with Scotland by allowing hunts to flush out foxes with a pack of dogs before they are shot.

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Paul Walter

In pictures: Today in Athens

By Paul Walter | Sun 12th July 2015 - 8:13 pm

Scenes from Athens today, as momentous discussions take place in Brussels. Scroll down to view. Hover your mouse or finger over the photo to read the caption, and/or double-click on the image to see it in context on Getty Images.

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Paul Walter

Hillary minds her left flank – while Jeb stacks up the money (but is it in the right place?)

By Paul Walter | Sat 11th July 2015 - 7:22 pm

There’s a lot of those internet/Facebook quizzes going round, as usual. One of them asks several questions to show you which US presidential candidate one comes nearest to, in terms of policy.

Strangely enough, I and most of Lib Dem friends come out nearest Bernie Sanders. “Who he? – Ed” – was the first thought that ran through my mind, when that answer came up for me, although I had vaguely heard of the junior senator from Vermont.

Is the US the only country where a 73 year-old can be described as “junior”? And is it wrong that whenever Vermont is mentioned, I either think of Bill Bryson’s hilarious tales from Vermont or that fantastic old comedy programme with Bob Newhart where he ran a hotel in Vermont and spent much of the show opening the door and letting in gustfuls of snow?

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Paul Walter

Guy Verhofstadt tears into Greece/Alexis Tsipras in the European parliament – and the reply

By Paul Walter | Sat 11th July 2015 - 6:39 pm

Newshound covered this on Thursday, but here’s a second chance to view Guy Verhofstadt, Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, telling Alexis Tsipras very precisely and passionately what Greece has to do. It’s a real zinger of a speech (and much better than Nigel Farage’s foghorned nonsense).

If you haven’t seen this, it’s well worth looking at. It’s the one commentary on the Greek situation which, for me, has made real sense:

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Paul Walter

More than just a flag….

By Paul Walter | Sat 11th July 2015 - 1:50 pm

The Confederate Flag came down for the last time yesterday at the South Carolina State House.

It’s worth watching this speech below from South Carolina Representative Joseph Neal (thanks to Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire). It is a moving and dignified speech, which well explains the significance of the Confederate battle flag finally being consigned to a museum. He made the speech during the debate in the South Carolinian State legislature on the subject of the flag.

Matthew Teague writes an excellent article about the event over on the Guardian, concluding:

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Paul Walter

Remembering Srebrenica

By Paul Walter | Sat 11th July 2015 - 10:44 am

Today, July 11th, is Srebrenica Memorial Day, “when we pay tribute to the victims of the Genocide, sending a clear message to future generations to say ‘Never Again’”. Those words are taken from the website of the organisation Remembering Srebrenica who had a stand at our Liverpool conference last March.

There have been events marking the 20th anniversary of the massacre all over the country this week, and they will culminate today. Here is a list of the events across the country.

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Paul Walter

Geeky Alistair Carmichael secures Commons debate on English votes

By Paul Walter | Mon 6th July 2015 - 8:58 pm

Just over an hour ago on his Facebook page, Alistair Carmichael wrote:

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Paul Walter

Tweets from the Edinburgh leadership hustings today

By Paul Walter | Sat 27th June 2015 - 3:50 pm

This morning from 10am until noon, there was a leadership hustings at the Hilton Grovesnor hotel, Edinburgh.

Here is a selection of tweets from the event, which I have attempted to make as even-handed as possible between the two candidates, in line with LDV’s policy.

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Paul Walter

The Liberal Democrat party should be able to recall its own peers

By Paul Walter | Sat 27th June 2015 - 2:20 pm

The Independent reports that several Liberal Democrats are due to be made peers in the forthcoming dissolution honours list. Compared to votes cast before and on May 7th, we have a disproportionate amount of peers. This opens up the question: Should we, the Liberal Democrats, voluntarily sack 60 peers to make our Lords contingent proportionate to our last general election share of the vote? That would certainly be a groundbreaking move, a bonfire of ermin has much attractive about it, but I don’t advocate it.

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Paul Walter

Something for the weekend: the great and glorious Lib Dem game of “what if?”

By Paul Walter | Sat 27th June 2015 - 11:20 am

At the Glasgow conference in October 2014, there was something of an organisational snafu surrounding the BOTYs (Liberal Democrat Voice Blogs of the Year) awards ceremony. At the start of the session, the actual awards themselves, were not in the conference room where they needed to be. They were in a room upstairs in the hotel. The snag was that the room in question was locked. And the only person who we knew had a key was inside the room sleeping the sleep of the righteous – no doubt smilingly cuddling up to all our shiny BOTYs.

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Paul Walter

How to go to conference on the cheap – and have more fun into the bargain!

By Paul Walter | Mon 15th June 2015 - 9:45 am

Caron recently talked about the forthcoming conference and nudged me into writing about being a conference steward. I have dabbled in being a conference steward over the years. There are far, far more experienced hands than me. But hopefully my limited experience will encourage more members to volunteer for this honourable and enjoyable role in the party’s smooth conference operation.

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Posted in Party policy and internal matters | Tagged | 4 Comments
Paul Walter

Congratulations to Liberal Democrats on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List

By Paul Walter | Sat 13th June 2015 - 7:41 am

Many congratulations to the Liberal Democrats honoured into today’s birthday honours list.

We’ve already mentioned Simon Hughes, who is knighted.

Duwayne Brooks (pictured) receives an OBE for public and political service. Duwayne was our very prominent and energetic candidate for Mayor of Lewisham in 2014. He has been a councillor in the London Borough of Lewisham, serving as the lead member for the Liberal Democrats on the Safer Communities Board at the Local Government group, where he has also been Community Cohesion and PREVENT Champion. He has run a charity supporting victims of crime. Duwayne is a great example of a Liberal Democrat rolling their sleeves up to make their community better.

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Paul Walter

Arise, Sir Simon!

By Paul Walter | Sat 13th June 2015 - 6:13 am

Simon Hughes is one of a thousand people recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list today, receiving a knighthood. Many congratulations to Simon on an award which is very well deserved after a lifetime of skilful and devoted public service.

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Paul Walter

Closed for a funeral

By Paul Walter | Fri 12th June 2015 - 7:43 pm

The sun was shining today in Caol, making for some wonderful photos of the gathered throng around St John’s church with Ben Nevis looming majestically in the background. A film director couldn’t have wished for a more photogenic scene.

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Paul Walter

The LDV debate: Is the Human Rights Act undemocratic and illiberal? – Part two – this time it’s Thai fish

By Paul Walter | Tue 9th June 2015 - 9:54 am

summer extravaganza

The legendary Newbury & West Berkshire Liberal Democrat Summer Extravangaza, in idyllic surroundings, reaches its climax last Saturday with the drawing of the 200 club winners by local spokesperson Judith Bunting. But, beneath the genteel veneer, a member of the LDV team was disquietly seething with indignation over an assault on the credentials of the European Convention on Human Rights

We published an article by David Cooper on May 20th under by the title The Human Rights Act – undemocratic and illiberal.

There was an excellent debate in the comments thread underneath the article.

After being approached by David over Thai fish at the Newbury and West Berkshire Liberal Democrats Summer Extravaganza, I started the following correspondence on the matter, which David has given his permission for me to publish.

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Paul Walter

Charles Kennedy on Desert Island Discs

By Paul Walter | Sun 7th June 2015 - 12:35 pm

The BBC’s Desert Island Discs has a wonderful archive of most of their past programmes. Charles Kennedy appeared on the show on Sunday 26th October 2003, in conversation with Sue Lawley. It’s a fascinating dialogue, with some very searching questions from Ms Lawley and excellent answers from Charles.

You can listen to the programme on the BBC’s Radio Player here. And here’s what the BBC said about the programme:

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Paul Walter

Charles Kennedy on Question Time

By Paul Walter | Sun 7th June 2015 - 10:04 am

Bless the BBC. They’ve put together this fantastic selection of clips from Charles Kennedy’s incredible 42 – yes 42 – appearances on Question Time. It’s well worth a watch.

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Paul Walter

Charles Kennedy on Have I got news for you

By Paul Walter | Sat 6th June 2015 - 12:25 pm

Here are a few available clips of Charles Kennedy on Have I got news for you.

Firstly, this was when he presented the show in 2002, courtesy of the Guardian:

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Paul Walter

Lady Stardust (demo version) and Young Americans for Charles

By Paul Walter | Tue 2nd June 2015 - 10:14 pm

Charles Kennedy was a great David Bowie fan. I hope he likes this one up in heaven. (And thanks to Alex Wilcock for the prompt).

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Paul Walter

Party opens digital book of condolence for Charles Kennedy

By Paul Walter | Tue 2nd June 2015 - 9:24 pm

condolenceThe Liberal Democrat party has this evening opened a digital book of condolence for Charles Kennedy.

Nick Clegg has written to party members as follows:

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Paul Walter

Charles Kennedy speaks at the anti-Iraq war rally in Hyde Park, 2003

By Paul Walter | Tue 2nd June 2015 - 8:19 pm

Saturday 15th February 2003 – Hundreds of Liberal Democrats joined over a million people in London to protest against the invasion of Iraq. At the post-march rally in Hyde Park, Charles Kennedy addressed the crowd. Click below to view.

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Paul Walter

A refreshing note of dissent in UKIP on Farage’s HIV comments

By Paul Walter | Sun 31st May 2015 - 7:13 pm

One of the most awful moments of the 2015 election campaign was when Nigel Farage mentioned “foreigners” and HIV treatment in one of the TV debates.

UKIP’s only MP is Douglas Carswell. His father, Wilson Carswell, was one of the first doctors to identify HIV/Aids in Uganda in the 1980s.

So, one expected Douglas Carswell to have some views on Farage’s revolting HIV comments.

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Paul Walter

Photo gallery of Liberal and Liberal Democrat women past and present

By Paul Walter | Sun 31st May 2015 - 6:13 pm

Through the wonderful archive of Getty Images, here is a smattering photographs of prominent Liberal and Liberal Democrat past and present. Scroll down to view. Roll your mouse or put your finger on the photo to read its caption. You can also click on the photo to see it at the Getty Images site with similar photographs.

And yes, I know that Shirley Williams was in the Labour party at the time of the first photo.

If you think I’ve missed out anyone you’d like to see a photo of here, please let me know in the comments and I’ll add them (if appropriate).

I would have liked to have featured Enid Lakeman, Elizabeth Shields, Margaret Wintringham, Liz Lynne, Jackie Ballard, Diana Maddock and Ray Michie but I couldn’t find any useable Getty Images of them.

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Paul Walter

We bored people rigid about electoral reform for decades and learned to hold our tongues – but now is the time to pipe up!

By Paul Walter | Sun 31st May 2015 - 1:40 pm

For decades we were the party that was known for wanting electoral reform. Many people thought it was our only policy.

We went on and on and on and on about it. Then we realised we were getting nowhere with it and started to shut up about it. Then came the AV referendum debacle which shut us up even more on the subject.

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Paul Walter

We need to be impatient to end the scourge of rough sleeping

By Paul Walter | Wed 27th May 2015 - 4:00 pm

Rough sleeper by BlodeuweddThere occasionally comes a time when it is important to state an aspiration. To rise above the detail and say what a particular situation should be, then work out a roadmap to get there. To do so risks criticism for being simplistic and naïve – but so be it.

That is where I find myself with people who are sleeping rough, including in tents.

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Recent Comments

  • Caron LindsayCaron Lindsay
    I thought the sardines were representing you being squashed into the buses! This time next year, I'll have my bus pass, but I won't be able to use it outside...
  • tony/Cumbria
    25 years? and I thought a week was along time in politics!!...
  • Ruth Bright
    We will miss you too Caron. Hope your weekend is as comfy (and full of Strictly sequins!) as is possible in these challenging circumstances....
  • David Barnsdale
    The growth in polarization is attributed to social media but to an extent the forms of social media that we now have (that reward tribalism) is shaped by ideas ...
  • David Raw
    Graham Jeffs makes a fair point, to which I would ask what's the transfer fee for Mark Carney ?...