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Author Archives: Paul Walter

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Can moderate public engagement be a good thing?

By Paul Walter | Mon 22nd September 2014 - 10:55 am

While I was a governor at a primary school, we had a yearly dilemma. By law, we had to hold an annual meeting with parents. About a dozen usually turned up. Normally the same faces. Interested and engaged, they gave us good feedback and a nice time was had by all. Soft drinks and nibbles supplied.

But a dozen parents for a school with several hundred pupils was considered low. So, annually, we considered ways of increasing parental attendance, only to be frustrated. After several attempts, I jokingly suggested that the only way to increase attendance was to announce that, at the next meeting, we would be showing a preview of an experimental Swedish sex education video which we were considering showing to pupils.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged general election, lord ashcroft, school and Scottish independence referendum | 8 Comments

Saltire hunting

By Paul Walter | Wed 20th August 2014 - 11:54 am

One of the superb, and very enjoyable, things about Liberal Democrat Voice, at the moment, is that there is excellent coverage of the Scottish debate. This is helped by having a Highlander co-editor, the great Caron Lindsay. There are about two interesting posts a day about Scotland at the moment in the run-up to the referendum.

As honorary photo editor, or “photo-fairy” as I encourage the team to call me, this leaves me with a bijou problemette. At the height of our powers here at LDV Towers, we like to illustrate each post. But there are only so many Scots photos one can lay one’s hands through the good offices of Flickr/CCL.

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Posted in Humour and Scotland | Tagged Scotland and scotland independence referendum | 1 Comment

Something stirring in the heart of England

By Paul Walter | Wed 13th August 2014 - 9:54 am

Newbury, Berkshire, is a relatively prosperous place which tends to mind its own business. “O little town of Newbury, how still your ruins lie”, goes the song in the Liberator song book. Occasionally the town has been at the heart of protests, such as those at Greenham Common and against the Newbury by-pass.

There is nothing more British than the public meeting. It is a great expression of our democracy.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged gaza, israel, palestine and richard benyon | 21 Comments

Ed Davey: Non-nuclear energy approach is “negligent” and “risky” #slfconf

By Paul Walter | Wed 23rd July 2014 - 10:25 am

On Monday, I summarised the appearances of Ed Davey at last weekend’s Social Liberal Forum conference in London. Here, I outline some of the views expressed and initiatives described by Ed on the day, including during a bloggers’ interview:

Using less energy

Fuel poverty is a serious issue. Energy inefficient building stock is a key cause.

The Green deal, Ed said, had not originally gone as well as it had been hoped. In Phase 1, there were just 250,000 assessments. Phase 2 is going better, and is on track to improve two million homes.

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Posted in Events | Tagged climate change, department for energy and climate change and ed davey | 26 Comments

Lib Dems need to stick their head above the parapet on immigration and asylum seekers #slfconf

By Paul Walter | Sat 19th July 2014 - 12:39 pm

Liberal Democrats for Seekers of Sanctuary held a thoughtful and impassioned break-out session at the Social Liberal Forum conference today.

Suzanne Fletcher gave some interesting updates from her key involvement in the recent policy working party on Immigration, Asylum and Social Cohesion. Suzanne stressed how important it is for policy-makers to get their terminology right. Illegal immigrants get mixed up with asylum seekers. Asylum seekers get confused with refugees. Deportation gets conflated with removal. It’s not just the Daily Mail …

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Posted in Party policy and internal matters | Tagged asylum seekers and immigration bill | 20 Comments

Opinion: Tuition fees not the crime of the century

By Paul Walter | Fri 27th June 2014 - 8:49 am

Many years ago, before self-imploding, I studied Land Management at University. It was more like Beer Management as I drank several pints of weak ale a night, using my luxuriant 100% grant.

This week I found myself back at University. I was there as a parent learning about student finance. How times have changed. Now, of course, graduates have to cough up 9% of what they earn above £21,000 after university. (Maria Pretzler, mind you, has pointed out that the taxpayer will pay more under the new system than originally …

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Posted in News | 280 Comments

Nick Clegg’s Twitter Townhall as it happened

By Paul Walter | Thu 1st May 2014 - 7:26 pm

Today, Nick Clegg took part in a remarkably simple and accessible Twitter Q&A on Europe, dubbed a “Twitter Townhall”. Via Storify and the LibDem party website, here below is the official version of how it happened, (almost) tweet by tweet.

Over on Caron’s Musings, LDV Co-editor Caron Lindsay gives her take on the event and presents the complete, unofficial version of the tweetery.

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Posted in Europe / International and News | Tagged eu, featured and nick clegg | Leave a comment

Opinion: Making friends with Nick Clegg again…

By Paul Walter | Mon 10th March 2014 - 1:15 pm

In 2012 I got the hump with Nick Clegg after a series of, what I thought were, misjudgements by him. I am pleased to say that I have been humpless with Nick for quite a while now. I feel that he is a confident, passionate and (now) sure-footed party leader and DPM.This feeling was cemented by his Sunday speech and Saturday Q&A.With half a dozen other bloggers I interviewed Nick at Portcullis House during the 2007 leadership contest. Despite being a Huhne supporter, I found myself carried away on a helter-skelter ride as Nick went on flights of passion about

…

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged nick clegg | 19 Comments

Is it right to expand a Local Party by a third?

By Paul Walter | Fri 15th November 2013 - 1:21 pm

Following changes to the English Party’s rules regarding the formation of Local Parties, in a number of places, local Liberal Democrats are being asked to decide upon new boundaries in their area. Here, our former day editor, Paul Walter, raises some of the issues that members will need to consider.

On December 7th, Newbury local party members will have a proposed constitutional amendment before them at our AGM, which I think other local parties have also faced. If passed, this motion would expand the local party area to include the six West Berkshire Council wards (Birch Copse, Calcot, Pangbourne, Purley on …

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Posted in Party policy and internal matters | Tagged england and local parties | 16 Comments

Opinion: We’ve reached the “Ain’t you got any homes to go to?” stage at the Last Chance Saloon

By Paul Walter | Mon 14th October 2013 - 8:55 am

The Newspaper Society is kicking up an almighty fuss about the proposed press Royal Charter. Historically, their biggest campaign has been to avoid tax on newspapers. So let’s not kid ourselves. This is the most self-serving grouping (which is fair enough).

We are told that the Royal Charter has been dreamed up by politicians to impose a state press regulator. Roll on the 30th October, when hopefully this sort of ridiculous hyperbole will diminish as the Mexican stand-off ends.

Actually, elected legislators pass the laws in this country. It seems newspapers have …

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged press regulation | 14 Comments

Newbury by-election: 20 years on

By Paul Walter | Mon 6th May 2013 - 12:53 pm

Today is the twentieth anniversary of the Newbury by-election victory for the Liberal Democrats on May 6th 1993.

It seems appropriate to thank all the Liberal Democrats who came to help in that campaign, to pay tribute once again to the party’s by-election machine, to its driving genius, Chris Rennard, and to David Rendel. David was, for twelve years, a first class MP for Newbury. He continues to be an inspiration as a model of liberalism and selfless integrity.

It seems a good day to report that the flame of …

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged by-elections, david rendel, newbury and ukip | 4 Comments

Opinion: The Lib Dem communications heart attack

By Paul Walter | Mon 11th March 2013 - 9:15 am

I am a computer logistician by profession. I can tell you all about managing defective material retention contracts and the comparative stocking strategies of power supplies. I don’t pretend to be an expert in communications.

So the following comes under the heading of “as any fule kno”, and therefore these statements are easy to make when, like me, you don’t know what you are talking about.

Communications Rule One

The first rule of media crisis management was succinctly summarised for me on a con call a few months ago:

“When a crisis breaks get all your dirty washing out into the open in the …

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged 2013 brighton spring conference | 12 Comments

Opinion: Dear David Ward – drop it, please

By Paul Walter | Mon 4th March 2013 - 4:10 pm

On his website, David Ward MP carries an article from his local Telegraph and Argus which begins:

David Ward has lashed out at his Liberal Democrat bosses – accusing them of wrongly claiming he has been ordered to attend “language classes”.
The Bradford East MP insisted no such punishment had been imposed, following his controversial comments about Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.
Mr Ward also said it was his understanding that any disciplinary process was now over – despite the Lib Dem chief whip stating it was merely “adjourned”.
And he spoke

…

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged david ward | 51 Comments

Last day of the photo fairy

By Paul Walter | Mon 4th March 2013 - 9:23 am

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Posted in News | Tagged libde | 5 Comments

My Eastleigh experiences

By Paul Walter | Fri 1st March 2013 - 9:36 am

This month marked my twentieth year of helping the Lib Dems in by-elections.

My first by-election was at Newbury in 1993. My wife and I threw ourselves into the campaign on our home turf, after losing our son Toby to meningitis aged 16 months (he died just three days after Judith Chaplin, the former MP whose sad demise caused the by-election). It was a bitter sweet time, but we were truly delighted to host Paddy at our home three times during the campaign, once accompanied by Jane and their dog, Luke. Paddy was and is a shining inspiration in the Lib …

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged eastleigh by-election | 15 Comments

Team EastLY – making a difference

By Paul Walter | Mon 25th February 2013 - 12:53 pm

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Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged eastleigh by-election, featured and liberal youth | 5 Comments

LibLink: Lynne Featherstone – mobile money opens new opportunities in Africa

By Paul Walter | Mon 18th February 2013 - 11:23 am

Lynne Featherstone writes on Huffington Post about the exciting innovation of mobile money:

There is money in the air in Mozambique. The deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and I have just watched Nilza and Herculano transfer 100 meticais (about two pounds) via mobile phone. They may both be standing in front of us for this demonstration, but in a country where less than 12% of adults have a bank account, the benefits of these mobile money systems can be large.

The Department for International Development (DFID) supported the launch of M-Pesa mobile money transfer when it was first launched in Kenya

…

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Posted in LibLink | Tagged africa | 1 Comment

Eastleigh campaign borrows slogan from Chicago 1951

By Paul Walter | Mon 18th February 2013 - 9:53 am

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Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged eastleigh by-election | 3 Comments

Doctors criticise Tory Eastleigh candidate

By Paul Walter | Mon 18th February 2013 - 7:31 am

The Guardian reports:

The Conservatives have been forced on to the defensive in Eastleigh byelection campaign after doctors signed a letter condemning its candidate for suggesting the local state schools were not good enough for her son who wanted to become a surgeon.

A letter from cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra, another surgeon and six named GPs states: “As GPs and surgeons who all started their education at state-funded schools, we are proof that Maria Hutchings’ assertions are not true. The education system in this country provided us with the knowledge and skills we needed to follow our dream career.

“It’s such a

…

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Posted in News | 3 Comments

LibLink: George Lyon MEP – EU budget cuts must not sacrifice research and investment

By Paul Walter | Mon 11th February 2013 - 2:53 pm

Writing on Huffington Post, George Lyon, MEP for Scotland, outlines concerns that the forthcoming round of EU budget reviews does not risk future growth prospects:

The EU Parliament will be scrutinising the proposals closely in the coming weeks before deciding whether to accept or reject the deal in the beginning of March. We must be clear – there are areas of spending that help us generate growth and these need to be our priority going forwards.

One major concern is the proposed funding for the Connecting Europe Facility. This new instrument is set to invest in modern infrastructure such

…

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Posted in LibLink | Tagged eu budget and european union | 4 Comments

LibLink: Adrian Trett – Why do Europe and LGBT equality measures cause such splits in mainstream parties?

By Paul Walter | Mon 11th February 2013 - 1:23 pm

Writing for PinkNews, as Chair of LGBT+ Liberal Democrats and Vice-Chair of the Liberal Democrats European Group, Adrian Trett says there are political similarities when it comes to arguing the case for equality and the European Union:

If you have the fundamental freedom to travel and work, live and reside in the place of your choice, then so does everyone else whatever nationality. Just because we may have an influx of Romanians and Bulgarians next January, no Europhobe can turn round and say, sorry you can’t come here, because we belong to a market with free movement of

…

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Posted in LibLink | Tagged LGBT+ Liberal Democrats | 15 Comments

EXCLUSIVE: Lib Dem Voice supplies secret weapon to Eastleigh campaign

By Paul Walter | Mon 11th February 2013 - 9:53 am

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Posted in Humour and Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged eastleigh | 1 Comment

Huhne – human frailty and the family

By Paul Walter | Mon 4th February 2013 - 4:53 pm

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Posted in Op-eds | 17 Comments

LibLink: Willie Rennie – after the referendum

By Paul Walter | Mon 4th February 2013 - 2:53 pm

In The Scotsman, Willie Rennie asks some pertinent questions about what might happen after the Scottish referendum:

The Electoral Commission surprised us all on Wednesday when it went beyond spending limits and the wording of the question to press for clarity on the process after either result in the referendum. It did not ask us to negotiate a solution on the substance of our conflicting cases as pre-negotiations are impossible.

Yet, on reflection, I believe this will assist those who share my view that Scotland

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Posted in LibLink | Tagged Scottish referendum | 3 Comments

Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill 2012-13 starts its parliamentary journey

By Paul Walter | Mon 28th January 2013 - 2:23 pm

Lynne Featherstone (right) proudly brandishes a copy of the newly published Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill 2012-13.

There is a parliamentary webpage dedicated to the bill here, where you can read the document and track its progress through Parliament.

The Government’s Equalities Office has published a range of supplementary materials here, including a short guide to the bill, a Factsheet and a Mythbuster.

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Posted in News | Tagged lynne featherstone and Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill 2012-13 | 4 Comments

Progress for the poorest pupils

By Paul Walter | Mon 28th January 2013 - 12:53 pm

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Posted in News | Tagged education, poorest pupils and schools | 9 Comments

New Labour group: Lib Dems might prove more tenacious than many people expect

By Paul Walter | Mon 28th January 2013 - 11:23 am

Progress is a New Labour pressure group. On their website, Mark Rusling argues that there are strong signs that the Lib Dems are “waving, not drowning”. He bases this on evidence from local government, particularly from Waltham Forest Council:

…I have a gnawing worry that, while the Liberals aren’t thriving, neither are they drowning. They might prove more tenacious than many people expect.

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Posted in News | Tagged liberal democrats and Local government | 10 Comments

LibLink: Lynne Featherstone – Darfur is still suffering ten years after conflict began

By Paul Walter | Mon 28th January 2013 - 9:54 am

Just back from a visit to Darfur, Lynne Featherstone writes on Huffpo about continuing concerns for the region:

Britain’s aid programme is about people, not numbers. But sometimes, the figures are so shocking it is impossible to escape them.

This year marks 10 years since the start of conflict in Darfur and the numbers speak for themselves. During

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Posted in LibLink | Tagged lynne featherstone and sudan | Leave a comment

Welcome apology and clarification from David Ward MP

By Paul Walter | Sat 26th January 2013 - 7:02 pm

Earlier this evening, David Ward MP, on his website, issued the following apology and clarification regarding his remarks on Friday.

This is very welcome.

My criticisms of actions since 1948 in the Palestinian territories in the name of the State of Israel remain as strong as ever.

In my comments this week I was trying to make clear that everybody needs to learn the lessons of the Holocaust.

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Posted in News | Tagged david ward and featured | 28 Comments

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