Author Archives: Stephen Tall

Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall. He writes a fortnightly column for ConservativeHome and 'The Underdog' column for Total Politics magazine. He edited the 2013 publication, The Coalition and Beyond: Liberal Reforms for the Decade Ahead, and is a Research Associate for the liberal think-tank CentreForum. He was awarded the inaugural Lib Dem ‘Blogger of the Year’ prize in 2006, was a councillor for eight years in Oxford, including a year as Deputy Lord Mayor, and appears frequently in the media in person, in print and online. Stephen combines his political interests with his professional life as Development Director for the Education Endowment Foundation, though writes here in a personal capacity.
Stephen Tall

Welfare reform: what should the Lib Dems do?

By Stephen Tall | Mon 8th April 2013 - 11:00 am

This much I think I know… Cuts to the overall welfare budget are inescapable: it accounts for too large a chunk of of public spending for it to be immune — certainly if the NHS, schools and overseas aid budgets are to be protected at the same time as spending is reduced.

These cuts would be happening whichever party was in power, though doubtless the precise methods would differ. The IFS’s verdict in 2010 on what they termed Labour’s “fiscal drift” was stark: “By the eve of the financial crisis … the UK one of the largest structural …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , , , , and | 25 Comments
Stephen Tall

Jon Cruddas: in favour of a 45 top-rate of tax before he was against it

By Stephen Tall | Sun 7th April 2013 - 2:00 pm

Sarah Teather isn’t the only MP attacking George Osborne today. Ed Miliband’s policy chief Jon Cruddas has strong words for the Chancellor in the Sunday People, accusing him of “cruelty” and of “giving a tax cut to millionaires” by dropping the top-rate of tax from 50% to 45% for those earning more than £150,000.

So what, you might ask, was Jon Cruddas arguing for when Labour was in power? A top-rate tax level of 45% levied on those earning more than £175,000, as it happens:

cruddas 45p tax

He’s welcome …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , and | 30 Comments
Stephen Tall

Nick Clegg’s Letter from the Leader: “Delivering fairer tax”

By Stephen Tall | Sun 7th April 2013 - 9:55 am

Nick Clegg’s latest letter looks ahead to the local elections in England, with a particular focus on the Lib Dems’ successful delivery of £600 in tax-cuts for the low-paid compared to Labour’s time in power. Here are three quick, clickable ways of promoting this achievement:

  • Sharing the news on Facebook;
  • Watching and sharing this YouTube video;
  • Re-tweeting Nick Clegg’s message:

    • Here’s Nick’s letter…

    Continue reading »
    Posted in News | Tagged and | 12 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    New Tory ad campaign tries to claim credit for Lib Dem delivery of tax-cuts for the low-paid

    By Stephen Tall | Sat 6th April 2013 - 5:25 pm

    One Coalition policy, above all, polls strongly with the British public: lifting the income tax threshold to take the low-paid out of income tax altogether and to give a meaningful tax-cut to the lowest-paid.

    lib dem manifesto tax cutAs the Lib Dems have never been shy of reminding people, it was the party’s top priority at the 2010 general election. And it’s being implemented now because the Lib Dems are in government.

    The Tories, it seems, have, a bit belatedly, noticed that cutting the taxes of the low-paid is quite a savvy thing to do. So, the Spectator tells us, they’ve launched their own posters claiming the credit for this Lib Dem initiative.

    Such is politics. It’s worth recalling what the Tory tax pledges were in 2010:

    Continue reading »
    Posted in News | Tagged | 8 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    The Philpott case: at last, a reminder of the reality

    By Stephen Tall | Sat 6th April 2013 - 1:45 pm

    justice thirlwall phlpott caseThe debate over the Philpott case has raged all week, but mostly at a tangent to the reality of the case.

    Thanks to Grace Dent’s stellar column in today’s Independent, I’ve finally read through Mrs Justice Thirlwall’s summing up. It’s concise, shrewd, plain spoken, unsparing: no legalese, just clear sense.

    It returns this case to where it belongs: an individual story of one man’s obsessive compulsion to dominate and possess all those around him, in particular ‘his’ women. It’s well worth reading the whole judgment in full.

    However, there are three sections I wanted to highlight…

    Continue reading »
    Posted in News | Tagged , , and | 4 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    How you can take part in LibDemVoice’s exclusive party member surveys

    By Stephen Tall | Thu 4th April 2013 - 10:50 am

    LibDemVoice’s surveys of party members signed-up to our discussion forum have been running for close to four years now. (I posted yesterday the final set of figures from our most recent poll.)

    Our surveys are a way of testing members’ views on a variety of hot topics. And as they’ve been running throughout the first three years of the Coalition they’re also an interesting record of changing views on how the Coalition is regarded within the party.

    If you would like to take part in the LibDemVoice surveys, there are simply two steps you need to follow:
    1) Be a current …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll | 1 Comment
    Stephen Tall

    The welfare debate and the age of the trollemic

    By Stephen Tall | Thu 4th April 2013 - 9:25 am

    I decided to invent a new word yesterday:

    It’s the welfare debate that’s prompted it, but it could be any other topic on a given week.

    daily mail philpott front pageYesterday saw the Daily Mail publish a typically sensationalist front page blaming the welfare state for the tragedy of six children being killed by their parents. On Monday the Mirror shouted ‘Shameful’, with a cartoon showing Thatcher, Cameron, Osorne and Clegg banging in the final nail of a coffin marked ‘RIP Welfare’.

    Each is exaggerating to make their own point. Both are gross over-statements: trollemics.

    Continue reading »
    Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , , , , , , , , and | 26 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Lib Dem ‘mansion tax’: the right policy AND a vote-winner, say 69% of party members

    By Stephen Tall | Wed 3rd April 2013 - 12:15 pm

    Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

    Vince Cable smiling - Some rights reserved by Liberal DemocratsThe Lib Dems are committed to levying a new household tax (known as the Mansion Tax) of 1% on the value of properties over £2m. Which of these statements best represents your own view?

      69% – I support the policy and think it will

    …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll | Tagged and | 12 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Margaret Thatcher, the 1983 election and the ‘bedroom tax’

    By Stephen Tall | Tue 2nd April 2013 - 8:35 pm

    margaret-thatcherLike Caron, I spent more than a healthy amount of my Bank Holiday Monday watching BBC Parliament’s re-run of the 1983 general election.

    It’s not an election I remember (I was 6). But the symmetry of yesterday’s hyperbolic Guardian (‘The day Britain changed’) front page and the televised reminder of Margaret Thatcher’s first landslide seemed calculated to confirm the left’s view that 1st April 2013 marked the ultimate victory of those on the right who wanted (and still want) to destruct the welfare state.

    What Mrs T, Geoffrey Howe …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , , , and | 29 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Job-share MPs: what Lib Dem members think

    By Stephen Tall | Tue 2nd April 2013 - 3:15 pm

    Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

    reformIt has been proposed the Liberal Democrats should be able to allow job-share candidates to stand on a joint ticket for election to Parliament to open up the role of MP to a wider group of people than at present. If elected, agreed protocols around voting, serving on select committees and other …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll | Tagged and | 11 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Adittya Chakrabortty is wrong to say House of Commons is “ever more remote”. It’s more diverse than it’s ever been

    By Stephen Tall | Tue 2nd April 2013 - 9:45 am

    House of Commons. Crown Copyright applies to this photo - http://www.flickr.com/photos/uk_parliament/4642915654/Last week, Mary Reid published an excellent couple of articles — Changing culture is a long term project – the past; and its companion piece: the future — highlighting social progress achieved in her lifetime.

    One area she didn’t mention is the way parliament is much more diverse today than it has been in the past. I mention it today in part at least to respond to Aditya Chakrabortty’s post in today’s Guardian (David Miliband and the debasement …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 12 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Daily Mail reports one poll which Nick Clegg does top

    By Stephen Tall | Mon 1st April 2013 - 2:25 pm

    A Bank Holiday snippet from the Daily Mail today. It shows both good news and bad news for Nick Clegg:

    Poor, benighted Nick Clegg. According to the Lib Dem Voice website, his approval rating is minus 2 per cent. Not that David Cameron can take much comfort from the figure. The BBC1 quiz Pointless gave 100 people 100 seconds to name a Cabinet minister. Clegg was top with 32 per cent compared with 22 per cent for Cameron and Vince Cable, the Lib Dem Business Secretary. No one mentioned George Osborne.

    Posted in News | Tagged and | 12 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    58% of Lib Dem members against pledging in/out EU referendum in 2015 manifesto

    By Stephen Tall | Mon 1st April 2013 - 12:45 pm

    Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

    nick clegg euDavid Cameron has said the next Conservative election manifesto will include a pledge to hold an in/out referendum on the UK’s continuing membership of the European Union. Do you think the next Liberal Democrat manifesto should include the same pledge?

      34% – Yes, it should

      58% – No, it

    …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll | Tagged , and | 12 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Your essential Easter weekend reader — my personal pick of the week’s must-reads

    By Stephen Tall | Sun 31st March 2013 - 7:00 pm

    Papers - Some rights reserved by NS MewsflashIt’s Sunday afternoon, so here are a baker’s dozen of thought-provoking articles to stimulate your thinking juices, culled from all those I’ve linked to this past fortnight. You can follow me on Delicious here.

    Even Britain has now abandoned austerity – Anatole Kaletsky highlights the abandonment of Plan A: “While Osborne repeated his mantra that “you can’t cure a crisis caused by debt with more debt,” he will now do exactly this by creating a British equivalent of government-guaranteed Fannie Mae mortgages to …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , and | 4 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Benefits, back-to-work and the unemployed: what Lib Dem members think

    By Stephen Tall | Sun 31st March 2013 - 2:15 pm

    Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

    70% say: withdraw unemployment benefits IF job offers refused without ‘good reason’

    In principle, do you support or oppose withdrawing benefits from unemployed people who refuse offers of work without good reason?

      70% – Support

      21% – Oppose

      9% – Don’t know

    The overwhelming view — held by 7-in-10 of those Lib Dems who responded — was that in principle withdrawing benefits …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll | Tagged , and | 24 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Nick Clegg’s Letter from the Leader: “Happy Easter”

    By Stephen Tall | Sun 31st March 2013 - 12:00 pm

    Nick Clegg’s latest letter to supporters wishes us all the very best for a relaxing Easter holiday. He’s off on a family break visiting his parents — or “holidaying at a millionaires’ ­playground” if you prefer the Mirror‘s styling. My Co-Editor Caron Lindsay has written a reply highlighting the many and various ways Lib Dem members will be spending the break: campaigning. However you spend it — we at LibDemVoice wish you all the best.

    libdem letter from nick clegg

    Just a quick note this week to wish you a happy

    …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in News | Tagged , , and | Leave a comment
    Stephen Tall

    The Rennard allegations: what Lib Dem members think about how the party and press handled them

    By Stephen Tall | Sat 30th March 2013 - 11:20 am

    Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

    55% say: party handed it badly, now doing right thing

    Lord Rennard has been accused of sexual impropriety during his time as Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats. He has denied all the allegations. From what you have seen or heard about the story, how well or badly do you think the Liberal Democrats handled the allegations against Lord Rennard during his …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll | Tagged | 9 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    A reply to Dan Hodges: why it’s not surprising some Tories aren’t bothered about winning in 2015

    By Stephen Tall | Fri 29th March 2013 - 4:10 pm

    dan hodgesThe Telegraph’s token Labour blogger Dan Hodges has a typically punchy post today – Do the Tories actually want to win in 2015? – highlighting the fatalism of some Tory MPs who think victory next time is possible but not worth it:

    Hardly worth it? What, just managing to scrape a win at the next election, just managing to govern for another five years, just managing to drive through your agenda on health care reform, welfare reform, education reform, etc?

    The Conservative Party is currently in the middle of the biggest

    …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , , , , and | 9 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Revealed: What Lib Dem members think of Ed Miliband and David Cameron

    By Stephen Tall | Fri 29th March 2013 - 9:30 am

    Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

    Miliband edges ahead of Cameron among Lib Dems (though ratings of both decline)

    We’ve been asking this question for 18 months, and over the past year there has been quite a reversal in fortunes for the two party leaders, as this graph illustrates:

    miliband cameron ratings - mar 2013

    Here’s the detail from this month’s survey…

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll and News | Tagged and | 12 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    So. Farewell then, David Miliband

    By Stephen Tall | Wed 27th March 2013 - 10:45 am

    So.david miliband
    Farewell then
    David Miliband.

    You did not
    Win the
    Labour leadership.

    Though you got more votes
    Than Brother Ed

    The trade unions
    Did not
    like you.

    They liked
    him instead.

    That was
    your tragedy.
    And it will be
    His.

    EJ Thribb

    Continue reading »
    Posted in News | Tagged , , , and | 36 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Government pauses on web regulation to ponder question, “What is a small-scale blog?”

    By Stephen Tall | Tue 26th March 2013 - 9:10 am

    A follow-up to my weekend post, Bloggers unite to oppose “botched late-night drafting” that proposes new press/web regulation, highlighting the concerns of many — including the Hacked Off campaign group — that politicians’ hasty law-making had resulted in legislative over-reach.

    lord mcnallyIn the House of Lords last night, the Government accepted an amendment that will exclude from the Royal Charter-backed independent self-regulation plans ‘A person who publishes a small-scale blog’.

    How ‘a small-scale blog’ is defined will be consulted on by the culture, media and sport department. Patrick Wintour in The Guardian reports this as “a miniconsultation with the newspaper industry on how best to construct a workable definition of the bloggers”, which would be an, erm, interesting way of going about it.

    Here’s what Lib Dem justice minister Lord (Tom) McNally told peers:

    Continue reading »
    Posted in Parliament | Tagged , and | 11 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Who’s up, who’s down? How party members rate the performances of leading Lib Dems

    By Stephen Tall | Tue 26th March 2013 - 8:15 am

    Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

    LDV asked: How would you rate the performances of the following leading Liberal Democrats and government ministers?

    Full results are published below, but here’s three key lists for those who want to cut to the chase… (with comparison to December 2012 ratings in brackets)

    Top 5 Lib Dem performers in the Government:

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll | 8 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    EXCLUSIVE: What Lib Dem members think of the Coalition almost 3 years on

    By Stephen Tall | Mon 25th March 2013 - 7:55 am

    Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

    (All comparisons are with our most recent survey conducted in December 2012.)

    58% of member say party on “right course”

    Do you think, as a whole, the Liberal Democrats are on the right course or on the wrong track?

      58% (-3%) – The right course
      33% (n/c) – The wrong track
      9% (+3%) – Don’t know / No opinion

    …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll | Tagged | 12 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Nick Clegg’s Letter from the Leader: “Behind the Budget – economic analysis, confidential briefings and cottage pie”

    By Stephen Tall | Sun 24th March 2013 - 4:45 pm

    Nick Clegg’s latest letter to supporters focuses on this week’s Budget taking us behind-the-scenes of how it was developed, and highlighting the Lib Dem successes alongside the challenges still facing the UK.

    libdem letter from nick clegg

    Agreeing the Budget is a long and painstaking process.

    It started at the beginning of the year, with a presentation by the Chancellor to the Quad (that’s me, him, the PM and Danny Alexander). The information is confidential enough that everyone in the room – even the PM – has to give back the print outs at

    …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in News | Tagged and | 8 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Bloggers unite to oppose “botched late-night drafting” that proposes new press/web regulation

    By Stephen Tall | Sun 24th March 2013 - 12:30 pm

    I’m one of 17 signatories (on behalf of LibDemVoice) to a letter published in Saturday’s Guardian, reproduced below, which opposes the “fundamental threat” of the draft legislation approved this week by MPs of all parties which would regulate blogs and other small independent news websites.

    It’s not often you’ll see us, ConservativeHome, LabourList, Guido Fawkes, Liberal Conspiracy and Political Scrapbook agree on something. But what we term the “botched late-night drafting process and complete lack of consultation” has, for once, brought us together. And, as the letter notes, perhaps even more remarkably got Tom Watson and Rupert Murdoch agreeing, too.

    Continue reading »
    Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , and | 24 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    What Lib Dem members say the Eastleigh by-election result shows

    By Stephen Tall | Sun 24th March 2013 - 11:20 am

    Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

    You say Eastleigh shows…

    mike thornton eastleigh jon aylwin
    There will probably be a hung parliament with the Tories under pressure from Ukip, the Lib Dems digging in against the Tories, and Labour the largest single party

    LDV asked: I think the Eastleigh by-election result shows… (Respondents could choose multiple options.)

      75% – Ukip will pose a significant threat to the Conservatives at the next general election

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll | 8 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Boris has a right Mair in live BBC interview

    By Stephen Tall | Sun 24th March 2013 - 10:30 am

    It was a masterclass in TV interviewing from Eddie Mair, occupying Andrew Marr’s Sunday morning chair on BBC1. (You can watch an excerpt from the interview here.)

    mair johnson -mar 2013With documentary-maker Michael Cockerell’s film, ‘Boris Johnson: The Irresistible Rise’, to be screened on Monday evening (BBC2, 9pm), Mair took the opportunity to put to the twice-elected Mayor of London the allegations he’s always previously been able to laugh off. There’s a good feature about it in the Daily Mail (sorry) here.

    Usually interviewers indulge Boris; I could say …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in News | Tagged , and | 18 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    LDV Poll: Immigration – Lib Dem members have their say

    By Stephen Tall | Sat 23rd March 2013 - 9:15 am

    Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

    Big majorities say immigration has had positive effect on UK

    On balance, do you think immigration into the UK from the following areas has had a positive or negative effect on the UK?

      From Western European countries, such as France and Germany
      85% – On balance, has had a positive effect on Britain
      1% – On balance, has had a negative effect

    …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll | Tagged and | 16 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Nick Clegg’s illiberal hat-trick: now immigration joins ‘secret courts’ and media regulation on the pyre

    By Stephen Tall | Fri 22nd March 2013 - 5:55 pm

    nick cleggToday Nick Clegg made a speech on immigration. He was due to deliver it in February but decided to delay it until after the Eastleigh by-election: I guess it wasn’t an issue he wanted to stir-up for Ukip’s benefit. Or perhaps he realised that his position would be as well-received by many activists as a bucket of cold sick.

    I have read it all the way through, which is more than it deserved. It’s a lazy, lazy speech. It genuflects in the direction of liberalism with some stirring …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 134 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    56% of Lib Dem members say: let’s now ensure no-one on minimum wage pays any income tax

    By Stephen Tall | Thu 21st March 2013 - 12:20 pm

    Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

    56% say: no income tax for anyone paid less than the minimum wage

    In 2010, the Lib Dems pledged to increase the personal income tax allowance to £10,000, cutting the tax bills of low- and middle-income earners. Which of the following personal taxation policies, if any, would you most like to see the party campaigning on at the next election?

      6% – Re-introduce

    …

    Continue reading »
    Posted in LDV Members poll | Tagged | 7 Comments
    Advert

    Recent Comments

    • Peter Martin
      @ Kira, The words you quoted were from Peter Davies'. Not me. I wouldn't agree with raising VAT on energy to 15% right now. I'd leave it as is. The point ...
    • Peter Martin
      “‘why can’t social care and NHS spending be treated as ‘investment’’. Of course, that wont wash”. I'd agree if were talking about re...
    • Peter Martin
      There's really only two fiscal rules that make any sense: 1) If inflation caused by an overheating economy is the main issue, then governments should tax mor...
    • Peter Davies
      @Kira Collins You seem to have missed the bit about raising tax allowances. That primarily helps those on low wages....
    • David Wright
      According to this well-argued article (by Lib Dem councillor Mark Ellis), a simple wealth tax wouldn't work, but tax on TRANSFER of wealth could, if current tax...