Author Archives: The Voice

Malala Yousafzai wins European Prize for freedom of thought

Malala Yousafzai at Ministerial meeting with Afghanistan in New YorkMalala is known to all as the Pakistani girl shot through the head and neck after protesting  against the Taliban’s closure of girls schools in her region of the Swat valley. Now fully recovered she has been awarded the 2013 European Parliament Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, human rights and democracy.

Liberal Democrat MEP Sir Graham Watson was the first to put Malala Yousafzai forward as a nominee and led the campaign for her nomination and award in the European Parliament. …

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Alistair Carmichael on Sir Menzies Campbell

Menzies CampbellAlistair Carmichael, the newly promoted Secretary of State for Scotland, added his thoughts about the retirement of his colleague Sir Menzies Campbell to those posted yesterday.

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Willie Rennie and Iain Smith praise Sir Menzies Campbell

mingWe told you earlier that Sir Menzies Campbell had announced that he’s retiring as MP for North East Fife in 2015.  Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and fellow Fife Parliamentarian Willie Rennie had this to say:

Menzies Campbell’s wise and intelligent counsel has guided our nation through some of its most testing dilemmas.  From Yugoslavia to Iraq to Syria he has been insightful and calm but never feared standing out from the crowd.

For over thirty five years Ming has dedicated himself to his constituency of North East Fife and in return local people have put their trust in him.  He converted a healthy Conservative majority into a healthy Liberal Democrat one.

Ming Campbell excelled in life – from Olympic sprinter to Advocate to political statesman.  To have excelled at one would be remarkable but to have excelled at all three is truly astonishing.

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Ming Campbell announces he’s to retire as MP in 2015

Ming Campbell, Lib Dem MP for North East Fife since 1987, has today announced his decision to retire from the House of Commons at the next election.

It’s been an enormous privilege to have been an MP for 26 years and to represent such a wonderful constituency as North East Fife. My wife and I have made many friends and have been supported by constituents of all political persuasions and none.

It is always a regret to begin the process of retiring from the House of Commons but I believe now is the time to start. I have written to

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Simon Hughes re-selected for Bermondsey and Old Southwark

In news which will surprise nobody, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Simon Hughes has been re-selected by his local party in Bermondsey and Old Southwark to fight the 2015 General Election as reported by the London SE1 community website.

Simon said:

Since I was first elected, we’ve been through a lot. Fighting to have tube stations in Bermondsey and Southwark, unemployment dropping from nearly 20 per cent to 7 per cent, regeneration of our high streets, and many things that matter to local people like better housing and schools, and more training and jobs.

But little compares to the work I have been

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In Full: Nick Clegg’s speech on Europe: Richer, stronger, safer, greener

Nick Clegg in DublinHere, for posterity’s sake, is Nick Clegg’s speech on Europe from yesterday:

I am a pro-European – that is no great revelation, I know. But sometimes you need to say it, clearly and unambiguously.

The isolationist forces in Britain are on the rise – UKIP on the doorstep; Conservative politicians at their conference; familiar headlines in some of our newspapers each placing Britain’s ills firmly at Brussels’ door: too much immigration, too much crime, too much red tape. And every time Europe is back in the spotlight, their hostility towards it – this negative reaction to all things continental – drowns out the other voices in this debate.

Pro-Europeans have to take some responsibility for that. The moderate and rational voices have been too quiet up until now. But we cannot afford that silence anymore. We are no longer asking if Britain will have a referendum on continued membership, we are asking when Britain will have a referendum on continued membership.

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In full: Nick Clegg’s and Michael Moore’s exchange of letters

As we reported earlier, Michael Moore is to leave Government and will be replaced as Scottish Secretary by Alistair Carmichael.

When a Minister leaves office, there is always an exchange of letters between them and their party leader. Here is the exchange between Mike and Nick Clegg:

Nick Clegg’s letter to Mike Moore:

Dear Mike

I want to thank you for the vital role you have played as Secretary of State for Scotland over the past three years.

You became Scottish Secretary in 2010 at a critical time in Scotland’s relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom and you have managed the challenges of

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+++ Carmichael replaces Michael Moore as Secretary of State for Scotland

From the BBC:

Michael Moore has been sacked as Secretary of State for Scotland and replaced by Alistair Carmichael, another senior Liberal Democrat.

The move comes as a reshuffle of Conservative and Lib Dem ministers in the coalition government is under way.

Mr Moore was a leading figure in the No campaign ahead of the referendum on Scottish independence next September.

Moore had been Secretary of State since he replaced Danny Alexander at the end of May 2010.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie praised Mike Moore’s achievements and welcomed Alistair Carmichael’s appointment. He said:

Mike Moore is leaving on a high after

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LDV’s Sunday Best: our 7 most-read articles this week

Many thanks to the  13,800 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here’s our 7 most-read posts…

I need the Liberal Democrats to stand up for me when Conservative ministers denigrate me (62 comments) by Matt

On the Lib Dem conference polling bump (or lack thereof) and what it means for the party (68 comments) by Stephen Tall

Of course, the Daily Mail has form when it comes to smearing party leaders’ families (21 comments) by Stephen Tall

Might some of the welfare changes be a little more helpful to people than Osborne made out? (69 comments) by Caron …

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Who will follow in Tom McNally’s ermine footsteps?

The news Helen Duffett posted this week — Tom McNally to stand down as Leader of the Lib Dem Lords — was rather drowned out by the Tory conference and the row over the Daily Mail’s smearing of Ralph Miliband. But as the BBC’s parliamentary correspondent Mark D’Arcy (no, not the fictional Mr Bridget Jones: different guy) points out here, it’s a role that matters lot these days, especially with the House of Lords here to stay for the forseeable…

The decision of the avuncular Lib Dem Lord to stand down as deputy leader of the House and leader

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A reply to Matt on welfare by Lib Dem ministers Norman Lamb and Steve Webb: “We believe in standing up for the vulnerable”

This week, Lib Dem Voice published a deeply personal account by one of our readers, Matt: I need the Liberal Democrats to stand up for me when Conservative ministers denigrate me. It was read by many in the party, including two Lib Dem ministers in the Coalition — Norman Lamb MP (Department of Health) and Steve Webb MP (Department for Work and Pensions) — who have co-authored the following response.

lamb and webb

When we read the article posted on Lib Dem Voice on Wednesday by Matt, setting out very personally the distressing and painful experiences he has faced over the past few years in trying to access the welfare and health support he needs, we felt it was important that we respond properly to what he had said.

As Liberal Democrats, we instinctively understand that divisive rhetoric is both unhelpful and inaccurate, and for both of these reasons we should all remain constantly vigilant in challenging those who use this type of language to denigrate any member of our society. We believe in standing up for the vulnerable and providing support to those who are facing personal difficulties in their lives.

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Bob Russell reselected for Colchester

sir-bob-russell-mp-in-the-commons-smallSir Bob Russell, MP for Colchester, has been unanimously re-selected in a ballot of Colchester Liberal Democrats.

Sir Bob was elected to the Commons in 1997, and re-elected in 2001, 2005 and 2010, each time with an increased majority. In 2010, he commanded a majority of nearly 7,000 over the Conservatives.

He told the East Anglian Daily Times that  he wants to “quash rumours” that he will be standing down and has announced that he will be seeking re-election in 2015.

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What’s being debated in our members’ forum this week?

LibDemVoice has two parallel sites. The first is our public blog, the thing you’re reading now. The second is our private members’ forum, which only current Lib Dem members can access.

If you’re a member and want to chat with fellow party members about any issue that’s on your mind, then why not sign up? In addition, you’ll be included in our regular surveys’ of party members’ views.

Here’s some of the most active discussions this past 10 days:

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Lib Dem equalities minister Jo Swinson backs Elle magazine’s ‘Make Them Pay’ campaign

jo swinson by paul walterJo Swinson is not only the government minister responsible for employment relations, consumer and postal affairs – she’s also the Lib Dems’ equalities minister. And she appears in November’s issue of Elle magazine backing its ‘Make Them Pay‘ campaign:

Today, we are proud to announce, the government has gotten behind us too. Women and Equalities minister Jo Swinson is urging all women to follow the advice in The Feminist Times and Mother campaign: ‘If he does the same job as you, ask him his salary.’

Praising our initiative,

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++ Lib Dem membership UP for first quarter in a decade outside elections

That’s the news just in from the party’s HQ:

Congratulations to all involved, especially those local parties who’ve successfully retained and/or recruited members. Full speed ahead to elections in 2014 and 2015!

PS: anyone know how the Tories’ membership figures are looking? Ah yes.

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Lib Dems hold Aylesbury Oakfield and Taunton Halcon

There were three very good local election results for the Lib Dems last night.

Congratulations to Allison Harrison and Mark Willis who held Oakfield in Aylesbury for the Liberal Democrats. UKIP came in 80 or so votes behind, and took almost double the votes of the Tories who were in third place.

We also take our hat off to Roger Hurst who held Mickleham in the Mole Valley on an impressive 49% turnout.

AV Oakfield 1
AV Oakfield 2
Posted in Local government and News | Tagged | 5 Comments

Former Council Leader pleads guilty to serious charges

The former Leader of Lib Dem held Kingston Council, Derek Osbourne, appeared today at Southwark Crown Court, charged with 17 counts of possessing and distributing indecent images of children. He pleaded guilty to them all.

Cllr Liz Green, the current Council Leader, made this statement:

Colleagues and acquaintances have expressed shock and sadness to me about Derek, who was held in high esteem by many of us across the political divide. The news of his arrest for serious sex charges back in June came as a bolt out of the blue to all of us.

The police have said that his offences

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Andrew Stunell to stand down in 2015; Lisa Smart selected

stunnell and smartAndrew Stunell has announced that in 2015 he will be retiring as the MP for Hazel Grove, where he was first elected in 1997.

Andrew, who was knighted in this summer’s Birthday Honours, has held several roles within the Parliamentary party, including Chief Whip, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and more recently as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in the Coalition.

Before entering Parliament he had a wealth of experience in local government, serving as a councillor for many years, as an …

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Jason Zadrozny selected by Lib Dems to fight for Ashfield at next General Election

jason zadroznyOne of the largest swings to the Lib Dems at the last election was in the Nottinghamshire seat of Ashfield: Jason Zadrozny gained a massive swing of 17% from Labour, but was pipped by just 192 votes by TV journalist Gloria De Piero, taking over the seat from the disgraced Geoff Hoon.

Well, local Lib Dems have offered Jason second go. He has been selected for a return match, as the Nottingham Post reports:

Mr Zadrozny will go head-to-head with Labour MP Gloria de Piero at the polls in 2015, with

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Nick Clegg’s Letter from the Leader: “The world’s children deserve our protection”

This week Nick reflects on two speeches in two weeks: the first to the party’s conference in Glasgow, the second to the UN general assembly. In one he announced free school lunches for the youngest children in English schools; in the other he announced an extra £100m of aid to help Syrian refugees. As Nick says, “We all hate the idea of a child going hungry. Be they a refugee on the borders of Syria, or the neglected child of a troubled family in an inner city: the world’s children deserve our protection.” You can read the letter in full, below…

libdem letter from nick clegg

Last week, I was at our party conference in Glasgow. This week I’m writing to you on a flight back from the UN in New York, where I spoke at the General Assembly and discussed Syria, Iran UK and arms control.

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What’s being debated in our members’ forum this week?

LibDemVoice has two parallel sites. The first is our public blog, the thing you’re reading now. The second is our private members’ forum, which only current Lib Dem members can access.

If you’re a member and want to chat with fellow party members about any issue that’s on your mind, then why not sign up? In addition, you’ll be included in our regular surveys’ of party members’ views.

Here’s some of the most active discussions this past 10 days:

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Lord Rennard not to face charges, Metropolitan Police announce

The Metropolitan Police have tonight issued the following statement following their investigation into allegations against Lord (Chris) Rennard broadcast on Channel 4 News:

Following reports in the media in February, officers from the Specialist Crime and Operations Command launched an investigation into allegations of sexual touching.

Various inquiries were conducted – including meeting with officials from the Liberal Democrat Party – and a number of individuals were spoken to as part of the investigation.

Those inquiries have now concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support a prosecution; a decision which has been made by police.

There was early investigative consultation with the Crown

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Mayor Dorothy announces she’ll go for fourth term in Watford

June 2011 Watford, UK Elected Mayor of Watford Dorothy ThornhillGood news in Watford, where Dorothy Thornhill, who in 2002 became the first directly-elected Lib Dem mayor in the country, has announced she will run for a fourth term of office:

I am really pleased to announce that I am going to stand again as the mayoral candidate for the Watford Liberal Democrats in the 2014 mayoral elections.

Last night we held our official party meeting at St Luke’s Church, at which I was unanimously reselected. The turnout was great,

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LDV’s Sunday Best: our 7 most-read articles this week

Many thanks to the 16,000 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here’s our 7 most-read posts…

Bob Worcester forecasts Lib Dems to be reduced to 24 seats in 2015. I’ll run naked down Whitehall if that happens (72 comments) by Stephen Tall

Hung Parliament: what Liberal Democrats members think will happen and what you want to happen (72 comments) by Stephen Tall

Clegg: “Every primary school pupil should be able to sit down with a hot, healthy lunch with their classmates every day” (110 comments) by Stephen Tall

Opinion: Ten reasons why the Bedroom Tax must go

Posted in Site news | 2 Comments

What’s being debated in our members’ forum this week?

LibDemVoice has two parallel sites. The first is our public blog, the thing you’re reading now. The second is our private members’ forum, which only current Lib Dem members can access.

If you’re a member and want to chat with fellow party members about any issue that’s on your mind, then why not sign up? In addition, you’ll be included in our regular surveys’ of party members’ views.

Here’s some of the most active discussions this past 10 days:

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LDVideo: Glasgow 2013 party conference redux

Why attend a Lib De conference? And what happens when you do? Those are two of the questions communicatios firm covi set out to get answers to in this 5-minute video featuring Alison Goldsworthy, Vice Chair of the Liberal Democrat Federal Executive: Mark Pack, Editor of Lib Dem Newswire; David Boyle, author and policy maker; and Professor Stephen Lee, Chief Executive of CentreForum…

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Nick Clegg’s Letter from the Leader: The insults were worth it

This is really a commercial for his keynote speech at Conference, with links to it on You Tube and to a text copy. It’s not the best title in the world. I might have preferred to highlight the new policy of free school meals for the first three years, myself. That’s not even mentioned. However, we don’t know if that’s it for this week, or whether there will be another at the weekend. 

libdem letter from nick clegg

 

Over the last few days, we’ve showcased what we’ve achieved in Coalition and we’ve demonstrated …

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By-election round-up: Winning in March, tantalisingly close in Oxford

Some excellent news from Cambridgeshire, as reported on the NE Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats website:

“There was a shock defeat for the Tories in the March North town council by-election on Thursday 19th September 2013. Lib Dem candidate Stephen Court stormed to victory gaining almost 50% of the votes cast and a majority of 156 over the defeated Conservative candidate. Stephen becomes the first Lib Dem councillor on March Town Council and breaks a stranglehold that the Tories had on the March North ward for many years. He is a local campaigner for improved rail connections, open spaces, decent bus services and local community facilities. Stephen ran a strong campaign earlier this year when the council wanted to railroad through development on the open space at Estover. And he shamed the town council into agreeing to issue voting cards at every election. "I would like to thank everyone who supported me during my campaign. I am delighted to have been elected as a town councillor for March North and look forward to using my new role to get a better deal for March and its residents.”

In Oxford, meanwhile,

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Lindsay vs Thornsby – House of Comments podcast comes to Conference

On Sunday morning, Nick Thornsby and Caron Lindsay joined Mark Thompson in the Liberal Democrat Voice broom cupboard in Glasgow and recorded a special edition of his House of Comments podcast.

Have a listen and see whether our crystal balls were right as we predicted how Conference would go and discussed everything from  Trident, nuclear power, fracking, online pornography and Nick Clegg’s position as leader. Deficit hawk Thornsby and old fashioned tax and spender Lindsay put forward their relative positions on the economy in entirely civilised fashion.

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Party Awards 2013: The Winners

Every year, a panel of judges including Tim Farron and representatives from the Scottish and Welsh parties make 4 awards which are traditionally presented by the Party President  just before the Leaders’ Speech at Conference.

This year’s winners are as follows. The words are Tim Farron’s.

The Dadabhai Naoroji Award to a local party for support and promotion of BAME party members

This year, our winning local party has one of our most high profile BAME candidates in a seat I know they’re planning on winning – they’ve been reaching out to their large Indian and Jewish communities locally – they’ve had for

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