Author Archives: The Voice

Go and see Nick Clegg’s electoral reform speech tomorrow morning

By The Voice | Wed 20th April 2011 - 4:49 pm

Tis the day for tickets for events in London it would seem, as the IPPR have been in touch about a few spaces left for tomorrow’s speech on electoral reform from Nick Clegg:

The Shape of the New Politics
Keynote speech by Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Thursday 21 April 2011, (9.45am for) 10 – 11am
ippr offices, 14 Buckingham St, 4th Floor, London, WC2N 6DF

Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg MP, will give a keynote speech at ippr outlining the case for the Alternative Vote as part …

Posted in News | Tagged av referendum, electoral reform, ippr and nick clegg | 4 Comments

Opinion: Vickers report on banking does not go far enough

By The Voice | Mon 18th April 2011 - 2:25 pm

Naomi Smith and Prateek Buch of the Social Liberal Forum write about the Vickers Commission on Banking…

At Lib Dem Spring conference in Sheffield last month, delegates overwhelmingly supported the Social Liberal Forum (SLF) motion Tougher Action on Banks and Bonuses. The interim report published recently by the Vickers Commission on Banking went some way to addressing the problems within the industry , but as we predicted in our speeches to the SLF motion, falls far short of Liberal Democrat policy which calls for:

A break up of banks deemed ‘too big to fail’ into smaller, safer

…

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged banking, independent commission on banking and john vickers | 6 Comments

The LDV Friday Five: 15 April 2011

By The Voice | Fri 15th April 2011 - 5:00 pm

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

Norman Lamb writes… The NHS: safe in our hands (27 comments) by Norman Lamb MP
Opinion: Why Labour members should defect to the Liberal Democrats (58 comments) by George Kendall
LibLink: Chris Davies – Be angry, be proud – and campaign hard (40 comments) by Nick Thornsby
Steve Webb writes: working for pensioners, now and in the future (20 comments) by Steve Webb MP
Let Clegg be Clegg (just not toooo much) (12 comments) by Stephen Tall

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

(15th April, 2006-09)

LDVideo #GE2010 #GoNick – Nick anticipates tonight’s televised debate. But how are we all feeling? (0 comments) by Stephen Tall, from 2010
Okay, we can breathe again: who do you think won? (32 comments) by The Voice, from 2010
CommentIsLinked@LDV: Nick Clegg – A greater test is to come (3 comments) by The Voice, from 2009
Was Nick Clegg a student Tory? (46 comments) by Stephen Tall, from 2008
Autumn Conference timing: tell us your views (1 comment) by Duncan Brack, from 2007

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

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Lib Dem MP Stephen Gilbert sticks up for first-time buyers

By The Voice | Fri 15th April 2011 - 7:45 am

Stephen Gilbert, Lib Dem MP for Newquay and St Austell, has spoken about his difficulties in getting a foot on the housing ladder in his own constituency. Despite earning over £65k, Stephen is renting a flat until he can build up the higher deposit now needed — usually £25k or more — to secure a first home.

The Cornish Guardian reports:

“This is the double whammy first-time buyers have been affected by,” said the 35-year-old Liberal Democrat. “If I can’t afford a deposit on £65,738, what about the thousands on lower incomes?”

Mr Gilbert said: “I think the Government needs to

…

Posted in News | Tagged housing and stephen gilbert | 31 Comments

Simon Hughes on the Coalition: “We have started so we’ll finish”

By The Voice | Thu 14th April 2011 - 10:20 pm

Deputy Lib Dem leader Simon Hughes has signalled in the clearest possible langauge his belief that the party’s coalition with the Consevatives can and will run its full five-year course. In a speech today in Bradford, Simon took the opportunity to state how the Lib Dems are delivering results in government:

Just this month nearly one million low income people stop paying income tax altogether. In the metropolitan borough of Bradford alone, 166,000 basic rate taxpayers will receive a tax cut. And this is entirely because of a policy which was campaigned for by Liberal Democrats in opposition and delivered by Liberal Democrats in government.

You can read Simon’s speech in full below:

Posted in News | Tagged simon hughes | 4 Comments

The Independent Banking Commission publishes its interim report

By The Voice | Mon 11th April 2011 - 6:23 pm

Via the BBC:

UK banks’ retail operations should be “ring-fenced” from their investment banking arms, the Independent Commission on Banking has recommended.

However, in its interim report the commission stopped short of recommending the two should operate as separate entities.

It said more competition was needed in retail banking, including the sell-off of more Lloyds branches.

The commission’s final recommendations will be published in September.

Robert Peston adds,

The big banks will claim that putting their retail banks into subsidiaries would impose significant extra costs on them – because it would force them to raise and retain more capital (which is expensive), and it

…

Posted in News | Tagged banking, independent commission on banking, john vickers, matthew oakeshott and robert peston | 4 Comments

Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #216

By The Voice | Sun 10th April 2011 - 7:00 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 216th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (3-9 April, 2011), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.

Don’t forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging.

As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:

Posted in Best of the blogs | Leave a comment

PODCAST: AV referendum debate at Gladstone Club

By The Voice | Sun 10th April 2011 - 3:27 pm

On Monday 4th April, in the run-up to the AV referendum, the Gladstone Club hosted a debate in the National Liberal Club on electoral reform which featured Lib Dem Voice’s co-editor Mark Pack and the Chairman of the Edmund Burke society, Ian Alston. Both took a look at the lessons which can be learnt from history by those deciding how to vote in the referendum.

Posted in Podcasts | Tagged av referendum, electoral reform, featured, ian alstom and Mark Pack | 5 Comments

Clegg: “AV is a very British reform”

By The Voice | Sat 9th April 2011 - 11:15 am

In a month’s time we will know the result — will the British people have voted to modernise our electoral system? The next three and a bit weeks will see some frantic campaigning in the first national referendum in a generation.

Tim Farron is leading the charge for the Lib Dems, as he described here on Lib Dem Voice yesterday. And today Nick Clegg, who as deputy prime minister steered through the legislation to give the public their say, will deliver a speech on the merits of the ‘alternative vote’ in London. You can read the full text below. The …

Posted in News | Tagged alternative vote and nick clegg | 3 Comments

The LDV Friday Five: 8 April 2011

By The Voice | Fri 8th April 2011 - 5:00 pm

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

Major changes at Lib Dem Voice (30 comments) by “Lord Ashcroft”
Opinion: What the hell have the Lib Dems done? (59 comments) by William Summers
Tebbit admits ‘I admire Clegg more than Cameron’ (16 comments) by Stephen Tall
Grassroots pressure stepped up over NHS plans (56 comments) by Mark Pack
Eight words from Ed Balls on the structural deficit (15 comments) by Mark Pack

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

(8th April, 2007-2010)

LibLink: James Graham – Digital economy bill exposes broken system #DEbill (1 comment) by NewsHound, from 2010
The ‘Digital Economy Bill Saints’: the MPs who voted against Labour’s internet freedom clampdown #DEbill (52 comments) by Richard Flowers, from 2010
Ian Tomlinson – full Lib Dem blog round-up (11 comments) by Stephen Tall, from 2009
What’s going on in Maidenhead? (1 comment) by Adam Bell, from 2009
A century ago today… (12 comments) by Stephen Tall, from 2008

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

Posted in Friday Five | 1 Comment

How you can help Liberal Democrat Voice

By The Voice | Wed 6th April 2011 - 3:27 pm

The Voice is only a success because of the interest and support from our readers. For many people just lurking and reading the site is all they want to do – and that’s fine, we’re grateful for people taking the time to read the site.

You can though help us continue to produce interesting content for a growing audience. Here are four simple ways:

1. Let us have your tips for stories. Perhaps there’s something outrageous going on in your local council? Or you’re an expert in a particular area and have spotted a story other people have missed? Or you’ve seen …

Posted in Site news | 1 Comment

Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #215

By The Voice | Sun 3rd April 2011 - 7:00 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 215th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (27 March -2 April, 2011), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.

Don’t forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging.

As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:

Posted in Best of the blogs | Leave a comment

New questions over the police’s relations with the News of the World

By The Voice | Fri 1st April 2011 - 10:53 pm

The Independent reports:

The police chief who headed Scotland Yard’s inquiry into phone-hacking dined with the News of the World at the height of his criminal investigation into the newspaper.

The sensitively timed meeting between then Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman and the NOTW was left off lists of contacts between senior officers and the paper’s owner sent to the Metropolitan Police Authority. Its disclosure in a Freedom of Information request prompted claims that the force had an unduly “cosy relationship” with Rupert Murdoch’s print empire News International (NI)…

Liberal Democrat MPA member Dee Doocey said: “It is extraordinary that when serious allegations about

…

Posted in News | Tagged dee doocey, journalism and news of the world | 1 Comment

Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #214

By The Voice | Sun 27th March 2011 - 7:00 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 214th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (20th -27th, 2011), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.

Don’t forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging.

As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:

Posted in Best of the blogs | 2 Comments

LDVideo: Earth Hour

By The Voice | Sat 26th March 2011 - 4:11 pm

Further to WWF’s earlier post about Earth Hour, here is their campaign video on the subject.

Posted in News | Leave a comment

The weekend debate: Does the Prime Minister’s pay make a useful yardstick?

By The Voice | Sat 26th March 2011 - 8:55 am

Here’s your starter for ten in our weekend slot where we throw up an idea or thought for debate…

The level of the Prime Minister’s pay has become a widely used yardstick for other public sector pay – which suggestions of extra scrutiny for the pay deals of people who are paid more than the PM and counts or complaints about how many people are paid more.

But does the Prime Minister’s pay (or rather salary and pension, for the benefits in kind such as accommodation are rarely factored in) make for a sensible yardstick? And if not, is there an alternative …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged featured and weekend debate | 7 Comments

The LDV Friday Five: 25 March 2011

By The Voice | Fri 25th March 2011 - 5:00 pm

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

Parmjit Singh Gill withdraws as Lib Dem candidate for Leicester South (7 comments) by Helen Duffett
Nick Clegg on Libya: “This is not Iraq” (57 comments) by Helen Duffett
Parmjit Singh Gill selected for Lib Dems in Leicester South (12 comments) by Helen Duffett
Dominic Carman writes… Why I want to be the Liberal Democrat London mayoral candidate for 2012 (63 comments) by Dominic Carman
Opinion: How 295 losers could have been winners (26 comments) by Mark ~~Reckons~~ Thompson

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

(25th March, 2007-10)

Electioneering the social networking way (3 comments) by Jennie Rigg, from 2010
Guardian readers switching to Lib Dems in droves (11 comments) by Alex Foster, from 2010
LibLink: Steve Webb – There has been no rightward shift by the Liberal Democrats (4 comments) by NewsHound, from 2010
Nick Clegg launches Liberal Youth (21 comments) by Alex Foster, from 2008
Unsubstantiated rumour (6 comments) by The Founding Editor, from 2007

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

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The Budget: discussion thread

By The Voice | Wed 23rd March 2011 - 11:54 am

Discuss away…

Posted in News | Tagged budget 2011 | 17 Comments

Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #213

By The Voice | Sun 20th March 2011 - 7:00 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 213th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (13th – 19th March, 2011), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.

Don’t forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging.

As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:

Posted in Best of the blogs | Leave a comment

Nick Clegg on Libya: “This is not Iraq”

By The Voice | Fri 18th March 2011 - 6:46 pm

From the BBC:

Nick Clegg has voiced his support for possible military intervention in Libya, saying that any action would be carried out in order to “uphold international law”.

The deputy prime minister, whose Liberal Democrat Party opposed the war in Iraq, said: “This is not Iraq. We are not going to war”.

His comments came after Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that UK forces would join an international operation to enforce a UN resolution which demands an end to attacks on Libyan civilians.

For the full story, and a video of the BBC’s interview with Nick Clegg, see the BBC website.

Posted in News | Tagged david cameron, iraq, libya and nick clegg | 58 Comments

The LDV Friday Five: 18 March 2011

By The Voice | Fri 18th March 2011 - 5:00 pm

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

Nick Clegg’s conference speech (130 comments) by Mark Pack
Tony Greaves writes… The health and social care bill. The party has spoken. What happens now? (57 comments) by Tony Greaves
Tim Farron’s speech at the Liberal Democrat conference rally (19 comments) by The Voice
Evan Harris writes… The Draft Libel Bill – A good start, but much still to play for (2 comments) by Evan Harris
Paul Burstow writes… Labour shouldn’t play party politics with the NHS (51 comments) by Paul Burstow

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

(18th March, 2007-10)

Opinion: Today is a good day to be a Lib Dem (4 comments) by Jack Holroyde, from 2010
How Liberal is your MP: Lib Dem MP rankings in full (4 comments) by Stephen Tall, from 2010
Jeremy Browne writes… Why I voted against the UK Youth Parliament meeting in the Commons (10 comments) by Jeremy Browne, from 2009
Would you like to be President of the Liberal Democrats? (8 comments) by The Voice, from 2008
Top of the Blogs: the Golden Dozen #4 (0 comments) by Stephen Tall, from 2007

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

Posted in Friday Five | Leave a comment

Conservative Peer in court over parliamentary expenses

By The Voice | Mon 14th March 2011 - 11:27 am

Lord Hanningfield, a Conservative Peer, will appear in court charged with falsely claiming accommodation expenses.

Hanningfield, along with Labour MPs Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine, had originally tried to avoid trial, claiming parliamentary privilege. Chaytor was jailed in January, while Devine is awaiting sentencing. Morley is also due to stand trial.

From the BBC:

Lord Hanningfield faces six charges of false accounting between March 2006 and May 2009.

They are said to relate to overnight allowances for staying in London when records allegedly showed he was driven to his home near Chelmsford, Essex.

Lord Hanningfield, who will appear at the Old

…

Posted in News | Tagged david chaytor, elliot morley, expenses, jim devine and lord hanningfield | 1 Comment

Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #212

By The Voice | Sun 13th March 2011 - 7:00 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 212th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (6th March – 12th March, 2011), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.

Don’t forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging.

As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:

Posted in Best of the blogs | 1 Comment

What’s in the bag?

By The Voice | Fri 11th March 2011 - 8:17 pm

Hello from Liberal Democrat Conference in Sheffield.

Many of you will have been to party conference before. Many of you will have experienced the delights of the goody bag attendees receive. To help Liberal Democrat Voice bring you the true conference experience even if you can’t make it here yourself, Will Howells – you may remember him from such blogs as this one – has made us a quick video checking out his junk. Enjoy.

Posted in Conference and YouTube | Tagged #ldconf, junk, sheffield, unboxing, video and will howells | 5 Comments

Tim Farron’s speech at the Liberal Democrat conference rally

By The Voice | Fri 11th March 2011 - 7:05 pm

So this is the Sheffield Rally. And you know what normally happens when a party holds a Sheffield rally? Well, traditionally, some ginger bloke gets on stage, makes an absolute prat of himself, and completely wrecks his party’s election chances. And I’m a great believer in tradition, so here goes…

Ros has been an outstanding President. A baroness who is also a pavement politician, approachable, effective and one of us. Ros led us internally to an election result and aftermath that was beyond historic. And I am certain that we all want to show our appreciation. On a personal note she …

Posted in Conference | Tagged jo grimond, nick clegg, ros scott, susan kramer and tim farron | 19 Comments

The LDV Friday Five: 11 March 2011

By The Voice | Fri 11th March 2011 - 5:00 pm

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

Barnsley Central result: Labour win, Lib Dems sixth (197 comments) by The Voice
LibLink: Dominic Carman – What it’s like to be the most despised man in the town political correctness forgot (and come SIXTH in a by-election) (69 comments) by Nick Thornsby
Nick Clegg: we’re making the rich pay their fair share of tax (40 comments) by Mark Pack
Linda Jack writes: Nick Clegg – demonstrating what he’s for (18 comments) by Linda Jack
Opinion: NHS reforms need careful examination (38 comments) by Felix Greaves

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

(11th March, 2007-10)

LibLink: Nick Clegg’s demands for a post-election deal (12 comments) by NewsHound, from 2010
Huhne: police officers with criminal convictions should be sacked. (Question: should they?) (15 comments) by Stephen Tall, from 2009
Voters want double Euro referendum – Times poll (7 comments) by Stephen Tall, from 2008
Opinion: The ‘five tests’ raise deeply worrying questions about strategy (0 comments) by Charles Anglin, from 2007
Legal trouble ahead for the Tories? (5 comments) by Mark Pack, from 2007

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

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Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #211

By The Voice | Sun 6th March 2011 - 7:00 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 211th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (27 February -5 March, 2011), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.

Don’t forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging.

As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:

Posted in Best of the blogs | Leave a comment

How you can help Liberal Democrat Voice

By The Voice | Sun 6th March 2011 - 11:55 am

You can though help us continue to produce interesting content for a growing audience. Here are four simple ways:

Posted in Site news | Leave a comment

The LDV Friday Five: 4 March 2011

By The Voice | Fri 4th March 2011 - 5:00 pm

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

Opinion: Why Nick Clegg is probably right not to meet Gary McKinnon’s mother (49 comments) by Caron Lindsay
Economic statistic of the week: how the cuts compare (29 comments) by Mark Pack
Opinion: Baroness Williams shows how to disagree with coalition policy with grace (10 comments) by Lisa Harding
Charles Kennedy MP: No2AV ads “shocking and outrageous” (17 comments) by Helen Duffett
Opinion: Why I will be making trouble for the census (8 comments) by Simon Beard

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

(4th March, 2007-10)

Web blocking and the Lords (4 comments) by The Voice, from 2010
LDV readers say: no bonuses for bankers (1 comment) by Stephen Tall, from 2009
Scottish Lib Dems call for end to “chatter about the constitution” (2 comments) by Stephen Tall, from 2009
Future party policies – your chance to shape them (2 comments) by Jeremy Hargreaves, from 2008
Opinion: Coalition questions are premature (3 comments) by The Founding Editor, from 2007

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

Posted in Friday Five | 1 Comment

Barnsley Central result: Labour win, Lib Dems sixth

By The Voice | Fri 4th March 2011 - 7:34 am

Dan Jarvis (Lab) 14,724
Jane Collins (UKIP) 2,953
James Hockney (C) 1,999
Enis Dalton (BNP) 1,463
Tony Devoy (Ind) 1,266
Dominic Carman (LD) 1,012
Kevin Riddiough (Eng Dem) 544
Howling Laud Hope (Loony) 198
Michael Val Davies (Ind) 60

Turnout 36.5%

Party president Tim Farron said: “It was a poor result for us. It was a poor result for the Tories. The coalition parties didn’t do very well here. Surprise, surprise.”

Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged barnsley central by-election, dominic carman and tim farron | 195 Comments

Sarah Olney bids to become candidate for Mayor of London

Going for four in a row in Scotland

Observations of an Expat: Canada

Happy Birthday to us!

Author Archives: The Voice

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

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