Author Archives: The Voice

The Voice

Nick Clegg on the Queen’s Speech: “Giving power back to the people”

By The Voice | Wed 26th May 2010 - 1:45 pm

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has just emailed all Lib Dem supporters to offer his take on yesterday’s Queen’s Speech, and the many ways in which it includes Liberal Democrat priorities at its heart:

Yesterday’s Queen’s Speech was unlike any we have seen for years. It was not simply another list of bills from a government determined to rule from the centre. It was not simply a speech from another one-party Government able to push through measures without the support of a majority of the country.

Instead, the speech marked the beginning of a radical move to rebalance the relationship between people

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Posted in News | Tagged | 20 Comments
The Voice

The 23 Lib Dem policies included in this year’s Queen’s Speech

By The Voice | Tue 25th May 2010 - 1:30 pm

Is that a headline you expected to read even a month ago? Yet today HM The Queen announced a large number of Lib Dem policies as part of the coming year’s legislative programme, including the party’s major priorities: fair taxes, a fair start for children, a green and sustainable economy, and a comprehensive clean up of politics.

Here’s the full list:

    1. Making the tax and benefits system fairer and simpler, including a significant increase in the personal allowance and an ambition to increase it to £10,000
    2. Restoring the earnings link to pensions
    3. Greater freedoms for teachers over the curriculum
    4. Measures to improve energy efficiency in

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Posted in News | 15 Comments
The Voice

David Laws: “Whilst the decisions ahead will be tough I will always put social justice at their heart”

By The Voice | Mon 17th May 2010 - 4:45 pm

David Laws, the Lib Dem chief secretary to the treasury, and the guy tasked with finding the public spending cuts in the years ahead, has just emailed Lib Dem supporters to outline his apporach to the task which awaits the new coalition government:

Dear Friend,

My Labour predecessor, Liam Byrne, left me a note saying ‘Dear Chief Secretary, There’s no money left.’ He may claim this is joke, but sadly it is all too true.

Labour have left the nation’s finances in an utterly ruinous state and we face a colossal task ahead of us. That is why today the Chancellor and I

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Posted in News | Tagged | 22 Comments
The Voice

Poll gives Lib Dem/Con coalition 60% approval

By The Voice | Fri 14th May 2010 - 5:48 pm

A YouGov poll suggests that the Lib Dem/Conservative coalition has the approval of 60% of the public – almost exactly the combined vote of the two parties in last week’s General Election.

Of course, the reality is slightly more complex than this, with a significant minority of Labour voters approving and not every Lib Dem or Conservative voter being in favour.

Here’s what YouGov say:

The British public broadly approve of the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition that, under Tory David Cameron, now forms the Government at Westminster. 60% of the British public say they approve of the Conservative-LibDem coalition, following an unprecedented week

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Posted in Polls | Tagged and | 40 Comments
The Voice

Statement from the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg MP

By The Voice | Wed 12th May 2010 - 2:33 am

This statement dropped into our mailbox shortly before 2am this morning.

“Tonight the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party and the Federal Executive of the Liberal Democrat party have overwhelmingly accepted my recommendation that we should now enter into a coalition government with the Conservative Party.”

“Before I say anything more about that coalition government I would like to express my thanks and admiration for Gordon Brown. He has been a towering figure in British politics for well over a decade. And the manner in which he has acted over the last few days has demonstrated immense dignity, grace and a profound sense of

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Posted in News | 93 Comments
The Voice

As Labour MPs line up to reject ‘progressive alliance’, is a deal with the Tories back on?

By The Voice | Tue 11th May 2010 - 11:50 am

Two interesting snippets from today’s commentary …

Growing hostility within Labour to a coalition with the Lib Dems (FT)

Points out that senior Labour figures have been queuing up to denounce any prospect of a progressive alliance between their party and the Lib Dems: Jack Straw, John Reid, David Blunkett, Diane Abbott and Tom Harris have all argued it would be unworkable. The FT’s Jim Pickard notes:

I’m equally incredulous about the attempts to cobble together up to seven parties (including the Greens’ single MP) to hold off the Tories at any cost. Not least because one pro-coalition cabinet minister told me

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Posted in News | 63 Comments
The Voice

Nick Clegg’s message to party members

By The Voice | Mon 10th May 2010 - 10:38 pm

Via email:

Over the past four days we have been working flat out to deliver an agreement that can provide stable government for Britain that can last.

As you know we believed it was right that the Conservative Party, as the party with the most seats and votes, should have the first right to seek to form a government and we entered into discussions with them accordingly.

Our talks with the Conservatives have made progress but so far we have been unable to agree a comprehensive partnership agreement for a full Parliament.

I strongly believe we need a government that lasts so that it …

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The Voice

Nick Clegg makes statement: “We need a government that lasts”

By The Voice | Mon 10th May 2010 - 6:40 pm

Nick Clegg has just issued the following statement:

Over the past four days we have been working flat out to deliver an agreement that can provide stable government that can last.

“The talks with the Conservatives have been very constructive and I am grateful to David Cameron and his team for the effort they have put in. But so far we have been unable to agree a comprehensive partnership agreement for a full Parliament.

“We need a government that lasts which is why we believe, in the light of the state of talks with the Conservative Party, the only responsible thing to do

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Posted in News | 91 Comments
The Voice

Gordon Brown to resign, Lib Dems to open formal talks with Labour

By The Voice | Mon 10th May 2010 - 5:35 pm

Gordon Brown has within the past hour announced he will be standing down as leader of the Labour party at their autumn conference – but hopes to remain as Prime Minister of a Lib-Lab coalition alliance until that time:

If it becomes clear that the national interest, which is stable and principled government, can be best served by forming a coalition between the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats, then I believe I should discharge that duty to form that government which would in my view command a majority in the House of Commons in the Queen’s speech and any other

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The Voice

Party President Ros Scott’s message to Lib Dem members

By The Voice | Sun 9th May 2010 - 1:52 pm

Lib Dem party president Baroness Ros Scott today emailed members with the following message to keep everyone updated on the progress of talks:

Dear Friend,

On Saturday we had a very positive discussion. The Parliamentary Party, Shadow Cabinet and the Federal Executive have fully endorsed the position set out by Nick Clegg.

We will continue to put the national interest first and play a constructive role in providing the stable and good government people deserve.

We have heard what the Labour Party and Gordon Brown are saying but in line with the position Nick Clegg outlined yesterday we are continuing discussions with the Conservative

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Posted in General Election | 24 Comments
The Voice

Nick: “Today’s the day we can deliver fairness for Britain.”

By The Voice | Thu 6th May 2010 - 9:40 am

A ‘virtual’ Good Morning leaflet arrived in Lib Dem members’ email inboxes this morning from Nick Clegg:

Dear Friend,

Today’s the day we can deliver fairness for Britain.

But we need your help today to make it happen.

I know we’ve all worked so hard in this campaign already. You might already be out and about delivering “Good Morning” leaflets. If so – thank you!

But votes don’t count until they’re in the ballot box.

Everything you can do today will make a huge difference. Every door you can knock on or leaflet you can deliver will be vital.

And don’t forget to vote yourself!

Thank

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Posted in General Election | Tagged | 1 Comment
The Voice

Nick Clegg’s personal message to Lib Dems: “We are rewriting the election script”

By The Voice | Wed 5th May 2010 - 9:45 am

I’ve just finished a great day campaigning in Liverpool, Glasgow and London. Everywhere I go, and especially in our key seats, it is obvious our support is growing by the day.

Volunteers are walking in off the streets to offer to deliver leaflets, knock on doors and make phone calls – doing their bit to make change happen.

Experienced campaigners across the country are telling me this is an election like never before for our party. The old rules have been torn up and we are rewriting the election script.

Everybody

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Posted in General Election | 3 Comments
The Voice

Nick launches “My personal guarantee”

By The Voice | Tue 4th May 2010 - 5:51 pm

Nick Clegg has just launched ‘My Personal Guarantee’, a pledge that will run in leaflets and newspaper advertisements ahead of polling day. Here’s what it says:

This is my personal guarantee that I will use all the support you give me on Thursday to deliver fairness in Britain.

“We need a fairer tax system. I will use your votes to cut taxes for those at the bottom and in the middle and close the loopholes for those at the top.

“We need to support our children. I will use your votes to ensure

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The Voice

Paddy & Nick slam retired defence chiefs’ Lib Dem slurs

By The Voice | Tue 4th May 2010 - 1:45 pm

Nick Clegg and Paddy Ashdown united today in condemning three retired members of the defence establishment who have a letter published in today’s Times attempting to frighten voters away from voting Lib Dem with crude warnings what perils await Britain if the party gains power.

The letter has just three signatories: Peter Clarke, Sir Richard Dearlove, and Lord Guthrie. Former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown issued a masterly put-down of the trio in the Times:

Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, the former Lib Dem leader who helped to draw up the party’s defence and national security policies, responded to today’s letter, saying:

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Posted in General Election | Tagged , and | 12 Comments
The Voice

LDVideo: “A liberal believes quite simply in fairness”

By The Voice | Mon 3rd May 2010 - 8:20 pm

Nick Clegg addressed CitizensUK in London this afternoon, an event designed to bring together organisations campaigning for enhanced civil society. Here’s an extract of what he said:

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Posted in YouTube | Tagged and | 2 Comments
The Voice

“A once in a generation chance for real change”

By The Voice | Sun 2nd May 2010 - 4:25 pm

That’s the message from Nick Clegg to voters in an interview in today’s Independent on Sunday:

Nick Clegg makes a final appeal to voters today to seize the “once-in-a-generation chance” for real change to Britain’s unbalanced voting system by backing the Liberal Democrats on Thursday. … Mr Clegg, trying to cast the final week of campaigning as a two-horse race between his party and the Tories, claims that Gordon Brown has “written himself out of the script of change” and that the Labour Party is in a fight for its very existence. …

In a direct pitch to voters, he

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Posted in General Election | 2 Comments
The Voice

Happy birthday Iain

By The Voice | Sat 1st May 2010 - 5:18 pm

Any political activist or their offspring who is unlucky enough to be born in April or early May is going to find that their birthday most years is subsumed by election campaigns, even if it’s a special one with a zero in it.

Today Iain Smith, Liberal Democrat MSP for NE Fife, turns 50. Instead of being feted with champagne and cake, he is out and about campaigning to re-elect Ming Campbell, or maybe even Willie Rennie in Dunfermline and West Fife.

While we’re sure that Iain would much rather that the election disrupted his birthday than the Test Match series, we …

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The Voice

Why I am voting Lib Dem after 52 years supporting Labour

By The Voice | Sat 1st May 2010 - 3:40 pm

Today the Voice received the following email from a voter in Bristol, which we want to share with our readers:

I have always voted Labour (for 52 years), not blindly but considering the situation carefully over the years. But this time, I am voting Lib Dem, because they are a breath of fresh air compared to the others.

My local contact has been refreshing, both in the literature coming through my letterbox and in the media. There is an elememt of positiveness and hope in the message of the Lib Dems, yes times will be hard. But I do not

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Posted in General Election | 10 Comments
The Voice

Clegg wins the ‘Mumsnet vote’

By The Voice | Sat 1st May 2010 - 1:20 pm

Back in January, Nick Clegg took part in an online chat with the readers of Mumsnet. It seems to have paid off, according to today’s Times:

The Liberal Democrats have won the Mumsnet vote, according to a poll for the parenthood website.

Nick Clegg was supported by 43 per cent of members of the network, compared with 26 per cent supporting Gordon Brown and 22 per cent David Cameron. Five per cent did not know whom to support.

The poll of 1,000 Mumsnet users — who have been wooed assiduously during the general election campiagn — found that 40 per cent

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The Voice

“It is my job to see that Cameron f****** well gets into Downing Street” – Sun’s political editor

By The Voice | Mon 26th April 2010 - 8:50 pm

Full marks for frankness if not for political independence:

“It is my job to see that Cameron f****** well gets into Downing Street,” proclaimed Tom Newton Dunn, political editor of the Sun, to a group of journalists from rival papers, recently.

Newswer has more.

Posted in News | Tagged and | 5 Comments
The Voice

Nick: our Armed Forces deserve better pay and homes

By The Voice | Mon 26th April 2010 - 10:30 am

Nick Clegg will today set out plans to improve family homes for the Armed Forces and make troops’ pay fair.

Announcing the plans, Nick said:

The brave men and women of our Armed Forces have been left under-equipped and under-paid by Labour. The Liberal Democrats will change this. Gordon Brown has failed to give our troops all the kit they need to do their job. And he has failed to give them a decent wage for the work they do and a decent home to raise their kids in.

“Someone spending six months fighting half way around the world to keep us safe should not have to worry about leaving their family in a shoddy, run-down home. They should not have to worry about whether they are paid enough to provide for their loved ones.

“The Liberal Democrats will bring forces family homes up to standard in half the time the Government plans, and we will increase the salary of our lowest paid troops by £6,000. We are committed to a fair deal for our Armed Forces. These changes are affordable because we have proposed £15bn of cuts and savings elsewhere in government each year, including cutting waste in the Ministry of Defence.”

Here’s the detail of the proposals from the party’s press release:

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Posted in General Election and News | Tagged and | 1 Comment
The Voice

A message for candidates from They Work For You

By The Voice | Sat 24th April 2010 - 10:50 am

Are you a Parliamentary candidate? Do you know one? If so here’s a handy reminder:

TheyWorkForYou.com has sent online surveys to nearly 3000 candidates  across the UK, including most of your party’s candidates. If you don’t know it, TheyWorkForYou is probably the largest politician transparency website in the UK, with about 3m visitors last year.

The survey we’ve sent is a rigorously neutral attempt to clarify candidates positions on many of the biggest national and local issues at the election. It is also a long-term document – the data that comes from candidate responses will be viewed millions of times between now  and the general …

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Posted in General Election | Tagged | 1 Comment
The Voice

Vince on 0.2% growth: “the promised recovery is barely visible”

By The Voice | Fri 23rd April 2010 - 9:15 pm

It’s official: the UK economy has enjoyed a second quarter of growth, as the BBC reports:

The UK economy continued to recover from recession in the first three months of the year, according to official estimates. GDP grew by 0.2% between January and March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Here’s what Lib Dem shadow chancellor Vince Cable had to say – in text:

These figures show that the promised recovery is barely visible. There is a real danger of the UK going into a double dip recession. As people deal with their own debts and as the banks continue to strangle good British businesses by starving them of credit the recovery will remain fragile.

“The British economy has had a massive heart attack – it has just emerged from the intensive care unit into the recovery ward. The worst possible action is the Tory proposal to pull out the drip-feed when the patient is still in a critical condition.

“Not only must we tackle the deficit in a considered and rational fashion, we must also ensure that we support jobs and infrastructure as well as making sure businesses get the credit they need to drive growth in the economy.”

And on video:

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The Voice

Can the surge last? Lib Dem bloggers give their views …

By The Voice | Tue 20th April 2010 - 2:35 pm

Lib Dems leading the election race, and polling above 30% – that’s not a line (m)any of us expected to be able to type with a straight face. But it’s the present reality. The questions is: can the Lib Dem surge last? Here’s what a handful of Lib Dem bloggers think …

James Graham

Anyone who claims to know what will happen electorally next month simply doesn’t know what they are talking about. But there are a number of reasons to suggest that the Liberal Democrats’ poll leap over the weekend might last.

Firstly, polls tend to be mutually reinforcing. This is why some countries ban them during election time. The same factor which has reinforced the Lib Dems’ image as no-hopers in the past might well work in our favour now, especially since it is such a dramatic development.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 49 Comments
The Voice

The Cut-Out Debate Question … How would you change a broken light bulb?

By The Voice | Sun 18th April 2010 - 4:40 pm

The Voice is grateful to Saoirse Cathal Kavan – a member of the Facebook group We got Rage Against the Machine to #1, we can get the Lib Dems into office! which is growing at a quite astonishing rate (over 80,000 members) – for allowing us to publish this alternative take on the leaders’ debate …

Tim from Bristol: If you were to come into power, how would your party change a broken light bulb?

Nick: We’d ensure that the people have the power to replace light bulbs when they break and also see to it that replacement light bulbs are

…

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Posted in Humour and Op-eds | 1 Comment
The Voice

Mick Bates to face assault charge

By The Voice | Sun 18th April 2010 - 8:30 am

WalesOnline reports:

LIBERAL Democrat AM Mick Bates has been suspended by the party after it was confirmed he will face prosecution for assault following a late night incident in Cardiff city centre.

Joanne Foster, chief executive of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, issued a statement which said: “This afternoon, Mick Bates was told by South Wales Police that he will be summonsed at a future date for various offences following an incident in Cardiff on January 20. The Welsh Liberal Democrats regard this matter with the utmost seriousness. Therefore, Mr Bates’ membership of the Welsh Liberal Democrats has been suspended, pending the

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Posted in Wales | Tagged | 7 Comments
The Voice

Okay, we can breathe again: who do you think won?

By The Voice | Thu 15th April 2010 - 10:10 pm

Time for the post-match spin – what did LDV’s readers make of it all?

Update: Sun/YouGov poll result puts Clegg on 51%, Cameron 29%, Brown 19%
ITV poll shows same result: Clegg 43%, Cameron 26%, Brown 20%

Posted in General Election | 32 Comments
The Voice

Lib Dem manifesto launch: Clegg’s speech and BBC video

By The Voice | Thu 15th April 2010 - 6:50 pm

In case you missed yesterday’s launch of the Lib Dem manifesto – and want to catch up ahead of tonight’s first debate – here are two treats for you. First, the BBC report of the launch. And then Nick’s speech at the launch … in full.

Lib Dems to unveil ‘fair’ pledges – The Liberal Democrats present their election manifesto, saying it is a “serious” plan for government voters can “trust”.

And now here’s Nick’s speech launching the manifesto:

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Posted in General Election | 2 Comments
The Voice

Photo evidence – Geoff Hoon for sale!

By The Voice | Tue 13th April 2010 - 3:50 pm

Last month Geoff Hoon was one of a clutch of Labour MPs caught on film by Channel 4’s Dispatches selling their services. It would appear from this photo that he’s now taking this very literally …

PS: what does this say about Labour’s confidence in their chances of holding onto Geoff Hoon’s seat of Ashfield? The Lib Dems’ Jason Zadrozny is mounting a strong challenge – you can visit his site, and find out how you can help Jason’s campaign here.

Posted in General Election | Tagged and | 10 Comments
The Voice

Clegg on bankers’ bonuses clampdown

By The Voice | Tue 13th April 2010 - 2:50 pm

If you missed LDV’s coverage of Nick Clegg’s plans to bring the bankers’ bonus culture under control this morning, then why not catch up with the BBC coverage of the announcment:

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