Author Archives: The Voice

As Anders Hanson has written earlier today:

It’s so hard to write this.  As some of you may know, Neil Trafford has died in a car accident.  I wasn’t sure if I should write anything here so soon, but when I started writing things down I found that although it was upsetting it was also helpful.

Neil was one of those amazing people who was not only a really committed Liberal Democrat and a phenomenal campaigner, but was also great fun to be with, was very outgoing and sociable and had a real normal life outside of the party.

Neil was hugely …

Via The Sunday Times:

One of Britain’s least active MEPs has been receiving more than £40,000 a year for office expenses despite having no office in his constituency.

David Sumberg, a Conservative MEP for the North West of England, has already declared he pays £54,000 a year for secretarial support from his wife.

Since the current European parliament was elected in 2004, Sumberg has made just two set-piece speeches and 12 one-minute “explanations of votes”. He has tabled five questions and sits on a committee but has not written any of its reports or tabled any resolutions.

“If there was a competition for

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Nick Clegg appeared on the Daily Politics show today, talking about Liberal Democrat tax cut plans and how the party is ahead of the curve. You can watch the piece here.

The US Presidential election maybe, perhaps diverted attention away from this post on Lib Dem Voice on Tuesday night, highlighting the three Tory councillors in South Norfolk who have, independently of each other, ended up with criminal convictions.

The incident did, however, inspire one local Lib Dem, Terry Gilbert, to compose some verse to commemorate the occasion. It’s well worth reading in full at his blog, Averse to the Right, but here’s a teaser:

So, what of their commitment
To fight anti-social crime?
Well, it might be better if
They kept themselves in line!

No fewer than three Councillors,
All Tories (one this week),
Have

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Via the BBC:

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has warned of an “epidemic of mental distress” if Britain is plunged into a recession.

It could “dramatically increase” the numbers of people suffering stress and depression, he said in a speech.

Mr Clegg said mentally ill people should be allowed to limit their own access to bank loans to prevent themselves getting into debt.

He says people should be able to take action when well so they cannot acquire new loans when they are ill.

More on Nick Clegg’s website, including the full speech.

Via The Guardian:

Barclays is raising up to £7.3bn, mainly from Middle East investors, who could end up owning nearly a third of the UK’s second largest bank.

The deal allows Barclays to strengthen its balance sheet without getting help from the taxpayer, but its terms, which are seen as generous to its new investors, drew fierce criticism today from Liberal Democrat deputy leader and Treasury spokesman Vince Cable.

“This is a scandal of mammoth proportions,” he said. “Here is a bank which relies on the taxpayer to bail it out if the going gets rough but which has offered Middle Eastern

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Thanks to The Times’ Sam Coates’ Red Box blog for drawing attention to this pithy comment from Danny Alexander, the Lib Dems’ Manifesto Group chair:

In the space of 24 hours we have seen the end of 42-day detention, the scrapping of plans for secret inquests and now the abolition of Key Stage Three tests. Just as banks are desperate to offload their toxic loans, the Government is swiftly ditching its toxic policies. As there are still several days of the week left there should be plenty of time for ministers to add ID Cards, Council Tax and Britain’s

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Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg – following on from his Independent article last wek – has once again spoken up for the need for the Government to put the needs of ordinary people to the fore. Here’s how PoliticsHome reports Nick’s appearance on BBC Radio 4’s The World At One at lunch-time:

Mr Clegg responded to the news that the government is seeking a promise from the banks to ease lending to small businesses. He said: “Anything that stops loans being called in against small and medium-size enterprises is welcome.”

He also argued that similar guarantees should be obtained in the

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Readers of Lib Dem Voice will well recall the story of Ian Oakely, the Conservative candidate for Watford and Hillingdon councillor*, who appeared in court and pleaded guilty in August to five charges of criminal damage and two of harrasment – LDV covered it here, and Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Watford Sal Brinton wrote about it here.

Mr Oakley today appeared before Central Herts Magistrates Court in St Albans, where he received an 18-week jail sentence suspended for 12 months. The BBC.co.uk report gives further details:

At August’s hearing the court heard Oakley had terrorised Liberal Democrat rivals

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The Lib Dem deputy leader and shadow chancellor Vince Cable has penned an article for the Mail looking on the bright side of the current economic crisis. It’s worth reading in full if you want to cheer yourselves up on a gloomy Monday morning, but here are some extracts:

Today, with the collapse of the vast global pyramid-selling scheme created by international financiers, many people will be experiencing similar emotions. There are potentially millions of victims – those whose pensions depend on share values, those who bought houses on large mortgages at the peak of the housing boom, small businesses

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Or so says the Telegraph this morning.