Author Archives: The Voice

Benjamin Redsell, a Suffolk Conservative county councillor (who left the party after being charged), has admitted 11 sex offences (more on the BBC).

Wear Valley’s Liberal Democrat leader Tommy Taylor has resigned:

A council leader who refused to apologise after describing three women officers as “nice bits of stuff” has resigned due to “ill health.”

Wear Valley Council’s Lib Dem leader Tommy Taylor, 67, made the remark at an awards event in March.

Opposition members said the comment was inappropriate, although the women did not make a complaint.

Mr Taylor said he was quitting for health reasons and that he did not regret “complementing”

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If you haven’t caught up with it, yet there’s a must-read interview with Nick Clegg by Dominic Lawson in today’s Independent. Here’s an extract to whet your appetites:

In the half year since Clegg became Lib Dem leader, Gordon Brown has gone from hero to zero. Yet, I asked him, why is it that, at least so far as the opinion polls indicate to us, the Conservatives have gained enormously as a result, but the Lib Dems scarcely at all?

“You are inviting me to say that the glass is half-empty when I think it’s half full. I’m not innumerate. I

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Cllr Christine Wakefield, the Chairman of Ashfield Labour Council Group, has joined the Liberal Democrats. This local coup follows a number of recent election successes that have led to the Liberal Democrats taking minority control of Ashfield District Council.

From their news story:

Cllr Wakefield said “I joined Labour because I thought they were the party that stood up for ordinary hard-working families.

“It is now clear that their policies, like scrapping the 10p tax rate, are really hurting people. With food and fuel bills going up too, many people in Ashfield are really struggling to make ends meet. Most people I

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Charles Clarke speaking into mobile phone, central London, today:

I trust him, but I am not sure about her

Who could he have been talking about?

Here’s a round-up of some of the tributes paid to Ray Michie (Baroness Michie of Gallanach), the Lib Dem peer, and former Argyll & Bute MP, who died yesterday. Please use the comments thread to let us know of any we’ve missed or to pay your own respects.

> Obituary – The Herald;
> Obituary – The Daily Telegraph;
> Tributes as peer loses battle with cancer – The Scotsman;
> ‘Tireless’ Lib Dem stalwart dies – BBC.co.uk;
> Liberal Baroness Michie dies, 74 – The Times;
> Sad news – Fraser Macpherson’s blog.

Congratulations to Dominic McCavish, now the first Liberal Democrat elected to Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council.

Liberal Democrat team in Crewe seems hopeful that there will be one or more Liberal Democrat gains from Labour in the elections in the Crewe & Nantwich constituency. Update: confirmed.

A cheery half-wave to the BBC: gosh, your round-up on News 24 has suddenly found a lot more good news about the Liberal Democrast to report!

Earth calling BBC, Earth calling BBC: Liberal Democrats have gained control of Burnley and Sheffield, but there’s no mention in your regular rolling news round-up, which is still stuck on using …

Wrexham: Liberal Democrats become largest party.

Reading: Liberal Democrats defeated Labour council leader – congratulations to Warren Swaine.

Liberal Democrats making gains in Swansea: up three seats.

Party looks set to be running more councils after these elections than before – gaining Burnley, Sheffield, Hull and St Albans, whilst losing Pendly and West Lindsey.

London Mayor election turnout: BBC says it is looking to be 45%, which would be up 8% on last time. That’s a big increase, but – as mentioned before – not into the league of really high turnouts suggested by some of the more excitable Conservative chatter yesterday.

How to tell …

Although there were some strong BNP results early in the evening, as the results have settled down it’s looking like a mediocre result for them with the BBC reporting that their vote overall is unchanged on last year.

Liberal Democrats defeat Labour leader in Cardiff.

BBC consistently reporting small net gain in seats for the Liberal Democrats now.

Liberal Democrats now largest party in Exeter. Labour have gone from first to third.

And we start with the news of five Liberal Democrat gains from the Conservatives in Stratford, including deputy leader of the council.

Interesting pattern to some of the poor Conservative results – failing to gain control of Hastings and Weymouth & Portland, going backwards in Gosport and expected to lose control of Purbeck when that counts tomorrow. There seems to be something of a south coast pattern here.

Winchester: another of the key Liberal Democrat – Conservative fights in Southern England saw one net Liberal Democrat gain, including Whiteley ward where a Conservative was arrested over proxy vote fraud allegations. Conservatives also made one net gain.

Woking: score draw between Liberal Democrats and Conservatives with each gaining two seats from the other.

Liverpool: Liberal Democrats …

In traditional Liberal Democrat leaflet style, the team at The Voice has three things for you to remember:

1. Don’t stop getting people out to vote until 10pm
2. Make sure our team is on the ball at the count
3. And once it’s all over, this lady would like your assistance

Politics Home reports: “Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable has today written to George Osborne attacking him for encouraging the Government to write blank cheques for the banks at the expense of the taxpayers.”

Here’s an extract of Vince’s letter:

I am pleased to see from your other pronouncements that you have now adopted the proposal which I and the Liberal Democrats have been promoting for a couple of years for bank capital requirements to be managed counter cyclically to reduce the risk of booms of irresponsible lending followed by busts of the kind we are now experiencing. While we

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