Author Archives: The Voice

A significant overhaul of electoral legislation to give voters a second vote, open polling stations at weekends and make it compulsory to participate is being proposed by the government to increase turnout and improve the legitimacy of the Commons.

Ministers will begin a consultation effort on the plan after local elections in May, and hope the measures will increase the authority of MPs and reduce voter disengagement. In the 2005 general election, only 61% of those eligible participated. Under the alternative voting system, ballot papers would allow for a second preference vote which would be redistributed from the lowest-scoring candidate’s share

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Later this year, party members will elect a new President to succeed Simon Hughes, and any party member can put themselves forward. The Federal Executive last night agreed the timetable for the process, which will run between September and November.

Nominations papers will be available from 1st September, and nominations will close on 24th September. Presidential candidates, like candidates for party committees – which are up for election in the autumn too – must be nominated by federal conference voting representatives, so expect to see candidates hawking their nomination papers around autumn conference.

Ballot papers will be sent out on October 13th, …

Budget is a great green cop out – Nick Clegg

Chancellor fiddles while planet burns – Steve Webb

Darling fails to meet his own challenge to tackle climate change – Norman Baker

Budget will be remembered for abandoned child poverty target and gimmicks for elderly – Danny Alexander

A bad news Budget – George Osborne

And your view is…?

The Liberal Democrats’ Shadow Foreign Secretary, Edward Davey, has been thrown out of the House of Commons by Deputy Speaker Michael Lord. The rest of the Parliamentary Party have walked out in protest during the debate on the Lisbon Treaty.

The party’s amendment calling for a in/out referendum was blocked by the parliamentary authorities. Ed Davey had angrily protested, describing the decision as “an outrage”.

Updates: BBC News – Sky News – Lynne Featherstone MP – Nick Clegg and Ed Davey

Nick Clegg has a piece in today’s Guardian explaining his view on Europe:

The debate about Europe has been a thorn in the side of British politics for decades. Now the wound has become infected. Europhile and Eurosceptic trading blows about the Lisbon treaty in grand rhetoric that obscures the facts. If you’re pro-European, as I am, you’re accused of being a sellout. If you’re anti-European, like most Conservatives, you’re accused of being a headbanger. It isn’t new, but it isn’t edifying either.

It’s time we pulled out the thorn and healed the wound, time for a debate politicians have been

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The Lancashire Telegraph tells us more:

Stephanie Booth, who is married to Cherie’s father, actor Tony Booth, was confirmed at the weekend and will contest the seat which has become vacant because sitting Liberal Democrat councillor Claire Townley has decided not to seek re-election. She faces an election on May 1 with Hilary Myers being chosen as the Liberal Democrat candidate.

Sad news via a London Region email:

Last week we received the enormously sad news that Belinda Eyre-Brook had lost her long battle with cancer. Belinda has put enormous energy into her campaign work in Kingston, rewarded initially with Ed Davey’s win in 1997 by just 56 votes but then turned into a majority of over 15,000. What remarkable skill, persistence and dedication. Not only in her own area but wherever she worked Belinda had an enormously infectious enthusiasm that we will miss greatly.

Our sympathies are with her family and friends.