Author Archives: The Voice

BBC has just broken the sad news of her death. Gwyneth Dunwoody was one of those rare MPs who won respect and admiration from members of all political parties.

In Gosport, two Labour Party stalwarts – Mervin Bradley and Paul Keeley – have joined the Liberal Democrats and are standing in May’s elections, along with the area’s former UKIP Parliamentary candidate, John Bowles. Meanwhile, in Shropshire Cllr David Gibbon has switched from the Liberal Democrats to the Conservatives.

Cast your minds back three months… there was some party disquiet when Lib Dem MP Greg Mulholland first proposed that pubs and restaurants should be forced to start selling smaller glasses of wine again. There were suggestions it sounded a little bit illiberal and nanny-state. The point was soon made that Greg was seeking to restore consumer choice which has been largely eroded in recent years – as Greg said:

In the last few years there has been a deliberate move by many bar and pub companies to phase out the traditional standard size 125ml glass of wine, and only

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News reaches the Voice of the Lib Dems taking a council in unusual circumstances.

Two resignations from independent and Conservative members of Wareham Town Council led to two vacancies intended to be determined by by-elections on 1st May.

Nominations closed on April 4th, and when the dust settled it became clear there were only two candidates nominated for the two vacancies, who were therefore elected unopposed.

The two new Lib Dem councillors give the Lib Dems a majority on the Town Council, so we’ve already won our first council before the polls even open.

The question, as asked by ex-Mirror editor Piers Morgan for GQ magazine, was, “How many women would actually know for a fact if you’re good in bed?”

You can read about that, and many other interview extracts, on Sam Coates’ Red Box blog.

Perhaps it’s time for LDV to start a new poll, hem-hem, asking readers which number they believe?

Courtesy of a forgetful researcher or MP who, whilst using a Parliament photocopier, left behind a document they really shouldn’t have left behind, we in Liberal Democrat Voice Towers can bring you an exclusive preview of the new family policies Gordon Brown & co are working on.

Susan Kramer, the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson on family issues, is likely to be kept very busy in the next few months if the draft policy statement – which according to the covering note is about to be submitted to Cabinet for discussion – is anything to go by.

Ed Balls wants to introduce a new …

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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