Author Archives: The Voice

The Voice

Lib Dems call for Post Office restrictions to be lifted to save our Post Offices

By The Voice | Sun 10th December 2006 - 1:00 pm

Commenting on reports that half the country’s post offices might be shut, Liberal Democrat Shadow DTI Secretary Edward Davey MP said:

Ministers’ claims that post offices must close in their thousands are simply wrong.

These closures have been Government driven as ministers have taken away businesses like pensions, TV licences and passports.

Post offices can be viable if they are set free from Royal Mail restrictions on who they can trade with and given investment boosts to embrace new technologies and fresh business ideas.

We need less buck passing from ministers and more determination to save our post offices which are so crucial

…

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Posted in News | Tagged , and | 6 Comments
The Voice

Labour’s HQ sale tax dodge

By The Voice | Sun 10th December 2006 - 8:59 am

The Labour Party has been accused of depriving taxpayers of hundreds of thousands of pounds in stamp duty in the sale of its London headquarters, despite the Chancellor’s clampdown on stamp duty avoidance schemes in his mini-budget last week.

The Independent on Sunday has learnt that Labour sold its Westminster headquarters this year using a specially created company. The device, which Labour insists is a normal commercial transaction, cost the Treasury about £210,000 in lost stamp duty.

More

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The Voice

Another Councillor defects: Tories lose majority on Crawley BC

By The Voice | Fri 8th December 2006 - 11:10 pm

Crawley Borough Councillor Marcella Head has left the Conservatives and joined the Liberal Democrats according to local Lib Dem Councillor Gordon Seekings.

The defection means the Tories’ lose their majority on the Council which is now 18 Con, 16 Lab and 3 Lib Dem and becomes NOC with the Lib Dems holding the balance of power.

This comes just days after a defection by a Conservative on Dover District Council led to the Tories losing their majority on that Council which is now 22 Con, 17 Lab, 3 Lib Dem and 3 Ind.

Marcella is distributing a letter to all her constituents and writes:

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The Voice

Lib Dems gain councillor; Tories lose Dover?

By The Voice | Mon 4th December 2006 - 10:04 pm

News reaches us that a Conservative councillor on Tory-run Dover District Council has defected to the Liberal Democrats.

We understand this would leave the Conservatives with a minority administration and the possibility of losing control entirely.

Update: The Dover Liberal Democrats site has the full story.

Cllr Paul Dawkins has resigned from the Conservatives and joined the Liberal Democrats. He said: “We need to restore political balance to the Council to make it more responsive to local needs. The Lib Dems will give me the opportunity of working with a committed team, something that I that I have not had previously.”

Posted in News | Tagged and | 3 Comments
The Voice

More PPCs selected – and should Lib Dem Voice carry PPC ads?

By The Voice | Mon 4th December 2006 - 12:00 pm

Congratulations to the three selected candidates in Newcastle, promising new Lib Dem territory thanks to recent great local election results:

  • Newcastle Central – Gareth Kane
  • Newcastle East – Stephen Psallidas
  • Newcastle North – Ron Beadle

These selections, plus Winchester and Woking appear in the updated PPC list.

Now a question – I haven’t yet posted up last week’s PPC ads, and no-one has complained. Is that information useful, or should LDV carry only news of seats that have selected?

Posted in News and Selection news | 10 Comments
The Voice

CentreForum: Lucky timing, or conspiracy of international proportions?

By The Voice | Mon 4th December 2006 - 9:00 am

Oh OK, so it’s lucky timing.

Today’s unveiling of the Trident white paper (see our sort-of-advanced warning here) represents something of a timing coup for liberal think-tank CentreForum, for this evening they meet in Parliament for a long-planned discussion on… you guessed it… Trident.

Posted in News | Tagged and | 1 Comment
The Voice

Lib Dems haven’t heard the last of Michael Brown

By The Voice | Fri 1st December 2006 - 7:18 pm

Prison life can be lonely, and word reaches Lib Dem Voice that controversial former Lib Dem donor Michael Brown has taken to talking to the press from prison – we’re told he has been forcefully putting “his side of the story”

More column inches still to come…

Posted in News | 1 Comment
The Voice

Whitehall Press Offices told: ‘clear the decks’ on Monday

By The Voice | Thu 30th November 2006 - 12:24 pm

Major announcement coming…

Posted in News | 13 Comments
The Voice

UKIP leader in desperate fishing expedition: ‘No difference between the parties, so you may as well join us’

By The Voice | Tue 28th November 2006 - 1:32 pm

Farage“Dear Councillor,

“There does not seem to be very much difference between our three main parties these days.  This is hardly surprising as 75% of our laws are now made by the EU with little or no input from Westminster.

“As you must realise local government is in a poor state too with a new unelected layer of Regional Assemblies and voter disenchantment.

“In UKIP we believe that it is essential for the UK to become self-governing again and for voters to want to participate.  We are developing as a broadly based real party of …

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The Voice

Jenny Tonge faces ‘show-down’ with whips today

By The Voice | Mon 27th November 2006 - 12:19 pm

Jenny TongeThe BBC reports that “A Liberal Democrat peer is to face party whips over claims she repeated remarks critical of the political influence of the “pro-Israeli lobby”… The party has the power to withdraw the whip (removing her from the Lib Dem group of peers in the House of Lords) after the hearing on Monday, if it is unsatisfied with her explanation.”

Following Jenny’s rebuke by the party leader last month which prompted a heated debate on Lib Dem Voice, Baroness Tonge contacted us to say: “My original …

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The Voice

Canal cuts are nuts, says Huhne

By The Voice | Mon 27th November 2006 - 12:00 pm

WebsiteA new campaign against Defra’s environmental budget cuts, which has meant a 7% cut to British Waterways funds in the last year with the loss of 180 jobs, has been announced.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

“These redundancies show Defra’s budget cuts beginning to bite. Our canal networks will suffer as a result, together with a whole range of environmental and rural services.

“These cuts put our canals and waterways under threat, impacting on a wide range of users including boat owners, holidaymakers, anglers and ramblers. Canals are also …

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The Voice

Campbell pays tribute to Nick Clarke

By The Voice | Thu 23rd November 2006 - 2:27 pm

Menzies Campbell has paid tribute to The World At One presenter Nick Clarke, who has died at the age of 58:

“Nick Clarke was one of the best broadcast journalists of his generation. He was always well informed and brought an urbane authority to everything he did.

“Woe betide any politician who tried to avoid giving direct answers to his direct questions.

“He was a professional to his fingertips who made the World at One his own programme.”

Posted in News | Tagged and | 1 Comment
The Voice

London Region Exec Committee elections

By The Voice | Thu 23rd November 2006 - 10:03 am

The results of the London region elections can be found at:

http://libdems4london.org.uk/news/667.html

If you know of election results in other regions, do e-mail [email protected]

Posted in London and Party policy and internal matters | Leave a comment
The Voice

Ming’s good day at PMQs

By The Voice | Wed 22nd November 2006 - 2:40 pm

BBC News reports that “The old Ming Campbell – and I mean that in the non-ageist sense – is back.”

More

Posted in News and PMQs | Tagged | 3 Comments
The Voice

Vote now: Should the Lib Dems next London Mayoral candidate be an MP?

By The Voice | Wed 22nd November 2006 - 2:09 pm

City HallIn 2000 Susan Kramer (not an MP at the time) was crushed by Ken Livingstone. 2004 saw Simon Hughes MP receive the same treatment.

The latest Lib Dem Voice poll asks whether the party should front one of its growing band of London area MPs (Susan Kramer, Simon Hughes, Ed Davey, Paul Burstow, Tom Brake, Lynne Featherstone, Sarah Teather, Vince Cable) or use the opportunity to promote a grass-roots campaigner / peer / councillor / random other.

Please vote, and if you feel so inclined, do give your reason in the comments box …

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Posted in London and Voice polls | Tagged and | 8 Comments
The Voice

Toksvig to stand for Lib Dems?

By The Voice | Wed 22nd November 2006 - 12:33 pm

Top Lib Dem blog Hot Ginger & Dynamite reports that Iain Dale reports that Sandi Toksvig may stand for the Lib Dems at the next General Election.

UPDATE: Local officials have confirmed Toksvig did NOT apply for Meon Valley, and that she is not on the approved candidates list.

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The Voice

Someone send David Laws a new keyboard

By The Voice | Mon 20th November 2006 - 4:34 pm

He’s probably burnt his old one out. According to the Recess Monkey blog:

Lib Dem MP David Laws (Yeovil) has managed to ask 202 PQs today, and 175 PQs were to a single Department – the DWP.

Labour blogger Kerron Cross has more. New researcher in the Laws fold, by any chance?

Posted in News | Tagged , , and | 1 Comment
The Voice

PM “trying to legislate his way in to history”

By The Voice | Wed 15th November 2006 - 11:49 am

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Menzies Campbell has accused the Government of ‘statutory addiction’ and commented that this Queen’s Speech was ‘remarkably similar to those which have gone before’.

Menzies Campbell said:

After nearly ten years in office the government and the Prime Minister are still chasing the same elusive goals and the same elusive headlines.

This is a rush from judgement towards legislation. The government suffers from a statutory addiction.

This is a Prime Minister trying to legislate his way into history.
Before the Prime Minister was elected he told us that his priority was education, education, education.

Since he was elected his priority has proved to be legislation, legislation, legislation.

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The Voice

AGM season is upon us

By The Voice | Tue 14th November 2006 - 2:41 pm

Wine and cheeseIt’s that time of year again when we’re all downing wine and cheese and MPs are trying to wriggle out of their agreements to give speeches to local party and branch Annual General Meetings.

AGMs are serious business, but can be comical – if your AGM produces a story that will make your fellow Lib Dems laugh, cry, or sit up and applaud, e-mail [email protected]. If you request it, we will give you total anonymity.

If you haven’t yet been told when your local AGM is, then contact the

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The Voice

South East Lib Dems call for change in party policy on the Lords

By The Voice | Sun 12th November 2006 - 10:00 am

South East Liberal Democrats have voted by an overwhelming majority to call for a change in party policy to call for a fully elected body to replace the House of Lords.

The new policy was passed at the Regional Conference in Effingham, Surrey. It goes further than the party’s 2005 manifesto pledge for a “predominantly” elected House of Lords. South East Lib Dems intend to take the motion to Federal Conference next Spring.

The motion was proposed by former Dover PPC Antony Hook and was summated by Regional Chair and Federal Executive member Mike Simpson.

Antony Hook, a barrister, described the motion as principled, unambiguous, and consistent. In his speech he argued liberals must believe that those effected by lawmakers’ decisions should be able to choose their lawmakers and get rid of them when they start taking bad decisions, which he described as the best guarantee of government in the public interest.

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Posted in News and Party policy and internal matters | Tagged and | 6 Comments
The Voice

PPC News: Selection in Clare Short’s constituency up for grabs

By The Voice | Sat 11th November 2006 - 4:37 pm

This week we’ve added East Lothian to our list of seats which have selected PPCs standing in the next election. Know someone who’s missing? e-mail [email protected]

The following seats have recently announced they are seeking Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (people to run as the Lib Dem candidate for MP at the next General Election).

We list the constituency name, application closing date, and the contact details of the Returning Officer, whom you should contact for an application form.

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Posted in Selection news | 1 Comment
The Voice

US mid-terms: best of the Lib Dem blogs

By The Voice | Wed 8th November 2006 - 10:13 am

Here’s a quick round-up of the best Lib Dem commentary on the mid-terms

Posted in LDVUSA and News | Tagged , , and | Leave a comment
The Voice

All through the night: your guide to the mid-term election results programmes

By The Voice | Tue 7th November 2006 - 1:55 pm

If you’re planning on staying up tonight to pray for a Democratic revival in the U.S., we hope you’ll find these listings helpful:

  • On Radio 4 from 12:30am-5:20am James Naughtie and Shaun Ley present election night coverage from the U.S.
  • From 8pm 18 Doughty Street’s programming focusses on the election, and is extended by two hours to 2am with election news.
  • From 3am, BBC News 24 picks up the baton and at 6am they hand over to BBC Breakfast news

Sky’s listings don’t suggest an election special, but their listings often don’t bear any resemblance to what is broadcast. I’ve just switched it on to see if they’re advertising anything. If they do, I’ll update this post.

UPDATE: Sky election special from midnight

Also, keep your eye on Video the vote, a project to monitor problems with the electoral process by posting video evidence to YouTube.

Will Howells has a concise intro to what exactly is up for grabs tonight.

Our Boston correspondent

Liberal Democrat Councillor Paul Elgood is currently out in Boston, USA. He sent us this update:

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Posted in LDVUSA and News | 6 Comments
The Voice

General election 07 is no myth

By The Voice | Mon 30th October 2006 - 10:26 pm

Word reaches The Voice that the party has taken out bookings for press conference venues for a general election next year…

…which basically means, as they’re putting their money where their mouth is, that Cowley Street really think it’s a possibility.

Posted in News | 7 Comments
The Voice

PPC News

By The Voice | Mon 30th October 2006 - 10:23 pm

This week we’ve added Tessa Munt in Wells, and others, to our list of PPCs standing in the next election. Know someone who’s missing? e-mail [email protected]

The following seats have recently announced they are seeking Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (people to run as the Lib Dem candidate for MP at the next General Election).

We list the constituency name, application closing date, and the contact details of the Returning Officer, whom you should contact for an application form.

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The Voice

Prime Minister’s Questions ruined by Andrew Lloyd-Webber

By The Voice | Thu 26th October 2006 - 11:07 am

Musicals

Britain’s Parliament was thrown in to chaos yesterday when three opposition MPs, taking the opportunity of being caught on television, launched in to an impromptu application to join the next series of hit BBC 1 series  How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

Conservative spokespersons Alan Duncan, George Osbourne and Oliver Letwin brought Prime Ministers Questions to a halt with an acapella rendition of “Hello, Dolly!” (pictured), before Sir Patrick Cormack produced a snare drum and led the trio in a performance of “The very model of a modern major general” from the Pirates of Penzance.

Rumours

…

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Posted in News and PMQs | Tagged and | 6 Comments
The Voice

Campbell overtakes Blair, and is catching Cameron fast

By The Voice | Tue 24th October 2006 - 12:57 pm

The latest edition of the Commons register of Member’s Secretaries & Research Assistants reveals that, with 14 bag carriers, Sir Menzies is employing only four less people than Tory leader David Cameron – and six more than the PM (who admittedly has a fair bit of secretarial support outside Parliament).

It reminds me of the old exchange from Yes Minister

James Hacker: Who else is in this department?

Sir Humphrey Appleby: Well briefly, Sir, I am the Permanent Under Secretary of State, known as the Permanent Secretary. Woolley here is your Principal Private Secretary, I too have a Principal Private

…

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The Voice

New rumours surround ‘slurring’ Charles Kennedy

By The Voice | Wed 18th October 2006 - 9:14 pm

Charles Kennedy in London LiteLondon free-sheet London Lite and other tabloid rags are publishing new rumours surrounding Charles Kennedy.

Charles was apparently due to host the Marketing Week Effectiveness awards last night, but had to be replaced by Jeremy Vine with only an hour to go.

Quoting from London Lite (stripping out the bits that aren’t of direct interest):

He reportedly stumbled over his lines and struggled to read the autocue. One eyewitness said he was slurring his words and “did not look in a good way.”

A source said

…

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Posted in News | Tagged | 7 Comments
The Voice

Spotted: Cabinet minister in “how does this thing work?” shock

By The Voice | Tue 17th October 2006 - 12:10 pm

There is a set of stairs in the mother of all Parliaments. At the top is the committee corridor, and the office of the leader of the Liberal Democrats. In the middle, is the MP’s tea room, and at the bottom, is the most popular restaurant in the palace. It is a busy set of stairs. 

There is a member of the cabinet, a prominent member of the cabinet, who cannot open a door.

Parliament has many doors that require a swipe card to pass through them. Helpfully, our swipe cards come with a big black arrow on the side that you should …

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The Voice

Will Howells on WebCameron

By The Voice | Mon 2nd October 2006 - 5:13 pm

WebCameraOn 3 is particularly worth it…

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Posted in Lib Dem TV and News | 6 Comments
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