Author Archives: The Voice

The Voice

Lord Navnit Dholakia appointed as Chair of the Diversity Engagement Group

By The Voice | Fri 4th April 2014 - 5:55 pm

Some rights reserved by Keith EdkinsIt’s been announced tonight that Baroness Sal Brinton is stepping down as Chair of the Diversity Engagement Group. Nick Clegg paid tribute to her work in the role:

Her hard work and dedication have clearly demonstrated the commitment of the party to becoming more representative of British society, and ensuring that the targets set for increased diversity are met. The Leadership Programme is a significant and important part of that dynamic, giving outstanding candidates from under-represented groups the skills that they will need to win seats in

…

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Posted in News and Party policy and internal matters | 1 Comment
The Voice

Liberal Democrat membership grows by over 500 in first quarter of 2014

By The Voice | Wed 2nd April 2014 - 1:56 pm

Lib Dems winning hereLiberal Democrat membership hit 44,000 in the first quarter of 2014, a rise of more than 1500 since the beginning of 2013. Parties in government tend not to increase their membership and last year’s results for the Liberal Democrats were the first time in recent history that this had been done.

This is in no small part down to new financial incentives to local parties if they increase their membership. If they have more members, they get more money to spend on their local campaigns. That means that they …

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The Voice

Congratulations, Jo Baker: Lib Dem Researcher of the Year!

By The Voice | Tue 1st April 2014 - 8:46 pm

Huge congrats to Jo Baker – researcher for Mark Williams, Lib Dem MP for Ceredigion – for winning The House Magazine and PoliticsHome.com’s Liberal Democrat Researcher of the Year!

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The Voice

Strategic advances at Liberal Democrat Voice

By The Voice | Tue 1st April 2014 - 11:14 am

This week's Golden Dozen displayed via wordle.netWe at LDV towers are proud to announce a new strategy for Liberal Democrat Voice which will increase our influence within and beyond the party and leverage the capabilities of social media technologies to their full potential. This strategy makes full use of the unique placement we have as ‘our place to talk’ and premier online Liberal Democrat presence, as well as our regular authoritative members’ surveys.

The strategy has three essential, intertwined and synergistic elements:

1. We will be moving the site to the Nationbuilder platform …

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Posted in Humour and Site news | 12 Comments
The Voice

LDV Debate: Could One Member One Vote work for Liberal Democrat Conference?

By The Voice | Mon 31st March 2014 - 2:20 pm

Autumn 2012 conference - Some rights reserved by Liberal DemocratsSue Doughty and Gareth Epps discuss the issues.

Sue: During the consultation at conference and before conference there were many positive reasons to support this. For example, younger members who may not have a permanent address find it difficult to maintain links with a local party and so don’t get elected as voting reps and sadly some parties didn’t notify HQ of their voting reps.  Although conference can be expensive the work by Federal Conference Committee with York Local Party meant that there …

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The Voice

In Full: Alistair Carmichael’s speech to Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference

By The Voice | Mon 31st March 2014 - 8:59 am

rally carmichaelCarmichael went all Pythonesque as part of the party’s “sunshine strategy” on Saturday at Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference in Aberdeen. “What has the UK ever done for us?”, he asked, apart from providing peace, prosperity and a whole great big list of other good things that we can’t do without.

He also spoke about the importance of supporting business to create jobs and prosperity in our communities.

Here is his speech in full:

 It is good to be back here in Aberdeen.

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The Voice

What’s being debated in our members’ forum this week?

By The Voice | Sat 29th March 2014 - 4:00 pm

members forum wordleLibDemVoice has two parallel sites. The first is our public blog, the thing you’re reading now. The second is our private members’ forum, which only current Lib Dem members can access.

If you’re a member and want to chat with fellow party members about any issue that’s on your mind, then why not sign up? In addition, you’ll be included in our regular surveys’ of party members’ views.

Here’s some of the most active discussions this past 7 days:

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The Voice

#NickvNigel: What the commentators say

By The Voice | Thu 27th March 2014 - 10:39 am

MicrophoneStephen Tall gave his first thoughts about last night’s debate between Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage. What’s the rest of the commentariat saying?

At the New Statesman, Rafael Behr reckons both men will go home satisfied and he got the point of Nick Clegg’s closing statement:

It is worth noting that in his closing statement, the Lib Dem leader quite explicitly asked pro-Europeans to lend him their votes in May’s European parliamentary election. This, ultimately, is the point of the exercise. His message: you may not like me or the Lib

…

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The Voice

Missed last night’s Nick v Nigel debate? Want to watch it again? Here it is…

By The Voice | Thu 27th March 2014 - 8:00 am

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The Voice

#NickvNigel Pre-match fun: Pick of the Tweets

By The Voice | Wed 26th March 2014 - 6:26 pm

In just over half an hour, the #NickvNigel debate will be on. There have been many amusing tweets throughout the day. Here are some of the best:

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The Voice

Three ways to watch #NickvNigel

By The Voice | Wed 26th March 2014 - 5:51 pm

It’s just over an hour to go until Nick Clegg takes on Nigel Farage to debate whether Britain should be in or out of the EU.

Here’s where you can watch:

It’s being streamed on both the Liberal Democrats’ website or over at LBC

If you have Sky News, you can watch the build up, debate and aftermath from 6pm.

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The Voice

Former Tory Council leader joins Liberal Democrats in Lewes

By The Voice | Mon 24th March 2014 - 2:23 pm

Lewes James Page Catherine Bearder Norman BakerJames Page, Tory leader of Lewes District Council until last month, has left the Conservatives and joined the Liberal Democrats. The council now has 19 Conservatives, 19 Lib Dems, 2 Ukip, and an Independent.

Cllr Page says:

I have become very disillusioned with the Conservative party, and impressed with the approach of the local Lib Dems. The Tory ideology of small state seems to have translated locally to small minds, small ideas and a blind obedience to doctrine and party message. By contrast, the Lib Dems have shown that they are genuinely interested in helping people, improving the district and where appropriate transcending politics to that end.

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The Voice

LDV’s Sunday Best: our 7 most-read articles this week

By The Voice | Sun 23rd March 2014 - 11:52 am

7 ver 4 fullMany thanks to the 14,400 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here’s our 7 most-read posts…

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The Voice

LDVideo: Vince responds to the budget (and takes on Labour “hubris” in the process)

By The Voice | Sat 22nd March 2014 - 6:17 pm

Business secretary Vince Cable was on his feet in the Commons on Thursday, providing his response to budget. His speech has already proved something of a hit, not least for his deft responses to point-scoring interventions by Labour MPs, including with the Voice’s Stephen Tall.

You can watch (and read) Vince in action below.

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The Voice

What’s being debated in our members’ forum this week?

By The Voice | Sat 22nd March 2014 - 3:30 pm

forum1LibDemVoice has two parallel sites. The first is our public blog, the thing you’re reading now. The second is our private members’ forum, which only current Lib Dem members can access.

If you’re a member and want to chat with fellow party members about any issue that’s on your mind, then why not sign up? In addition, you’ll be included in our regular surveys’ of party members’ views.

Here’s some of the most active discussions this past 7 days:

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The Voice

“Steve Webb has now become one of the most important people in government”

By The Voice | Thu 20th March 2014 - 10:55 pm

steve webbAccording to The Guardian’s Andrew Sparrow, at any rate, who noted the Lib Dem pensions minister’s fingerprints all over this week’s budget:

The Lib Dem pensions minister, Steve Webb, has now become one of the most important people in government. A rare example of a minister who is an expert in his area, he has been pushing the pension pot liberalisation plan (which is firmly rooted in longstanding Lib Dem party policy) and the legislation on this – which he will almost certainly have to take through the Commons –

…

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The Voice

Nick Clegg’s tribute to Tony Benn

By The Voice | Thu 20th March 2014 - 10:43 pm

Tony_BennTributes were paid in the House of Commons today to the former Labour MP Tony Benn, who died last week. Deputy Prime Minister
Nick Clegg led them – here’s what he had to say…

The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Nick Clegg):
May I, on behalf of the House, commence the tributes to the right hon. Tony Benn, following the warm words from the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition yesterday?

As others have already commented, Tony Benn will be remembered as a dedicated constituency Member of Parliament, a tireless campaigner and, of course, an astute political diarist.

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The Voice

Liberal Reform response to Budget 2014

By The Voice | Thu 20th March 2014 - 12:12 pm

Liberal ReformLiberal Reform had this to say about the measures contained in yesterday’s budget:

Liberal Reform welcomes much of this year’s budget, which once again has a clear Liberal Democrat thread running through it. From income tax to pensions, the changes announced by the chancellor come from Lib Dem thinking.

There is one area where we would liked to have seen further progress, and that is on housing.

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The Voice

Social Liberal Forum response to Budget 2014

By The Voice | Thu 20th March 2014 - 10:32 am

Social Liberal ForumThe Social Liberal Forum’s Gareth Epps responded to yesterday’s budget over on the SLF website:

Much of this year’s Budget comes as little surprise. With a tight fiscal background and given George Osborne’s penchant for playing to the gallery, so much is predictable. Ditto the widely-trailed coalition announcements on the income tax threshold (where Nick Clegg has been desperate to stop the Tories claiming credit for the policy they opposed in 2010) and childcare.

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The Voice

Awards for Liberal Democrat MEPs Chris Davies and Andrew Duff

By The Voice | Wed 19th March 2014 - 3:55 pm

EU Parliament Brussels - Some rights reserved by PoetografieGood news from Brussels. Two Liberal Democrat MEPs have won awards in the MEP Awards 2014.

First up was Chris Davies for his work to secure sustainable fishing through Fish for the Future.

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Posted in Europe / International and News | Tagged , , and | 2 Comments
The Voice

Issan Ghazni encourages Europeans living in the UK to vote Lib Dem in May

By The Voice | Mon 17th March 2014 - 8:56 am

European Union flagLast month, East Midlands Euro Candidate Issan Ghazni wrote that the party should be encouraging EU citizens living in the UK to vote for us as the only positive pro European party:

People in the cafes told me they were fearful of the anti-immigration rhetoric of UKIP and the Tory Right, and many would enthusiastically support the Lib Dems if only we made contact with them.

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The Voice

LDV’s Sunday Best: our 7 most-read articles this week

By The Voice | Sun 16th March 2014 - 2:45 pm

Many thanks to the 15,300 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here’s our 7 most-read posts…

17 policies on which Labour and the Lib Dems now agree (21 comments) by Stephen Tall

Nick Clegg’s speech to Spring Conference in full  (71 comments) by Stephen Tall

Five reasons why Liberal Democrats are leaving York in good spirits (30 comments) by Caron Lindsay

Opinion: My resignation from Federal Conference Committee (6 comments) by Kelly-Marie Blundell

By-election update: Lib Dems take two seats from Tories in Canterbury and Ludlow (21 comments) by ALDC

Suspicions of Lib-Labbery (44 comments) by Joe …

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The Voice

Alistair Carmichael on Chris Huhne: he put the ‘T’ in Cancun

By The Voice | Sun 16th March 2014 - 11:18 am

Cancun, Mexico. Some rights reserved by Nicolas KarimHow, you might ask, did we fail to cover this story this week? In a speech to lobby journalists, Lib Dem chief whip turned Scottish secretary Alistair Carmichael regaled them with this story of the inner workings of the whips office, as the tuition fees vote neared:

‘One thing which I was thinking about recently was that Chris Huhne, in the interests of tackling climate change, had managed to be at some big summit in Cancun, so was not available to take part in the division on the day

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The Voice

A longer listen for the weekend: Can liberalism be better advanced by Lib Dems or Tories?

By The Voice | Sat 15th March 2014 - 11:07 am

That was the topic up for debate at a fringe event a week ago at Spring Conference, hosted jointly by the Electoral Reform Society and Liberal Reform.

Lisa Smart, PPC for Hazel Grove, chaired the discussion, with Lib Dem MP Jeremy Browne, Conservative and Director of Bright Blue Ryan Shorthouse, and the ERS’s Nick Tyrone completing the panel.

As Jeremy indicates at the beginning of his remarks, he can answer the question shortly: the Lib Dems are the proper home for liberals. But fortunately for the audience he elaborated a little, including some challenges that he thinks the party has to meet if it is to remain at the liberal cutting edge.

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The Voice

Fancy paying for Stephen Gilbert MP to be chucked out of an aeroplane?

By The Voice | Sat 15th March 2014 - 8:47 am

steve gilbertOur MPs get up to all sorts of exploits to raise money for charities in their constituencies, ranging from the eccentric to the utterly crackers. We’ll leave you to judge for yourself where on that spectrum St Austell’s Stephen Gilbert is on. Jumping out of an aeroplane, voluntarily, is not for the faint-hearted.

Two weeks today, at Perranporth Airport, he’ll make a parachute jump to raise money for the Merlin MS Centre at Hewas Water, having been impressed by the support that they offer to local people on a recent visit. He said:

Following a recent visit to the centre in Hewas Water, I decided to do my bit and somehow agreed to jump out of a plane to raise money.

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The Voice

Liblink: Nick Clegg on parental leave, school meals and childcare

By The Voice | Fri 14th March 2014 - 11:06 am

Parents and child - Some rights reserved by Ed YourtonWriting on mumsnet, Nick Clegg describes the Children and Families Act as kick-starting a revolution for a more family-friendly Britain.

Every dot and comma of the Bill puts into law measures that will transform outdated attitudes and systems in Britain. We want to give families like yours more freedom and flexibility to make the choices you want and ensure every child gets the best possible start in life.

So now, thanks to these changes, our parental leave system will no longer be built on the 1950s assumption that when a child is born, mum stays home while dad goes out to work.

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Posted in LibLink | 5 Comments
The Voice

Jeremy Browne questions wisdom of ratchet effect on tax cuts while the deficit remains so high

By The Voice | Thu 13th March 2014 - 12:54 pm

Jeremy BrowneThe Huffington Post reports some interesting comments by Jeremy Browne, Lib Dem MP for Taunton Deane and former foreign and home office minister. Browne expresses reservations over campaigns to raise the threshold further as a method of seeking to attract credit for the policy, suggesting that the Lib Dems should do so by reminding voters of the substantial increase that has already taken place.

Here’s an excerpt from the piece:

A former Lib Dem minister has criticised Nick Clegg’s flagship policy of pushing to increase the amount of money people can earn before the pay income tax.

Jeremy Browne, who served as a coalition Foreign Office minister and Home Office minister, said the Lib Dems should be careful not to message to voters there was “money to splash around” given the size of the deficit.

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The Voice

Liberal Democrat Spring Conference Photo Gallery: Part 2

By The Voice | Thu 13th March 2014 - 10:25 am

Here are some photos from York taken by the LDV team:

 The Yorkshire Contingent on stage at the Glee Club. And is that Jennie Rigg in a DRESS?

Yorkshire Glee Club

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The Voice

LDVideo: Chris Davies MEP “UKIP are not there when it matters”

By The Voice | Wed 12th March 2014 - 11:25 am

Chris Davies has been speaking in the European Parliament about the voting record of his UKIP colleagues and how they just don’t turn up for important votes. He also mentioned how one turned up to a vote on e-cigarettes not long after UKIP received a donation from an e-cigarette manufacturer. That, he said, was the price of a UKIP vote.

He called their voting record dire and said that they were well known for taking their money but did precious little to defend the interests they hold dear.

And he did it all in his own inimitable style.

Enjoy.

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Posted in Europe / International | Tagged , , , and | 7 Comments
The Voice

“By the way this orange juice is corked” – Mac on Nick Clegg’s free school lunch plan

By The Voice | Wed 12th March 2014 - 7:24 am

We reported last night on the attacks on Nick Clegg’s plan for free school lunches for infants by the Daily Mail and by former Tory adviser Dominic Cummings – and the Lib Dem counter-attack. Here’s the lighter side of things, courtesy the newspaper’s cartoonist Mac:

daily mail free school lunches - mac

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