Author Archives: The Voice

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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

Posted in YouTube | Tagged nickvnigel | Leave a comment

#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:

No hyperbole here as The Times anticipates #NickVNigel > "This is Godzilla versus King Kong." http://t.co/K7KCz4ve7b

— Stephen Tall (@stephentall) March 26, 2014

Won't be listening to #NickvNigel tonight because I am a ball of nerves.

— Tim Oliver (@Aremay) March 26, 2014

soooooooo excited for #NickvNigel tonight on Sky – may even get myself some popcorn. #sadandlonely

— Lizzy

…

Posted in News | Tagged nickvnigel, nigel farage and twitter | 3 Comments

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.

Posted in News | Tagged lbc, nick clegg, nickvnigel and nigel farage | Leave a comment

Former Tory Council leader joins Liberal Democrats in Lewes

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

James 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.

Posted in News | Leave a comment

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

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

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

A longer listen for the weekend: Can liberalism be better advanced by Lib Dems or Tories? (46 comments) by The Voice

By-election update: Lib Dems take two seats from Tories in Canterbury and Ludlow (31) by ALDC

Some first thoughts on the Budget (46) by Caron Lindsay

Posted in Site news | Leave a comment

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.

Posted in News | Tagged budget 2014, featured and vince cable | 6 Comments

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

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

LibDemVoice 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:

Posted in Site news | Leave a comment

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

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

According 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 –

…

Posted in News | Tagged andrew sparrow, quentin letts and steve webb | 7 Comments

Nick Clegg’s tribute to Tony Benn

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

Tributes 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.

Posted in Parliament | Tagged nick clegg and tony benn | 5 Comments

Liberal Reform response to Budget 2014

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

Liberal 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.

Posted in News | Tagged budget 2014 and liberal reform | 27 Comments

Awards for Liberal Democrat MEPs Chris Davies and Andrew Duff

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

Good 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.

Posted in Europe / International and News | Tagged andrew duff, chris davies, eu and mep awards | 2 Comments

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

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

Last 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.

Posted in News | Tagged east midlands liberal democrats, european elections 2014 and issan ghazni | 5 Comments

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 …

Posted in News and Site news | Leave a comment

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

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

How, 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

Posted in News | Tagged Alistair Carmichael, cancun and chris huhne | 20 Comments

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.

Posted in News | Tagged electoral reform society, featured, jeremy browne, liberal reform, lisa smart, nick tyrone and ryan shorthouse | 46 Comments

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

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

Our 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.

Posted in News | Tagged merlin centre, mps doing crazy stuff for charity and stephen gilbert | 2 Comments

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

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

Writing 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.

Posted in LibLink | 5 Comments

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

The 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.

Posted in News | Tagged jeremy browne and tax cuts (Lib Dem) | 17 Comments

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?

Posted in News | Tagged liberal democrat spring conference 2014 | 4 Comments

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.

Posted in Europe / International | Tagged chris davies mep, european elections 2014, european parliament, ldvideo and ukip | 7 Comments

“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:

Posted in News | Tagged dominic cummings, free school meals and nick clegg | Leave a comment

Lib Dems hit back against free school lunch attacks. Clegg on Mail: “utterly wrong”. Laws on Cummings: “utter balls”

By The Voice | Tue 11th March 2014 - 8:19 pm

Today’s Daily Mail front page was dominated by an attack on the Lib Dem plans to bring in free school lunches for all infants: “Free school meals fiasco,” it screamed.

Nick Clegg quickly refuted the Mail’s attack in a lengthy post on the party’s website – here’s an excerpt:

The Liberal Democrats are never going to be loved in the pages of the Daily Mail: our open, liberal and progressive brand of politics tends to be at odds with their editorial worldview (to put it mildly). However,

…

Posted in News | Tagged david laws, dominic cummings, free school meals, nick clegg and nick harvey | 13 Comments

Bob Crow RIP – Clegg pays tribute

By The Voice | Tue 11th March 2014 - 2:15 pm

Tributes have been paid across the political divides today following the sudden death of Bob Crow. Here’s the BBC report:

General secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport union Bob Crow has died. The 52-year-old is believed to have suffered a heart attack and died early on Tuesday morning. … Mr Crow was elected general secretary of the RMT in 2002 following the death of former leader Jimmy Knapp. The BBC’s political editor Nick Robinson said Mr Crow “was, some argue, the most successful union leader in terms of securing jobs and pay for his members”. … In an interview

…

Posted in News | Tagged bob crow | 17 Comments

Jenny Willott on free childcare from 12 months

By The Voice | Tue 11th March 2014 - 9:59 am

Jenny Willott is the Minister for Women, covering for Jo Swinson while she is on maternity leave. In an interview with the Independent on Sunday she said that extending childcare to babies would be expensive but “it may well be that it’s the right thing to do”.

The article points out that there is a “maternity gap” between the end of maternity leave and the point when free childcare kicks in for three year olds. In response Jenny said:

It may well be that that’s something the Government needs to look at. The issue is that it is extremely expensive. It may well be that it’s the right thing to do. But it’s as with every big public spending commitment, it’s a toss-up between if you’ve got the money is that the best thing to put it into or is something else the best thing to put it into.

Posted in News | Tagged childcare, featured and jenny willott | 50 Comments

Conference Photo Gallery Part 1 – What the LDV team did

By The Voice | Mon 10th March 2014 - 5:50 pm

The LDV team had a busy and fun Conference in York. Here are a few of the things we got up to:

Co-editors, hard at work

Thanks to Paul Walter for taking this.

Caron meets Liberal Youth

With Claire Boad, Maelo Manning and Alex White.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged caron lindsay, joe otten, liberal democrat spring conference 2014, nick thornsby and stephen tall | 1 Comment

What the media say about the York Conference, part 3

By The Voice | Mon 10th March 2014 - 9:09 am

Nick Clegg’s speech at the end of conference was covered by some, but by no means all, media outlets – you can read the full text of the speech here, and view a brief extract here. The Independent highlights Lib Dem Conference: ‘Rivals are airbrushing our role in recovery’ warns Nick Clegg,:

In a policy-lite closing speech to the Lib Dem spring conference in York on Sunday, the Deputy Prime Minister signalled the start of the long campaign to next year’s general election by emphasising the party’s achievements in government.

…

Posted in Conference and News | Tagged liberal democrats spring conference 2014 and nick clegg | 4 Comments

Maybe stick to the day job, Lorely?

By The Voice | Sun 9th March 2014 - 8:55 pm

From the Huffington Post:

A Liberal Democrat MP wore a Nigel Farage mask at the party’s conference as she mocked the Ukip leader’s penchant for beer.

Just before Nick Clegg’s appearance, Lorely Burt also mocked a former-Ukip councillor’s claim that this winter’s floods had been brought on by the introduction of gay marriage.

This was not, shall we say, the funniest thing we have ever seen. It wouldn’t, to be honest, have been funny even at the traditional end of Conference late night sing-a-long the Glee Club.

To be fair, though, after an inauspicious start, Lorely went on to make a serious speech, …

Posted in News | Tagged huffington post and lorely burt | 10 Comments

What the media say about the York Conference, part 2

By The Voice | Sun 9th March 2014 - 10:55 am

The Observer carries two major stories about the conference today. They comment on the key messages in Nick Clegg’s Q&A yesterday afternoon under the headline: Lib Dem conference: stuck in the middle – but with whom?:

It is really quite difficult being a Lib Dem these days. In pre-government times, when they were merely the protest party, they could say almost anything that would get them votes. Now, after several years of enjoying power and wanting more, it is all about positioning between two polar opposites while trying at the same time not to lose the party’s own identity.

But in an article headed Northern Lib Dems rebel over cuts the Observer reports that a group of eight Northern Lib Dem MPs, including Tim Farron, have handed Nick Clegg a document titled ‘Grim up North?’

Posted in News | Tagged Danny Alexander, liberal democrats spring conference 2014, nick clegg and norman baker | 2 Comments

LDVideo: Lib Dem election results, predictions and UKIP threat

By The Voice | Sun 9th March 2014 - 8:30 am

On the BBC’s Daily Politics on Friday, Alex Forsyth looked at the Lib Dem fortunes in recent and not-so-recent elections, with predictions for 2014 and 2015 polls. Some familiar faces interviewed, including Tim Farron, Eastleigh’s Lib Dem council leader Keith House, and LDV’s own Stephen Tall…

Posted in News | Tagged bbc daily politics, eatleigh, keith house and stephen tall | Leave a comment

Op-eds

ALDC by-election report – 5 November (Charles Quinn)
Tom Arms’ World Review (Tom Arms)
Observations of an Expat: Post Election Worries (Tom Arms)
How Liberal Democrats can ride Britain’s youth wave on the pro-EU shift (Rupinder Singh)
Just growth by lowering deadweight losses through tax (Tony Vickers)

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Author Archives: The Voice

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

#NickvNigel Pre-match fun: Pick of the Tweets

Three ways to watch #NickvNigel

Former Tory Council leader joins Liberal Democrats in Lewes

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

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

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

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

Nick Clegg’s tribute to Tony Benn

Liberal Reform response to Budget 2014

Awards for Liberal Democrat MEPs Chris Davies and Andrew Duff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liberal Democrat Spring Conference Photo Gallery: Part 2

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

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

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

Lib Dems hit back against free school lunch attacks. Clegg on Mail: “utterly wrong”. Laws on Cummings: “utter balls”

Bob Crow RIP – Clegg pays tribute

Jenny Willott on free childcare from 12 months