Lib Dem party president and two-time leadership contender Simon Hughes is one of the panellists on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
The panel will also include the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Hazel Blears, the Conservative shadow minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude, the chief executive of the Royal Opera House Tony Hall and the journalist and writer Cristina Odone.
So, if you want to sound-off as you watch, please feel free to use the comments thread.
‘Fraid there are no Lib Dem panellists on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
The panel includes Health Secretary Alan Johnson, shadow business, enterprise and regulatory reform secretary Alan Duncan, Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson for health and social services in the Welsh Assembly Helen Mary Jones, broadcaster and journalist Lauren Booth and businessman Simon Woodroffe.
So, if you want to sound-off as you watch, please feel free to use the comments thread.
Friction.TV has done an interview with David Howarth MP ahead of tomorrow’s debate in Parliament on his bill to introduce fixed term Parliaments. I won’t spoil the fun by telling you who the presenter is…
UPDATE September 2008: the story below accurately reported that Stephen O’Brien’s website stated it was paid for by Parliamentary funds. It’s since been pointed out that at the time the website was in fact no longer being paid for by Parliamentary funds and the statement to the contrary has been removed from his site.
Trouble brewing for Conservative MP Stephen O’Brien, who has been promoting Edward Timpson – Conservative candidate in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election – on his website. The problem? The website is paid for by the Parliamentary funds. And that’d be funds for which the rules expressly forbid such campaigning. Tsk tsk.
A formal complaint has now been lodged with the Director of Finance and Administration of the House of Commons by Gwyn Griffiths, one of the local Liberal Democrat councillors. The key part of his complaint says:
On his website Conservative MP Stephen O’Brien promotes Edward Timpson, the Conservative candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, Stephen Mosley, Conservative candidate for Chester and Graham Evans, Conservative candidate for Weaver Vale.
He also uses the site to promote the policies and advance the cause of the Conservative Party in breach of the explicit rules laid down by the House.
Paragraph Seven of the ‘Rules and guidance on Members’ Websites funded from the Communications Allowance’ clearly states that it must not be used to fund party political activity or campaigning.
7. You must not use your website:
to campaign on behalf of or against any person seeking election
to advance perspectives or arguments with the intention of promoting the interests of any person, political party or organisation you support, or damaging the interests of any other such person, party or organisation.
On his website, Mr O’Brien states that it is paid for out of his parliamentary allowances.
Please launch an investigation into Mr O’Brien’s use of his Incidental Expenses Provision and Communications Allowance to promote the Conservative Party and their candidates.
Meanwhile, happy news from Tim Farron MP, who has been out meeting farmers and getting a very warm response for Elizabeth Shenton:
After Paddy last week, it’s the turn of another former Liberal Democrat leader, Ming Campbell, to represent the party on the panel on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
The panel will also include the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (and future Labour leadership contender?) James Purnell, senior Conservative politician Lord Heseltine, “well-known television personality” (aka the smuggest man in the world) Piers Morgan and novelist and journalist Rachel Johnson.
If you’re watching, and want to sound-off, please feel free to use the comments thread.
We previously blogged Nick Clegg’s message asking people to help in Crewe (polling day a fortnight today). Now here’s a message about Henley, which is also gearing up for a by-election campaign, on the assumption that Boris Johnson keeps to his promise to quit as an MP:
Former Liberal Democrat leader Lord (Paddy) Ashdown is one of the panellists on tonight’s Question Time (and is broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
The panel will include the Secretary of State for Defence (but for how much longer?) Des Browne, the shadow foreign secretary William Hague, the “writer and author” (according to the BBC website; not the epithet I’d use) Richard Littlejohn and the journalist Polly Toynbee.
If you’re not at an election count right now, and want to sound-off, please feel free to use the comments thread.
Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London Brian Paddick is one of the three panellists on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
The panel will also include (you may have guessed) Labour incumbent Ken Livingstone, and Tory hopeful Boris Johnson.
So, if you’re watching, and want to sound-off, please feel free to use the comments thread.
Liberal Democrat shadow housing minister Lembit Opik is one of the panellists on tonight’s Question Time, which returns after its Easter-ish break (and is broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
The panel will include the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Harriet Harman, the chairman of the Conservative Party Caroline Spelman, the author and columnist for The Mirror Tony Parsons, and the right-wing commentator Simon Heffer.
I’m not always convinced by Lembit’s penchant for grabbing unnecessary headlines, but he’s undoubtedly one of the party’s most eloquent, passionate and liberal communicators. Which makes it all the more of a shame …
Yesterday, Mark previewed Brian Paddick’s election broadcast. While that’s on air this evening in London, the rest of England and Wales will be treated to our election broadcast for the local elections taking place across the country.
Also focusing on crime, and our strong record on tackling crime in local government, this one is fronted by party leader Nick Clegg:
Former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy is one of the panellists on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
The panel will also include the First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, Conservative shadow chancellor George Osborne, Innovation, Universities and Skills secretary John Denham, and businesswoman Nicola Horlick.
If you’re watching, and want to sound-off, please feel free to use the comments thread.
One of the debates yesterday was about illegal abductions, otherwise known as the US kidnapping people around the world. You can read the text of the motion here, which called for a full independent inquiry into the UK’s involvement in the abductions.
And for other conference news, here is Lynne Featherstone’s Sunday morning diary:
Can’t get to conference, but in the mood for some Saturday night Lib Demmery? At the conference, and desperate to avoid the bar?
Then why not switch on the telly, and tune to the BBC Parliament channel at 9 pm tonight, Saturday 8th March, when you can watch A Marriage Made in Portsmouth, a documentary to mark 20 years since the Liberal/SDP merger. The programme combines archive footage of the merger process, as well as contemporary interviews with some of the key players, such as Lord Steel, Baroness Williams and Lord Maclennan.
Shirley Williams, veteran Liberal Democrat peer, is one of the panellists on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
The panel will also include the Cabinet Office Minister Ed Miliband, the shadow home secretary David Davis, the leader of the UK Independence Party Nigel Farage, and comedian and broadcaster Marcus Brigstocke.
If you’re watching, and want to sound-off, please feel free to use the comments thread.
PS: I’ll be on Question Time Extra (on BBC News 24 immediately after the main show finishes) alongside Tim Montgomerie… What do you mean, you’ll be tuning into BBC1’s This Week …
By Stephen Tall
| Thu 28th February 2008 - 9:53 pm
Nicol Stephen, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, is one of the panellists on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
He’ll be alongside the Deputy Scottish Labour leader Cathy Jamieson, the Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie, the Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon, and Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow George Galloway.
If you’re watching, and want to sound-off, please feel free to use the comments thread.
And what better week could there be for Vince to be a guest, with Labour having finally accepted the Lib Dem shadow Chancellor’s advice to nationalise Northern Rock to protect the interests of taxpayers, with the Tories left as utterly confused (and clueless) bystanders.
The QT panel will also include the Secretary of State for Transport Ruth Kelly, Conservative shadow secretary of state for business, enterprise and regulatory reform Alan …
By Stephen Tall
| Thu 14th February 2008 - 9:54 pm
Okay, so there’s no Lib Dem on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT) … but I’m saying nothing more.
The panel will include Labour’s Minister of State for Housing Caroline Flint, the Conservative shadow minister for community cohesion Sayeeda Warsi, the Church of England’s first Bishop for urban life and faith, Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, writer and broadcaster Clive James, and the author, columnist for the Daily Mail, and all-round paranoiac, Melanie Phillips.
If you can bear to watch Melanie, and want to sound-off, please feel free to use the comments thread.
Playing around with various internet search tools for finding videos (verdict – none of them are that comprehensive) I found a few Nick Clegg pieces which haven’t previously been mentioned on this site and are worth a quick watch:
Julia Goldsworthy, the Lib Dem shadow secretary of state for communities and local government, is one of the panellists on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
She’ll be alongside the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham, the Conservative shadow secretary of State for work and pensions Chris Grayling, the director of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti and entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne from BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den.
Damn the BBC… just days after I cynically queried whether Auntie would ever put up a liberal commentator alongside a Lib Dem MP they do precisely that. And …
That’s the question LDV posed in last Thursday’s Open Thread on the programme. It was prompted not only by the absence of a Lib Dem on the panel, but also by the appearance of a second Tory-in-all-but-name, Amanda Platell, alongside former Tory chancellor, Ken Clarke (as well as former Tory MP, and now New Labour cabinet minister, Shaun Woodward).
So what?, you might ask. And fair enough, except that this was the fourth consecutive QT in which a Tory-aligned commentator has been signed up to appear alongside the official Tory representative. Ms Platell followed in the stilettos of Sarah Sands …
By Stephen Tall
| Thu 31st January 2008 - 10:34 pm
There’s no Lib Dem on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT), so former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke is as close as we’ll get to a liberal voice of sanity on the panel.
He’ll be alongside Northern Ireland Secretary (and Tory turncoat), Shaun Woodward, Daily Mail columnist (and former Tory spindoctor) Amanda Platell, actor John Sessions, and playwright and critic Bonnie Greer. What a politically balanced panel… ho-hum.
Anyway, if you’re watching, and want to sound-off, please feel free to use the comments thread.
By Stephen Tall
| Thu 24th January 2008 - 11:08 pm
David Laws, Lib Dem shadow schools and families secretary, is one of the panellists on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
He’ll be alongside Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson, Chairman of the Conservative Policy Review Oliver Letwin, the bassist for the band Blur (and Labour council candidate) Alex James, and consultant editor of the Daily Mail Sarah Sands.
Anyway, if you’re watching, and want to sound-off, please feel free to use the comments thread.
(Sorry for the technical problems which delayed this thread.)
Blogger Tim Ireland has submitted his response to the Labour Government’s consultation document on Sections 132 to 138 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005… via YouTube. He suggests (and we agree):
Grab yourself a coffee or a nice hot cup of tea and settle in for a little over 7 minutes of me sharing a few things the Home Office – and you – should be aware of:
David Allen A clear, credible, principled strategy from the Yorkists! Makes a welcome change.
Sadly, followed by twenty below-the-line posts, providing nearly twenty ve...
Simon McGrath so we get a permanant increase in costs for these subsidies based on ( alleged ) windfall profits. Its another big increase in spending -how is it to be paid ...
Peter Davies @Kira CollinsThat assumes we want to help people more with their energy bills than with all the other bills they may be struggling with. There is no reason why ...
Rob Heale Agree that we need to focus on strategy and have clearer messaging:-
1. We MUST prioritise membership recruitment in all we do, including PPB's, most leaflets...
Kira Collins Disappointed. The most obvious means of reducing energy bills is to remove VAT. Relatively straightforward to do and does not adversely impact on the attractive...
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The pine martens of Shropshire
The shame of Liverpool Labour councillors taking their allowances but not turning up to do the work
Should Labour reconsider the Brexit red lines?
David Allen 
Simon McGrath 
Peter Davies 
Rob Heale 
Kira Collins 