Category Archives: Op-eds

Nobody else will speak up for liberalism, so our manifesto has to be brimming with it

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 18th February 2014 - 11:45 am

I find myself bemused by this report from today’s Times (£) which suggests that Liberal Democrats would steer clear of any policies that both the Conservatives or Labour disagreed with in our manifesto for next year’s General Election.

The article reports a conversation with a Liberal Democrat source:

He conceded that the party was not going to win a majority at the next general election, but said it was vital that it left open the opportunity of working with either of the other two parties. “We need to

…

Tagged david laws, featured, liberal democrat manifesto 2015 and the times | 37 Comments

Opinion: Britain should offer more support to pro-democracy protesters in Ukraine

By Issan Ghazni | Mon 17th February 2014 - 3:49 pm

Liberals have common cause with pro-democracy protestors in Ukraine

While UKIP and the Tory Right want to take Britain out of Europe other nations are clamouring to join the EU, not least in the Ukraine where pro-EU protests have been taking place for several months now. They want to be ‘in’ for the same reason as the Liberal Democrats, to boost jobs and investment. Europe is not a threat to national sovereignty but a guarantor of democratic and economic stability across the continent.

As Ukraine protesters are seeking to free their country from Kremlin interference so too the collective influence of European nations

…

Tagged eu and ukraine | 29 Comments

Opinion: I don’t know what you stand for

By Matt Gallagher | Mon 17th February 2014 - 1:53 pm

Canvassing in the Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election I encountered a number of voters who asked the question; “Lib Dems, I don’t know what they stand for.”

It would be easy, and wrong, to dismiss such a questioner as uninformed or typical of the tribal element in every constituency who have no real interest in your answer.

As the date of the next General Election nears, the answer to this question will be critical to Liberal Democrat prospects.

The compromises of coalition have muddied the waters, and the Liberal Democrats stand to come off worst. In the northern cities, the supporters we won …

35 Comments

Opinion: 2016 is the year Bristol should adopt STV

By Alex Smethurst | Mon 17th February 2014 - 10:20 am

Understanding the cycle of elections for local authorities can be a complicated process for the elector. Last year, a vote at Full Council resolved that Bristol City Council would change its cycle from ‘elections by thirds’ to whole council elections or ‘all ups’, to commence in 2016. This is a unique opportunity for Bristol to prove it’s not afraid for bold change and to introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral system for elections to the council.

Turnout in local authority elections in England has always been lower than for Westminster elections. By introducing proportional representation in the form of STV, …

Tagged electoral reform and STV | 10 Comments

Opinion: Time to deliver on safe standing

By Paul Head | Mon 17th February 2014 - 8:43 am

At Autumn Conference in 2008, the Liberal Democrats passed a motion backing proposals to change the regulations that prevent football stadiums in the Championship and Premier League from providing ‘safe-standing’ areas. The motion called for the Government to:

Replace any regulations requiring spectators to be seated with new regulations clearly setting out standards under which a safe standing area may be licensed.

And

Direct the Football Licensing Authority to prepare suitable guidance under which domestic football clubs, working with their supporters, may introduce safe standing areas.

Fast forward to 2014 and those regulations, …

Tagged football | 3 Comments

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

By The Voice | Sun 16th February 2014 - 1:25 pm

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

Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election: Labour win easily, UKIP beat Tories into second, Lib Dems lose deposit (100 comments) by Stephen Tall

Must-read analysis from Peter Kellner on where the 5 million missing 2010 Lib Dem voters have gone (39 comments) by Stephen Tall

Statement by Lord Rennard (29 comments) by The Voice

Legal action to be launched by Lord Rennard unless membership suspension lifted (34 comments) by The Voice

Men, is your behaviour driving women out of politics? (56 comments) by Caron Lindsay

Also posted in Site news | Leave a comment

Men, is your behaviour driving women out of politics?

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 15th February 2014 - 9:20 am

Imagine you are in a meeting trying to make your case. How would you feel if, every time you opened your mouth to speak, somebody interrupted you before you had got to the end of your first sentence? Not just once. Every. Single.Time.

Imagine you are in a meeting, trying to make your case, but the decision has clearly been made by a small cabal of powerful men who have reached their own understanding over dinner and some booze the night before, at an event that you were not invited to.

Imagine you are in a meeting trying to do your job …

Tagged featured, liberal democrats, sexism and women | 93 Comments

Bluff, bluster and bullying, says Salmond. Pot, kettle and black come to mind

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 14th February 2014 - 3:38 pm

That the SNP would dismiss yesterday’s announcement on currency by George Osborne should not come as a surprise to any of us.

Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon have taken to the airwaves to complain of “bluff, bluster and bullying” by those nasty big boys from Westminster. It’s actually quite brazen to sit there and say, having been told a very firm “no” that the answer was really yes. But their aim was to whip up fury amongst their own supporters, to incite an emotional reaction in those who don’t like English Tories telling things like they are.

That was always going to …

Tagged alex salmond, jim naughtie, Scotland, Scottish independence referendum and willie rennie | 30 Comments

Opinion: Use devo-max to put the positive case for the Union

By Toby Fenwick | Thu 13th February 2014 - 1:53 pm

I have no doubt that should Scotland’s voters decide to plump for independence on 18 September, Scotland would become a functional nation state. For unionists to claim that Scotland isn’t capable of governing itself, or that it would immediately become a celtic version of Greece is insulting, inaccurate and unlikely to marshal any votes into the No column. Though I believe we are better together, unionists need to make a positive case in addition to exposing the SNP’s wilful distortions and wishful thinking.

That is why I welcome the clarity from the Chancellor (pdf), Ed Balls and our own Danny …

Tagged currency union, devo max and Scottish independence referendum | 20 Comments

Ruling out currency union: Locking the horse inside the stable?

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 12th February 2014 - 6:48 pm

The currency in an independent Scotland has been the subject of much frenetic debate in recent months. The Scottish Government’s White Paper on independence is clear that their preferred option is to continue to use sterling within a monetary union with what would remain of the UK:

The Commission’s analysis shows that it will not only be in Scotland’s interests to retain Sterling but that – post independence – this will also benefit the rest of the UK.

Under such an arrangement, monetary policy will be set according to economic conditions across

…

Tagged currency, george osborne, Scotland and Scottish independence referendum | 33 Comments

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 12th February 2014 - 2:52 pm

Liberal Democrat MP Michael Moore writes a regular column for newspapers in his Borders Constituency. Here is the latest edition.

Scotland’s place in the UK

As the Referendum date quickly approaches, I was glad to have the chance to speak in a House of Commons debate last week on Scotland’s place in the UK.

As part of the United Kingdom we have fantastic economic opportunities through the single market, greater security due to having a seat at the top table at NATO, and the ability for Scotland to punch above its weight internationally due to the UK Foreign Office network around the world.

It …

Also posted in Parliament and Scotland | Tagged Michael Moore and Westminster Notes | 3 Comments

Norman Lamb MP writes…Francis, one year on

By Norman Lamb MP | Wed 12th February 2014 - 1:00 pm

A year ago last week, Robert Francis QC published his report into the failings at Stafford Hospital, and set out his recommendations to ensure that those failings would not be repeated. As a Liberal Democrat, I am committed to delivering better care, and ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect when they come into contact with our health and care system. Today I want to report back myself on what we have achieved so far.

There are dedicated staff across the NHS and the care sector, who work tirelessly day after day to provide the best possible care for …

Tagged Francis report and health | 2 Comments

Opinion: Celebrating 28 special people in LGBT History Month

By Mathew Hulbert | Wed 12th February 2014 - 11:59 am

This month is LGBT History Month, which exists to celebrate the lives of the LGBT Community.

As a gay man and, therefore, a proud member of that community, I wanted to mark this very special month in my own way.

So I decided that every day in February I would write a daily tweet and Facebook post about someone I look up to in our community…an LGBT Hero.

Among those I’ve already tweeted and posted about are a number of Liberal Democrats: Adrian Trett, the former Chair of LGBT+LDs and a …

2 Comments

Martin Horwood MP writes: Liberal Democrats must be the voice of small business in Europe

By Martin Horwood | Wed 12th February 2014 - 8:52 am

It’s common knowledge that small businesses are the dynamic engines behind economic recoveries – light-footed, innovative and quick to seize the opportunities of growth. I met just such a business in my own Cheltenham constituency recently, exporting highly specialised cleaning products to the world. Today in Brussels the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) launches its manifesto for the European elections and it is full of great ideas for making the European Union more competitive, accountable and efficient – all priorities for Liberal Democrat Members of the next European Parliament.

Our MEPs and ministers have already achieved some notable …

Also posted in Europe / International | Tagged eu and european elections 2014 | 1 Comment

Opinion: Tackling debt problems in our communities

By Stephen Knight | Tue 11th February 2014 - 4:50 pm

Much attention has recently been given to the growth of payday lending and with very good reason.

In the first quarter of 2009/10, across the UK, just 1% of Citizens Advice Bureau debt casework clients had at least one payday loan. But by the same quarter of 2012/13 the figures show 10% of their debt casework had at least one payday loan. Similarly, in November 2012 the debt charity StepChange reported that the proportion of their clients with payday loans had soared, from 3.7% in 2009, to 17% in 2012.

This growth in incredibly expensive debt is of course the legal end of the market. We should never forget that on top of the growth of payday lending there has been a growth in illegal lending by loan sharks. To give some indication of the growth of loan sharks it is worth noting that research from Liverpool John Moores University suggests that one in twenty low-income borrowers in London, that have been refused credit, have then turned to a loan shark.

Tagged credit unions and payday loans | 6 Comments

Lord Roger Roberts writes: The Immigration Bill – does it help or hinder?

By Lord Roger Roberts | Tue 11th February 2014 - 3:50 pm

It’s not too well known outside the House, but there are three UKIP-affiliated Peers sitting in the Lords. And interestingly, despite being members of a party that shouts the loudest about immigration, not one of them turned up to yesterday’s Immigration Bill second reading debate. Read into that what you will.

But what about the excellent speeches that Liberal Democrats Peers gave? You can read a summary of my speech below (finding the full version, here – and the Parliament TV link at 19:27, here). I also urge you to follow my colleagues’ activities on TheyWorkForYou, via our @LibDemLords account and through our Group’s blog.

Tagged immigration bill | 3 Comments

Gordon Birtwistle’s apprenticeships report for January

By Gordon Birtwistle MP | Tue 11th February 2014 - 2:20 pm

I have had a busy start to the year promoting apprenticeships and meeting with businesses; I thought I would share some of my findings with Lib Dem Voice.

I’ve been on some fantastic visits over the past month or two, seeing some truly inspirational outfits offering apprenticeships. In December I visited Gloucestershire Engineering Training centre in Steve Webb’s constituency. The GET provides training in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering disciplines. I met 88 first year apprentices, including Lib Dem member Eva Fielding, one of three female engineers on the programme. The MD communicated her primary concerns; namely costings and encouraging local …

Tagged apprenticeships, aston martin, crossrail and eon | 2 Comments

Should political parties pay for policing at conferences?

By Mary Reid | Tue 11th February 2014 - 1:37 pm

Following a Freedom of Information request the BBC has obtained figures for the amounts spent on policing political party conferences.

It seems that over the last five years the Home Office has provided £106 million in special grants to fund the police presence at one-off events such as major protests or the Royal wedding. £50 million of that has gone on party conferences.

Tagged party conference and policing | 10 Comments

Edward Davey writes… Gas profits

By Ed Davey | Mon 10th February 2014 - 7:05 pm

Last year I asked Ofgem, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) & the new Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to start producing annual competition assessments which will look at the way energy companies operate in detail. They will also set out any actions they deem necessary.

The first of their reviews will be published this Spring and I have just written to them outlining new evidence I want to be considered as part of their investigations.

Essentially the new evidence focuses on the profits some energy companies are making …

Tagged energy, gas and ofgem | 13 Comments

Norman Lamb MP writes… Why I’ll be voting to ban smoking in cars carrying children

By Norman Lamb MP | Mon 10th February 2014 - 5:56 pm

Later this evening, MPs will be given a vote on proposals to ban smoking in cars carrying children. It will be a free vote, and within each party there will be MPs who vote each way. If the proposal is approved, from next year it could become a criminal offence to smoke when there is a child in the car.

There would be no new police resource allocated to enforcing the ban proactively. But this would send a clear message out that smoking in cars with children is unacceptable, and I support the measure wholeheartedly.

Votes like this always raise questions about …

Tagged smoking | 8 Comments

Adrian Sanders writes from the cut-off far South West

By Adrian Sanders | Mon 10th February 2014 - 1:25 pm

Three big issues face the South West and the future of its rail links to the rest of the country.

The first big issue is resilience east of Exeter. What we do west of the city is irrelevant if we cannot get beyond Taunton in the north and Crewkerne in the east.

Being cut off at Exeter for the second year running presents an opportunity to focus on what is in all our best interests and that means reliable, faster and greater capacity services to and from the West Country.

The Government has already given the go-ahead for the …

Tagged rail | 14 Comments

Uncomfortable truths from the IFS on public spending and tax cuts but cautious optimism on economic growth

By Nick T | Mon 10th February 2014 - 11:59 am

Last week, the highly-respected Institute for Fiscal Studies produced its annual “Green Budget”: its attempt to inject some realism into the national debate on the economy ahead of the chancellor’s actual budget in March.

The document makes for uncomfortable reading in parts, particularly as we head towards another general election in which the complicity of silence on deficit reduction is likely to be as deafening as it was in 2010.

Deficit reduction: significant progress, but some way to go

Starting with the deficit, the IFS’s conclusions are stark. Had the government not taken steps to increase taxes and cut spending in the years since 2008, they estimate that the deficit would have reached 10% of national income by 2018-19. Because of the estimated 16.7% permanent reduction in economic capacity caused by the crash of 2008, 98% of that deficit would be “structural” – i.e. would not be expected to reduce naturally once growth picked up:

For an economy such as the UK, this level of borrowing would have been unsustainable on an ongoing basis. Public sector net debt would have increased markedly year-on-year, likely surpassing 100% of national income before the end of the current decade, and 200% within the next two decades.

Tagged deficit reduction, economy, featured, institute for fiscal studies and tax cuts (Lib Dem) | 30 Comments

A longer read for the weekend: Lord (Paul) Strasburger’s submission to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament

By The Voice | Sat 8th February 2014 - 3:00 pm

The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament recently issued the following call for papers:

On 17 October 2013, the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC) announced that it would be broadening its inquiry into the laws which govern the intelligence agencies’ ability to intercept private communications. In addition to considering whether the current statutory framework governing access to private communications remains adequate, the Committee is also considering the appropriate balance between our individual right to privacy and our collective right to security. The ISC is now inviting written submissions from those who wish to contribute to the inquiry.

Lib Dem peer Paul Strasburger has sent us his submission, which we’re printing in full…

Submission to ISC Inquiry

by Lord Strasburger

1. In January 2014 President Obama said to his country and the world “Our system of government is built on the premise that our liberty cannot depend on the good intentions of those in power. It depends on the law to constrain those in power.”
2. In the UK, the Snowden disclosures have confirmed that the legislation intended to constrain intrusive surveillance of its citizens by the State is not fit for purpose. In addition, scrutiny of the security and intelligence agencies which is supposed to protect the privacy and liberty of the British people has comprehensively failed.

The difference between watching anybody and watching everybody

Also posted in Parliament | Tagged edward snowden, featured, intelligence and security committee and paul strasburger | 3 Comments

Lord (Mike) Storey writes on the Children and Families Bill: “At its very core, this is a Lib Dem Bill”

By Mike Storey | Sat 8th February 2014 - 10:00 am

We’ve just had the final days of ‘Report’ of the Children and Families Bill in the House of Lords and on Monday, MPs will consider our amendments – including the proposal to ban smoking in cars carrying children. But as the dust settles on the red benches (or perhaps I should say, smoke has lifted?) I wanted to let Lib Dem Voice readers know about some of the things we’ve achieved, which Liberal Democrats can rightly be proud of.

I should start by saying that, at its very core, this is a ‘Lib Dem Bill’. The …

Also posted in Parliament | Tagged children and families bill | 2 Comments

Fraser Nelson’s must-read guide to utterly and completely misunderstanding the Lib Dems’ Coalition strategy

By Stephen Tall | Fri 7th February 2014 - 2:15 pm

Fraser Nelson has written a must-read guide to utterly and completely misunderstanding the Lib Dems’ Coalition strategy today. My guess is he’s reliant on Tory intelligence, which in this case is an oxymoron.

Much of it is the usual half-fair/half-unfair admixture of insults regularly thrown at the Lib Dems by the right-wing media. We are, says Fraser, “a hodge-podge of a party defined by its lack of definition”, “conservative in Somerset and socialist in Solihull” (has he met Lorely Burt?). Unlike the Conservatives, of course, where the small-l-liberal outlook of Ken Clarke and Nick Boles dovetails perfectly with the …

Tagged coalition, Danny Alexander, david laws, featured, fraser nelson, michael gove and ryan coetzee | 12 Comments

#Timetotalk: Norman Lamb MP responds…

By Norman Lamb MP | Thu 6th February 2014 - 9:30 pm

I have been really impressed by the moving personal contributions on Lib Dem Voice today setting people’s own experience of mental health. It reminded me powerfully why I am a Liberal Democrat. As Holly Matthies wrote, tackling mental health stigma is fundamentally about freedom – freedom from poverty, ignorance, and conformity.

Mental health isn’t something that happens to other people. 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem at some point during their life – and everyone will know someone close to them who is affected. And we …

Tagged #timetotalk and mental health | 3 Comments

ALDC’s by-election round-up: Midlands win and a bad month for Tories and SNP

By Alan Pomroy | Thu 6th February 2014 - 8:30 pm

Those lovely people at ALDC have done us a by-election round-up for last week.

Last Thursday saw the Liberal Democrats gain Chadsmead ward on Lichfield DC. Councillor Marion Bland took 36% of the vote and returned Liberal Democrats to Lichfield Council for the first time since 2011. The Lib Dems first gained a seat in the two member ward in 2007 but the Tories took both in 2011.

The by-election saw the Conservatives drop 22% of their vote and slump into last place after their councillor was disqualified for not attending …

Tagged by-elections and Local government | 30 Comments

Opinion: Living and working with social anxiety disorder #timetotalk

By John Johnson | Thu 6th February 2014 - 8:00 pm

I have a severe social anxiety disorder.

There. I’ve said it. In seven words I have broken one of our last taboos: I’ve spoken of mental illness.

Today across England people are coming together to talk about mental illness and help overcome the stigma that many people still face in the twenty-first century. Time to Change are hoping to inspire one million conversations about mental health within 24 hours.

I’ve written and re-written this post three times because I’m not sure what to talk about. Because there is so much to talk about! Do I talk about my social anxiety disorder and how it affects me on a daily basis? Do I talk about the stigma I face for having a mental illness? Or do I talk about how it felt to talk to someone about having a mental illness for the first time?

Tagged #timetotalk and mental health | 5 Comments

Opinion: Confessions of a manic depressive #timetotalk

By Eleanor Draycott | Thu 6th February 2014 - 7:00 pm

After hearing/reading a lot of negative things about people with mental health issues recently first I got angry, then I got writing. This is what I came up with:

My name is Eleanor and I am Bi-Polar/Manic Depressive/crazy. Choose whichever of these you wish, everyone comes to their own conclusion eventually but they all amount to pretty much the same thing, it just depends on how negative a spin you want to put on things I suppose. I also have a phobia of tinsel and used dishcloths. This is …

Tagged #timetotalk and mental health | 6 Comments

Opinion: Liberal Democrats must let our values define our approach to mental health #timetotalk

By Holly Matthies | Thu 6th February 2014 - 3:25 pm

“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist,” Kevin Spacey tells us, and it’s a bit like that with depression too. It’s so insidious precisely because it tries to convince you it isn’t really there, that these black thoughts and difficult days are all there is for you, and that this entirely your own fault.

This is why feeling about to talk about it at all, to be open, has such power: it lessens the isolation, fights your negative thoughts about yourself with positive ones from people who love you, and helps all of us live in a better, healthier society, because Mentally Interesting people have a hell of a lot to contribute. And while fighting stigma isn’t the only problem we face, it can be as hard as dealing with the mental illness itself.

So what can we as Lib Dems do?

Tagged #timetotalk and mental health | 5 Comments

Op-eds

Ed Davey quizzed on EU, slavery reparations and Lib Dem relevance (Caron Lindsay)
Scottish Lib Dems defeat SNP on Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill (Caron Lindsay)
How housebuilding can tackle the cost of living crisis and boost growth (Rob Blackie)
The Independent View: Nobody falls in love with a manifesto (James Bradford)
Bridges Matter (Francis Chubb)

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Category Archives: Op-eds

Scotland’s place in the UK

Deficit reduction: significant progress, but some way to go

Submission to ISC Inquiry

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