Category Archives: Op-eds

Thatcher, Blair and the Road to Serfdom

By Joe Otten | Thu 11th April 2013 - 12:55 pm

Among yesterday’s many predictable tributes to Margaret Thatcher on both sides of the house, one from Labour MP Gisela Stuart caught my ear. (Hansard)

Whole generations have forgotten what 1979 was like. I came here from Germany in the 1970s. I know that Margaret Thatcher would not want us not to learn any lessons from the battles that she had fought—some lost, some won, and some which continue. I am thinking in particular of the role of the market. It is interesting that Margaret Thatcher considered that Hayek’s book “The Road to Serfdom” should be compulsory reading. Many Government

…

Tagged constitution of liberty, Gisela Stuart, margaret thatcher, road to serfdom, the spirit level and tony blair | 20 Comments

Opinion: The depressing reality of the Paris Brown case

By Nick Sutton | Wed 10th April 2013 - 11:05 am

After an extraordinarily brutal last few days, 17 year old Youth Police Commissioner Paris Brown resigned from her post at Kent Police. In her resignation statement, she said that she was ‘quitting in the interests of the young people of Kent’ after supposed racist and homophobic tweets dating back a number of years had been found by Daily Mail journalists and ran with by several other major news organisations.

There is no doubting that the tweets themselves were offensive. At no point is it acceptable to engage in homophobic or racist behaviour and the comments should not be made by someone …

Tagged paris brown and youth police commissioner | 23 Comments

Opinion: Is UKIP a threat to community cohesion?

By David Hennigan | Wed 10th April 2013 - 8:47 am

Much has been made of the rise of the United Kingdom Independence Party under Nigel Farage. Watch any of Mr Farage’s rabble rousing appearances on Question Time and one might feel that here is a man who speaks common sense. A man on your side – a party ready to change the three party system in this country.

Delve a bit deeper into UKIP and you’ll see a slightly sinister side more akin to the Far Right. It was only 3 years ago that, at the invitation of Lord Pearson (then UKIP Leader), the Dutch Far Right politician Geert Wilders showed an anti-Islam film in the House of Lords. Cheered on by the English Defence League, UKIP claimed that this was a victory for free speech and common sense.

Tagged immigration, manchester and ukip | 94 Comments

Opinion: Dr Strangelove: or how I got utterly fed up with the Left

By Jack Williams | Tue 9th April 2013 - 1:29 pm

Yesterday Margaret Thatcher died.

Predictably social media exploded with chatter about the passing of an epoch-defining politician. Perhaps it says something about the kind of people I associate with, that I found myself reading one comment after another proclaiming “Ding dong the witch is dead”. Some of my Facebook ‘friends’ have even posted grinning photographs of themselves celebrating the happy event.

Whatever it says about my social circle, it says plenty about the Left.

I grew up in a left-wing household. My parents were of the CND generation, Labour party members who supported the miners’ strikes. I had only just started school when …

Tagged featured and margaret thatcher | 153 Comments

Julian Huppert writes … We all need to do our bit to Back Britain’s Charities

By Julian Huppert | Tue 9th April 2013 - 11:17 am

Since becoming an MP three years ago I’ve developed a greater understanding of the work that charities do, and a true recognition of the important role they play in creating and strengthening communities. In Cambridge, for example, charities such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and the Samaritans are there to offer support when people have nowhere else to turn, and many provide niche services to people who would otherwise slip through the net.

Tagged charities, charities aid foundation and gift aid | 8 Comments

Opinion: Should we change the way sport is funded, or risk the health, and economy of the country?

By Colin Gell | Tue 9th April 2013 - 8:55 am

UK Sport’s World Class Performance Programme is the centrepiece of sports funding in the UK, and competition for funding is fierce. On top of this, localised funding from councils for leisure centres, athletic tracks, and swimming facilities seem to follow this trend, and are likely to support Olympic/Paralympic training facilities over other sports. The results of this mean that we are able to punch way above our weight on the Olympic and Paralympic stages.

The trouble with this strategy is that funding is only available to the few, and those who are unlikely to gain medals are penalised. Even those who are able to fund themselves may be denied Olympian status, despite hitting official Olympic qualifying standards in the UK, if the British Olympic Association deems them not capable of finishing on the podium. This is a harsh message, and means that funding for grassroots sports in the UK is very low compared to other countries in Europe.

Tagged sports funding | 4 Comments

Welfare reform: what should the Lib Dems do?

By Stephen Tall | Mon 8th April 2013 - 11:00 am

This much I think I know… Cuts to the overall welfare budget are inescapable: it accounts for too large a chunk of of public spending for it to be immune — certainly if the NHS, schools and overseas aid budgets are to be protected at the same time as spending is reduced.

These cuts would be happening whichever party was in power, though doubtless the precise methods would differ. The IFS’s verdict in 2010 on what they termed Labour’s “fiscal drift” was stark: “By the eve of the financial crisis … the UK one of the largest structural …

Tagged benefits, nick clegg, norman lamb, paul burstow, steve webb, universal benefits and welfare | 25 Comments

Eric Avebury writes… Bernie Ecclestone, F1 and Britain’s shameful friendship with Bahrain

By Eric Avebury | Mon 8th April 2013 - 8:45 am

Bernie Ecclestone is an appropriate person to be the public face of Formula 1, a ‘sport’ which is fast becoming known as the event of choice for autocrats who wish to launder their international reputation, as evidenced by the appearance of races in Bahrain and Dubai in recent years.

Ecclestone famously praised Thatcher, Hitler and Saddam a few years ago, saying that he preferred strong leaders, that Hitler was a man who was ‘able to get things done’, and yet paradoxically, that politics ‘is not for me’.

Equally bizarre, he …

Tagged bahrain, bernie ecclestone, featured and formula 1 | 3 Comments

Saturday Forum: reason and emotion in politics

By Joe Otten | Sat 6th April 2013 - 11:18 am

Compulsory reading for anybody interested in politics should include Drew Westen’s The Political Brain – Review here.

Westen’s analysis of the Democratic defeats of the Bush years is that the Democrats failed to tap the emotions of the electorate, and relied too much on rational argument. Bill Clinton, it is argued, is the exception that proves the rule, being unusually empathic. The book predates Obama, who seems to have learned some of its lessons.

Today’s discussion point: How does this translate to Britain? My impression is that there is …

13 Comments

Opinion: why I’m still a Liberal Democrat…

By Former Organiser | Fri 5th April 2013 - 3:10 pm

I’ve been a Liberal Democrat supporter as long as I can remember. My parents were involved with the party, and often shared their political views with my sister and I when we were children. Therefore, I suppose it is no surprise that I actively support the party today.

However, I have to confess that since the Coalition agreement, and the abandonment of the tuition fees promise, I have occasionally wondered why I continue to support the party. A little doubt was creeping into my mind. I never supported the tuition fee policy, but was a little disappointed that some MPs …

Tagged liberal democrats | 11 Comments

Opinion: do Parliament’s laws really need Royal Assent in 2013?

By Antony Hook | Fri 5th April 2013 - 1:21 pm

The country needs to save as much money as it can. Anything we can save will help the government to balance the books.

A small but wasteful activity is the requirement for Acts of Parliament to receive Royal Assent. Many people may believe that a Bill becomes law when it is passed by both Houses of Parliament. But it is a requirement for every Bill to go before the Queen and receive her approval.

Royal Assent is usually granted a few weeks after the Bill is passed by Parliament. …

Tagged Parliament, royal assent and the queen | 38 Comments

Opinion: the importance of the rural bus

By Judith Bunting | Fri 5th April 2013 - 10:21 am

I recently visited Ivy in Ashmore Green. A woman in her eighties, Ivy is still bright and lively. When I met her, she had recently given up driving and was still reeling from discovering that her local bus service, the 76, that connects Ashmore Green to the rest of the world, runs once a week.

Now, all credit to Jacs Minicoaches for running this service, but a bus that runs just once a week is not something around which you can build a life. A thriving community depends on more than just driving-age adults.

How are youngsters supposed to get to school

…

Tagged rural communities and transport | 4 Comments

Opinion: Fairer Taxes? How higher rate taxpayers will benefit more in 2014

By Andrew Brown | Thu 4th April 2013 - 11:57 am

Earlier this week I saw this tweet from Paul Lewis of BBC Radio 4’s Moneybox programme:

The 2014 rise in personal tax allowance worth £112 a year for basic rate taxpayer but £39 if on U Credit, & £195 for higher rate taxpayers.

— Paul Lewis (@paullewismoney) April 2, 2013

This struck me as odd, so I asked Paul how he calculated the £195 figure (I do not know enough about benefits and Universal Credit to make a judgement on the £39 figure). He quickly answered:

@oneexwidow >> Correctly! Checked by accountants. Using these figures

…

Tagged fairer tax, personal allowance and raising tax threshold | 13 Comments

The welfare debate and the age of the trollemic

By Stephen Tall | Thu 4th April 2013 - 9:25 am

I decided to invent a new word yesterday:

Is “trollemic” a word? If not it should be. Trollemic = deliberately OTT argument to generate controversy & make rational debate impossible.

— Stephen Tall (@stephentall) April 3, 2013

It’s the welfare debate that’s prompted it, but it could be any other topic on a given week.

Yesterday saw the Daily Mail publish a typically sensationalist front page blaming the welfare state for the tragedy of six children being killed by their parents. On Monday the Mirror shouted ‘Shameful’, with a cartoon showing Thatcher, Cameron, Osorne and Clegg banging in the final nail of a coffin marked ‘RIP Welfare’.

Each is exaggerating to make their own point. Both are gross over-statements: trollemics.

Tagged ben goldacre, charlie brooker, daily mail, daily mirror, featured, james delingpole, julie burchill, mick philpott, polly toynbee, trollemic and welfare | 26 Comments

The Liberal Democrat perspective on welfare reform that needs to be heard

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 3rd April 2013 - 1:30 pm

On Monday, I wrote about the good things Liberal Democrats are doing in Government and also expressed concern that nobody was out there giving the Liberal Democrat perspective in a way that would resonate with and encourage members and activists. I know that some of them felt a bit exposed. They were out there on a day when we were under media pressure, and nobody was giving them any air cover. It’s a balance, of course. There have been times when we’ve complained that our ministers are out there defending things we feel uncomfortable with. These things can be …

Tagged benefits, media, tax and welfare reform | 33 Comments

Margaret Thatcher, the 1983 election and the ‘bedroom tax’

By Stephen Tall | Tue 2nd April 2013 - 8:35 pm

Like Caron, I spent more than a healthy amount of my Bank Holiday Monday watching BBC Parliament’s re-run of the 1983 general election.

It’s not an election I remember (I was 6). But the symmetry of yesterday’s hyperbolic Guardian (‘The day Britain changed’) front page and the televised reminder of Margaret Thatcher’s first landslide seemed calculated to confirm the left’s view that 1st April 2013 marked the ultimate victory of those on the right who wanted (and still want) to destruct the welfare state.

What Mrs T, Geoffrey Howe …

Tagged 1983 election, bedroom tax, council housing, housing, margaret thatcher and social housing | 29 Comments

The 1983 election: highlights and hindsight

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 2nd April 2013 - 4:25 pm

I spent more of my bank holiday than is healthy watching the rerun of the 1983 election on BBC Parliament.

When I lived through it, I was an innocent and idealistic 15 year old. I really believed people would be so outraged that the Alliance had polled 7 million votes, finishing marginally behind Labour but with about a ninth of their seats. As Shirley Williams said, it was “absolute rubbish.” Surely we would have PR within a decade?

Thirty years on, it depresses me that we are no further forward. Westminster remains the last bastion of first past the post, for Scots …

Tagged 1983 election, alan beith, david steel, history, russell johnston and shirley williams | 27 Comments

Eric Avebury writes … LibDems should oppose Tory measures against the poor

By Eric Avebury | Tue 2nd April 2013 - 1:04 pm

The Children’s Society reveals that 1.2 million school age children in poverty aren’t getting free school meals, 700,000 because they aren’t even entitled to them.

At the same time the Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill comes into force, under which almost two thirds of the money saved comes from the poorest households. According to the Department for Work and Pensions, the effect of the Bill is to increase child poverty by 200,000 children. The Institute of Fiscal Studies estimates that by 2015/16 there will be 300,000 more children in poverty than today.

The bedroom tax, which kicks in this month, affects 660,000 lower …

Tagged children's society, Institute of Fiscal Studies and Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill | 48 Comments

Opinion: UK democracy and political parties – as seen from space

By Paul Reynolds | Tue 2nd April 2013 - 10:53 am

How would non-partisan observers see the condition of UK democracy over the decades as viewed from above the stratosphere ?

With Labour they might see a political party that replaced the Liberals as the party of reform in the 1930s and after WW2, based on representing the ‘working class’ – then working mostly in industry. They might contrast this with today’s Labour party – now mostly funded and controlled by public sector unions – both a strength and weakness in terms of the progression of democracy. A public sector union is a very peculiar animal. Without the constraints of industrial competition, and with senior ‘two-hatted’ civil servants facing conflicts between the public interest and the interests of their unions, one can understand why the Labour party has certain weaknesses as part of the democratic system. Hence their conflation of the public interest with ever-expanding public employment, usually couched in the language of additional benefits to the public, (and a policy cohabitee with Tory centralization). Therein lies Labour’s key weakness as well as its strength.

Tagged democracy and political parties | 9 Comments

Adittya Chakrabortty is wrong to say House of Commons is “ever more remote”. It’s more diverse than it’s ever been

By Stephen Tall | Tue 2nd April 2013 - 9:45 am

Last week, Mary Reid published an excellent couple of articles — Changing culture is a long term project – the past; and its companion piece: the future — highlighting social progress achieved in her lifetime.

One area she didn’t mention is the way parliament is much more diverse today than it has been in the past. I mention it today in part at least to respond to Aditya Chakrabortty’s post in today’s Guardian (David Miliband and the debasement …

Tagged adittya chakrabortty and featured | 12 Comments

Keep the faith: Liberal Democrats are doing good things in Government, not that you’d know it from today’s headlines

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 1st April 2013 - 1:25 pm

Liberal Democrats have taken a pounding across the Labour supporting media over the past few days. Article after soundbite condemns the welfare reforms which come into effect from now. It’s been a clever, co-ordinated onslaught which seems aimed at demoralising Liberal Democrat members and activists rather than opposing the changes themselves. After all, I haven’t heard Ed Miliband promise to repeal any of them. And we have to remember that it was the Labour Government who introduced Local Housing Allowance – the Bedroom Tax of the private sector.

Where have the Liberal Democrat MPs and key figures been?

That Labour would use …

Tagged guardian, internal communications, labour, media and welfare | 56 Comments

What the Liberal Democrats believe

By Mark Pack | Sat 30th March 2013 - 5:30 pm

“Tell me more about what the Liberal Democrats believe”. Whether it’s a possible new member, a potential council candidate or a new office volunteer asking, I’ve always found over the years that one of the trickier questions to answer. Not because of the inherent question, but rather because of the paucity of materials available to conveniently answer it.

There’s always been a simple short 1 or 2 sentence answer to hand (such as the slogan of the day or an extract from the preamble to the party’s constitution) or a really long answer available, such as Conrad Russell’s superb An …

Tagged david lloyd george, economic liberalism, history and liberalism | 40 Comments

Opinion: Why Greg Mulholland MP is wrong to criticise the NHS Medical Director

By Guy Lavis | Sat 30th March 2013 - 1:15 pm

When I heard yesterday that the local MP had called for the NHS Medical Director to resign following his decision to suspend all paediatric heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary I dismissed it as predictable populist rabble rousing in search of a good local headline. On realising it was our own Greg Mulholland I felt angry and ashamed. How could one of our MPs have got this so wrong? Or as Stephen Thornton, the Chief Executive of the Health Foundation put it last night, “How low will local MPs stoop? Why does ‘local’ always trump quality in their eyes”. Quite.

In …

Tagged child heart surgery, greg mulholland and NHS | 31 Comments

A reply to Dan Hodges: why it’s not surprising some Tories aren’t bothered about winning in 2015

By Stephen Tall | Fri 29th March 2013 - 4:10 pm

The Telegraph’s token Labour blogger Dan Hodges has a typically punchy post today – Do the Tories actually want to win in 2015? – highlighting the fatalism of some Tory MPs who think victory next time is possible but not worth it:

Hardly worth it? What, just managing to scrape a win at the next election, just managing to govern for another five years, just managing to drive through your agenda on health care reform, welfare reform, education reform, etc?

The Conservative Party is currently in the middle of the biggest

…

Tagged alex massie, conservative party, daily telegraph, dan hodges, featured, labour party and party membership | 9 Comments

Opinion: Haringey – a council in crisis

By Cllr Richard Wilson | Thu 28th March 2013 - 2:57 pm

Haringey Council has a terrible reputation for failure. The tragic child protection scandals of Victoria Climbe and Baby Peter and the 2011 riots which started in Haringey are just some examples of the many crises in the borough.

Haringey Council has been mismanaged by Labour for the last 41 years and frequently tries to persuade sceptical residents that these problems are in all in the past. But the last month has seen a succession of bad news stories that have further battered the reputation of the crisis-hit council.

Children’s services still in trouble

Two local parents recently

…

Tagged haringey council and richard wilson | 4 Comments

The Independent View: The battle for privacy in the EU and how the Liberal Democrats can help

By Peter Bradwell | Wed 27th March 2013 - 2:37 pm

Last year Liberal Democrats took a principled stand against the “Snoopers’ Charter” – more formally called the draft Communications Data Bill. This added up to a defiant, important defence of citizens’ privacy rights in the face of a concerted (and ongoing) effort by the Home Office to undermine them.

Right now there is another, equally important, battle for our privacy going in the European Parliament. The same principles are at stake. Once again Liberal Democrats have a really important role in determining what sort of law we get.

The “Data Protection Regulation”, proposed by the European Commission and now being considered by …

Also posted in The Independent View | Tagged data protection, open rights group and sarah ludford | 5 Comments

Opinion: Freedom to travel and work is the essence of the EU and we should embrace it

By Giles Goodall | Wed 27th March 2013 - 1:20 pm

Another week, another attack on EU citizens living and working in the UK. This time it didn’t come from that familiar old grouch Nigel Farage, but from the Prime Minister himself. In a speech which was clearly playing catch-up with UKIP after the Eastleigh by-election, David Cameron ratcheted up the rhetoric, calling for new curbs on the rights of EU migrants to claim British benefits and social housing. He wants to stop our benefit system being a ‘soft touch’ and end the ‘something for nothing culture’, in language which could have been copy-pasted from any front page of …

Tagged david cameron, eu migration and immigration | 22 Comments

Opinion: We await the lessons of Iraq while new conflicts loom

By Paul Reynolds | Wed 27th March 2013 - 9:58 am

It is ten years this week since I agreed to act as lead independent political and governance adviser in Iraq, primarily in the British-controlled Southern Provinces – despite my known anti-war views. It was a harrowing experience, risking the ultimate on a daily basis, appointing directly the first regional government in Basra by way of negotiations with largely hostile tribal, political and religious groups, and then working on other problems.

There has been much reflection in the media in the last few days over the failures of the conflict, its illegality, and lessons for the future, notwithstanding the absence, as yet, …

Also posted in Europe / International | Tagged international and iraq | 4 Comments

Lord Roger Roberts writes…Don’t cut funding for charities which help homeless migrants

By Lord Roger Roberts | Wed 27th March 2013 - 8:57 am

Homelessness among Central and Eastern European migrants in London is a notoriously difficult issue to tackle. Success stories are few and far between. For this reason, I was extremely concerned to learn that two London councils are cutting their funding to one of the most effective charities that deals with this issue. The charity is Barka UK.

I am President of Friends of Barka UK. Today in the Lords I will question the Government about their plans to continue funding reconnection programmes, such as those offered by Barka UK. I have recently founded the ‘Setting the Record Straight’ campaign …

Tagged homelessness and migrants | 2 Comments

Julian Huppert MP writes… Improving on the UK Border Agency

By Julian Huppert | Tue 26th March 2013 - 5:10 pm

On Monday the Home Affairs Select Committee published yet another damning report of the UK Border Agency. We found that, in addition to the half million undetermined immigration and asylum cases, UKBA were failing to deal with new immigration cases.

It is no wonder that immigration is consistently identified as one of the biggest issues facing the UK if the Agency established by Labour cannot tell us who is in the country, who should be here and who should not.

The backlog started in the 90s, but in response Labour put the whole border control operation at arm’s length. …

Tagged home affairs select committee, immigration and UKBA | 10 Comments

William Wallace writes: What do Liberal Democrats have to offer the…

“Build, baby, build” but don’t lower our ambitions on…

Actually, this Summer of Strategy could be quite good…

Josh Babarinde writes…The Lib Dem Summer of Strategy

Category Archives: Op-eds

Thatcher, Blair and the Road to Serfdom

Opinion: The depressing reality of the Paris Brown case

Opinion: Is UKIP a threat to community cohesion?

Opinion: Dr Strangelove: or how I got utterly fed up with the Left

Julian Huppert writes … We all need to do our bit to Back Britain’s Charities

Opinion: Should we change the way sport is funded, or risk the health, and economy of the country?

Welfare reform: what should the Lib Dems do?

Eric Avebury writes… Bernie Ecclestone, F1 and Britain’s shameful friendship with Bahrain

Saturday Forum: reason and emotion in politics

Opinion: why I’m still a Liberal Democrat…

Opinion: do Parliament’s laws really need Royal Assent in 2013?

Opinion: the importance of the rural bus

Opinion: Fairer Taxes? How higher rate taxpayers will benefit more in 2014

The welfare debate and the age of the trollemic

The Liberal Democrat perspective on welfare reform that needs to be heard

The 1983 election: highlights and hindsight

Eric Avebury writes … LibDems should oppose Tory measures against the poor

Opinion: UK democracy and political parties – as seen from space

Adittya Chakrabortty is wrong to say House of Commons is “ever more remote”. It’s more diverse than it’s ever been

Keep the faith: Liberal Democrats are doing good things in Government, not that you’d know it from today’s headlines

Where have the Liberal Democrat MPs and key figures been?

What the Liberal Democrats believe

Opinion: Why Greg Mulholland MP is wrong to criticise the NHS Medical Director

A reply to Dan Hodges: why it’s not surprising some Tories aren’t bothered about winning in 2015

Opinion: Haringey – a council in crisis

Children’s services still in trouble

The Independent View: The battle for privacy in the EU and how the Liberal Democrats can help

Opinion: Freedom to travel and work is the essence of the EU and we should embrace it

Opinion: We await the lessons of Iraq while new conflicts loom

Lord Roger Roberts writes…Don’t cut funding for charities which help homeless migrants

Julian Huppert MP writes… Improving on the UK Border Agency

Most Read

Op-eds

Recent Comments

William Wallace writes: What do Liberal Democrats have to offer the…

“Build, baby, build” but don’t lower our ambitions on…

Actually, this Summer of Strategy could be quite good…

Josh Babarinde writes…The Lib Dem Summer of Strategy

Category Archives: Op-eds

Where have the Liberal Democrat MPs and key figures been?

Children’s services still in trouble

Subscribe

Most Read

Search

Op-eds

Recent Comments