Category Archives: Op-eds

Opinion: A radical idea for the post office network

By David Thorpe | Sat 26th January 2013 - 6:25 pm

A typical Saturday morning in the Thorpe household typically involves me meandering, in my usual untidy fashion, to one of the menagerie of corner shops which cosset Hammersmith high street from the unkempt collection of bookmakers, pawnbrokers and fast food joints which seem to be the fate of most urban centres.

From the shop, I will descend to the most desolate corner of a quiet bar and languidly let the tensions of the week be traduced by …

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Tagged national lottery and post office | 15 Comments

Opinion: Down with marriage

By Laura Willoughby | Sat 26th January 2013 - 12:00 pm

It’s always the smallest things that seem to end up creating the biggest noise. Take the current debate over marriage: I know it seems like a big issue, but if you really look, it’s a debate about semantics and contracts that’s become complicated by the fact that history is so unclear about its origins.

The Church thinks that marriage is theirs and that therefore they have a right to dictate who gets to do it. I used to be partly persuaded by the fact that marriage was the Church’s brand and that those of …

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Tagged equal marriage, marriage and secularism | 13 Comments

Libby Local, Episode 9: “Civilisation”

By Libby Local | Sat 26th January 2013 - 9:25 am

On Wednesday, I got back on the last train to Demsbury and was strolling homeward through the icy streets. The town centre is a fairly safe and usually free of drunks and ruffians on a midweek night. I half thought of popping in to the Market Tavern for last orders, but it’s Dry January and I was heartily fed up with drinking glasses of orange.

A few seconds later he was in front of me, …

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4 Comments

Opinion: the UK has many economic lessons to learn from Ireland

By David Thorpe | Fri 25th January 2013 - 2:51 pm

When various commentators and critics of the coalition’s economic policy cast around for alternative solutions, not many look to Ireland for a model to follow, but perhaps they should.

My native country’s economy is in the sort of doldrums which make the current UK growth and employment rate look utopian, but the economy formerly known as the ‘Celtic Tiger’ is healing itself and there are many lessons for UK policy makers to learn. This year growth is forecast to be 1.8%, double what the UK can expect to achieve, while the country was recently able to return to the bond markets …

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Tagged economic policy and republic of ireland | 12 Comments

3 facts about assisted dying (or ‘it’s not all about Switzerland you know’)

By Simon Beard | Fri 25th January 2013 - 1:51 pm

The debate around legalising assisted dying seems increasingly to centre on the case of suicide tourism; whether people should ‘have to’ travel to clinics in Switzerland where they can legally end their lives. Whilst this is undoubtedly an important trend, it is merely a side show to the real issue and masks three important facts about assisted dying.

1 – Very few people travel to Switzerland to end their lives.

In the last 10 years less than 200 people have travelled to Switzerland to end their lives. That’s quite a lot. However, it’s far fewer than the estimated 500 …

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Tagged assisted dying | 32 Comments

Opinion: what living on benefits really means

By The Voice | Fri 25th January 2013 - 12:51 pm

Suel writes:

Every time I hear the phrase “a life on benefits”, it’s like a slap in the face to my brother, who lives in my spare room while looking for a job. He’s not lazy or a scrounger, he just can’t find a job. As Sarah Teather said two weeks ago

the term “scroungers” has become so pervasive in social consciousness that even those on benefits do not attempt to debunk the entire category, only to excuse themselves from the label.

I asked my brother if he was willing to share what his life on benefits was like:

Her brother writes:
I have …

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Tagged benefits uprating bill | 91 Comments

Opinion: Cameron is wishing for an EU that already exists

By Giles Goodall | Fri 25th January 2013 - 11:21 am

The prime objective of David Cameron’s Europe speech was always to placate anti-European critics on his right flank rather than to set out a bold vision in the national interest. And in that sense, his ‘red meat’ pledge of an in/out referendum after 2015 may succeed in sating his own party’s Eurosceptic appetite, at least in the short term. But there are at least three reasons why his strategy is not only mistaken, but risks deeply damaging the national interest.

First, while the ‘repatriationist’ wing of Cameron’s own party may be satisfied with the promise of a renegotiation of as yet …

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Also posted in Europe / International | Tagged european union, single market and sovereignty | 12 Comments

Opinion: we must force the Tories to follow the evidence on khat

By Duncan Stott | Fri 25th January 2013 - 9:52 am

I feel sorry for the Academic Council on the Misuse of Drugs. It’s this panel of drug experts’ task to try and inject some sense into our country’s failing drug policy. Sadly, in the latter years of New Labour’s reign, it became the default option to ignore their advice on drug classification. On magic mushrooms, then on cannabis and then again on ecstasy, Labour couldn’t resist ignoring the ACMD, opting instead for populist posturing in an attempt to appear ‘tough’.

The Labour government’s unscientific urges on drug classification were deeply frustrating to Liberal Democrats, and this led us to a 2010 …

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Tagged drugs policy and khat | 30 Comments

Lord Rennard writes… Individual Electoral Registration: a journey from Tory instincts to Lib Dem legislation

By Chris Rennard | Thu 24th January 2013 - 5:37 pm

In 2003, the Electoral Commission recommended that Great Britain should follow the example of Northern Ireland and move to a system of Individual Electoral Registration (IER), where everyone fills in their own form. Labour havered for six years, fearing that ‘their’ voters might not register individually. It took until 2009 for them to introduce framework legislation to bring in individual registration at some future point, with no guarantees as to exactly when.

When the Coalition took office, the two parties agreed to speed up Labour’s glacial process. Ministers settled on a transitional period encompassing the next General Election. The new system …

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Tagged chris rennard, individual electoral registration and paul tyler | 6 Comments

Fiona Hall MEP writes… Cameron is putting British interests at risk

By Fiona Hall MEP | Thu 24th January 2013 - 3:24 pm

In his speech on Europe yesterday, David Cameron spoke not as Prime Minister but as a Tory party leader backed into a corner by his outspoken tea-party backbenchers. It was never going to be possible to appease his own right-wing and at the same time reassure his European partners. By promising an in-out referendum following an anticipated but far from certain renegotiated EU treaty by 2017, he has chosen to prioritise party political interests.

As a result, the UK will lose further influence in Europe as other Member States anticipate a “Brexit” and discount the UK’s views altogether. Even worse, he …

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Tagged europe | 3 Comments

Why Cameron is now the ‘Yes to the EU’ campaign’s best hope

By Stephen Tall | Thu 24th January 2013 - 2:30 pm

There are two very good reasons David Cameron didn’t want the Tories endlessly to bang on about Europe. First, because most of the public just aren’t that interested. Secondly, because the Tories are irreconcilably split on the issue and not even a referendum will settle matters.

That’s why for seven years as Tory leader Cameron tried to quell discussion, and then when that failed sought to steer a mid-course with gestures of Euroscepticism, such as December 2011’s faux-veto. In the end, he couldn’t hold out any longer. The …

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Also posted in Europe / International | Tagged david cameron, ed miliband, eu referendum, featured and nick clegg | 27 Comments

Opinion: Time to get serious about food wastage

By Sam Lawes | Thu 24th January 2013 - 11:52 am

It may not seem a naturally risky topic, but the rate at which we are wasting food is nothing less than scandalous. From gross inefficiencies at the heart of modern food production to domestic habits, food waste is the quiet scandal of the decade.

A recent BBC article reported that up to half of the food we produce is simply thrown away. Worldwide. The waste of North Americans and Europeans, says another report, could feed the world’s hungry several times over.

This makes for uncomfortable reading on all sides. …

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Tagged food waste | 11 Comments

The Independent View: Cameron’s European vision and the Liberal Democrat opportunity

By Daniel Wright | Wed 23rd January 2013 - 2:55 pm

Not sallying forth to Amsterdam, but in the more functional surroundings of Bloomberg Europe in London, David Cameron has finally given forth his vision for the future of the UK’s relationship with the EU. Despite the context of the speech as a necessary manoeuvre to shore up support for Cameron from his hardline eurosceptic backbenchers and head off a UKIP challenge, the prime minister clearly made a great effort to ensure he sounded reasonable and moderate. Who could disagree with a vision of a more efficient, effective and accountable EU?

In this, Cameron made an astute address, in terms of his …

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Also posted in The Independent View | Tagged david cameron and eu referendum | 13 Comments

Opinion: You know what, equality impact assessments can be quite useful

By Alex Folkes | Wed 23rd January 2013 - 12:30 pm

Equality Impact Assessments are carried out by local councils to judge how their decisions will affect some of the most marginal communities in their area. But there are calls now to scrap the process as part of the Tory mantra on scrapping red tape.

I know that some authorities have turned EIAs into the worst extremes of political correctness gone mad.

But the truth is that councils (and the Government too please) should be

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Tagged equality, equality impact assessments and Local government | 8 Comments

5 initial thoughts on David Cameron’s Europe speech

By Stephen Tall | Wed 23rd January 2013 - 10:53 am

David Cameron delivered his long, long-awaited speech on Europe this morning (text here). Caron’s rounding up the reactions from Lib Dems here – but here are my five initial thoughts…

This is the speech Cameron didn’t want ever to have to give.

Let’s be clear, David Cameron is making this speech now to try and keep the Conservatives together. The threat from Ukip and the party’s right has proved too powerful to withstand. Offering a referendum was no longer …

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Also posted in Europe / International | Tagged david cameron, eu referendum, featured, liam fox, lord ashcroft and tim montgomerie | 37 Comments

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 23rd January 2013 - 8:48 am

Every week, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore MP, writes a column for newspapers in his Borders Constituency. Here is the latest edition.

State pension

In my column last week I touched upon the Government’s plans, announced by Lib Dem Pensions Minister Steve Webb, to introduce a single tier State Pension of £144 in 2017. The new pension will mean

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Also posted in Parliament and Scotland | Tagged Michael Moore, Scotland, state pension and Westminster Notes | Leave a comment

LibLink: John Leech – Smoking ban working

By Mary Reid | Tue 22nd January 2013 - 3:48 pm

On his blog, John Leech MP, reminds us that there has been a 12% decrease in childhood asthma since the smoking ban was introduced in 2007 (with Scotland leading the way a year earlier).

Smoking is an issue I feel passionate about; I have long supported campaigns to ban smoking in public spaces. However, I believe we need to go further and that research finding such as these studies should give us that impetus. In February of last year I signed an Early Day Motion (EDM 2724) that noted “the

…

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Tagged john leech and smoking ban | 10 Comments

South Bronx is just as important as Seneca Falls, Selma and Stonewall

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 22nd January 2013 - 1:55 pm

It is lovely to watch a US President taking the oath of office and not be scared. The feeling of dread I experienced in 1981 and 2001 when Reagan and the younger Bush took office was not pleasant. While Barack Obama has not been perfect, his heart is generally in the right place. His achievements in his first term are all the more remarkable when you consider that he faced a Congress full of some of the most right wing, conservative Republicans we’ve seen in our lifetimes whose sole aim was to thwart his every move.

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Tagged equality, featured, poverty, President Obama and US politics | 3 Comments

Paul Tyler writes: What would Keynes do?

By Paul Tyler | Tue 22nd January 2013 - 8:58 am

Amidst all the sound and fury (from the Conservative benches), about the delay in implementing boundary changes, agreed by a substantial majority in the Lords last Monday evening, one important argument seems to have got lost.

When Labour left office in May 2010, we were given to understand that the electoral register was some 92% complete. Parliament decided in the discussions on the Parliamentary Voting Systems and Constituencies Bill that this was a sufficiently robust basis for the redrawing of constituencies along strict arithmetic lines.

Subsequently, research by the Electoral Commission established that it was nothing like as complete. Nationally, the figure …

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Tagged electoral commission and parliamentary boundary review | 9 Comments

LibLink…Stephen Williams MP: The time has come for votes at 16

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 21st January 2013 - 3:56 pm

On Saturday, Hannah Bettsworth and Jenny Marr of Liberal Youth Scotland encouraged us all to lobby our MPs to vote for a motion tabled by Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol West Stephen Williams calling for the voting age to be reduced at 16.

Stephen himself has now written a post on his own blog outlining why this issue is so important to him.

I have long believed that 16 year olds are mature enough to vote, if they want to. Years of experience of talking and listening to sixth form and college students has convinced me that enough of them have the

…

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Also posted in LibLink | Tagged liberal youth scotland, stephen williams and votes at 16 | 2 Comments

Opinion: Government must act to stop Basel reforms

By David Thorpe | Mon 21st January 2013 - 11:23 am

Most of my working day is spent scuttling between sombre conferences on Central Banking best practice and meeting city economists to get their instant reaction to economic developments.

So when an opportunity came recently to travel to Basel in Switzerland to cover the latest announcement from the committee which aims to create a new framework for banking regulation, I leapt at the chance. But my delight at getting a free

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Tagged banking | 11 Comments

Opinion: A new group to urge close EU ties and fight the growing isolationist tide

By Adam Nathan | Mon 21st January 2013 - 9:53 am

As a Lib Dem member who supports membership of the EU but sometimes finds this hard to verbalise to my friends, I have often noticed that Europe brings out strong opinions in people.

It can be a source of heated argument around the dinner table and on TV studio sofas. The stronger the views on one side, the more entrenched the other can become. Facts can be in short supply.

The hard truth is that Europe represents half of all our trade in

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Tagged european union and featured | 16 Comments

Libby Local, Episode 8: “Sneering and jeering”

By Libby Local | Sun 20th January 2013 - 2:15 pm

I wasn’t going to be a Lib Dem. And at times during the last two weeks, I have wondered whether I still want to a councillor. As thick snow fell across Demsbury, I poured out my frustration to Melissa over a glass in the Market Tavern.

I leant across the table towards her. “I’m furious. I feel unaccountably angry,” I said. “I think I may have made a mistake in standing for council at all.”

The very good thing about Melissa is that she is both calm and calming. She talked about the weather, the lack of gritting of pavements …

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Tagged featured | 2 Comments

Where is the British Borgen?

By Nick T | Sun 20th January 2013 - 12:39 pm

Alastair Campbell asked an interesting (if not altogether original) question on Twitter this morning:

Success of Borgen (currently trending) and West Wing (which I have not seen) a sign of gap in market for essentially pro politics TV?

— Alastair Campbell (@campbellclaret) January 20, 2013

As a massive fan of The West Wing, and an avid viewer of Borgen, it is a question I have also thought about. Britain is the world leader in political satire, yet we must be close to bottom of the league when it comes to political drama.

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Tagged alastair campbell, Borgen, featured and west wing | 17 Comments

Eric Avebury writes… Press conferences in the Lords

By Eric Avebury | Sun 20th January 2013 - 10:47 am

Believe it or not, there is nowhere in the House of Lords where backbenchers can hold press conferences! We used to be able to use any of the Committee Rooms, but in March 2010 the House agreed that only Committee Room G could be used for this purpose.

Two years later, an obscure Committee which deals with matters such as charging for tours of Big Ben and the use of electric hand dyers decreed that press conferences should be exiled to a small room in a building five minutes’ walk from the House. No consultation

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Also posted in Parliament | Tagged house of lords | 9 Comments

Opinion: Lobby MPs on votes at 16 ahead of Commons debate this week

By Hannah Bettsworth and Jenny Marr | Sat 19th January 2013 - 3:00 pm

Stephen Williams MP has recently brought forward a motion about extending the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds: this means that the House of Commons will debate the issue on 24^th January. In 2005 his motion on the topic failed by just 8 votes. As such, it’s exceedingly important that as many MPs who support votes at 16 attend the debate and vote if possible.

Liberal Youth Scotland has been strongly pushing for votes at 16 for all referendums and elections this …

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Tagged liberal youth scotland, stephen williams and votes at 16 | 3 Comments

Opinion: it’s no good counting on those rose-tinted spectacles

By Richard Morris | Fri 18th January 2013 - 2:16 pm

We’re a generally an optimistic lot aren’t we, looking on the brighter side when the world and his wife thinks we should be walking around with our heads in our hands. I even wrote a piece about how genuinely cheerful we are for the New Statesman the other day…

But whisper it gently… and just between us… you don’t think we’re fooling ourselves do you?

I say this because we seem to be taking it as read that the mid term polls are generally where we are now. “It’s always this bad’ seems to be the general gist…

Problem is – it’s …

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Tagged opinion polls | 150 Comments

Three ways to make sure you’re talking sense on student numbers, tuition fees and all that

By Mark Pack | Fri 18th January 2013 - 9:52 am

Want to make sure your comments are grounded in solid evidence when talking about the impact of tuition fees on students numbers and the like in England? Prefer evidence that stands up to a little basic scrutiny over that which falls apart the moment you apply a critical rather than a closed partisan mind to it? Then there are three things to remember.

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Tagged martin lewis and tuition fees | 16 Comments

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