Category Archives: Op-eds

Jonathan Featonby

Opinion: Time for Lib Dems to change the debate on welfare

By Jonathan Featonby | Mon 17th December 2012 - 2:53 pm

autumn statementOn Friday evening, a page entitled “We’re interested in your views about the fairness of our benefit reforms” popped up on the Conservative party website. It invited people to comment on the decision announced in the Autumn Statement that the Coalition want to limit increases in most welfare benefits by 1% for the next three years.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 11 Comments
Tim Purkiss

Opinion: Mental health provision in the NHS – follow-up

By Tim Purkiss | Mon 17th December 2012 - 1:23 pm

Phrenology head - mental health - Some rights reserved by evansvilleI intended the previous mental health article on this website to be my last but, having been amazed by the people sharing personal and moving experiences in the comments section, I felt compelled to add something more.

First, I wish to acknowledge that, while I have often felt that my world is crashing down around me during the last few months, my own problems pale into insignificance compared to those which have been shared on this website. It takes a remarkable amount of bravery to share these in a public forum – bravery which I doubt I would be capable of.

Continue reading »
Tagged | 2 Comments
Andy Yau

Opinion: A fresh look at China’s road to democracy – the way ahead

By Andy Yau | Mon 17th December 2012 - 12:24 pm

Great Wall of China - Some rights reserved by radiowood2000
Is China now on the road to democracy? My answer is “yes”.

I began to observe China’s democratic progress on 5 April 1989. Now, 23 years has past. China is still at the starting point. We know in modern democracy, people can decide their own lifestyle and enjoy their own freedom. How about democracy and people’s freedom in China today?

Continue reading »
Tagged | 7 Comments
Libby Local

Libby Local, Episode 7: “New Year’s Resolutions”

By Libby Local | Sun 16th December 2012 - 2:15 pm

"Demsbury" - Bekonscot Model Village and Railway - London - Some rights reserved by bortescristianIt’s true to say that I had not realised that being a Lib Dem and standing for Libbyshire Council was set to consume my life.

It is already mid-December and there is still so much work for my clients not yet done. But, heck, we are busy delivering a Focus across Demsbury. It does not help that one of my deliverers is too ill to continue. Another couple have inconveniently flown off to Goa for the winter. Others simply don’t have time. Inevitably, I’m delivering most of the leaflets

Continue reading »
Tagged | 7 Comments
Mark Pack

Ad Lib: If you’re reading this, it’s not for you

By Mark Pack | Sat 15th December 2012 - 1:50 pm

The first edition of the new Liberal Democrat party magazine, Ad Lib, went out to all party members earlier this month. Future copies will only go to paying subscribers, so what to make of the first edition’s efforts to make people part with their cash for future editions?

Judging its contents I think requires bearing three main factors in mind: it’s a monthly publication, it’s one that is printed on paper and it’s probably not aimed at you.

Both the first two attributes are rather …

Continue reading »
Also posted in Party policy and internal matters | Tagged , , , , and | 34 Comments
Chris Richards

Opinion: Are we valuing the right kind of growth?

By Chris Richards | Fri 14th December 2012 - 2:18 pm

Our economic system is built around the indicator of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It measures how much we have produced as a country over a period of time. It does this by adding together the market value of what we have produced. As a result, an increase in the market value of what we have produced signifies that our economy is growing. But should it?

In the grand scheme of human history, GDP is relatively new. It was created to allow the US to better understand how to develop

Continue reading »
Tagged | 15 Comments
Tim Purkiss

Opinion: Israel/Palestine – the current state of the ‘peace process’

By Tim Purkiss | Fri 14th December 2012 - 11:22 am

At 1900 GMT on Wednesday 21st November a ceasefire came into place between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip which, it was hoped, would signal at least a temporary halt to the bloodshed. Sadly, this ceasefire looks little more likely to last than previous ones have done and it would seem to be a good moment to reflect on the latest tragic and depressing episode in the Middle East and the ‘peace process.’

Continue reading »
Also posted in Europe / International | Tagged , and | 36 Comments

Opinion: Make no apologies for religion on equal marriage

By O Hudson | Thu 13th December 2012 - 2:18 pm

If there’s one thing that really irks me about the Tory leadership’s rightful defence of equal marriage, it is this constant, almost apologetic necessity to seek to justify the position by reminding everyone that ‘religious freedoms’ will in no way be encroached upon by this piece of legislation. In his albeit heartfelt endorsement of allowing gay people to enter into “a great institution”, David Cameron was at pains to remind us that any religious groups who oppose the reform will not be forced to hold same-sex marriages.

In a country where the church-going population barely exceeds 10%, it is a …

Continue reading »
Tagged | 50 Comments
James Baker

Opinion: The case for increased surveillance hasn’t been made

By James Baker | Thu 13th December 2012 - 12:43 pm

At the heart of the draft Communications Bill is a drive to make it easier for a range of officials to access information about people’s communications.  The Home Office maintains that officals need this push-button surveillance in order to help fight emotive crimes such as terrorism and paedophiles.

Despite widespread criticisms of the bill put forward by the Home Office to achieve those ends, most politicians appear to be uncritically accepting their underlying premise – that officials need to be granted more powers to snoop on citizens. Just take for instace Clegg’s statement on the bill:
“They were very clear that …

Continue reading »
Tagged | 3 Comments
Declan Wilson

Opinion: Alliance holds firm against intimidation

By Declan Wilson | Thu 13th December 2012 - 11:36 am

We are now just over a week on from the infamous flag vote at Belfast City Council and whilst it is now clear that the Alliance Party will emerge from this with its credibility and reputation greatly enhanced it has come at an enormous cost to its elected members, officers and activists who have been put under intolerable pressure. Now we know what mob rule looks like. If Northern Ireland was a normal society rival politicians would have by now put differences aside and be standing shoulder to shoulder with Alliance in a united front on the side of democracy …

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 56 Comments
Geoff Crocker

Opinion: Why Wealth Can’t be Taxed (except very occasionally)

By Geoff Crocker | Thu 13th December 2012 - 9:24 am

Wealth tax is becoming, or has become?, a core Lib Dem policy. Nick Clegg shakes his head alongside his Cabinet colleague the Chancellor of the Exchequer announcing that the coalition government will not introduce a mansion tax. Vince Cable is back on the World at One the next day defending it.

There has been much discussion as to whether wealth and mansion taxes are fair. But fairness is a very subjective concept. Some think that wealth taxes appropriately ask the rich to shoulder relatively more of the financial burden imposed if we needlessly insist on the financial orthodoxy that the …

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 133 Comments
Jade O'Neil

Opinion: My taxpayer funded Euro jaunt was well worth it

By Jade O'Neil | Wed 12th December 2012 - 3:04 pm

I seldom hear much enthusiasm about European politics. It seems particularly difficult to get people excited about the EU and during the Euro list selection campaign, I found that even politically active people were largely uninterested in European issues. It is hardly surprising, then, that the UK turnout in 2009 was less than 35%.

One attempt to tackle this problem comes from the EU in the form of subsidies offered to MEPs who bring visitors from their constituencies to see the European Parliament. I was lucky enough

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 5 Comments
Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett

Opinion: Equal marriage legislation proves that Liberal Democrats have equality in their DNA

By Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett | Wed 12th December 2012 - 2:06 pm

Equality has always been at the core of our party’s values, and is one of the main reasons why I joined the party in 2006. However, until 2010, Liberal Democrats had not been able to prove to the wider public that we had always been ahead of the curve on sexual equality simply because we hadn’t been in Government for 80 years. In opposition, though, we were adopting policies on these issues way before previous governments had done anything. In many cases governments had only acted because of the threat of

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 3 Comments
Norman Lamb MP

Norman Lamb MP writes…Preventing another Winterbourne View

By Norman Lamb MP | Wed 12th December 2012 - 11:51 am

The first time I wrote on these pages as a health minister was when eleven former members of staff at Winterbourne View private hospital were sentenced. The judicial process ran its course and the Government process, too, has now reached a conclusion. On Monday I published our response to the shocking abuse that took place at Winterbourne View and the systemic weaknesses that allowed it to happen. Most importantly, I have set out what we are doing in Government to prevent it happening again.

Holding directors to account

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 1 Comment

Opinion: The escalator that’s pricing beer into insensibility

By Andy Boddington | Wed 12th December 2012 - 10:59 am

Today, upward of a thousand enthusiasts are descending on Westminster to demand protection for one of the nation’s great heritage assets. Beer.

The Labour government of old was unduly fond of price and tax escalators, which generally take the form of retail price index plus a bit more. I have always regarded this as a rather odd fiscal mechanism because it simply creates a circularity that feeds itself. Costs go up, the RPI duly rises, and costs go up again as a result.

It beats me why the coalition has decided to maintain this blunt policy. Fiscal escalators

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 10 Comments
Tim Purkiss

Opinion: Mental health provision in the NHS – share your experiences

By Tim Purkiss | Wed 12th December 2012 - 10:01 am

After having written previous articles about delegate Sarah Yong’s motion on under provision in mental health, my own experiences with mental health, and the recent statements by Ed Miliband regarding Labour’s policy on mental health,  I want to add a final footnote to the series.

It is clear from comments on this website that Liberal

Continue reading »
Tagged , , and | 12 Comments
Stephen Tall

Maria Miller, the Telegraph and Leveson: how statutory regulation begins & how the press is bringing it on itself

By Stephen Tall | Wed 12th December 2012 - 9:40 am

Now I’m more than a little sceptical about Leveson: I think he’s firing the wrong bullet (regulation backed by statute) at a target that’s moving out of range (the ‘dead tree press’). However, I’m also deeply sceptical about the press’s ability to report facts straight.

Which leaves me a bit conflicted at this morning’s report: The minister and a warning to the Telegraph before expenses story.

On the one hand, you have a clear signal of the danger of letting politicians anywhere near

Continue reading »
Tagged , , , and | 7 Comments
Tracy Connell

Opinion: Time to quash Osborne’s employee-owner status

By Tracy Connell | Wed 12th December 2012 - 8:55 am

I would like to make a plea to MPs of all parties not to support the new employee-owner status and to table an amendment to remove it from the Growth and Infrastructure Bill. Buried in section 25 of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill (as amended in Public Bill Committee), it seeks to provide a new employment status involving company shares in exchange for worker rights. It is due at report stage and third reading in the

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 10 Comments
Ian Swales

Ian Swales MP writes… Making the industrial strategy work on Teesside

By Ian Swales | Tue 11th December 2012 - 4:33 pm

The chemical industry is vital to the UK.  It is already the biggest export business in the UK at £43 bn. However imports have risen after various shut downs, and the amount we are importing is, in my view, unnecessarily high.  There are major opportunities for new investment to bring production of key materials back into the UK and bring jobs, growth and expertise with it.

My constituency of Redcar is part of an area which has traditionally been a hub of the UK chemical industry. Chemicals are key

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 6 Comments
Adam Corlett

Opinion: Does the Prime Minister really care about free speech?

By Adam Corlett | Tue 11th December 2012 - 3:40 pm

The Prime Minister is concerned that Leveson’s “essential” legislative underpinning for press self-regulation would cross a line. “We should be wary of any legislation that has the potential to infringe free speech and a free press”, he stated, saying that we should be proud of our “great tradition” of freedom of speech. But the UK has many laws that restrict citizens’ free expression and which we should be deeply ashamed of. Will the PM be campaigning to end these?

There’s ‘Section 5’, under which – for example – a 16 year old was summoned to court for holding a placard saying, “Scientology is not a religion. It is a dangerous cult.” Thankfully, after pressure from MPs and the Reform Section 5 campaign, the Home Office consulted on the law and – separately – the Lords will tomorrow vote on amending it. Reformists (including the Deputy Prime Minister) can presumably count on the PM’s support!

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 5 Comments
Kirsten de Keyser

Opinion: Avoid the Tax Avoiders!

By Kirsten de Keyser | Tue 11th December 2012 - 2:39 pm

On 15th October last, Liberal Democrat Voice published my splutteringly crimson outburst about multinational corporation tax avoiders Opinion: Calling All Bloggers – Don’t make me a tax avoidance accomplice.

Back then, I pleaded that an ongoing media debate would hopefully, at last, provide the oxygen needed to bring about some serious action in respect of corporate tax collecting: “…the media at least seems to be smelling blood. I hope they see this through to some sort of conclusion.”

And didn’t they do well?

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 43 Comments
Samuel Barratt

Opinion: Making the EBacc work

By Samuel Barratt | Tue 11th December 2012 - 11:45 am

Michael Gove seems intent on bringing forward a replacement for the GCSE, going so far as to make its introduction a matter of confidence in the face of criticism.  All parties can agree, however, it is important to set out what these reforms should look like and make sure they deliver a qualification that is fit for purpose.

There are at least two key areas that I think Liberal Democrats should seek to influence.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 17 Comments
Fiona Hall MEP

Fiona Hall MEP writes … Paying the world’s poorest people for their precious resources

By Fiona Hall MEP | Tue 11th December 2012 - 10:27 am

The battle to ensure that companies publish what they pay for developing countries’ natural resources has finally reached the home straight.

The EU Accounting and Transparency Directives are in the ‘trialogue’ stage, a negotiation between the EU Parliament, Commission and Council to decide upon the final form that the legislation will take.  Liberal Democrats have been involved in this process from the beginning  – I wrote the report for the European
Parliament’s Development Committee  and am now joined by Jo Swinson, as she continues to maintain the UK Government’s strong leadership stance in ensuring that the final legislation includes the necessary measures to combat corruption.

Continue reading »
Tagged | 1 Comment
David Thorpe

Opinion: Radical action need to remedy the economy’s woes

By David Thorpe | Tue 11th December 2012 - 9:32 am

While the Chancellor’s direction of travel in relation to tackling Britain’s economic challenges is improving, his current approach will leave Britain feeling like Sisyphus, labouring hard to push a rock up a hill but never quite feeling secure that it won’t come crashing back down, destroying the hard work already undertaken.

But just as Sisyphus continued to focus on the mechanics of getting the rock up the hill, rather than indulge in any broader experiment to escape his predicament, Osborne toils at the seams of Britain’s economic malaise.

The Chancellor happily wallows in the Bank of England’s myth that giant infusions of credit from Quantitative Easing and the ‘Funding for Lending’ schemes, are any sort of remedy to Britain’s economic woes.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 16 Comments
Mike Biden

Opinion: Leveson – Do we need a new Court of Appeal?

By Mike Biden | Mon 10th December 2012 - 6:23 pm

It looks like we are going to get a new Code of Practice and a system of voluntary self-regulation by the press. But is that all we need? Shami Chakrabati wrote an instructive objection to the concept of “legal underpinning” and has subsequently said she “would rather leave the question of whether the tests are met to the courts and not to involve a quango . . .” (such as Ofcom). As one of the six advisors to the commission and an expert in Human Rights Law, she is in a good position to comment. What is

Continue reading »
Tagged | 2 Comments
Mark Pack

Equal marriage: it’s a matter of religious freedom

By Mark Pack | Mon 10th December 2012 - 5:59 pm

There’s been a lot in the media today from opponents of equal marriage about how the state mustn’t go about redefining marriage.

What they keep on skating over is that equal marriage isn’t something cooked up by atheists and agnostics. It’s also – as Lynne Featherstone has pointed out – supported officially by Quakers, Liberal Jews and some Unitarian Churches, not to mention many people of other faiths that officially take a different view.

Insisting that the state continues …

Continue reading »
Tagged , and | 58 Comments
Chris White

Opinion: Bringing modernity to local government

By Chris White | Mon 10th December 2012 - 5:23 pm

‘What is the matter with these people?’ is probably the reaction of many in Great Britain when observing the escalating violence in Northern Ireland in relation to – well – just a flag.

Although it is true that it is currently unlikely that there would be mass demonstrations on English streets over what flag was flown over the town hall and when, it is remarkable how few councillors really pause to think about the symbols used in their own councils and the potential effects on the people they aim to represent.

I did a quick audit of the two councils which put …

Continue reading »
Tagged | 4 Comments
Karen Wilkinson

Opinion: Formulaic differentation of the Lib Dems?

By Karen Wilkinson | Mon 10th December 2012 - 4:34 pm

In the never ending quest to differentiate the LibDems , I’ve developed the following formula for use in the pub on a Friday night, whilst chatting over the veg in the local shop, or wherever else the question arises (my previous longer-winded attempt on a beach is here):

Labour = social conscience plus authoritarianism

Continue reading »
Tagged | 22 Comments
Julian Huppert

Julian Huppert MP writes… Drugs: We will be judged by what we achieve

By Julian Huppert | Mon 10th December 2012 - 1:53 pm

Last year, the Lib Dems passed a near-unanimous Conference motion calling for a complete review of the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. It included a call to “consider reform of the law, based on the Portuguese model”.

Today, the cross-Party Home Affairs Select Committee, of which I am a Member, has endorsed that position, and told the Government that they must focus on reducing the damage caused by drugs, rather than hard-line posturing.

Continue reading »
Tagged | 6 Comments
Prateek Buch

Opinion: The trouble with George – you can’t argue on economics with such a political Chancellor

By Prateek Buch | Mon 10th December 2012 - 12:53 pm

Now that the flurry of graphs, snapshot analyses, spin-heavy briefings and counter-briefings is dying down, how to judge George Osborne’s Autumn Statement in the cold winter light?

For me it is a microcosm of Osborne’s time in No. 11 – a smattering of politically calculated and superficially populist measures, masking a dangerously thin grasp of what an economically successful Chancellorship looks like. Moreover, his claim that his mini-budget is fair because it is fiscally neutral doesn’t hold much water.

Continue reading »
Tagged | 14 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Chloe
    I'm confident most voters in Clacton do not have Ukraine on their mind or Gaza for that matter. If you're going to have a long political slogan make it an accur...
  • Peter Martin
    @David, I'm not aware of the helicopter purchase but Lewis Hamilton obtained a £3.3 million VAT refund on his £16.5 million Bombardier private jet in 2013...
  • Roland
    @Simon - “ Income taxes are lower on the Isle of Man because the cost of living on a small island is significantly higher than living in the UK” I...
  • David Raw
    Interesting that several prominent British high-net-worth individuals and billionaires have, over the years, relocated to the Isle of Man to take advantage of i...
  • Paul WalterPaul Walter
    Peter, I think this debate has run out of steam. I would just say the word “climate” to you, in relation to the Isles of Scilly, having been there many t...