Category Archives: Op-eds

The weekend debate: Should the Government send a King James Bible to every school?

By Carl Quilliam | Sat 3rd December 2011 - 9:54 am

Here’s your starter for ten in our weekend slot where we throw up an idea or thought for debate…

Michael Gove is planning to send a King James Bible to every school in the UK to mark the 400th anniversary of its translation, with a short introduction written by himself.

The National Secular Society has criticised the decision and believe that there are already enough bibles in British schools.

So, is this a worthwhile celebration of an important part of British history or is it a waste of money that could …

Dan Rogerson MP writes… Welcoming help with water bills in the South West

By Dan Rogerson MP | Fri 2nd December 2011 - 2:56 pm

This week, as part of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, details of a Water Bills Rebate Fund were announced, with a £50 rebate to be provided on water bills for households in Cornwall and other South West Water areas from 2013-14. Along with fellow Liberal Democrats, I have long campaigned on getting a fair deal for bill payers in Cornwall after the botched privatisation under the Conservatives in the 1980s left us with the highest water bills in the country, and following 13 years of complacency about the issue under the last Labour government. As such, this rebate is fantastic news …

Tagged cornwall, dan rogerson and water | 1 Comment

Andrew Stunell MP writes… New Homes Bonus is rewarding communities that go for growth

By Andrew Stunell MP | Fri 2nd December 2011 - 11:53 am

Councils across England will receive a cash boost today with the provisional allocations of this year’s New Homes Bonus money being announced by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Now in its second year, the New Homes Bonus is proving to be a powerful incentive for local authorities to drive development and build the houses that we so desperately need.

Councils are rewarded for building new homes, and bringing empty homes back into use. Council tax on each home is matched by the Government for six years, with extra money for every affordable home.

The key things Liberal Democrats need …

Tagged communities and local government, housing and new homes bonus | 11 Comments

Pack & Tall Debate… What’s the Lib Dem economic narrative now?

By The Voice | Fri 2nd December 2011 - 8:15 am

In the week of the Chancellor’s autumn statement, LibDemVoice co-editors Mark Pack and Stephen Tall debate what it all means for the Lib Dems…

Stephen Tall: So we now all know the painful financial reality. With growth forecasts revised down by the Chancellor in his autumn statement, austerity is here to stay.

Both Lib Dems and Tories had hoped and expected that three years of painful cutbacks would be followed by a year or two of pre-election giveaways — the Lib Dems would press for a balanced mix of increased public spending …

Tagged alistair darling, Danny Alexander, economy, featured, Mark Pack and stephen tall | 30 Comments

Brightening up our high streets

By Mark Pack | Fri 2nd December 2011 - 7:47 am

Having high streets which look pleasant rather than grotty should be an aim for local politicians others active in their community. There is the economic reason – businesses tend to do better. There is the safety reason – as the broken windows theory argues and evidence backs up – dealing with grime and grot helps cut crime. There is also a third reason which politicians in particular are often a bit wary of saying, but quite simply having our communities look more pleasant is a desirable end in itself. You do not have to immerse yourself in aesthetic theories to appreciate …

Tagged featured | 5 Comments

Paul Burstow MP writes… Give carers a break, not a breakdown

By Paul Burstow | Thu 1st December 2011 - 4:52 pm

Whenever I meet a carer I am humbled by their dedication and touched by the love they show in the face of daily adversity. To be a carer you have to be a pretty special person. It is also likely that you feel your tireless efforts to care for a family member or friend generally go unnoticed.

But the Liberal Democrats want to make sure this silent army of carers is recognised. Every year unpaid carers save our national services an estimated £119 billion a year, which is why we included a manifesto pledge to provide guaranteed respite care for …

Tagged carers | 11 Comments

Jenny Willott MP writes… Protecting a lifeline – Lib Dem success in battle for DLA Mobility Component

By Jenny Willott | Thu 1st December 2011 - 3:21 pm

With all the headlines and discussion this week about the Autumn Statement and public sector strikes, people would have been forgiven for missing an announcement from the Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller MP, that proves once again the Lib Dem influence in Government, and fulfilling yet another Conference motion.

Maria Miller has today announced that the Government is dropping the proposals to remove the Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) from people in residential care homes.

The reversal answers the calls our Party made last Spring in Liverpool, where we passed a motion calling for the plan to be dropped. …

Tagged disability living allowance, duncan hames, maria miller, steve webb and welfare reform bill | 12 Comments

The Coalition’s Political Plan B, Mrs T, and TINA: what does this spell out for the Lib Dems?

By Stephen Tall | Thu 1st December 2011 - 2:15 pm

The political aftershock of George Osborne’s autumn statement is just beginning to sink in: the Coalition’s 5-year austerity programme, designed to end in 2015 by the time of the next general election, is now a 7-year programme straddling two parliaments.

This poses problems for the future of the Coalition, and for the Lib Dems in particular, encapsulated here by the FT’s Philip Stephens:

Here’s the paradox. The effect of sticking to economic plan A has been to shred the coalition government’s original political strategy. In the heady days after the 2010 election the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats signed up to

…

Tagged ed bals, george osborne, margaret thatcher, philip stephens and vince cable | 15 Comments

Opinion: European Liberal Democrat Parties vote against war with Iran

By Paul Reynolds | Wed 30th November 2011 - 10:54 am

At the 2011 Annual Congress of the European Liberal Democratic and Reform (ELDR) parties in Palermo last week, a major initiative from the UK Lib Dems was the successful tabling of an emergency resolution on the growing likelihood of war with Iran. Media and intelligence reports have described the ‘planned’ action as a multi-pronged attack on Iran by the United States and Israel, with military support from the United Kingdom and Canada. In Palermo, the UK Lib Dem resolution against the war, and against European involvement, was passed with a large majority. The ELDR resolution also condemned Iran for not …

Also posted in Europe / International | Tagged eldr, iran and mahmoud ahmadinejad | 4 Comments

Opinion: Green light for Light Rail

By Paul Rowen | Wed 30th November 2011 - 9:24 am

Six years ago amid a huge amount of controversy, the then Transport Secretary Alistair Darling announced the scraping of several “tram schemes” designed to serve Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Hampshire. In doing so he effectively scrapped plans outlined by the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott for a network of 30 Light Rail schemes to serve our major conurbations. The reason – escalating costs.

Light Rail was deemed too expensive in this country compared to costs on the continent.

Despite a subsequent report from the Transport Select Committee on what could be done to reduce costs little was done by the Department …

Tagged alistair darling, norman baker and trains | 5 Comments

The Independent View: Autumn Statement makes the best of a bad situation

By Ben Norman | Tue 29th November 2011 - 5:53 pm

How did George do then? The Chancellor needs to walk the line between providing stimulus on the one hand and protecting Britain from the bond markets on the other. It really isn’t easy to decide which side he should err on.

The bond markets are currently a ravenous pack of hyenas who have tasted blood in Greece, Italy and Portugal. Although they’re currently distracted by Belgium, Spain and now France even the slightest hint of weakness on Britain’s part will draw their perilous attention our way.

That said, protecting Britain from a bond market savaging must not be done at the expense …

Also posted in The Independent View | Tagged economy and george osborne | 30 Comments

Sarah Teather MP writes… More two-year olds to get free early education, thanks to Lib Dems in Government

By Sarah Teather | Tue 29th November 2011 - 4:53 pm

Sarah Teather and Nick Clegg with children at Church Street Nursery. Photo: Department for Education.

When the dust has settled from the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement I hope that one of the things that Liberal Democrats will remember will be the doubling of the offer of free early years education for two-year olds.

In last year’s Comprehensive Spending Review Nick Clegg announced that the 20% most disadvantaged families would be guaranteed 15 free hours …

Tagged education | 9 Comments

Opinion: How much smaller would Labour’s cuts have been?

By Nick T | Tue 29th November 2011 - 2:27 pm

“Too far, too fast” – until recently you could scarcely switch on a TV without hearing Ed Balls repeating his four-word analysis of the coalition’s fiscal policy. It seems to be a line that Balls and Miliband are no longer sticking to. If I were to give them more credit for economic analysis than they deserve I’d speculate that this might be because they realised it is utter nonsense. More likely, their polling showed them that the public just weren’t buying it.

And the public would be right not to believe it, because, on a key measure, the difference between the …

Also posted in News | Tagged deficit, ed balls, public spending and toby young | 43 Comments

Ed Davey: someone getting the messaging right

By Mark Pack | Tue 29th November 2011 - 10:54 am

Having previously criticised other Liberal Democrat speech makers for having speeches which have positive things to say about the past but only gloom about the future, it is only fair to point out that there is one I have heard who does painting a picture of a positive liberal future well – Ed Davey.

I’ve heard Ed speak a handful of times now, but it was his latest speech that was the most striking in this regard as it was at a South West London Lib Dem fundraiser for Munira Wilson, just after Tim Farron had spoken. Tim’s …

Tagged ed davey, munira wilson and tim farron | 11 Comments

Opinion: Nick Clegg and Scarman

By Lester Holloway | Mon 28th November 2011 - 2:27 pm

We have grown used to politicians approaching the issue of ‘race’ in the context of immigration, crime, or the aftermath of a tragedy.

So it was enormously refreshing to hear Nick Clegg offer up a well-informed speech on the quest for true race equality, without a negative backdrop.

Delivering a Scarman Lecture on the 30th anniversary of the ground-breaking report into the 1981 Brixton riots, Clegg gave arguably the best speech on race equality by a Cabinet minister.

It was Liberal Democracy at its best, bravely shattering the conspiracy of silence on one of the biggest issues of the day – the …

Tagged equalities, lord scarman, lynne featherstone and nick clegg | 9 Comments

Kirsty Williams writes… The Welsh Pupil Premium

By Kirsty Williams AM | Mon 28th November 2011 - 11:51 am

Last week I announced that the Welsh Liberal Democrats will be voting with the Welsh Labour government for the budget on the 6th December.

We have agreed to support the 2012-2013 budget on the basis that we will be introducing a Welsh Pupil Premium. This means that from April 2012, every child in Wales on free schools meals will recieve an extra £450 of funding – no matter where they live, or what school they go to. This is a total Pupil Premium spending of £32 million, of which £20 million is brand new money for the education budget.

Some …

Also posted in Wales | Tagged education, nick clegg and pupil premium | 2 Comments

A welcome shift in international interventions

By Mark Pack | Mon 28th November 2011 - 10:55 am

News of the Arab League’s sanctions against Syria brings to mind the Curate’s Egg – good in parts. That such sanctions are unprecedented shows a welcome increase once more in the Arab League’s willingness to stand up to dictators where mass violence against the population is involved. (Other dictators are another matter of course.) After the steps in Libya and now Syria, the Arab League is looking rather more like a body that does good rather than excuses evil.

That transformation only goes so far. For it has taken months and around 3,500 deaths to bring about sanctions which are …

Also posted in Europe / International | Tagged benjamin valentino, foreign aid, iraq and syria | 1 Comment

Ed Davey writes… Glass half full – or half empty?

By Ed Davey | Mon 28th November 2011 - 9:54 am

My announcement last week on pubs hasn’t won me or the Government three cheers from the likes of CAMRA or Fair Pint. Yet I believe it is a notable success for tenants and lessees across the country – and time will prove it so.

For the pubcos have till Christmas to make their Codes of Practice legally binding – so tenants and lessees can enforce their rights – and they know that if they don’t, Parliament would be very happy to make it legally binding for them.

Coupled with the other reforms we negotiated from the pubcos and brewers, real change has …

Tagged greg mulholland, martin horwood, pubcos and pubs | 36 Comments

Opinion: Party funding plans to be kicked into the long grass – but what’s the alternative?

By Dave Smithson | Sun 27th November 2011 - 9:54 am

Proposals from the Committee on Standards in Public Life for state funding of political parties were kicked into the long grass by all three major players before the report was even officially published.

Reaction from various interested sources and commentators has been almost unanimously opposed to the idea with some, notably the Taxpayers’ Alliance, outraged by the proposals.

The key thrust of most of the arguments against the plan is simply that the time is wrong to burden tax payers with state funding of politic parties at a time when so many budgets are being cut, jobs being lost and deficits being …

Tagged christopher kelly, committee on standards in public life and party funding | 16 Comments

Opinion: Tackling the elephant in the room – youth unemployment

By Harry Matthews | Sat 26th November 2011 - 12:55 pm

For the past year or so, there has been an elephant in the room – youth unemployment. It had largely been ignored by the Coalition Government, not because of desire, but because no money was left to alleviate the problem. However, after last week’s news that youth unemployment rose to 1 million, it was clear something needed to be done.

I’m glad that the Government will now be investing a whopping £1billion in training and incentives for young people to get employed.

In a recession, those who don’t have experience and/or training (who tend to be young people) are those …

Tagged youth contract | 10 Comments

Opinion: Egypt – time now for the power of votes in ballot boxes

By Rob Murphy | Sat 26th November 2011 - 11:54 am

Egyptians have risked, and continue to risk, so much for their future. Back in February, there was jubilation in Tahrir Square, at the ousting of President Mubarak after forty years of autocratic rule. There was hope for a more democratic future. Nine months on, they are back in Tahrir facing military and police brutality, asking why the ruling military council is denying the people that future.

These are the most sustained protests since Mubarak was ousted. Nearly 40 people have been killed. It is thought that many have been shot dead by the security forces. Many hundreds are injured. There are …

Also posted in Europe / International | Tagged egypt and william hague | 3 Comments

The weekend debate: Who would you send to Mars?

By Carl Quilliam | Sat 26th November 2011 - 9:25 am

NASA’s latest astronaut recruitment drive is talking about sending people to Mars. They are looking for people with advanced degrees in engineering, maths, biology or the physical sciences. You can’t be shorter than 5’2″ or taller than 6’3″. Pilots with more than 1,000 hours of flight time are desired; so are educators.

And of course you’ll need a sense of daring!

But let’s forget all that and think instead about the more whimsical idea of who we’d like to send a few million miles away.

The only rules are: stick to …

Tagged weekend debate | 13 Comments

Opinion: Why Liberal Youth is worth funding

By Tom Wood | Fri 25th November 2011 - 4:53 pm

On Saturday morning the English Council will debate their budget for the year ahead which, for the first time in at least ten years, will not include a rebate for Liberal Youth membership.

The English party is the Youth party’s single largest source of funding. Immediately cutting off this funding with such short notice will leave our organisations unable to meet its most basic operating costs and permanently cripple our youth party.

I know, like everyone else, these are tough times financially for our party; however Liberal Youth performs a vital role for young people and for the party

…

Also posted in Party policy and internal matters | Tagged english council, Jo Swinson, liberal youth, nick clegg and tim farron | 16 Comments

The Independent View: 10 ways to promote growth

By Tony Dolphin | Fri 25th November 2011 - 3:48 pm

Ahead of every recent budget and autumn statement, the right-of-centre think tanks have come out with a set of recommendations that support the broad thrust of government policy and argue for more of the same. True to form, earlier this week Reform made the case for sticking to Plan A on deficit reduction, abolishing the 50p tax rate and cutting workers’ employment rights.

But, with the economy having grown by just 0.5 per cent over the last year, and the Prime Minister hinting in a recent speech to the CBI that the government’s deficit reduction plan is being blown off course, …

Also posted in The Independent View | Tagged economy and george osborne | 5 Comments

Nick Clegg MP writes: We won’t let a generation fall behind

By Nick Clegg MP | Fri 25th November 2011 - 9:53 am

Having risen steadily since 2004, the number of unemployed young people hit the one million mark this month.

One million. One in five 16-24 year olds not in education, training or work, not because they are lazy or feckless, but because of factors well beyond their control.

It’s not good enough. Youth unemployment is an economic waste and a slow-burn social disaster.

We can’t afford to leave our young men and women on the scrap heap. We need the next generation to help us build a new economy.

When we chose to form this Coalition Government, Liberal Democrats knew that we would have to …

Tagged youth contract | 11 Comments

Missing: the people the Leveson Inquiry won’t be talking to

By Mark Pack | Fri 25th November 2011 - 7:45 am

“Follow the money”. It’s a cliché of investigative journalism for a very good reason. If you want to get to the heart of what is really going on, knowing who has paid what to whom frequently exposes the real action being hidden away behind warm words, evasive statements and muttered “no comments”.

It is also at the heart of many a public inquiry. Want to know why something happened? Who pays whom is again right at the centre of the story. Whether it is understanding drugs policy and the economics of the illegal market or looking at problems of rail safety, …

Tagged featured, journalism, lord leveson and Phone hacking | 4 Comments

Jenny Willott MP writes: Harrington – better assessments, better outcomes

By Jenny Willott | Thu 24th November 2011 - 3:24 pm

At our Conference in September, the Liberal Democrats unanimously supported a motion calling for changes to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) which accompanies it.

Speaker after speaker stood up to condemn the system left by Labour which subjected sick and disabled people to an ineffective, demeaning assessment process that was not fit for purpose. Many will remember the powerful speech by Shana Pezaro who condemned the WCA process as ‘utterly failing many people’.

The motion welcomed the first annual review of the WCA by Professor Malcolm Harrington, and the progress the Coalition Government has already …

Tagged ATOS, benefits, employment support allowance, malcolm harrington, shana pezaro and work capability assessment | 13 Comments

Opinion: What right do politicians have to decide rules on their own jobs?

By Phil Ling | Thu 24th November 2011 - 2:25 pm

The party funding report by the Committee for Standards in Public Life was barely off the printers and politicians from all parties were saying they were broadly supportive, but more importantly could not back the main suggestion that state funding of political parties be increased.

Party funding will always be tough to square given the reliance of Labour on union money and the Conservatives (and increasingly the Liberal Democrats) on major donors. State funding is inevitable to reduce sleaze, real or inferred, and trust in politics. It only costs the equivalent of a couple of first class stamps a year, …

Tagged christopher kelly, committee on standards in public life, nick clegg, party funding and tim farron | 2 Comments

The party’s back to front: why our political messaging is wrong

By Mark Pack | Thu 24th November 2011 - 10:55 am

Hearing both Danny Alexander and Nick Clegg speak several times at local Liberal Democrat events over the summer, something not quite right about their speeches was nagging away at the back of my mind.

It was not the delivery, for both have speaking styles which are excellently suited to the semi-formal audience of between 20 and 100 which is common at such events.

Nor was it about the consistency of message: without either lapsing into robotic repetition of the sort that served Ed Miliband so badly in his notorious public sector strikes interview, both in their different ways were echoing the …

Tagged community politics, Danny Alexander, featured and nick clegg | 27 Comments

Opinion: Lib Dems should welcome and put into practice most of the High Pay Commission’s recommendations

By Prateek Buch | Wed 23rd November 2011 - 2:27 pm

Some bald statistics before the ranting begins: In 1979 the top 0.1% of earners took home 1.3% of the national income; by 2007 this had grown to 6.5%. In 1979 the top 1% took home 5.93% of the national income; by 2007 this had grown to 14.5%. In 1979 the top 10% took home 28.4% of the national income; by 2007 this had grown to 40%. In 2010 alone, executive pay in FTSE 100 companies went up by an average of 49%, against a 2.7% rise amongst employees in these firms. Top bosses now take home nearly 7% of total …

Tagged boardroom pay, fair pay, high pay commission and will hutton | 9 Comments

Op-eds

Somerset’s farmers are on the front line of climate change (Sarah Dyke)
Mathew on Monday: Local Government Reorganisation review welcome (Mathew Hulbert)
Reform is winning because liberal Britain is not listening to its own society (Michal Simon)
Tom Arms’ World Review (Tom Arms)
Why Holborn and St Pancras deserves our all (Rosemary Runswick)

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Category Archives: Op-eds

The weekend debate: Should the Government send a King James Bible to every school?

Dan Rogerson MP writes… Welcoming help with water bills in the South West

Andrew Stunell MP writes… New Homes Bonus is rewarding communities that go for growth

Pack & Tall Debate… What’s the Lib Dem economic narrative now?

Brightening up our high streets

Paul Burstow MP writes… Give carers a break, not a breakdown

Jenny Willott MP writes… Protecting a lifeline – Lib Dem success in battle for DLA Mobility Component

The Coalition’s Political Plan B, Mrs T, and TINA: what does this spell out for the Lib Dems?

Opinion: European Liberal Democrat Parties vote against war with Iran

Opinion: Green light for Light Rail

The Independent View: Autumn Statement makes the best of a bad situation

Sarah Teather MP writes… More two-year olds to get free early education, thanks to Lib Dems in Government

Opinion: How much smaller would Labour’s cuts have been?

Ed Davey: someone getting the messaging right

Opinion: Nick Clegg and Scarman

Kirsty Williams writes… The Welsh Pupil Premium

A welcome shift in international interventions

Ed Davey writes… Glass half full – or half empty?

Opinion: Party funding plans to be kicked into the long grass – but what’s the alternative?

Opinion: Tackling the elephant in the room – youth unemployment

Opinion: Egypt – time now for the power of votes in ballot boxes

The weekend debate: Who would you send to Mars?

Opinion: Why Liberal Youth is worth funding

The Independent View: 10 ways to promote growth

Nick Clegg MP writes: We won’t let a generation fall behind

Missing: the people the Leveson Inquiry won’t be talking to

Jenny Willott MP writes: Harrington – better assessments, better outcomes

Opinion: What right do politicians have to decide rules on their own jobs?

The party’s back to front: why our political messaging is wrong

Opinion: Lib Dems should welcome and put into practice most of the High Pay Commission’s recommendations

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Going for four in a row in Scotland

Observations of an Expat: Canada

Happy Birthday to us!

Roz Savage MP writes: Liberalism is having a Moment. But does it have…

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