Category Archives: Scotland

Why hasn’t David Cameron sacked Bill Aitken?

By Mark Pack | Fri 18th February 2011 - 5:55 pm

At the start of the week Caron Lindsay blogged about the case of Conservative MSP Bill Aitken:

The Tories are usually very supportive of victims of crime … Unfortunately, their sympathy for victims doesn’t seem to extend to the crime of rape. Shadow Tory minister for Community Safety in the Scottish Parliament Bill Aitken has apparently asked the Sunday Herald whether a victim of an horrendous rape in Glasgow earlier this week was a prostitute. This woman was dragged down a lane by 3 men and raped. This was the latest in a series of similar assaults in Glasgow.

As the …

Also posted in News | Tagged bill aitken and caron lindsay | 9 Comments

Scotland gets a better budget thanks to the Liberal Democrats

By Andrew Reeves | Thu 10th February 2011 - 8:55 am

I’m so proud to be a Liberal Democrat today

As both a member of staff with over ten years service and a party member even longer, the last eight months or so have often been difficult with the media developing an acid tongue against us many times.

But yesterday in Scotland we had some exciting news.

Yesterday was the day when the Scottish Parliament approved the budget.

It is a better budget because of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, after securing concessions to the budget on college bursaries and places, modern apprenticeships and support for Post Offices across Scotland.

This is a better budget. It’s …

Also posted in News | Tagged liam burns and tavish scott | 2 Comments

Labour and the SNP’s judgement in Megrahi case completely wrong – Campbell

By Mark Pack | Mon 7th February 2011 - 8:25 pm

Lib Dem MP and member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Ming Campbell has been commenting on the revelations about the Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi case:

The Labour government completely failed to take into account the horrific nature of the crime, the consequences and the sentence imposed when it took the view that it could assist the release of Mr Megrahi.

Equally in Scotland, the Justice Secretary failed to take account of these three significant factors when reaching a conclusion about the exercise of compassion.

If both had paid proper attention, the Labour government would not have been so embroiled and the Scottish

…

Also posted in News | Tagged abdelbaset ali al-megrahi and Ming Campbell | 9 Comments

Government presses ahead with devolving more powers to Scotland

By Mark Pack | Fri 28th January 2011 - 10:55 am

The coalition agreement’s commitment to devolve more powers from Westminster to Scotland was one aspect that helped it win strong support from Scottish Liberal Democrats as further devolution has been a long-running Lib Dem demand. Now the Scotland Bill is moving through Parliament to turn those commitments into action.

The BBC reports:

Scottish Secretary Michael Moore said the Scotland Bill, giving Holyrood increased responsibility for borrowing, would bring a new phase in devolution.

Mr Moore said the legislation contained the right balance of powers and would give Holyrood greater accountability…

The most eye-catching proposals in the Scotland Bill are plans to give Holyrood

…

Also posted in News | Tagged devolution, Michael Moore and scotland bill | 5 Comments

Calls to end alphabetic ordering of candidates on Scottish local election ballot papers

By Mark Pack | Fri 31st December 2010 - 11:24 am

It’s a well established pattern that candidates with names higher up the alphabet do slightly better in multi-member ward elections in the UK than those with names further down the alphabet. Other factors (including the perceived ethnicity and gender of a name, along with other information such as the party label) usually have a larger effect, but there is something of an alphabetic effect all the same.

New research has shown this to be the case in the first STV local council elections held in Scotland, leading to calls for change.

The Scotsman reports:

Across Scotland there were 247 cases where candidates

…

Also posted in Election law, Local government and News | 3 Comments

Michael Moore writes… Strengthening Scotland’s future

By Michael Moore | Wed 1st December 2010 - 1:58 pm

Yesterday the Government published its Scotland Bill. When this becomes law, a second and exciting phase in Scottish devolution will begin. We are strengthening Scotland’s future based on three principles: empowerment, accountability and stability.

This Bill starts its parliamentary process with the support of the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Each of our parties – plus business and civil society – contributed to the Calman Commission, which drew up the blueprint for it. It is right that change of this sort should be built on a broad consensus. But now it is this government that …

Also posted in Op-eds | 6 Comments

Tavish Scott writes… The SNP budget is too severe on services but too soft on waste

By Tavish Scott MSP | Fri 26th November 2010 - 10:54 am

The Scottish Government has published its budget. But it’s for one year not three! No SNP Minister can explain why it was right for nationalists in Wales to produce figures for three years but not for the SNP Government in Scotland.

SNP Ministers say they can’t give a four-year budget because they have just set up a public service reform group. That’s code for “we don’t know what to do but whatever we do will be after next May’s Election. Yet the SNP have known the broad numbers for months.

After all, Alex Salmond wrote to Vince Cable on 12th February to say, …

Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged alex salmond and jeremy purvis | 2 Comments

Changes coming to Scottish Parliament election rules

By Mark Pack | Wed 27th October 2010 - 7:15 pm

The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2010 has been tabled in Parliament this week bringing about changes in the law for the Scottish Parliament elections. As it is a Statutory Instrument (SI) it cannot be amended – either it gets Parliamentary approval or it is rejected outright. It is extremely rare for an SI to be rejected and there are no signs that this one will be in that class.

The main changes people can therefore expect for the next Scottish Parliament elections are:

Also posted in Election law | Tagged scottish parliament | 3 Comments

Opinion: How we transformed council housing in Perth and Kinross

By Peter Barrett | Thu 14th October 2010 - 10:10 pm

Cllr Peter Barrett is Perth and Kinross Council’s Housing and Health Convenor. He was once described in the local newspaper as the “Saviour of Tay Street” after defeating a previous administration’s car parking plans. Here he describes how he has transformed the housing service for the better. I’ve always thought that housing is one of the most important issues to sort. In fact, I’d say that there’s little point in the Pupil Premium if the kids it’s there to support don’t have warm, dry, comfortable homes to live in and enough food to eat. It’s hard to learn if you’re …

Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged guest editor, housing and perth and kinross council | 1 Comment

Helping children with allergies and Nigeria with Climate Change – all in a year’s work! Interview with Jo Swinson MP, part 3

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 14th October 2010 - 9:35 pm

Welcome to the third and final part of my interview with Jo Swinson MP. I hope you don’t mind the fact that it’s so long. I just sometimes think that blog interviews are quite short and sometimes it’s nice to have a more in depth chat. I’ve written it pretty much exactly as she said it so it’s real conversation. Think of this as the Hello multi page spread without the photographs. The plain text is my bit and the italics are her’s.

Not that I’m stalking Jo or anything, but I do have a They Work for You alert for …

Also posted in News | Tagged guest editor and Jo Swinson | Leave a comment

Sport, body confidence and gender stereotyping – Interview with Jo Swinson MP, part 2

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 14th October 2010 - 9:14 pm

As mum of an 11 year old daughter, I’m really worried about the pressures on her to look a certain way, so Jo’s and Lynne Featherstone’s Campaign for Body Confidence is very close to my heart. I asked Jo – what’s happening with it?

Jo: It’s really exciting about this. Lynne and I had always planned to continue it after the election but we hadn’t reckoned on her being Minister for Equalities which is a great boost. We’ve had a steering group meeting and we’ve got Mumsnet, BEAT, the eating disorders charity, Girl Guiding UK, the YMCA who do all sorts …

Also posted in News | Tagged guest editor, Jo Swinson and lynne featherstone | Leave a comment

Door knocking, Deputy Leader and Honourable Friends – Interview with Jo Swinson MP

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 14th October 2010 - 8:18 pm

This afternoon, I had a chat with Jo Swinson, MP for East Dunbartonshire, new Deputy Leader of the Scottish Party. Now that I’m going all high tech, I actually recorded it. Or, at least, my 11 year old daughter set up the voice recorder on the laptop and showed me how to work it. This is a great way to interview someone because you can have a proper chat and don’t have to worry about taking notes. I’d asked Jo for a five minute chat and we actually talked for 21 minutes, covering everything from the vibe on the doorsteps …

Also posted in News | Tagged guest editor and Jo Swinson | Leave a comment

George Lyon: Our high hopes for the Scottish Parliament elections

By George Lyon MEP | Thu 14th October 2010 - 5:55 pm

George Lyon MEP is Chair of the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ Election Group. He was elected in 2009 and details of his campaigns on subjects such as fair deal for rural drivers, disabilities, food labelling and can be found on his website www.georgelyon.org.uk. Here he writes about the Party’s prospects and priorities in next year’s election.

What a year it has been for Liberal Democrats.

This time last year, I don’t think anyone in their heart of hearts believed that Liberals would form part of the government for the first time since 1945.

But this time last year we did have the right …

Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged guest editor | 3 Comments

Opinion: We should be ambitious in our campaigning

By Katy Gordon | Thu 14th October 2010 - 4:55 pm

Katy Gordon fought Glasgow North in the General Election in May and is now the top candidate on the Glasgow Regional list for the Holyrood elections in May. In this inspiring article, she shows how her team’s “yes we can” attitude paid dividends, increasing membership by 150%.

When I started campaigning in June 2007 as PPC for the target seat of Glasgow North, I had very little idea of how to go about it. All I knew was I was fed up with Labour taking the people of Glasgow for granted, that the Lib Dems had real potential to grow in …

Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged guest editor, hugh waterfield, jamie mchale and vince cable | 16 Comments

Opinion: The day the Northern Irish came to Scottish Conference

By Stephen Glenn | Thu 14th October 2010 - 4:25 pm

For many years now I have attended Scottish Liberal Democrat conference as a Northern Irish person. I’m not alone as there are many familiar accents scattered across the Scottish parties of other Northern Irish born members.

However, last weekend was the first time I attended as a Northern Irish local party member, but again I was not alone. I’d travelled over with the local party chair Michael Carchrie Campbell and one of our youth members Stephen McFarland had travelled down with the rest of the Aberdeen University crew.

It was a good conference for us all to get to, even though Michael …

Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged guest editor, michael carchrie campbell and stephen mcfarland | Leave a comment

A snapshot of a first class debate – a Scottish persepective on higher education

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 14th October 2010 - 3:24 pm

This week has seen Vince Cable and Nick Clegg adopt a position on tuition fees which is at odds with long held and much loved Party Policy. It remains to be seen how many of our MPs will go along with any recommendations to increase tuition fees. Already, MPs like Greg Mulholland, Julian Huppert, Tim Farron, Ming Campbell and Charles Kennedy have already stated that they will honour the pledge they signed during the Election campaign to oppose any increase.

In Scotland last weekend the positions were almost reversed, with the Holyrood Front Bench anxious to support our policy of free …

Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged guest editor, higher education, tuition fees and universities | 7 Comments

The speaker who stole the show at Scottish conference

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 14th October 2010 - 2:25 pm

The first time I walked into the hall at Scottish Conference on Saturday, I saw an unfamiliar face making a passionate, articulate heartfelt speech about how your brains and not your background should be reason you get on in education.

An astonished looking friend whispered to me “she’s only 13.” Actually, she’s 14, but she got the first standing ovation of the day and a name check in Tavish Scott’s leader’s speech later.

Tagged alex white and guest editor | 2 Comments

Opinion: Delivering a bright new future for Edinburgh

By Jenny Dawe | Thu 14th October 2010 - 12:55 pm

“I’m afraid to tell you there’s no money left”, wrote the outgoing Labour Chief Secretary to the Treasury in May this year.

Reel back three years to the May 2007 Scottish local elections. The Liberal Democrats had become the largest party in the City of Edinburgh Council after 23 years of Labour control. A new Lib Dem led coalition with the SNP was beginning to look eagerly at how to change the city. We didn’t get a note. Instead, we got a stark warning from the Director of Finance that reserves were perilously low and the Council was heading for a …

Also posted in Local government and Op-eds | Tagged edinburgh and guest editor | 8 Comments

Opinion: We are a party founded on the principle of free education

By Callum Leslie | Thu 14th October 2010 - 10:55 am

Liberal Youth Scotland has made a huge impact in the last few years. They have fought for equalities, demonstrated against the homophobic Westboro Baptist Church when they threatened to come to Edinburgh, produced many excellent motions to our Conference where their Quiz/Debate evenings have become the place to be. Their VP-Communications tells us what LYS has been up to and how it feels about the Browne Report.

Liberal Youth Scotland is one of the fastest growing movements in the Liberal Democrats today. Since April, our membership has gone up by over 60%. Over the past two years, we have succeeded in …

Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged browne report, guest editor, higher education, kristian chapman, tuition fees and universities | 8 Comments

Opinion: A first timer’s guide to Scottish Lib Dem Conference 2010

By Paul Freeman | Thu 14th October 2010 - 9:55 am

Saturday’s Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference was the first conference I’d been to, and aside from a local hustings at the general election, the very first political event I’d ever been to. I was very much a newbie and a little bit nervous and uncertain about what to expect from the day. I even had to ask what it was best to wear, although that was really to stop my wife insisting I go in a suit. I wouldn’t have looked out of place in a suit, but if I’d turned up in a pair of green wellies I wouldn’t have been the only one …

Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged alexandra white, guest editor and tim farron | Leave a comment

LibLink: Danny Alexander – “People should judge me on what I deliver”

By Helen Duffett | Mon 11th October 2010 - 3:12 pm

Two very positive Liberal Democrat stories today in the Herald Scotland:

The first: Flourishing LibDems cast Scottish politics in a good light reports that Liberal Democrat membership in Scotland is up 18% this year and sees it as a sign that of public acceptance of the party’s role in the Coalition government.

The Herald also has an interview with Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, which charts his progress from childhood to the Cabinet, revealing his family’s deep Liberal roots:

“My mother tells the story of how she caught my grandad rocking me in the pram when I was six months old saying ‘repeat after me, I’m a member of the Liberal party’.”

Also posted in News | Tagged charles kennedy, child benefit, coalition and Danny Alexander | 4 Comments

Nicol Stephen to stand down in May

By Andrew Reeves | Sat 25th September 2010 - 1:27 pm

Nicol Stephen MSP has announced he is standing down after nearly three decades in public life, first being elected a councillor, then an MP and latterly an MSP for Aberdeen South.

This isn’t the first time that Nicol has taken the Scottish political world by surprise with an unexpected announcement – just over two years ago he stood down as leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats deciding to put his family first. Nicol and his wife Caris have four children – Macleod, 15, Mirrhyn, 13, Mharni, 9, and Drummond, 6.

I recall the day really well and my phone was buzzing …

Also posted in News | Tagged nicol stephen and tavish scott | Leave a comment

Edinburgh Northern and Leith: Scottish Parliament candidate selection

By Helen Duffett | Thu 5th August 2010 - 5:20 pm

There’s still time to apply for selection as the prospective Scottish Parliamentary Candidate for the Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency for the 2011 election.

From a party notice:

The Liberal Democrats won around 11,000 votes across the constituency area during the May 2010 Westminster elections. The constituency also includes part or all of four local government wards, each of which has an elected Lib Dem councillor.

The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate an ability to motivate a large and growing group of activists, and form and lead an effective campaign team, in a Local Party which has extensive

…

Also posted in Selection news | Tagged edinburgh northern and leith | 1 Comment

Wallace: “We were the responsible party”

By NewsHound | Tue 3rd August 2010 - 1:15 pm

There’s an interesting interview today in the Scottish herald with former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Jim Wallace, assessing the party’s prospects ahead of next May’s Holyrood elections. Here are some snippets …

On the Scottish Lib Dem experience of power-sharing:

We were told in 1999 when we entered coalition in Scotland with Labour we were going to get whacked and it didn’t happen. We’re not going to sit back. We’ve got an election campaign to fight and we will have to fight it on explaining why we have done things.”

On the UK Coalition between the Lib Dems and Conservatives:

I don’t think people

…

13 Comments

Haggis, Neeps and Liberalism: Labour Déjà vu for Scotland

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 27th June 2010 - 2:25 pm

George Osborne’s Budget can’t really be described as anything other than grim despite the clear Liberal Democrat contribution to make it fairer. In Scotland this means that 2 million basic rate taxpayers will benefit from the raising of the tax threshold and a million pensioners will be better off because of the restoration of the earnings link to the State Pension.

Certainly it was vital that the Government took action to deal with the mess that Labour had left it. This is a mess that makes the Winter of Discontent and Black Wednesday look like mere frivolities.

Don’t blame …

15 Comments

Jamie Stone to stand down as an MSP

By Mark Pack | Thu 3rd June 2010 - 1:35 pm

Andrew Reeves has the news:

Jamie Stone, Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, has announced that he will step down from the Scottish Parliament at the next Scottish election. Mr Stone is stepping down 25 years of public service to pursue new avenues.

Jamie is the second Highland Liberal Democrats MSP to announce he is standing down.

John Farquar-Munro MSP is also standing down and Alan MacRae has been selected to replace John and fight the seat at next years election.

You can read the full story here.

Tagged alan macrae, jamie stone and john farquar-munro | 2 Comments

Vince lays down the gauntlet to Alex Salmond

By The Voice | Mon 8th March 2010 - 9:45 pm

Lib Dem shadow chancellor, Vince Cable tonight addressed Reform Scotland on the action that needs to be taken to reform banking and protect the economic recovery. LDV is publishing extracts from Vince’s speech, below, including his call to SNP leader and Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond to follow the Lib Dems’ lead and state clearly how the Scottish government will live within its budget in the years ahead:

Banking
We need to rethink our approach to banking. Successive Labour and Conservative Governments have left Britain vulnerable to an over-inflated financial services sector, where institutions became too big to fail.

On a UK level – where British banks are 4.5 times bigger in terms of their liabilities than the country’s economy – this is bad enough. But in Scotland, this has been still more pronounced. At the time they got into trouble, RBS’ and HBOS’ liabilities were 25 times the size of Scotland’s economy.

Tagged alex salmond, banking, economy, recession and vince cable | 1 Comment

Haggis, Neeps and Liberalism #14: As a liberal republican sees it

By Kevin McPhillips | Tue 2nd March 2010 - 1:20 pm

Last week, Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, launched the Referendum (Scotland) Bill consultation. The SNP has few aspirations, beyond independence for its own sake. I can’t help but think of them as someone courting a reluctant bride. They keep asking, and keep cajoling, hoping that eventually the electorate will say yes, and let them take them up the aisle.

On Friday, Nicola Sturgeon, who faced parliament about her own troubles earlier in the week, said “this isn’t about what the SNP wants, it’s about what the people of Scotland want”. Well, she’s wrong. This consultation actually is …

Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged alex salmond, nicola sturgeon and snp | 5 Comments

Carmichael moves to end MP-MSP dual mandates

By Mark Pack | Wed 24th February 2010 - 3:20 pm

Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat Shadow Scotland Secretary, has tabled amendments to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill aimed at bringing an end to MSPs and MPs holding both jobs at the same time.

The amendments follow legislation backed by both the Government and the Conservatives which seeks to end ‘double jobbing’ by Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLAs) who are also MPs. They offer two options:

a measure which would end the ability of MPs who are also MSPs to receive salaries from both jobs, along the same lines as the Government and Conservative-backed legislation on MLAs and intended to act as

…

Also posted in Election law and Parliament | Tagged Alistair Carmichael and constitutional reform and governance bill | 6 Comments

Haggis, Neeps and Liberalism #13

By Callum Leslie | Wed 17th February 2010 - 3:23 pm

So, Tories really are sheep in respectable politicians’ clothing.

In a comment to me on Facebook of all places, Conservative Future Scotland Chair Duncan Stewart attempted to make excuses for Tory spin doctors dropping in “stunt students” for David Cameron’s press conference at University of East London this week.

At the press conference Mr Cameron took the opportunity to attack Gordon Brown over expenses, claiming that the Tories were the “new generation” of politicians “at ease with openness” needed to reform politics.

However, UEL Student Union President Joseph Bitrus blew the whistle on Cameron’s latest attempt at public deception. He was alerted …

Tagged conservative future, david cameron, duncan stewart, joseph bitrus, liberal youth and michael rock | Leave a comment

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Vince Cable writes…Labour and Fiscal Rules (Vince Cable)
Josh Babarinde writes…The Lib Dem Summer of Strategy (Josh Babarinde)
Mathew on Monday: “We need to be bold” (Mathew Hulbert)
As a party we must be better defined for the 2029 general election (Chris Bowers)
From national averages to local realities: inequality in our communities (Tom Walker)

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Josh Babarinde writes…The Lib Dem Summer of Strategy

Alison Suttie writes: Thank you to our volunteers

What’s going on with party strategy?

A strange but welcome feeling

Category Archives: Scotland

Why hasn’t David Cameron sacked Bill Aitken?

Scotland gets a better budget thanks to the Liberal Democrats

Labour and the SNP’s judgement in Megrahi case completely wrong – Campbell

Government presses ahead with devolving more powers to Scotland

Calls to end alphabetic ordering of candidates on Scottish local election ballot papers

Michael Moore writes… Strengthening Scotland’s future

Tavish Scott writes… The SNP budget is too severe on services but too soft on waste

Changes coming to Scottish Parliament election rules

Opinion: How we transformed council housing in Perth and Kinross

Helping children with allergies and Nigeria with Climate Change – all in a year’s work! Interview with Jo Swinson MP, part 3

Sport, body confidence and gender stereotyping – Interview with Jo Swinson MP, part 2

Door knocking, Deputy Leader and Honourable Friends – Interview with Jo Swinson MP

George Lyon: Our high hopes for the Scottish Parliament elections

Opinion: We should be ambitious in our campaigning

Opinion: The day the Northern Irish came to Scottish Conference

A snapshot of a first class debate – a Scottish persepective on higher education

The speaker who stole the show at Scottish conference

Opinion: Delivering a bright new future for Edinburgh

Opinion: We are a party founded on the principle of free education

Opinion: A first timer’s guide to Scottish Lib Dem Conference 2010

LibLink: Danny Alexander – “People should judge me on what I deliver”

Nicol Stephen to stand down in May

Edinburgh Northern and Leith: Scottish Parliament candidate selection

Wallace: “We were the responsible party”

Haggis, Neeps and Liberalism: Labour Déjà vu for Scotland

Jamie Stone to stand down as an MSP

Vince lays down the gauntlet to Alex Salmond

Haggis, Neeps and Liberalism #14: As a liberal republican sees it

Carmichael moves to end MP-MSP dual mandates

Haggis, Neeps and Liberalism #13

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Josh Babarinde writes…The Lib Dem Summer of Strategy

Alison Suttie writes: Thank you to our volunteers

What’s going on with party strategy?

A strange but welcome feeling

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