Category Archives: Site news

Stephen Tall

Why not write for Lib Dem Voice?

By Stephen Tall | Fri 29th February 2008 - 7:33 pm

Lib Dem Voice is exactly what it says it is: “an independent, collaborative website run by Liberal Democrat activists, where any individual inside or outside the party can express their views.”

In particular, we welcome Opinion pieces from party members – whether you’re an activist, councillor, MP, peer or prefer to cheer from the sidelines – and we publish a number of articles each week by different authors on a range of subjects.

We also have a slot, labelled The Independent View, reserved for those with no affiliation to the party, but whose articles we know would be of interest …

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Stephen Tall

Are you on your way to the Forum?

By Stephen Tall | Fri 22nd February 2008 - 11:20 am

Don’t forget, if you’re a party member you can register for the Lib Dem Voice members’ forum – in which case you get to read and post on a rich variety of topics which don’t always make it into the public blog. Here’s a selection of the currently active threads to whet your appetites:

* PPCs for the next General Election
* Cannabis or Skunk?
* Great article on Vince in today’s Guardian
* Artwork for leaflets
* Do you web 2.0?
* Berwick on Tweed
* Blogging help required

(Disclaimer: though LDV’s forum moderators do our best to ensure membership is restricted to party members …

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Alex Foster

Promote Lib Dem Voice – and win win win!

By Alex Foster | Sun 20th January 2008 - 3:47 pm

Prize Draw Last month, we asked if you’d promote LibDemVoice.org to your colleagues in your local party.

We have refreshed the artwork a little, and are now able to offer an extra inducement.

Every copy of a members’ newsletter including one of our ads (available in a wide variety of sizes) received in London by the end of March will be entered into a free prize draw for one of our exclusive LibDemVoice mugs. Don’t forget to include your name and the address where your mug sent.

We also have a choice of three formats – PNG image …

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9 Comments
The Voice

A new range of opinion coming to LDV

By The Voice | Sun 13th January 2008 - 10:47 am

The Voice is very pleased to announce we’re starting a new strand of articles tomorrow.

We’ve commissioned some articles from authors outside the party, which we’ll be running here as The Independent View.

The series will  begin tomorrow morning with original research from Prof Philip Cowley and Mark Stuart with interesting findings on our relationship with other parties.

If you’d like to write an Independent View, or have suggestions on people we should approach, do please get in touch.

Also posted in The Independent View | 1 Comment
Ryan Cullen

Your picture next to your comments?

By Ryan Cullen | Tue 8th January 2008 - 11:16 am

You may have noticed that next to people’s comments is a small picture of themselves.

If you want a picture to appear next to your comments you need to do two things.

  1. Visit Gravatar.com, create an account and upload a picture.
  2. Post a comment, ensuring that your email address that you’ve used on Gravatar is the same one that you’ve put in the comment field.

Feel free to post test comments …

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44 Comments
Stephen Tall

Two great new signings for LDV

By Stephen Tall | Fri 4th January 2008 - 5:23 pm

We at LDV are delighted to announce two new regular columns will be gracing our pages in the months to come:

Lib Dem blogger, Jonathan Calder (aka Lord Bonkers) will be editing a new ‘Top of the Blogs’ feature, The Dirty Dozen, each month rounding up some of the best articles posted to non-Lib Dem political blogs. Introducing it on his own site, Jonathan writes:

I aim to keep a balance between pointing to interesting postings that we Lib Dems may have missed and laughing at the folly of our opponents. If you see any suitable posts on Labour or Tory

…

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Tagged | 2 Comments
Stephen Tall

LDV voted top Lib Dem blog

By Stephen Tall | Sat 29th December 2007 - 10:53 am

Some 2,300 of Iain Dale’s blog-readers voted in a wide-ranging end-of-year survey across 33 categories, including Lib Dem Blog of the Year. Here are the results:

1. Lib Dem Voice 34%
2. Norfolk Blogger 21%
3. Lynne Featherstone 12%
4. Liberal England 8%
5. Quaequam Blog! 8%
6. Cicero’s Songs 6%
7. Peter Black 6%
Others 5%

We at LDV towers are, of course, touched to the hearts of our bottoms; congrats, too, to the other six blogs.

Tagged and | 2 Comments
Stephen Tall

You want Lib Dem blog reaction? You got it

By Stephen Tall | Wed 19th December 2007 - 12:27 am

Bless Iain Dale. He’s worried that if Lib Dems don’t speak through Lib Dem Voice they have nothing to say. Here’s a hint, Iain: cast your eyes down the Lib Dem Blogs Aggregator, and you’ll see we party members have plenty to talk about. There have been (by my count) seventy-three – yes, count ’em, 73 – leadership blog postings since the result was announced just 10 hours ago.

But, ’tis true, unlike the Tory party we don’t rely on one lone mouthpiece, Tim Mongomerie, to give all Lib Dem activists a home in which to spout off: …

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Tagged and | 4 Comments
Stephen Tall

Are you on your way to the Forum?

By Stephen Tall | Tue 18th December 2007 - 7:50 am

Don’t forget, if you’re a party member you can register for the Lib Dem Voice members’ forum – in which case you get to read and post on a rich variety of topics which don’t always make it into the public blog. Here’s a selection of the currently active threads to whet your appetites:

* Traffic: a liberal approach
* PPCs for the next General Election
* Creationist Theme Park – Is science under attack in Britain?
* Leadership Results
* The official ‘Thanks Vince’ thread
* The Problem with Gordon
* post Iraq – foreign policy

(Disclaimer: though LDV’s forum moderators do our best to ensure membership …

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2 Comments
Mark Pack

How you can help promote this site

By Mark Pack | Mon 17th December 2007 - 11:55 am

Traffic levels here at The Voice have grown sharply all through the year.

LDV promotional articles thumbnailWe estimated last month that around 10-15% of those who will vote in the party’s leadership election are readers of this site – which is significantly higher than most (if not all) other Liberal Democrat blogs.

On the other hand, it still leaves plenty of room for growth. Which is where you come in, dear reader…

Alex Foster has put together a series of adverts and articles suitable for including in members and supporters newsletters. So (if you are a …

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12 Comments
Ryan Cullen

New Theme

By Ryan Cullen | Sun 16th December 2007 - 9:31 am

After spending all week working on this new theme, it’s time to launch our new look.

34 Comments
Stephen Tall

Should the Lib Dem president be neutral in leadership elections?

By Stephen Tall | Fri 14th December 2007 - 12:36 pm

That’s the question Jonathan Calder asked on his Liberal England blog, following Simon Hughes’s endorsement of Nick Clegg on Lib Dem Voice this week. His piece sparked a lively comments thread, and has even prompted a story in today’s Pandora column in The Independent:

Simon Hughes has found himself on the receiving end of bitter cat-calls from Liberal Democrats after wading in with his views about the current leadership contest. This week Hughes posted some comments on the political website Lib Dem Voice, in which he came out strongly in support for the candidacy of Nick Clegg. …

Hughes’s

…

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Also posted in Leadership Election | Tagged , and | 23 Comments
Stephen Tall

Are you on your way to the Forum?

By Stephen Tall | Thu 22nd November 2007 - 4:18 pm

Don’t forget, if you’re a party member you can register for the Lib Dem Voice members’ forum – in which case you get to read and post on a rich variety of topics which don’t always make it into the public blog. Here’s a selection of the currently active threads to wet your appetites:

  • Private Eye and smutty councillors
  • Asking questions at Hustings
  • TV licensing
  • Charlie Brooker on the state of TV News
  • At the end of all this, we are all going to be friends again
  • Got my ballot paper this morning
  • Govt “loses” 25 million Child Benefit records
  • If the Lib Dems were an international

    • …

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    1 Comment
    Stephen Tall

    Peter Riddell on the Lib Dems

    By Stephen Tall | Fri 9th November 2007 - 10:37 am

    The Times’s leading political commentator analyses the Lib Dem leadership race to date here. Well worth reading in full here, but simply for the sake of shameless self-promotion, here’s the bit which name-checks Lib Dem Voice:

    Mr Huhne starts from having done well last year, though neither he nor Mr Clegg is well known among less-active Lib Dem members, the armchair voters. The choice is blurred by their similarities (both have foreign wives, were MEPs and went to public school and Oxbridge) and on policy. Attempts to claim big differences smack of pedantry and mean nothing to most voters. …

    The

    …

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    Also posted in Leadership Election and News | 5 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    LDV’s editorial stance during the leadership race

    By Stephen Tall | Thu 18th October 2007 - 2:28 pm

    Liberal Democrat Voice is, and always has been, a website run by and for all party members no matter where they place themselves on the spectrum of liberal opinion.

    In most party selection contests (eg, London mayoralty and European Parliament) LDV has voluntarily agreed to abide by party rules stating that endorsements of specific candidates, whether in articles themselves or in the comments fields, are not allowed. These rules do not apply to the current contest to succeed Ming Campbell as leader of the national Liberal Democrats.

    Nonetheless, and as I hope you’d expect, LDV intends to remain wholly neutral during the ensuing leadership race, and will not of course be endorsing any candidate.

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    Also posted in Leadership Election | 2 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    On your way to the Forum?

    By Stephen Tall | Mon 24th September 2007 - 7:40 pm

    If you’re a party member you can register to use the members’ forum – our place to say whatever’s on your mind without the danger of it being misquoted (or quoted out of context or quoted all too bloody accurately) on opposition leaflets.

    Topics currently being discussed include:

  • Will there be a snap election?
  • Sharia law
  • That referendum
  • Why join the lib dems
  • Decommisioning laws
  • Brighton feedback
  • Candidate selection
  • Taking on the BNP

    Remember, it’s good to talk.

    • 2 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    LDV: one year old today

    By Stephen Tall | Sun 9th September 2007 - 8:45 am

    It’s 12 months to the day since site creator, Rob Fenwick, uttered the immortal words: “Hi and welcome to Liberal Democrat Voice.” Since when LDV has gone from strength to strength, quickly establishing itself as the leading independent website for Lib Dem members and activists.

    To commemorate the occasion, Rob has kindly sent us an electronic telegram (or “e-mail”, as he insists on terming it):

    “My decision to create Liberal Democrat Voice arose (as decisions involving my giving time or money to the party usually do) out of a phone conversation with Mark Pack. I was stuck at Clapham

    …

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    Also posted in News | Tagged | 2 Comments
    Mark Pack

    Hello Conservatives?

    By Mark Pack | Mon 27th August 2007 - 5:24 pm

    Ah, it’s started up again 🙂

    By which I mean comments appearing on this site which have all the following in common:

    1. First time comment from someone
    2. Minimal name information given
    3. Person uses “us” or similar phrases to talk about the Liberal Democrats
    4. Person says the party is heading for disaster, eats babies and doesn’t know how to make chocolate cake (I paraphrase slightly)
    5. Person’s comments echo remarkably what Conservatives are saying

    So I’ve had a bit of a clear out. If by mistake I’ve zapped a comment from you by mistake apologies – just get in touch to let me know. Oh, and if you are …

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    10 Comments
    The Voice

    It’s all happening in the private members’ forum

    By The Voice | Tue 21st August 2007 - 9:09 am

    If you haven’t been to Lib Dem Voice’s private forums much recently, you may be missing out.

    Recent posts include

    All this available exclusively to party members in our members’ forum.

    If you’re not already signed up for the forum, you can register here.

    8 Comments
    The Voice

    European and London Mayor selections

    By The Voice | Mon 13th August 2007 - 2:05 pm

    As the party’s selection process for both our 2009 European and 2008 London Mayor candidates is now kicking off, Liberal Democrat Voice is introducing a slight change in our comment moderation policy for the duration of the selections.

    Although this isn’t an official party site, we’re happy to abide with the spirit of the party’s selection rules. Therefore as the agreed rules for both contests ban endorsements, any comments that would infringe these rules will be withdrawn (e.g. a comment saying “I’ll be voting for Herbie Asquith” or “Don’t vote for Bill Gladstone; he supports chopping down trees”).

    Any coverage of the

    …

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    Also posted in Selection news | 9 Comments
    Richard Huzzey

    Feed The Voice

    By Richard Huzzey | Fri 10th August 2007 - 9:55 am

    Lib Dem Voice is written by Lib Dem members for Lib Dem members. If you have a burning opinion or forceful argument waiting to be expressed, please submit it to us, as detailed on the contributions page.

    Book reviews, opinion pieces or anything else are heartily welcomed.

    Stephen Tall is away for a few weeks, but the usual address ([email protected]) will still reach us.

    1 Comment

    How can Lib Dem Voice do better?

    By the founding editor | Mon 12th February 2007 - 12:26 pm

    VisitsLib Dem Voice has been going for coming up to six months now, and while visitor numbers are growing all the time, quantity isn’t the same as quality.

    About 75% of visitors to Liberal Democrat Voice come back more than once, but I’d like to take this moment to encourage people to come forward with suggestions for how the site can better serve the Lib Dem community.

    What do you like? What don’t you like? What should we do more of, and will you volunteer to be the pair of hands that does it?

    It’s open …

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    3 Comments

    Trident debate on Liberal Democrat Voice

    By the founding editor | Sun 11th February 2007 - 9:00 am

    At Spring Conference, running from 2nd – 3rd March, the party will decide its policy on the Trident nuclear system.  It looks set to be the contentious debate of this conference.

    Over the next two weeks we’ll run three pieces on Lib Dem Voice.  The first, published tomorrow, outlines the situation and proposes an unconventional solution. The second, published towards the end of the week, will make the case for scrapping Trident.  Finally, next week the third article will make the case for the motion going to conference (which proposes a reduction, rather than abolition, of Trident nuclear warheads). The pieces …

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    Comments

    By the founding editor | Fri 3rd November 2006 - 10:16 am

    As happens on all blogs, there’s been a collective bout of grumpiness in the past few days in the comments.

    I’ve just gone through the blog and deleted the variously abusive, rude, and fundamentally pointless messages.

    Please think before you post comments, it’s not in anyone’s best interests that comment pre-moderation gets switched on, or that I have to force people to register before they can comment.

    Visitors should note that even when you’re posting anonymously, the site records your IP address – so if you post under your own name one minute, and then post some abuse “anonymously” five minutes later, I know exactly who did it, …

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