Category Archives: Voice polls

In the light of the recommendation from the Organ Donation Task Force to reject the idea of ‘presumed consent’ – meaning that unless people opted out of the register or family members objected, hospitals would be allowed to use their organs for transplants – Lib Dem Voice last week our readers the question:Do you think it would be right to introduce presumed consent for organ donations?

Our poll swayed back and forth during the week, but in the end a narrow majority of you voted in favour of ‘presumed consent’. Here’s what you told us:

• Yes, I do

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Last month, just as ‘BrandRossGate’ was snowballing into the greatest catastrophe to hit the BBC since they hired Jeremy Vine to be the new Peter Snow on election-nights, Lib Dem Voice asked our readers the timely question: how do you think the BBC should be funded?

We presented four options (which, as ever, didn’t suit all commenters) to choose from – here’s what you told us:

• As at present, through the BBC licence fee – 216 (40%)
• Scrap the licence fee, but pay for the BBC through general taxation – 110 (20%)
• Scrap the licence fee,

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It’s not just the US electorate which has closely followed the three Presidential (and one vice-presidential) debates – much of the British political class has also been transfixed by the sheer theatre and high stakes involved in these face-offs.

In reality, all four debates have perhaps disappointed those expecting, or hoping for, ‘game-changing’ fireworks or gaffes from any of the candidates. Though as Martin Kettle put it in today’s Guardian:

Too many observers wait for someone to say something either utterly brilliant or staggeringly stupid. But that’s not what the debates are about. The real point of the debates is

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Sir Ian Blair has resigned as commissioner of London’s Metropolitan police force, and the race to be his successor is now on, with the appointment the responsibility of the Home Secretary. All of which begs the timely question: should police chiefs be directly elected?

Lib Dem policy is against directly elected police chiefs, instead proposing that chief constables be made accountable to police authorities. Writing for Lib Dem Voice recently, the party’s shadow home secretary Chris Huhne explained the policy:

for the 35 police authorities that straddle lots of councils (out of the total number of 43 in England and Wales),

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It seems so long ago, but in fact it’s just over a week since Lib Dem Voice asked our readers whether Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne were right to signal that that the party is going to drop its passionate commitment to campaigning for the UK to sign up to the European single currency. As Chris put it, “The truth is, within the British debate, it’s completely off the radar and there is simply no point in regarding it as a runner worth investing political time in.”

Here’s what you thought of their move in response to the question: Are …

Today’s Independent reports that both Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne have joined forces to signal that the party is going to drop its passionate commitment to campaigning for the UK to sign up to the European single currency:

Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, and the home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said it was no longer a priority to campaign for British entry into the euro. The shift in policy is surprising, as Mr Clegg and Mr Huhne, both former MEPs, have been passionate supporters of the single currency.

While the issue has been off the Government’s agenda for five years,

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If you are a registered member of the Liberal Democrat Voice forum – and any paid-up party member is welcome to join – then you now have the opportunity to make your views known on a range of current issues in our September members’ survey. Topics we are asking your opinion on include:

– the role of the party president, and who you might vote for;
– what you think will be the result of the next general election;
– your views on Nick Clegg’s leadership;
– whether the Lib Dems are on the right/wrong track;
– and your chance to rate the …

For the last month, Liberal Democrat Voice has been asking our readers what you think of Senator Barack Obama, the Democrats’ hope for the White House.

Slightly to my surprise, you take a pretty sceptical line, with 44% of you viewing him either as a cynical opportunist, or someone who will disappoint more than he inspires. A little over half, 56% of you, have a more benign/positive outlook on his candidacy. Perhaps LDV readers are more likely than most to subscribe to the view that Senator Obama is a little too Blair-like (or – worse still? – too …

Having arrived back at work this morning with a dull judder, I toyed with asking, plaintively, the question: does the UK need more bank holidays? (At 8 annual public holidays, England and Wales enjoy the fewest in Europe, except for the Netherlands: for the record, Scotland gets nine, and Northern Ireland 10). But I thought that might come across a bit grumpy, so instead…

To celebrate the countdown to the Lib Dem party conference – yes, there are just 18 days to go, and, yes, you really should have booked your hotel by now – LDV is asking readers to say …

Last Friday we invited Lib Dem Voice readers to take part in our first ever members’ poll. More than 100 of you have so far done so for which many thanks. For those of you who haven’t yet filled it in you have until midnight on Friday, 1st August.

It takes between 5-10 minutes to complete, and you can find the link to the survey in our members’ forum – simply look for the thread, ‘FIRST LDV MEMBERS’ SURVEY – August 2008’ under the ‘General’ heading.

Topics we are asking your opinion on include:
– the party’s performance in recent …

That’s the overwhelming verdict of almost two-thirds of Lib Dem Voice readers, according to our recent poll asking, “do you think Margaret Thatcher was a good or a bad thing for Britain?”

Here are the results in full…

We asked: “On balance, do you believe Margaret Thatcher’s time as Prime Minister was a good or a bad thing for the UK?”

You said:
• Yes, Margaret Thatcher was a Good Thing on balance: 162 (37%)
• No, Margaret Thatcher was a Bad Thing on balance: 272 (63%)
Total Votes: 434. Poll ran: 19th-28th July 2008

If you are a registered member of the Liberal Democrat Voice forum – and any paid-up party member is welcome to join – then you now have the opportunity to make your views known on a range of current issues in our August members’ survey. Topics we are asking your opinion on include:

– the party’s performance in recent by-elections;
– the launch of Make it Happen, and what you think of the tax-cutting proposals;
– your views on Nick Clegg’s leadership;
– whether the Lib Dems are on the right/wrong track;
– and your chance to rate the individual members of the Lib …

That’s the overwhelming verdict of almost two-thirds of Lib Dem Voice readers, according to our recent poll asking, “Do you think Gordon Brown will get to enjoy a second anniversary as Prime Minister?” However, a fairly significant minority – 21% – dissented, taking the view that the Labour party will choose to ditch their leader within the next 12 months.

Here are the results in full…

We asked:
“Do you think Gordon Brown will get to enjoy a second anniversary as Prime Minister?”

You said:
No – the Labour party will dump him as an electoral liability: 119 (21%)
No – he will …

A story LDV didn’t get round to covering this week was the Mail on Sunday’s suggestion that Margaret Thatcher is to be honoured when she dies with a state funeral, the first British Prime Minister since Winston Churchill to be afforded such an honour. This prompted a flurry of commentary from friends and foes taking fairly predictable positions.

* “all that pomp and ceremony in her honour, plus a day off for school kids, will be very, very wrong.” (The Mirror)
* “Thatcher did succeed … like Churchill, the country owes her a 19-gun salute.” (Harry Phibbs …

For the last 10 days, the debate has raged here on Lib Dem Voice and on various Lib Dem blogs. But the result of the most recent LDV poll is pretty clear: by a 2:1 margin our readers think Nick Clegg did exactly the right thing in deciding the Lib Dems should not field a candidate against David Davis in the by-election the former Tory shadow home secretary has triggered to force a debate on 42 days and Labour’s war on civil liberties.

Here are the results in full. We asked:

Did the Lib Dem leadership make the right decision …

Today marks the first anniversary of Gordon Brown succeeding Tony Blair as Labour Prime Minister. But with Labour sinking in the political doldrums, the question is: will this be the last anniversary he celebrates in Number 10?

There are three possible reasons why it could be, in descending order of likelihood:

1. The Labour party concludes Mr Brown is an electoral liability and forces him out, either through a leadership challenge or a visit by ‘the men in grey suits’;

2. Mr Brown himself concludes he can no longer win the British public back to Labour, and quits for the good …