Welcome to the start of this week’s LDV Daily Views, coming to you today, live, from a hotel room somewhere in Bournemouth …

2 Must-Read Stories

Lib Dem plan for £1m-property tax

As LDV’s Alix Mortimer hinted last night, today will see Lib Dem shadow chancellor Vince Cable announce plans to the party conference for a tax on owners of £1m-plus homes, using the proceeds to help low-paid workers. Here’s the BBC report:

Treasury spokesman Vince Cable will announce plans for a 0.5% annual levy on the most expensive homes, raising £1bn, at the party conference later. He told the BBC it would help fund plans to get four million people who earn less than £10,000 out of taxation. …

Mr Cable said: ” We’re talking about this proposal to raise money, to cut taxes on people who are at the bottom end of the income scale or on average income. Our overall tax proposal is about lifting four million people – workers and pensioners – out of taxation and cutting taxes for people at the bottom end in a fair way.”

Lib Dem blogger James Graham has already articulated his thoughts, calling it “a step in the right direction. It doesn’t go anything like far enough though.” You can read his post here.

Lib Dems demand public inquiry into government torture allegations

The Guardian reports:

The Liberal Democrats will today demand an independent public inquiry into detailed allegations of the British government’s complicity in torture. The party’s call followed recent revelations that police had been asked to investigate MI6 as well as MI5 over allegations of involvement in torture.

A motion to the Liberal Democrat conference will say that Tony Blair must not be appointed as the EU president until a full investigation into his role in drawing up guidance – which remains suppressed – on any involvement of British security and intelligence agencies in the torture or ill-treatment of detained terror suspects.

Lib Dem shadow foreign secretary Ed Davey is quoted:

With the police now investigating claims of complicity in torture against both MI5 and MI6, the government can no longer resist calls for a full judicial inquiry. Ministers must not be allowed to continue to hide behind ongoing police investigations. No government can, in good conscience, support Tony Blair as a potential president of the European council while it remains unclear what his role was in the development of British policy on involvement in torture.”

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

The Liberal Moment (Andrew Hickey)

[The] Liberal Moment does its job – to put Lib Dem policy ideas into a larger political/philosophical context, and to make a clear argument for the Liberal worldview. It’s not going to replace Mill any time soon, but as a flag in the ground, saying “HERE is why we’re not Tories, and HERE is why Labour are wrong” it’s far better than I dared hope from a leader who has previously appeared to be a bit of a lightweight. More like this, please.

Day 3185: You Know The Drill… It Should Have Been MEEEEEEEEE! (Millennium Dome, Elephant)

we have been at the Liberal Democrat Blogger of the Year awards, sponsored by the Local Government Association for not-enough-money-to-pay-the-bar-tab, presented by Mr Former Lord Deputy Mayor Stephen, in the presence of Dale Winton, for “Come As Someone You’re Not, Night!”