Liberal Democrat Voice

Local election roundup from ALDC

By Helen Duffett | Sat 15th May 2010 - 10:20 am

The Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors has reported back on last week’s council election results:

Just as the General Election produced a mixed bag of results, so did this year’s council elections. Although overall we had a net loss of 135 seats and control of a number of councils, the outcome was far more complex.

The results in metropolitan and London councils saw a net loss of 52 and 77 seats respectively losing overall control of Richmond upon Thames, Liverpool, Rochdale and Sheffield in the process. However, in unitary councils and the English districts we lost just 5 and 1

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Posted in News | Tagged aldc and local elections | 2 Comments

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Opinon: Equality and the new Coalition

By Alan Pomroy | Sat 15th May 2010 - 9:48 am

A glance at the make-up of the new cabinet does not make great reading for equality campaigners. 86% male, 97% white, 59% privately educated and 69% oxbridge educated – hardly a great advert for our diverse and multicultural society, or indeed a state education. In their defence the Lib-Dems and Tories can point to Labour’s final years in office which shows a broadly similar pattern, with the exception of eductional background, in which there has been a definite backward step. Nick Clegg and David Cameron yesterday talking about aspiring to a new way of doing politics – a noble statement …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged coalition, equalities and theresa may | 26 Comments

More Liberal Democrat ministerial appointments

By Mark Pack | Sat 15th May 2010 - 8:50 am

Ones I’ve spotted so far:

Department for Education – Sarah Teather

Department for Work & Pensions – Steve Webb

Department of Health – Paul Burstow

Foreign & Commonwealth Office – Jeremy Browne

Home Office – Lynne Featherstone

Ministry of Defence – Nick Harvey

Ministry of Justice – Lord (Tom) McNally (who, having worked in 10 Downing Street until 1979, must win some sort of longest gap between appearances in government prize)

Posted in News | 18 Comments

LibLink: Nick Clegg – Don’t take offence at our coalition. Its aims are liberal

By NewsHound | Sat 15th May 2010 - 8:15 am

Over at Comment is Free, Nick Clegg explains the shared aims of the Lib-Con coalition:

The third runway at Heathrow has been cancelled. ID cards have been scrapped. There will be no more child detention. And reform is now under way to make taxes fair for millions of ordinary people.

These are some of the early achievements of a government that had its first cabinet meeting just two days ago. A new government but, more important, a new kind of government: plural, diverse; a Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition that defies the rules of old politics.

I know the birth of this coalition has

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged coalition and nick clegg | 20 Comments

Tweetup / Liberal Drinks at Special Conference

By Alex Foster | Sat 15th May 2010 - 8:00 am

Plans are emerging for a Liberal Drink / Tweetup at tomorrow’s special conference.

It’s been a long old while since I was at the NEC (we had a fab time at a printing exhibition ten years ago when we were replacing a folding machine. Going to a conference that included machines that could turn trees into decks of playing cards was a little OTT for a standard folding machine)

However, a bit of a look at the NEC website suggests there is a Wetherspoons on site – and it’s not terribly far from Hall 3 where the special conference …

Posted in Conference and Events | Tagged #ldconf, liberal drinks, Special Conference May 2010 and tweetup | 2 Comments

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LibLink: Shirley Williams – The new politics is pragmatic

By NewsHound | Fri 14th May 2010 - 8:45 pm

Over at The Guardian’s Comment is Free website, Lib Dem peer Baroness Shirley Williams offers a realistic lament-cum-appraisal of the opportunities and risks facing the coalition government:

So now we embark on a new politics. The generation I belong to, steeped in ideology and partisan commitment, is passing away. My own vision was one of equality and social justice advanced by state action. The new politics is pragmatic, innovative, suspicious of state power, and holds to values rather than dogmas. … out of the intense negotiations, brilliantly conducted by Nick Clegg and his team, has come a shared commitment: a new

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Posted in LibLink | Tagged shirley williams | 5 Comments

Poll gives Lib Dem/Con coalition 60% approval

By The Voice | Fri 14th May 2010 - 5:48 pm

A YouGov poll suggests that the Lib Dem/Conservative coalition has the approval of 60% of the public – almost exactly the combined vote of the two parties in last week’s General Election.

Of course, the reality is slightly more complex than this, with a significant minority of Labour voters approving and not every Lib Dem or Conservative voter being in favour.

Here’s what YouGov say:

The British public broadly approve of the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition that, under Tory David Cameron, now forms the Government at Westminster. 60% of the British public say they approve of the Conservative-LibDem coalition, following an unprecedented week

…

Posted in Polls | Tagged coalition and opinion polls | 40 Comments

The LDV Friday Five: 14 May 2010

By Helen Duffett | Fri 14th May 2010 - 5:00 pm

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

Posted in Friday Five | Leave a comment

Opinion: Speaking up for coalition

By Colin Green | Fri 14th May 2010 - 3:45 pm

Over the few days since the coalition government was announced I’ve been dismayed to hear several Liberal Democrat members say they will rip up their membership cards in protest. Whilst many are understandably disappointed that we now have a Conservative Prime Minister, or that we don’t have a Liberal Democrat Prime Minister, a coalition government including the Lib Dems is not a bad thing.

Coalition talks with Labour failed. Of the two remaining viable options, a Conservative minority was the only other choice to a coalition. We would have a Conservative Prime Minister either way. Unlike 1974 when the Liberal Party …

Posted in Op-eds | 34 Comments

Dee Doocey: London Mayor should not take over the Metropolitan Police Authority’s role

By Helen Duffett | Fri 14th May 2010 - 2:59 pm

Commenting on the statement by Theresa May, the new Home Secretary, that she intends to push through plans for directly elected police commissioners, Dee Doocey, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly policing spokesperson and a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority said:

For ten years the Metropolitan Police Service has been accountable to Londoners through a police authority. To now place all that accountability in the hands of one person would be a serious mistake.

“Boris Johnson struggled to even chair the Metropolitan Police Authority, so the idea that he, or indeed any Mayor, could now do the

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Posted in London and News | Tagged chris huhne, dee doocey, metropolitan police authority, sir ian blair and theresa may | 3 Comments

Opinion: Stand firm on tuition fees

By Mark Whiley | Fri 14th May 2010 - 1:50 pm

For every vote and every candidate up and down the country that signed the pledge on behalf of the National Union of Students, may I please put this to you – at the Emergency Conference on Sunday, oppose the provision in the coalition agreement which prevents us from voting on the outcome of the Lord Browne review on Higher Education Fees.

As a Party we have consistently been the only party to talk about fees, let alone come up with a costed policy for replacement of the present system where many graduates leave with thousands of pounds of debt. Students …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged higher education, tuition fees and universities | 28 Comments

Opinion: Justifying the unthinkable

By Kelvin Macdonald Fraser | Fri 14th May 2010 - 12:00 pm

Like all Liberal Democrats, I would never support a Tory government. Most of us have spent many years asking countless people to vote Lib Dem to “keep the Tories out”, but I actually think that’s exactly what we’ve done.

Without the Liberal Democrats the Tories would have a majority now. So many Lib Dems seats are Tory/Lib Dem fights, and it’s because the Lib Dem vote held up in places like the South West that Mr. Cameron did not get the majority he needed to enable him to go ahead with the sort of traditional Tory policies that were in his …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged nasty party, tories and unthinkable | 24 Comments

Daily View 2×2: 14 May 2010. “Do or do not. There is no try.”

By Helen Duffett | Fri 14th May 2010 - 11:51 am

Welcome to the Daily View for May 14. Happy 66th birthday to George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars movies.

“Do or Do not. There is no try” video also available on YouTube.

Perhaps Lynne Featherstone had this in mind this morning when she wrote Doing – not saying! Congratulations, Lynne, on your appointment as Under Secretary of State for Equalities.

Do or do not? – 2 Must-Read Blog Posts

What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here are two posts that caught my eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator:

We have to make this work

From Cllr Steve Guy’s blog, “The Sandals are Off”:

To be a Lib Dem who doesn’t agree with the new politics is to fundamentally have misunderstood what being a Lib Dem means. Central to our manifesto in every year of our existence has been our commitment for fair votes (proportional representation). If you believe in PR, then by definition, you believe that the old two party seesaw was bad.

Why I am leaving the Liberal Democrats…

by Jane Watkinson:

I do leave the Liberal Democrats still fully supporting what they stand for. Unfortunately, I think we have compromised too many of our central beliefs in a bid for power. I know many of you agree with the coalition, and it has become apparent that it is best I leave instead of trying to argue my case within.

Spotted any other great posts in the last day from blogs that aren’t on the aggregator? Do post up a comment sharing them with us all.

Doing and trying – 2 Big Stories

Posted in Daily View | Tagged david miliband, deficit, ed miliband, george lucas, jane watkinson, lynne featherstone and steve guy | 1 Comment

The Lib Dem / Conservative coalition government agreement: new LDV members’ survey now live

By Stephen Tall | Fri 14th May 2010 - 11:30 am

The new LDV members’ survey is now live – and it focuses, unsurprisingly, on the coalition government agreement between the Lib Dems and Conservatives. 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 ahead of Sunday’s conference. Questions we are asking your opinion on include:

– would you choose to back the deal;
– how effective you think our negotiating team has been;
– what your view of the outcome is; and
– whether you will be …

Posted in News | 9 Comments

Opinion: We do not belong to Labour!

By Steve Cooke | Fri 14th May 2010 - 10:45 am

Across Britain on May 6th people voted for the Liberal Democrats because they liked our policies, or they liked our values. Some voted for us because we were not ‘the other lot’. No doubt a goodly number voted Lib Dem because they felt (quite rightly) the party they truly wanted to vote for – the Labour Party – has lost its heart and lost its soul. People voted for us hoping, but never ever expecting they’d get a Liberal Democrat government.

After the votes came in it was clear that the Conservatives had won the election, but without a big …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged authoritarianism and labour party | 46 Comments

Election result may be challenged over administrative errors

By Mark Pack | Fri 14th May 2010 - 10:20 am

The Evening Standard reports:

Andrew Dismore is considering lodging an official petition after losing his Hendon seat by just 106 votes to Tory Matthew Offord.

He claims hundreds of would-be voters were prevented from casting their ballot because of failures by Barnet council to organise the election properly.

Mr Dismore, who has held the seat since 1997, claimed procedural and administrative errors by the council included: people queuing at 9pm being told to leave as they would not get in to vote in time; postal votes arriving late or not being sent, and wrong directions to polling stations being given.

You can read …

Posted in Election law | Tagged andrew dismore and hendon | 5 Comments

Justice for Equitable Life policyholders

By Mark Pack | Fri 14th May 2010 - 9:20 am

David Worsford writes:

The election of a Parliament with a Conservative-Liberal Democrat majority has led to the searing injustice of the Labour government’s failure to compensate policyholders in the failed Equitable Life being remedied.

This has been a long-running saga but at its heart lay the failure of successive regulators to get to grips with the way Equitable Life over-extended itself and offered policyholders guarantees of returns that were never going to be sustainable. Enquiry after enquiry was set set up as the government tied to wriggle away from its responsibilities, which actually have their origins in the period of Conservative government

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Posted in News | Tagged equitable life | 2 Comments

Lib Dems should get used to constant attacks and scrutiny

By Iain Roberts | Fri 14th May 2010 - 8:27 am

One of the joys of being in government is being hated. Thatcher and Blair were both attacked daily by large numbers of people when they were in power (at times I was one of them) – though of course neither ever lost a General Election.

In contrast, being in opposition tends to be easier – people may disagree with you, but it’s not you making the hard decisions, from which there are inevitably losers as well as winners.

For the Lib Dems it’s going to take some getting used to. Our fate has more often to be ignored than hated. …

Posted in Op-eds | 45 Comments

LibLink: Ashdown – The coalition between David Cameron and Nick Clegg will be difficult, but it is the best start

By NewsHound | Thu 13th May 2010 - 10:57 pm

Over in the Daily Telegraph Paddy Ashdown writes:

For many of us in the Liberal Democrats, this is a rather unexpected moment. And a somewhat nerve-racking one, too.

For decades, our party worked towards a realignment of the Left; an alliance with Labour that would reshape politics and bring in a new and more modern form of government. Now we find ourselves in coalition not with the centre-Left, but with the centre-Right. What happened? And can it work?…

A deal with the Labour Party would have been easier, more comfortable and far more consistent with our strategy of realignment – and it was

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged paddy ashdown | 25 Comments

Pink News comment: David Cameron and Nick Clegg’s shotgun civil partnership is best option for gay community

By Mark Pack | Thu 13th May 2010 - 10:51 pm

The piece says:

The electoral system, with its inherent unfairness for a party with widespread but not concentrated support like the Lib Dems was always going to end up with the Liberal Democrats in bed with either Labour or the Conservatives in a hung parliament.

The Liberal Democrats made the right choice in partner no matter how uncomfortable it feels to have a work and pensions secretary (Iain Duncan Smith) who disagreed with equal parental rights for lesbian couples, a Conservative party chairman who once claimed the abolition of section 28 meant children were being “propositioned” for gay relationships (Sayeeda Warsi), or

…

Posted in News | Tagged gay rights | 8 Comments

Dee Doocey elected chair of London Assembly

By Helen Duffett | Thu 13th May 2010 - 9:01 pm

From a news release by the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group:

The London Assembly has today elected Dee Doocey AM as its new Chair for 2010/11. Jennette Arnold AM has been re-elected as Deputy Chair. At their Annual Meeting Assembly Members also re-established a number of committees to examine the Mayor of London’s policies and investigate issues of importance to London.

Chair of the London Assembly Dee Doocey AM said:

“I am honoured that my colleagues have chosen me to lead the Assembly for the year ahead. I will do my utmost to justify their confidence in handing me this additional opportunity to serve Londoners. I am also proud to be the first Irish person to Chair the London Assembly.

At this changing time in our national political landscape it is more important than ever that London has a strong voice and powerful advocates to make the case for funding vital projects like Crossrail. The London Assembly is determined to ensure that the sound arguments for investing in the capital’s future, and the benefits that will also bring to the rest of the country, do not go unheard.

In the months ahead the Assembly will continue to monitor the refinement of the Mayor’s strategies and measure what impact they do or do not have on the quality of life in London. We will also continue to challenge the London 2012 team to deliver not just an excellent Games but also the long term benefits the capital was promised in the bid.”

You can also listen to Dee’s acceptance speech via Audioboo, courtesy of Mayorwatch:

Posted in London and News | Tagged dee doocey, jennette arnold and london assembly | 2 Comments

Opinion: The death of partisan politics?

By Richard Davis | Thu 13th May 2010 - 4:20 pm

I think people need to look a little more objectively and put an end to the partisan “we hate the Tories” or “we hate Labour” that I am hearing all the time. It makes us look ridiculous and is the main reason that the average person has come to distrust and ultimately hate the political system we currently have. What we have seen over the last few days is actually a huge leap forwards, when two parties which are so fundamentally opposed can come together and find common ground to try to do the best for the country in what …

Posted in Op-eds | 66 Comments

LibLink: Hughes – Liberal Democrat party stronger than ever

By NewsHound | Thu 13th May 2010 - 3:22 pm

Simon Hughes has an upbeat piece in the Independent today. On the left of the party, is Simon worried at a coalition with the Conservatives? Not a bit of it.

Whatever the difficulties of leading Britain out of the recession, reducing the deficit, growing our economy and reversing our headstrong irresponsibility as stewards of our planet, our philosophy, traditions, principles and values remain rock solid. Political parties do not exist to debate or advise; they exist to implement, to deliver and to change. Thirteen years of Labour and 65 years of red/blue politics has left Britain with too few

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Posted in LibLink | Tagged simon hughes | 20 Comments

Opinion: Securing civil liberties

By James Elsdon-Baker | Thu 13th May 2010 - 2:20 pm

Along with other civil libertarians I’ve dedicated my time to fighting off Labour’s encroachments on our freedoms and liberty. This struggle has found me working with traditional Labour members, Greens, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives; everyone from anti-corporate Libertarian Socialist to Euro-sceptic UKIP activists. People of all tribal loyalties and ideological outlooks have come together in non-partisan campaigns like NO2ID, and events like the convention on modern liberty. Not because they have sought to make their ideological explanation of why our liberties have been encroached the dominant one, but because they realised achieving a shared goal required finding the common ground …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged civil liberties and id cards | 13 Comments

“The very civil Lib Dems”

By Mark Pack | Thu 13th May 2010 - 1:20 pm

Here’s the verdict of Henry Potter on the Liberal Democrat agreement with the Conservatives:

“The parties agree to implement a full programme of measures to reverse the substantial erosion of civil liberties under the Labour government and roll back state intrusion.” This sentence, published in the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition agreement, is one that civil libertarians have been waiting a long time for, and to hear David Cameron and Nick Clegg talk about their government handing back privacy and curbing the powers of the state was certainly a moment worth savouring…

Although the Conservative manifesto touched on freedom, there can be no doubt that

…

Posted in News | Tagged civil liberties and henry potter | 10 Comments

Confusion reigns over 55% – the reality is rather different

By Iain Roberts | Thu 13th May 2010 - 12:57 pm

Labour activists are up in arms – apparently the Lib Dems and Conservatives are going to change the law so the government can only be brought down if 55% of MPs vote against it.

They’ve got a point – if anyone really was proposing that, it would be an outrage.

But they aren’t. The proposal is quite different.

To quote from the coalition agreement:

legislation will be brought forward to make provision for fixed term parliaments of five years. This legislation will also provide for dissolution if 55% or more of the House votes in favour.

Let’s quickly look at the current situation.

A …

Posted in News | 244 Comments

Good news for pensioners

By Mark Pack | Thu 13th May 2010 - 12:40 pm

One mostly over-looked part of the coalition agreement is what it says on pensions:

We will restore the earnings link for the basic state pension from April 2011 with a “triple guarantee” that pensions are raised by the higher of earnings, prices or 2.5%, as proposed by the Liberal Democrats.

That, by the way, is a better deal for pensioners than offered by Labour who were talking about waiting an extra year before restoring the link and did not have an equivalent of the “triple guarantee” in their general election manifesto.

Posted in News | Tagged pensions | 4 Comments

Special conference now open to all members

By Helen Duffett | Thu 13th May 2010 - 12:13 pm

Party President Ros Scott has emailed members with more news about this Sunday’s Liberal Democrat Special Conference.

Registration has now been extended to all members; however only voting reps are eligible to vote on the motion.

Conference is closed to journalists and media.

Registration for the Liberal Democrats’ special conference is now open to all party members. Every party member has the right to attend conference and participate in the debate (though of course only voting conference reps will have the right to vote on the motion).

You can register now via the special conference website. The website also contains the agenda for

…

Posted in Conference | 12 Comments

Opinion: Inheriting Tory Tax Plans

By Malcolm Wood | Thu 13th May 2010 - 11:20 am

Nobody likes paying tax. But most of us accept the necessity of paying collectively for public services, and the moral obligation on those of us with good incomes to subsidise these services for those without. Most of us would also accept that, in times of serious budget deficit, any adjustments to the tax system should be made in favour of those who are, firstly, of the most limited means, and, secondly, alive.

It’s easy to make inheritance tax sound unfair. Just describe it as “double taxation”; a second tax on income which has already been taxed. But …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged inheritance tax | 8 Comments

Caroline Pidgeon is new Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group

By Mark Pack | Thu 13th May 2010 - 10:20 am

From a party news release:

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport spokesperson, has become the new leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group.

She takes over from Mike Tuffrey, who has led the group since 2006.

Commenting on future plans for the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group Caroline Pidgeon said:

“The concerns of Londoners are the concerns of Liberal Democrats at City Hall.

“We recognise the vital importance of tackling crime and the fear of crime that affects every area in London. We will continue to be at the forefront of the campaign to protect police numbers and ensure that there …

Posted in London | Tagged Caroline Pidgeon, london assembly and mike tuffrey | 5 Comments

Op-eds

Keep the earnings link: don’t repeat the mistakes of the 80s (Chris Perry)
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Opportunity at the heart of our vision in local government (Callum Robertson)
Vince Cable writes: Drill, baby, drill…or not (Vince Cable)

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Do or do not? – 2 Must-Read Blog Posts

Doing and trying – 2 Big Stories

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