Mark Pack

Electoral administration isn’t going quite as well as it should…

By Mark Pack | Sat 1st May 2010 - 11:20 am

First, the good news: all the reports so far indicated a strong surge in people registering just before the deadline earlier this month. The Independent has some further figures to add to earlier reports. Thankfully, Havering Council with its hostile approach to people using the Electoral Commission’s website seems to be very much the exception. Whilst its electoral division has called “ridiculous” the number of people registering at the last moment, other councils have welcomed the surge of interest rather than criticised it.

Then the not so good news…

Allegations of postal vote fraud: the scale of the allegations, …

Continue reading »
Posted in Election law | Tagged , , , , , , , and | 6 Comments
Advert
Mark Pack

Lib Dems aggressively expand targeting strategy against Conservatives and Labour

By Mark Pack | Sat 1st May 2010 - 9:32 am

In amongst all the usual clichés about “the only poll that matters is the one on polling day” and “our canvassing returns are excellent” one sure insight into what a party’s is really planning and how it really thinks are going is where it sends its party leader around the country.

The campaign visits this weekend by Nick Clegg illustrate in public what I’ve heard from party campaigning sources – an aggressive move against Conservative seats combined with a long list of possible gains from Labour.

The visits this weekend are to:

Burnley – one of the main Lib Dem targets from Labour, which even when expectations …

Continue reading »
Posted in General Election | Tagged , and | 15 Comments
Mark Pack

Want a leaflet to deliver in your area?

By Mark Pack | Sat 1st May 2010 - 9:01 am

The surge of new volunteers and supporters which has come in following the first TV debate and the rise of the party to unprecedented election campaign polling heights means that often there are people wanting to help in areas where existing local parties don’t have that much for them to do.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | 12 Comments
Stephen Tall

Just imagine if you’d got over one million new poster sites

By Stephen Tall | Sat 1st May 2010 - 7:45 am

So today the Guardian officially, and surprisingly, came out in support of the Lib Dems for the coming general election. Most of us who are resolved to ‘Keep Calm & Clegg On’ are happy to recognise that newspaper endorsements – certainly by left-of-centre newspapers – do not swing elections.

But, equally, it would be wrong to dismiss the Grauniad’s conversion to the Lib Dem cause as irrelevant. For a start, it is the first time since 1974 that the paper has unreservedly supported the party. That alone is a real fillip to activists.

It’s good for morale, therefore. But …

Continue reading »
Posted in General Election and Op-eds | 8 Comments
Stephen Tall

Another endorsement for the Lib Dems – this time from Liberal Conspiracy

By Stephen Tall | Sat 1st May 2010 - 12:55 am

Sunny Hundal, founding editor of the most influential left-of-centre blog Liberal Conspiracy, has just blogged his endorsement of the Lib Dems for the coming election:

After last night’s debate one thing really struck me. We on the left and many Labourites who are also on the left, fight against discrimination and marginalised people. This is why we attack the Tories for their homophobia and their flashes of racism.

But the way that both Labour and the Tories (the latter expected anyway) not only dismissed the idea of an amnesty, but actually dog-whistled throughout about how the Libdem plan would wreak havoc

…

Continue reading »
Posted in General Election | Tagged and | 16 Comments
Advert
Stephen Tall

Pollwatch Day 25 #GE2010 – Lib Dems at 28/32% in today’s polls. And are we headed for 120 MPs?

By Stephen Tall | Sat 1st May 2010 - 12:20 am

Two polls published tonight:

    Harris in the Daily Mail … CON 33%(+1), LAB 24%(-1), LDEM 32%(+2)
    YouGov in the Sun … CON 34%(nc), LAB 28%(+1), LDEM 28%(nc)

No significant changes there, all within the margin of error; though certainly encouraging to see the Lib Dems still polling at c.30% of the vote, at least level with Labour, and potentially even gaining support. Let’s see what the weekend polls, which will also include public reaction to the final debate, have in store.

Anthony Wells’ UK Polling Report ‘poll of polls’ is resolutely stuck at Con 34%, Lib Dem 29%, Lab 27%. Just five days’ …

Continue reading »
Posted in General Election and Polls | 5 Comments
Mark Pack

Can you help Emily Thornberry?

By Mark Pack | Fri 30th April 2010 - 11:51 pm

Emily Thornberry, Labour MP for Islington South, has been on Newsnight repeatedly claiming there is nothing new in The Guardian’s support for the Liberal Democrats and that it’s just a repeat of what the paper said in 2005.

So perhaps you can help her by seeing if you can work out the difference?

The Guardian, 2005: “Voters should use their heads and hearts to re-elect Labour with an increased Liberal Democrat presence.”

The Guardian, 2010: “If the Guardian had a vote in the 2010 general election it would be cast enthusiastically for the Liberal Democrats.”

Re-elect Labour? Vote Liberal Democrat? It’s all …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 8 Comments
Mark Pack

Tactical voting set for a boost?

By Mark Pack | Fri 30th April 2010 - 9:15 pm

Earlier this month I wrote,

For a long time after David Cameron’s election to leader of the Conservative Party there was widespread talk of “tactical unwind”, that is how his changes to the Conservative Party may result in much less anti-Tory tactical voting at the next general election. It’s one of the range of reasons that many Tories quote for believing that they will do better in terms of seat numbers than the overall vote numbers suggest.

However, what’s struck me for some time is how the overall political campaigning is playing out in a way that is likely to rewind the

…

Continue reading »
Posted in General Election | Tagged and | 49 Comments
Stephen Tall

Kudos to Clegg: the TV debates wash-up

By Stephen Tall | Fri 30th April 2010 - 8:15 pm

Three programmes, four-and-a-half hours of debate, endless analysis – but one thing’s for sure: Nick Clegg is alone among the three leaders in being able to reflect on them with real pleasure.

David Cameron and the Tories are buoyed by his performance yesterday; understandably so, as most instant polls called it a ‘win’ for him. But three weeks ago the Tories were polling in the 36-39% range, with most pundits predicting a narrow-but-decisive Tory majority. Currently, just a few days before polling day, the Tories are stuck in the 33-36% range.

Perhaps more significant, though is the way Cameron has had to re-write his script during this campaign. Tory advisors hoped it would be enough for their leader to portray himself as the only alternative to Gordon Brown. But then along came ‘Cleggmania’ and suddenly Cameron looked old hat: the mantle of change was snatched away from him by a more dynamic rival. With ratings dipping, the Tories’ answer was familiar enough: turn to the right.

And that’s exactly what Cameron has done. In the third debate last night, he showed the authentic face of Toryism: anti-European, anti-immigrant, anti-welfare. No wonder he looked more comfortable, and no wonder the Tory tribe was smiling today. At long last, their leader had ditched any pretence of building a big-tent mainstream party, and was reverting to the party’s comfort zone, shoring up its core vote.

But of this I am certain: that right-wing c.2005 Michael Howard display from Cameron last night was absolutely not where he wanted to be at this stage of the campaign.

Continue reading »
Posted in General Election and Op-eds | Tagged , and | 6 Comments
Alex Foster

+++ Holy crap, the Guardian endorses Lib Dems

By Alex Foster | Fri 30th April 2010 - 7:01 pm

Not content with publishing a letter from leading progressives, the Guardian tonight brings to an end its journey to a decision about which party to support.

The article is here.

General election 2010: The liberal moment has come
If the Guardian had a vote it would be cast enthusiastically for the Liberal Democrats. But under our discredited electoral system some people may – hopefully for the last time – be forced to vote tactically

We can certainly commend them on their decision, and my headline shows my surprise at them taking this bold step. I think many people were expecting …

Continue reading »
Posted in General Election | Tagged , , and | 16 Comments
Helen Duffett

Don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be different: the second Lib Dem election broadcast

By Helen Duffett | Fri 30th April 2010 - 6:40 pm

Continue reading »
Posted in General Election and Lib Dem TV | Tagged and | 1 Comment
Helen Duffett

The LDV Friday Five: 30 April 2010

By Helen Duffett | Fri 30th April 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 most-read stories on LDV this week

1. The flow diagram which shows you who to vote for (22) by Stephen Tall
2. Labour set for worst share of vote since 1918: why isn’t that a big story? (28) by Mark Pack
3. Dear Ian Cowie… (13) by Mark Pack
4. Well fancy that! Two other poll results The Sun paid for but didn’t report (6) by Mark Pack
5. Exclusive poll: newspaper hostility makes voters more likely to back Lib Dems (10) by Mark Pack

5 active LDV Members’ Forum threads

Lib Dem environmental policy
Doctor Who
Virals and imprints?
Election Communication service from Media Group
Online donations

5 interesting groups on ACT

1. Come on you Yellows!- Lib Dem Football Fans
2. British Constitution Discussion Group
3. FAQ LD
4. Membership Development
5. Liberal Democrat Psephologists

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

Continue reading »
Posted in Friday Five | Leave a comment
Mark Pack

Postal voting under police scrutiny

By Mark Pack | Fri 30th April 2010 - 4:20 pm

There have been two further recent reports of police investigations into postal vote allegations:

Police to investigate claims of postal vote fraud in council poll
… A complaint has been sent by the Conservative party to Derbyshire police about suspected fraud in the Sinfin ward in the Derby City Council local elections – which will be held on May 6, the same day as the General Election.

The complaint involves concerns that a voter was approached by men requesting her to fill in and sign three postal voting forms in favour of the Labour party… (Derby Telegraph)

Police probe ‘voting fraud’ at Bethnal

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , and | 10 Comments
Mark Pack

YouTube publishes party leader video responses

By Mark Pack | Fri 30th April 2010 - 3:10 pm

Until earlier this week it would have seemed a good idea to use the day before the final party leaders’ debate to launch the leaders’ answers to YouTube’s Digital Debate questions. Gordon Brown, a live mike and the word “bigot” rather buried the whole story which is a shame as the questions and answers explore a range of issues beyond the well-trodden ground of most of the mainstream media coverage.

You can watch the answers over at http://www.youtube.com/ukelection – and in particular look out for Nick Clegg’s very strong answer on the Digital Economy Bill question.

Posted in General Election and Online politics | Tagged and | Leave a comment
Helen Duffett

Revealed: the secret of canvassing…

By Helen Duffett | Fri 30th April 2010 - 2:11 pm

…is to ask people who are on the electoral roll how they intend to vote.

That might be obvious to seasoned activists, whose knuckles are skinned from all that door knocking by this stage in the campaign.

Not so to Tessa Jowell, whose confidence that Labour will hold Islington South and Hampstead & Kilburn seems to be misplaced.

Dave Hill’s excellent London Blog for the Guardian asked yesterday: Lib Dem surge in London: do the polls lie?

Yesterday late-afternoon I spoke to Tessa Jowell. She said that many of those telling canvassers they were thinking of voting Lib Dem were young,

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , and | 3 Comments
Mark Pack

Most unusual complaint of the election so far…

By Mark Pack | Fri 30th April 2010 - 12:50 pm

… goes to West Sussex Conservative County Councillor Pete Bradbury who has emailed round to other councillors (Lib Dem and Conservative) complaining that there are too many posters being put up in his patch.

Far be it from me to suggest that the cause of the complaint can be explained by adding the words “Liberal Democrat” in front of “posters”…

Posted in General Election | Tagged and | 2 Comments
Mark Pack

Another Conservative candidate in abusive comment controversy

By Mark Pack | Fri 30th April 2010 - 10:20 am

Political Scrapbook has the story:

The election is providing no shortage of time-lapse gaffes, where online activity of some vintage has come back to haunt candidates and activists alike. It’s no surprise that Stuart Penketh, the Conservative candidate for Ellesmere Port and Neston, tried to delete his Grey Funnel Line blog.

When not describing third-world debt relief as “letting tyrants off the hook”, it seemed Penketh used his blog to sling around racist insults. Likening the town of Radcliffe in Greater Manchester to war-torn Vietnam, Penketh uses the word “gook”, a derogatory term for South-East Asians:

You can read the full post here.

Posted in News | Tagged , and | 6 Comments
Mark Pack

David Cameron’s priorities: one press man is worth two Prime Ministers

By Mark Pack | Fri 30th April 2010 - 9:20 am

Earlier this week Lib Dem Voice launched a simple single message site about David Cameron’s priorities; do take a look and share it on.

Posted in News | Tagged and | 2 Comments
Stephen Tall

Final debate polls put Cameron ahead, but floating voters choose Clegg

By Stephen Tall | Fri 30th April 2010 - 1:00 am

All the post-debate polls are in, and four out of five are giving David Cameron a win, with Clegg tied in first place in one, and in second place in three. Brown is last in all but one:

    YouGov: Cameron 41%, Clegg 32%, Brown 25%.
    ComRes: Cameron 35%, Clegg 33%, Brown 26%.
    Populus: Cameron 38%, Clegg 38%, Brown 25%.
    ICM: Cameron 35%, Clegg 27%, Brown 29%.
    Angus Reid: Cameron 36%, Clegg 30%, Brown 23%.

Well, I guess seeing as Clegg was judged to have won the first two debates it was only fair that Cameron should have a consolation prize 🙂

For me, it was a score draw, and I do wonder how far the narrow win for Cameron in the post-debate polls reflects more settled party preferences. As Andrew Rawnsley tweeted:

Early post-debate polls (DC 1, NC 2, GB 3) reflecting party positions in national polls. Minds being made up?

It was certainly a better, more convincing performance from Cameron than in his first (disastrous) performance, or his second improved debate. Brown was less good tonight than in earlier debates – relatively speaking, I mean – less empathetic, more dogmatic, still just as tired.

Clegg was under attack far more than in the first debate, but withstood the pressure well; his continuing calls for parties to work together better resonates with the public far more than it does with cynical politicos and hacks.

Continue reading »
Posted in General Election and Polls | Tagged | 46 Comments
Alex Foster

The Third Leaders’ Debate: Live chat

By Alex Foster | Thu 29th April 2010 - 8:15 pm

Welcome to Lib Dem Voice’s coverage of the third televised debate between the three main party leaders, an event perhaps even more keenly anticpated than last week’s inaugural debate – though the viewing figures will almost certainly be fewer. As last week, we’re co-hosting live-chat, below, simultaneously with the Mark Reckons blog.

Continue reading »
Posted in General Election and News | Tagged | 14 Comments

Opinion: Why a nationalist should vote Lib Dem

By David Lawson | Thu 29th April 2010 - 6:18 pm

So much of the attack on the Lib Dems is based on the idea that we are a “sell out” to Europe. That we won’t stand up for Britain – though it often really means England. This attack has – to us at least – the slight feel of the American survivalist right criticising the US Democrats for selling out to a UN-based “world government”. In other words: it’s nonsense.

But that is an argument to be settled by details. We should also make a positive case. Of course we could have said patriot but let’s go the whole way: why should a nationalist vote Lib Dem? This has been especially relevant following the foreign policy debate which the other parties have seen as the best attack on the Lib Dems.

The two-party system sets up a contest of opposites and then lets one of them win.

For decades those opposites were based on class interests with a sharp north-south regional divide and a simple conflict between capitalism and socialism. What nationalists want is a nation divided – by class or by region or by any other sectarianism.

Continue reading »
Posted in General Election and Op-eds | 8 Comments
Alex Foster

Note to agents: do not publish anything you learn at postal vote opening

By Alex Foster | Thu 29th April 2010 - 4:35 pm

Twitter has come alive in the last two hours with tweets and retweets of Labour’s new media Tsarina Kerry McCarthy, who appears to have attended a postal vote opening session in her constituency of Bristol East – and then tweeted her tally totals.

Just to be clear, this is illegal. You should not do it. If you are attending postal vote processing sessions or are an agent yourself, please make sure your entire team knows that anything you learn at that session cannot be shared.

Mark Pack has the full listing of the section of the law that applies …

Continue reading »
Posted in Election law and General Election | Tagged , and | 6 Comments
Mark Pack

Media ups its game with improved donation reporting

By Mark Pack | Thu 29th April 2010 - 3:20 pm

The latest round of election donations published by the Electoral Commission have seen a much more accurate set of media reports than previous figures.

As I’d previously pointed out the figures published by the Electoral Commission are far from comprehensive as they exclude small donations and also all donations, of any size, given directly to candidates. However the media reports have previously treated the figures for declarable donations given to parties as if they were actual donation totals.

This time round though, helped by the Commission making its news release (even) clearer, the media has mostly got it right. Who …

Continue reading »
Posted in Election law | 3 Comments
Mark Pack

An unfortunate juxtaposition of posters

By Mark Pack | Thu 29th April 2010 - 1:20 pm

Spotted in Sussex:

Conservative poster - Sussex

Posted in News | 7 Comments
Mark Pack

Well fancy that! Two other poll results The Sun paid for but didn’t report

By Mark Pack | Thu 29th April 2010 - 12:47 pm

There’s this:

All the main parties have promised to cut the government’s deficit after the election. Which party do you think is being the most honest about what spending cuts they would make to deliver this?

Liberal Democrats 29%
Conservatives 26%
Labour 21%

… and then there’s this:

Gordon Brown was challenged on Wednesday morning by Gillian Duffy, a 65-year-old voter in Rochdale. Mrs Duffy complained about taxation for pensioners, immigration from eastern Europe and students’ tuition fees. At the end of the televised encounter, Mr Brown told her ‘it was very nice to meet you’. But when he got into his car, Mr

…

Continue reading »
Posted in Polls | Tagged , , and | 14 Comments
Catherine Bearder

Lib Dem MEPs help expose draft ACTA text

By Catherine Bearder | Thu 29th April 2010 - 11:20 am

The secrecy surrounding Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has concerned me and many of my constituents as it has many MEPs. As a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, I met the European Commission in early March to discuss the unacceptable level of secrecy in which these negotiations are shrouded, and demanded that we in the European Parliament, as the only directly elected representatives of the public at European level, be given immediate access to the final draft of the consolidated negotiating text. You can view my question here.

Following severe criticism from myself and a number of my …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | Leave a comment
Mark Pack

Majority of public say voting system is unfair

By Mark Pack | Thu 29th April 2010 - 9:20 am

So reports PoliticsHome:

A majority of the public believe that the current voting system is unfair, and that it is now time to start thinking seriously about alternatives, according to new PoliticsHome research.

57% of voters said that the current system of voting in the current system is either ‘very unfair’ or ‘generally unfair’, compared to 39% who think it is fair…

In a further indication that voters are dissatisfied with the current electoral system, voters believe that it is more important for an electoral system to reflect the proportion of votes cast nationwide than to produce a clear winner.

51% of

…

Continue reading »
Posted in Polls | Tagged | 3 Comments
Mark Pack

Broad range of progressives back the Liberal Democrats

By Mark Pack | Thu 29th April 2010 - 8:50 am

The letters page in today’s Guardian includes this:

This is an extraordinary political moment. An election seemingly destined to produce a narrow Conservative victory has been seized by the voters and turned into a democratic contest – a contest not just between parties, but over the shape of our democracy itself.

The MPs that assemble in Westminster next month could usher in one of the great reforming parliaments in British history, one to rank in the history books alongside 1831-32, 1865-67 or 1911-1914. The next parliament could see cherished progressive liberal aspirations realised: a proportional electoral system; wider and better-defended civil liberties; a

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | 23 Comments
Stephen Tall

Pollwatch Day 23 #GE2010 – Lib Dems at 26-31% in today’s polls

By Stephen Tall | Wed 28th April 2010 - 11:55 pm

Three national opinion polls published tonight:

    YouGov in the Sun … CON 34%(+1), LAB 27%(-2), LIB DEM 31%(+3)
    Harris in Metro … CON 32%(-2), LAB 25%(-1), LIB DEM 30%(+1)
    ComRes for ITV/ITN … CON 36%(+3), LAB 29%(nc), LDEM 26%(-3)

The ComRes poll, though the last officially to be published, was the first I heard about (under embargo) – it’s fair to say, I had a slight sinking feeling in my stomach: was this the end of the Lib Dem surge? Well, it may be: but significantly two other polls show the party still at 30% or more. We should remember all the flucutations reported …

Continue reading »
Posted in Polls | 19 Comments
Mark Pack

New film attacks Tory marriage tax plans

By Mark Pack | Wed 28th April 2010 - 8:20 pm

Last week The Voice ran a piece from Eleanor Black of the Don’t Judge My Family Campaign opposing Conservative plans to introduce a tax break for marriage.

The campaign has now released a new film:

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 2 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • David Allen
    Governments have repeatedly tried and failed to solve the problem of unpredictable but potentially very high late-life social care costs. Burnham has come up w...
  • tony/Cumbria
    I too am saddened that Christine will not be fighting the next general election. The way she was treated by the leadership in England and now, Scotland, I am no...
  • Peter Davies
    @Paul Barbour as of 2024 less than 18% of the population was over 65. What is your definition of soon?...
  • Michael Bukola
    Solidarity with you Ruth on this. We may only have one chance to eliminate private equity profiteering in England's adult social care sector. Reforms by the gov...
  • vince thurnell
    I am 61 so just coming up to retirement and can honestly say that I would be happy to give up one part of the triple lock if it means me getting free care at ho...