Liberal Democrat Voice

Jo Swinson target of anonymous smear campaign

By Stephen Tall | Mon 12th April 2010 - 6:50 pm

This how today’s Sun reports the story:

A LIB-DEM MP has called in cops after an anonymous smear campaign was launched against her. Trouble-makers claiming to represent the East Dunbartonshire Taxpayers’ Alliance have sent letters to hundreds of voters across the region blackening the name of Jo Swinson, who is standing again on May 6. …

Ms Swinson said: “I’ve reported it to the police and they are investigating because the anonymous nature of this makes it illegal. It is clearly designed to damage my chances but I think a lot of people have seen through it.”

She saddedd : “This is

…

Posted in General Election | Tagged east dunbartonshire, james graham, Jo Swinson and mps expenses | Leave a comment

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LibLink: Mark Pack on ‘Constraints on election practices’

By NewsHound | Mon 12th April 2010 - 6:15 pm

When the Scotsman decided to write an article on election law – more specifically, the definitions and the constraints on what a political party and each candidate may do as set out in two much-amended pieces of legislation, the Representation of the Peoples Act 1983 and the Political Parties and Elections Act 2000 – they knew who to ask: LDV’s Co-Editor Mark Pack, the inspiration for LDV’s sister site the Election Law Channel. Here’s an excerpt, focusing on spending limits:

Mark Pack of Mandate Communications, and formerly of the Liberal Democrats, says the major difference is that TV

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Posted in Election law and LibLink | Tagged Mark Pack | Leave a comment

LDVideo #GE2010 Election Special: Clegg promises fair tax system, warns of unrest over cuts

By Stephen Tall | Mon 12th April 2010 - 4:45 pm

Been too busy campaigning to watch the TV news this week? Then catch up here with three videos showing Nick Clegg on his election travels …

Nick Clegg promises ‘fair’ tax system – attacks Labour over its ”outrageously unfair” tax system

Clegg warns of unrest over cuts – Nick says Britain could be hit by “serious social strife” if Labour or the Tories win the election and introduce severe spending cuts.

Posted in YouTube | Tagged nick clegg | 1 Comment

BBC: ‘Lib Dem candidate withdraws amid police probe’

By The Voice | Mon 12th April 2010 - 4:30 pm

The BBC reports:

A Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate has withdrawn from the general election amid a police investigation, the party said. David Murray was standing for The Wrekin seat in Shropshire.

A Lib Dem spokesman confirmed he was no longer contesting the seat but said he could not comment further “due to an on-going police investigation”.

West Mercia Police said it could not comment or confirm if Mr Murray was being investigated.

The Lib Dem spokesman said: “Mr Murray, on the advice of the party, has withdrawn as the candidate in the forthcoming election. We are unable to comment further due to

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Posted in General Election | Tagged david murray and wrekin | 1 Comment

Congratulations to David Ford

By Alex Foster | Mon 12th April 2010 - 3:59 pm

Congratulations go from all at the Voice to David Ford, the leader of Alliance, the Northern Ireland sister party of the Liberal Democrats. The Northern Irish Assembly has voted David in as Justice Minister as other parties failed to find cross-community support.

The BBC reports

Before appointing a new minister, MLAs passed a vote to increase the number of devolved ministries at Stormont, to include the new Department of Justice.

Mr Ford will be in charge of the department with more than 4,000 employees and a budget of nearly £1.5bn.

He is the first Northern Ireland Justice minister since Westminster took policing

…

Posted in News | Tagged alliance, alliance party northern ireland, apni, david ford, justice ministry, northern ireland and psni | Leave a comment

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3 to see: Lib Dem #GE2010 campaign coverage (12/4/10)

By Stephen Tall | Mon 12th April 2010 - 3:45 pm

Pushed for time, but want to keep up-to-date with how the campaign’s going? Here are today’s must-reads …

Lib Dems to accuse Labour of failing to deliver fair taxes (Guardian)

Tax is the issue of the day for the Lib Dems, with the party launching an attack on Labour for increasing taxes on the poor over the last 13 years:

According to party analysis of Treasury figures, the poorest 20% of people are losing more of their income in tax than they did in 1997, while the richest 20% are paying less. …

Clegg will say: “On the day Labour launches its manifesto,

…

Posted in General Election | Leave a comment

Lib Dems on Labour’s manifesto: “Every Labour manifesto since 1997 has been full of promises they have broken”

By Stephen Tall | Mon 12th April 2010 - 3:20 pm

Here’s Lib Dem manifesto author Danny Alexander’s first take on the launch of Labour’s manifesto:

Every Labour manifesto since 1997 has been full of promises they have broken. They simply can’t be trusted to do a single thing they say. The tax system is less fair than when Labour came to power. The only party that is committed to making Britain fairer is the Liberal Democrats.”

And to support Danny’s comments, the party has today issued a report card self-explanatorily titled Labour’s Broken Promises comparing Labour’s 2001 manifesto pledges with the reality almost a decade on. Here’s what it says:

1. Long-term economic stability – FAILED

1.3 million jobs have been lost

Posted in General Election | Tagged Danny Alexander and labour party | 2 Comments

Didn’t quite turn out like that, did it?

By Mark Pack | Mon 12th April 2010 - 2:50 pm

This is from Labour’s 2005 manifesto:

Extract from Labour's 2005 general election manifesto

Posted in News | Tagged labour party | Leave a comment

Top of the Blogs: The Golden Dozen #164

By Stephen Tall | Mon 12th April 2010 - 1:45 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 164th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (4th-10th April, 2010), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.

Don’t forget: you can now sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox – just click here – ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging.

As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:

Posted in Best of the blogs | Leave a comment

New government powers to snoop on your post – forced through by Labour and Tories

By Mark Pack | Mon 12th April 2010 - 12:20 pm

The ramming through of the Digital Economy Bill during Parliament’s ‘wash-up’ period has got the most attention, online at least. However there is another measure that was forced through, and this one without even a proper vote, which should have people up in arms.

A change to Section 106 of the Postal Services Act 2000 might not at first sound that important, but the change means that in future postal operators (such as the Royal Mail) can decide to detain any item of post and send it on to Customs and Excise for inspection.

Previously this could be done, but only if …

Posted in News and Parliament | Tagged civil liberties, evan harris and featured | 9 Comments

Opinion: An open letter to Lord Adonis

By Prateek Buch | Mon 12th April 2010 - 11:18 am

Dear Lord Adonis (may I call you Andrew…?),

I read with interest your views on the similarities between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. It is with grace that Lib Dems accept your praise for Liberal politicians of the past, from Gladstone to Keynes and Beveridge via Lloyd George – many thanks for the history lesson, much appreciated. In return, most Liberal Democrats have no trouble acknowledging that in your 13 years in power, New Labour has introduced some progressive measures, including legislation on civil partnerships, the Freedom of Information Act and some constitutional and Parliamentary reforms (we shall revisit the …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged andrew adonis and difference | 6 Comments

Is this the next candidate to be axed for their online insults?

By Ryan Cullen | Mon 12th April 2010 - 10:20 am

On Friday the new and traditional media were full of the tale of Stuart MacLennan, whose foul tirades led to his removal as the Labour parliamentary candidate for Moray. Amongst those leading the calls for his removal were the head on the Conservative’s press office, Henry Macrory and the Conservative Party leader David Cameron, who described the remarks as “pretty appalling“.

So you might wonder what the Conservative hierarchy might think of a candidate who posted this:

The blog

…

Posted in News and Online politics | Tagged chris hawes, david cameron, henry macrory, ian oakley and stuart maclennan | 27 Comments

Election timetable: this week’s deadlines

By Mark Pack | Mon 12th April 2010 - 8:50 am

The deadlines coming up this week are:

Proclamation of dissolution / issue of general election writ: Monday 12 April
Statement of persons nominated for local government election: Noon on Monday 12 April
Receipt of general election writ: (Probable date) Tuesday 13 April
Publication of notice of general election: (Probable date) Tuesday 13 April
Deadline for withdrawal of nominations for local government election: Noon on Tuesday 13 April
Deadline for appointment of election agents for local government election: Noon on Tuesday 13 April
General election nominations begin: (Probable

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Posted in Election law | Tagged election timetable | Leave a comment

Is David Herdson right about Labour and the Lib Dems?

By Mark Pack | Sun 11th April 2010 - 11:27 pm

Over on Political Betting, David Herdson has several times made comments such as this:

Since the start of March, there have been sixty national opinion polls published and they have shown a remarkable consistency in the total share identified for Labour plus Lib Dems. When one party rises, the other tends to fall.

I’ve been intrigued by this because David certainly knows his stuff, but that’s not been my impression of the data – which has been that changes in Lib Dem support are more equally balanced between Labour and Tory than the much more lopsided position David suggests.

So I’ve done …

Posted in Polls | Tagged david herdson and politicalbetting.com | 8 Comments

Don’t take it out on Vince, guys, just ‘cos you’re stuck with George

By Stephen Tall | Sun 11th April 2010 - 8:30 pm

I’ve been amused to see the rush-to-rubbish Vince Cable today among some right-wing bloggers following his appearance on BBC1’s The Politics Show.

Iain Dale (but of course) was first up to tweet: “Well done Jon Sopel for finally exposing Vince Cable as the overrated flipflopper that he is.” He was soon followed by ConservativeHome’s Tim Montgomerie, and Wall Street Journal’s Iain Martin, who has a pet-obsession with Vince’s popularity.

Having missed the show at lunchtime, I sat down nervously to catch up on iPlayer (Vince’s inteview begins about 3 minutes in) fully expecting him to be eviscerated by Jon Sopel.

In fact, what I watched was a robust interview in which Vince more than held his own, and made the key points that (1) the Labservatives have consistently opposed Lib Dem attempts to clean up our politics, and (2) the Tories need to explain how they’re going to fund their various tax-cuts if not through raising VAT.

Why have the Tories got it in for Vince?

Which left me wondering: what got Iain, Tim and Iain so excited that they dashed into the twitblogosphere to try and swing the media narrative against Vince? (Besides the inevitable election-time partisan point-scoring, that is).

Posted in General Election and Op-eds | Tagged andrew neil, george osborne, iain dale, iain martin, tim montgomerie and vince cable | 13 Comments

Joan Ruddock and the Iraq war: an unusual self-description

By Mark Pack | Sun 11th April 2010 - 7:50 pm

Joan Ruddock didn’t vote in four of the six key Parliamentary votes on going to war in Iraq used by the independent Public Whip website (which sorts and reformats the official Parliamentary voting records) to analyse MPs’ voting records on the war.

So how do you think Joan Ruddock describes this two-thirds absent record in a target letter to voters?

This is how:

I have always acted with integrity and stuck to my principles – voting against the government going to war in Iraq.

As local Liberal Democrat blogger Max puts it:

So, I don’t think she’s being straight at all by saying

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Posted in News | Tagged joan ruddock, lewisham deptford and tamora langley | 6 Comments

The Independent View: Asking business leaders to think again

By Katy Wells | Sun 11th April 2010 - 5:50 pm

This week, leaders of some of the UK’s biggest businesses came out in support of George Osborne’s plans to reverse Labour’s proposed National Insurance rise. In a letter to the Telegraph, they argue that the reversal, to be funded by an extra £6 billion’s worth of efficiency savings, is needed to protect jobs keep Britain’s economic recovery on track.

38 Degrees has launched a campaign to persuade these business leaders to change their minds. We’re concerned that their outcry might have less to do with concerns about job-losses, and more to do with the effect that the increases in their financial …

Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Tagged 38 degrees, george osborne and national insurance | 2 Comments

LibLink: Mark Pack – It ain’t just that swing

By NewsHound | Sun 11th April 2010 - 4:50 pm

Over at The Guardian’s Comment Is Free website, LDV Co-Editor Mark Pack explains why ‘uniform national swing’ probably won’t help to predict the election result. Here’s an excerpt:

… UNS predictions based on the correct vote shares are far from perfect. In the last three general elections, UNS predicted the Conservatives would get 42 seats more than they did (1997), 15 more (2001) and 13 less (2005). For Labour UNS predicted 23 too few (1997), 10 too few (2001) and 14 too many (2005). For the Liberal Democrats it was 18 too few (1997), 5 too few (2001) and spot on

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Posted in LibLink and Polls | Tagged Mark Pack | Leave a comment

Andrew Rosindell runs into a spot of bother with his posters

By The Voice | Sun 11th April 2010 - 3:50 pm

Conservative MP for Romford Andrew Rosindell has again raised doubts about his team’s tactics and ability to run a joined-up campaign.

In March, Left Foot Forward asked Did Rosindell deliver the leaflets he denies approving? – leaflets which included alarmist comments about immigration.

Now the Romford Recorder reports:

Romford’s Tory parliamentary candidate, and sitting MP, has been breaking the rules while canvassing for the May 6 election, says a political opponent.

Andrew Rosindell was accused of fly-posting in Havering-atte-Bower – pinning election posters and placards to trees on the highway without permission – and parking unauthorised with two wheels on the pavement while

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Posted in News | Tagged andrew rosindell, havering and romford | 3 Comments

Opinion: A Future Fair for Whom?

By Thorne Godinho | Sun 11th April 2010 - 2:30 pm

Thorne Godinho is a member of the Democratic Alliance, the Lib Dems’ sister party in South Africa.

Since 1997 the United Kingdom has brought in new laws that many fascists would wholeheartedly admire. Civil liberties, individual freedoms, personal autonomy and private property rights are ignored by the Labour-run government – who would rather pursue their idea of a better society, than a free one.

Tony Blair’s dynamic leadership, coupled with the more centrist vision of his party, won New Labour the election in 1997; but 13 years of Labour rule has shown that the former socialist party is still essentially …

Posted in Op-eds | 6 Comments

3 to see: Lib Dem #GE2010 campaign coverage (11/4/10)

By Stephen Tall | Sun 11th April 2010 - 1:30 pm

Pushed for time, but want to keep up-to-date with how the campaign’s going? Here are today’s must-reads ….

Nick Clegg launches policies for families (Lib Dems)

As the Tories launched their tax-war on widows, working couples and jilted wives, Nick Clegg was spelling out his priority: “We will cut taxes for all working families on low and middle incomes, not just a select few.” Launching the party’s policies for families – focusing on fair taxes, high-quality child-care, flexible working, care for older people, and affordable homes – Nick commented:

Modern families come in all shapes and sizes. One-size fits all policies

…

Posted in General Election | Tagged andrew rawnsley, family and nick clegg | 1 Comment

Opinion: Deutschland über Europa? And why the UK should care

By Mike Guillaume | Sun 11th April 2010 - 12:20 pm

Since the World Cup of 1966 there has been a number of occasions for the British to hear the first lines of the former German national anthem: “Deutschland über alles. Über alles in der Welt” (“Germany above all, above all in the world”). Should a new line been added in the wake of the recent Greek crisis, and in the wait for the next one? Then it would go as “German above Europe”.

As the third major country in the EU, with France and Germany, the UK opinion and leaders should pay heed, even if this distracts a bit from home …

Posted in Europe / International and Op-eds | Tagged european union and germany | 18 Comments

Pollwatch Day 5 #GE2010 – Lib Dems at 20%, Lab 30%, Tories 39%

By Stephen Tall | Sun 11th April 2010 - 12:00 pm

Three new polls today:

(There is also a poll in the Mail on Sunday – but, as it’s by the dubious BPIX, we’re not giving it house-room here on LDV).

There is for the first time in this campaign a small shift in Anthony Wells’ UK Polling Report ‘poll of polls’, with the Tories nudging up 1%, and Lib Dems and Labour …

Posted in General Election and Polls | 2 Comments

Sunday Mirror plunges to new low in poll “reporting”

By Mark Pack | Sun 11th April 2010 - 11:05 am

So, you commission a poll from ComRes.

It shows a Conservative lead of 7%.

Just like the previous ComRes poll.

So what headline do you put on the story?

Why “Tory lead cut to just 7 points” of course.

Take a bow, Sunday Mirror who seems to be following in the footsteps of the Daily Mirror.

Posted in Polls | Tagged comres | 1 Comment

Once is a misfortune, but twice …? The Tory councillor who’s a repeat offender

By Stephen Tall | Sun 11th April 2010 - 10:30 am

Six months ago Lib Dem Voice featured Mrs Christine Roberts, a Tory councillor in the Cotswolds who landed herself in hot water after publicly labelling her Lib Dem opponents “morons”, and then refusing to apologise. Well, it turns out this wasn’t the first time she’d made gratutiously insults – only on the other occasions it was her residents who complained of her behaviour.

The local paper reports:

FORMER Fairford mayor Chris Roberts has been found guilty of breaching the councillors code of conduct following her involvement in the Village Green saga. … Fairford Environmental Societ members Suzanne Jones and

…

Posted in Local government | Tagged chris roberts, conservative party and standards board | Leave a comment

Labour and their big databases

By Ryan Cullen | Sun 11th April 2010 - 9:22 am

People often wonder why the Liberal Democrats are opposed to having large centralised databases containing every piece of information about you that you may have once mentioned.

However today’s Sunday Times leads with this story:

Labour hit by cancer leaflet row

LABOUR has become embroiled in a row about the use of personal data after sending cancer patients alarmist mailshots saying their lives could be at risk under a Conservative government.

Cards addressed to sufferers by name warn that a Labour guarantee to see a cancer specialist within two weeks would be scrapped by the Tories. Labour claims the Conservatives would also do

…

Posted in Big mad database and General Election | 9 Comments

Daily View 2×2: 10 April 2010 – featuring a Monty Python political broadcast

By Mark Pack | Sun 11th April 2010 - 9:00 am

It’s Sunday. It’s 9am. It’s time for some Monty Python, but first the news.

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

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

Labour’s totally contradictory messages – in the same leaflet! Jonathan Wallace highlights the Labour leaflet that contradicts itself on successive pages
Question Time Woking – Did I tell you I was there? 😉 Lisa Harding tells the tale

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.

2 Big Stories

Katyn touches another Polish generation

Posted in Daily View | Tagged climate change, lech kaczynski and poland | 1 Comment

Stockton North: deselected Labour MP to run as an independent

By Mark Pack | Sat 10th April 2010 - 8:12 pm

The Independent has the news:

A veteran Labour MP who was deselected by his party more than two years ago has announced that he would stand at the General Election as an independent.

Frank Cook, MP for Stockton North, attacked the Labour Party, saying it was no longer the party he joined nearly 60 years ago.

Philip Latham is the Liberal Democrat candidate in the seat.

Posted in News | Tagged frank cook, philip latham and stockton north | 3 Comments

LibLink: Stephen Tall – I’m not seduced by Adonis

By NewsHound | Sat 10th April 2010 - 7:20 pm

Over at The Guardian’s Comment Is Free website, LDV Co-Editor Stephen Tall has a pop at Labour’s Lord Adonis for begging for Lib Dem votes, aguing that left-liberal voters have been let down by both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown – so we’re scarcely inclined to prop them up now. Here’s an excerpt:

There is a respectable argument for tactical voting, given our clunking electoral system. And if Lord Adonis really wants to pursue his “don’t let the Tories in” scare tactic to its logical conclusion, it’s very clear what progressives should do in Lib Dem-Tory marginals: vote Lib Dem. And

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Posted in LibLink | Tagged lord adonis, stephen tall and tactical voting | 3 Comments

LDVideo #GE2010 Election Special: Clegg on the Campaign Trail

By Stephen Tall | Sat 10th April 2010 - 6:20 pm

Been too busy campaigning to watch the TV news this week? Then catch up here with three videos showing Nick Clegg on his election travels …

Nick sets out the Lib Dems’ consumer manifesto:

Nick charms pensioners in Cardiff:

Posted in YouTube | Tagged nick clegg | Leave a comment

Op-eds

Keep the earnings link: don’t repeat the mistakes of the 80s (Chris Perry)
Where have we heard this one before? Labour and electoral reform (Jack Meredith)
A national care service – questions for Burnham (and us) (Ruth Bright)
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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Vince Cable writes: Drill, baby, drill…or not

Lib Dems must do better on Burnham

Britain should be proud, but never afraid of the stranger

Lib Dem Women: Amplifying women’s voices at Conference

Jo Swinson target of anonymous smear campaign

LibLink: Mark Pack on ‘Constraints on election practices’

LDVideo #GE2010 Election Special: Clegg promises fair tax system, warns of unrest over cuts

BBC: ‘Lib Dem candidate withdraws amid police probe’

Congratulations to David Ford

3 to see: Lib Dem #GE2010 campaign coverage (12/4/10)

Lib Dems on Labour’s manifesto: “Every Labour manifesto since 1997 has been full of promises they have broken”

Didn’t quite turn out like that, did it?

Top of the Blogs: The Golden Dozen #164

New government powers to snoop on your post – forced through by Labour and Tories

Opinion: An open letter to Lord Adonis

Is this the next candidate to be axed for their online insults?

Election timetable: this week’s deadlines

Is David Herdson right about Labour and the Lib Dems?