Liberal Democrat Voice

Daily View 2×2: 22 January 2010

By Helen Duffett | Fri 22nd January 2010 - 11:14 am

It’s January 22nd. It’s one year to the day since President Obama ordered Guantánamo Bay detention camp to be closed – within one year.

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

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

How good is the Taliban internal communications department?

Rob Blackie asks this because the Taliban have issued their members with a code of conduct:

As anyone in internal communications will tell you – it’s getting people to read and internalise this sort of guidance that’s difficult.

How long does it take to deliver leaflets to the whole parliamentary consituency?

asks Philip Ling, Lib Dem PPC for Bromsgrove. Read on to find out his answer, and to take a couple of bundles off his hands.

Posted in Daily View | Tagged gordon brown, guantanamo bay, iraq, nick clegg, philip ling, rob blackie and taliban | Leave a comment

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Writing to an MP? Best enclose an SAE

By Iain Roberts | Fri 22nd January 2010 - 10:30 am

We have a decent amount of debate about the role of MPs – in particular whether they should be spending less time sorting out their constituents’ problems and more in Westminster holding the Government to account and taking part in the law-making process.

So it may be instructive to see how W.J. Brown MP saw the role back in 1945.

In addition to debating in the chamber, Brown described the role of an MP (and I’m not sure if he intended these to be in order of importance) as:

1. Representing the local interests of his constituency and see that they get …

Posted in Parliament | 3 Comments

Brown to face Iraq inquiry soon thanks to Clegg pressure

By Stephen Tall | Fri 22nd January 2010 - 9:55 am

It’s nine days since Nick Clegg challenged Gordon Brown to volunteer to appear before Sir John Chilcot’s inquiry into the Iraq war this side of the general election “before people decide how to vote on his record in government?” And now it seems that Nick’s pressure has paid off – the BBC reports:

Gordon Brown will give evidence to the Iraq Inquiry before the general election, the BBC understands.

Mr Brown, who has said he is “happy” to face the inquiry whenever called, had been under pressure to do so before the election, which must be held by June.

The inquiry’s chairman is expected to confirm later that the PM will be asked to appear but will not set a date. However, the BBC understands he will appear in late February or early March.

You can re-live the exchange between Nick and Mr Brown, either on video courtesy the BBC or via the Hansard transcript, here on LDV.

Nick has welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision to face the Chilcot Inquiry:

It is well known that the Prime Minister was a key figure in Britain’s decision to invade Iraq. It is only right that Gordon Brown should explain his role in this disastrous foreign policy failure before asking the British people for their vote.”

This is an excellent result for Nick. Good in its own right: the Prime Minister should be asked about his role in the invasion of Iraq. And good for Nick’s growing stature as leader: once again, as over the Gurkhas and Michael Martin, it is Nick who is making the running, and punching above his weight at Prime Minister’s Questions.

This in stark contrast to David Cameron, whose string of lacklustre Commons’ performances are beginning to be noticed even by his friends at The Spectator. Here’s how the magazine’s Coffee House blog compared the performances of Nick and the Tory leader at this week’s PMQs:

The LibDem leader took a pop at Labour with a very smart weapon. He wondered why the government hadn’t acted to stop RBS lending tax-payers’ money to Kraft which is about to sack Cadburys staff. That’s three bogymen in one. … hate him because they can see he’s capable, plucky and politically shrewd. The house has strange ways of honouring talent. …

Cameron risks turning into the Rafa Benitez of Westminster. He’s living on a reputation which is rapidly fading from memory.

Posted in Parliament and PMQs | Tagged chilcot inquiry, david cameron, gordon brown, iraq, nick clegg and PMQs | 2 Comments

Ballot box security: adding your own seals

By Mark Pack | Thu 21st January 2010 - 10:39 pm

Although it’s normal for candidates to leave the security of ballot boxes firmly in the hands of elections staff, there is in fact a long-standing legal right dating back to the 1872 Ballot Act for candidates to put their own seals on ballot boxes.

It is a right that is only rarely used, such as in the 1999 European elections in Haringey. The Conservatives decided to put their own seals on ballot boxes, motivated in part by the usual European rules requiring a 3 day delay between polling day (Thursday) and the count (Sunday). On that occasion the seals caused more concerns …

Posted in Election law | Tagged bnp and nick brown | 11 Comments

This is why the Editors’ Code of Practice needs reforming

By Mark Pack | Thu 21st January 2010 - 10:19 pm

It’s a small, but telling example.

The Evening Standard ran a piece from Simon Jenkins, which included a bit of myth-recycling about what the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health had said about people clearing snow from outside their property.

There were two problems.

First, either Simon Jenkins or a sub-ed dropped the word “probably” making the quote sound far more definitive that in the original version reported in other newspapers. (I suspect it was no innocent error because there was also a similar distortion of what Lord Davies said in Parliament.)

Second, the quote was – even in the full version – wrong. …

Posted in News | Tagged evening standard, institution of occupational heath and safety, journalism, simon jenkins and snow | 3 Comments

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Could Cameron cost Tories the West?

By Mark Pack | Thu 21st January 2010 - 7:40 pm

That’s the question posted by the Western Morning News’s London editor, Matt Chorley:

CONSERVATIVE high command make no secret of the importance of the Westcountry to their hopes of winning the general election, but there seems to be growing unease in the region about the impact (negative or non-existent) their leader is having on voters…

Speaking to MPs and PPCs from Devon, Cornwall and Somerset there is a distinct lack of confidence, even in private.

They talk about “hanging on” to seats, “picking up one or two” others. Don’t forget the Tories need to win an extra 10 seats in the three

…

Posted in News | Tagged caroline righton, conservative party and stephen gilbert | 8 Comments

When should the state intervene? RBS, Kraft & Cadbury and the Eternal Liberal Dilemma

By Stephen Tall | Thu 21st January 2010 - 7:00 pm

US firm Kraft’s proposed takeover of Cadbury’s has made headlines in recent days. First, because it’s a major, historic British brand being snapped-up by a non-UK business (or ‘foreign predator’, as Vince Cable labels them). Secondly, because of the fear that job losses will result. And, thirdly, because of the role of the Royal Bank of Scotland – in which the British government has a majority stake-holding – in lending the money to Kraft which will fund its acquisition of Cadbury’s.

The Lib Dems – in the shape of Nick Clegg and Vince – have sharply questioned the role of the Government in the takeover. At Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, Nick asked Gordon Brown:

… there is a simple principle at stake. Tens of thousands of British companies are crying out for that money to protect jobs, and instead RBS wants to lend it to a multinational with a record of cutting jobs. When British taxpayers bailed out the banks, they would never have believed that their money would be used to put British people out of work. Is that not just plain wrong?

Posted in Op-eds and PMQs | Tagged banking, cadbury's, economic liberalism, gordon brown, kraft, nick clegg, peter mandelson, PMQs, protectionism, rbs, recession and vince cable | 11 Comments

What will Cameron do next – as Polish friends show their prejudice once more?

By The Voice | Thu 21st January 2010 - 3:40 pm

Last week, LibDem Voice brought the news of Nick Clegg’s commitment to full rights and equality for gay, lesbian, transexual and transgendered people. In an article entitled ‘Clegg calls for full gay equality – what will Cameron do?’ it explained how Nick Clegg had ‘laid down the gauntlet to the Tory leader David Cameron to justify his ‘liberal Conservatism’ by following suit’.

Today comes another opportunity for Cameron to demonstrate his liberal conservative values. Twenty seven members of the Conservatives’ European Parliamentary allies, the Polish Law and Justice Party, are yet again targeting gays as they demand a government clampdown on paedophiles. Cameron …

Posted in News | Tagged david cameron, equalities, gay rights, law and justice party, nick clegg and stanislaw pieta | 1 Comment

Mass gathering in defence of street photography #phnat

By Helen Duffett | Thu 21st January 2010 - 2:42 pm

The campaign group I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! invites photographers to gather in London this Saturday in defence of street photography.

The Mass Photo Gathering is in Trafalgar Square at 12 noon on Saturday 23 January. (Map here.) Over 1,400 people have already confirmed their attendance via this Facebook page.

We’ve covered many cases, here at Lib Dem Voice, of anti-terrorist legislation being misused, particularly to detain photographers. Prompted by incidents like these, PHNAT calls on photographers, whether amateur or professional, as well as anyone who values visual imagery, “to defend our rights and stop the abuse of the terror laws.”

Posted in Events | Tagged #phnat, anti-terrorist legislation, european court of human rights and photography | 2 Comments

General election manifesto update

By Mark Pack | Thu 21st January 2010 - 12:20 pm

In the three months since I last blogged at length about the Liberal Democrat general election manifesto process, Danny Alexander (chair of the Manifesto Working Group) has won widespread praise for restoring a sense of peace, sense and order after the events around the party’s autumn conference.

On the two major flash points – mansion tax and tuition fees – hostilities have ceased and proposals been modified to win widespread support within the party. Tuition fees are still due to be scrapped, but over a longer timescale, and mansions are still due to be taxed, but with a narrower definition …

Posted in General Election and Party policy and internal matters | Tagged Danny Alexander, federal policy committee, general election manifesto and nick clegg | 5 Comments

Some campaigning advice doesn’t change

By Mark Pack | Thu 21st January 2010 - 10:20 am

Election literature should never assume knowledge on the part of the reader. It should concisely, and in the plainest language possible, relate what has to be told. One fault of the bulk of election literature is that whilst suitable for a highly cultured and favoured class of people, it is almost useless for the ordinary elector who, intelligent and quick enough in the ordinary way, is not a close political student, conversant with every detail of the Parliamentary doings of the day.

Posted in News | 2 Comments

Lib Dem MPs split on Euro referendum?

By Stephen Tall | Thu 21st January 2010 - 9:50 am

Almost two years ago, in the early weeks of Nick Clegg’s leadership, the Lib Dem parliamentary party managed to tie itself in knots over the question of whether to support a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. In the end three frontbenchers, David Heath, Tim Farron and Alistair Carmichael, quit after defying the party’s three-line whip to oppose a referendum.

Well, Sky News has the interesting story that the party still hasn’t managed to get its line straight and agreed, re-opening that split:

Now it seems to be deja vu all over again, with a new Lib Dem split in voting

…

Posted in Europe / International | Tagged Alistair Carmichael, david heath, ed davey, European referendum, john hemming, lembit opik, lisbon treaty, mike hancock and tim farron | 9 Comments

Daily View 2×2: 21 January 2010

By Alex Foster | Thu 21st January 2010 - 8:30 am

Good morning and welcome to Daily View. If you submit a tax return, there are hardly any days left to get on with it.

On this day in 1908, New York City voted to ban women from smoking in public. Two years ago, Black Monday did a number on the world’s stock markets.

In birthdays, we sing a song to Commander in Chief star Geena Davis and Christian Dior, who were born today.

And in deaths, we remember George Orwell – and use him as an excuse to pimp this link – a cartoon that fears that when it comes to dystopias, it was Aldous Huxley who nailed it, rather than George Orwell.

2 Big Stories

Stop the presses!

Men are wearing shorts in the snow in New York.

Posted in Daily View | Tagged #fab10, aldous huxley, charles masterman, christian dior, geena davis, george orwell, james graham, jonathan calder, liberal england, new york, NHS, smoking, snow and sullivan ordinance | 5 Comments

New poll shows strong public support for reform of the Press Complaints Commission

By Mark Pack | Thu 21st January 2010 - 7:50 am

A series of proposals to reform the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) have won the backing of the public in a new IPSOS-MORI poll (8-17 January, 980 individuals) commissioned by the Media Standards Trust:

By a 61% margin the public believe the chief purpose of this body should be to monitor compliance with the code of practice and conduct investigations where there is public concern rather than its current chief purpose of mediating on complaints between newspapers and complainants (73% – 12%)
By a 44% margin the public back an independent regulatory body over the current industry-run arrangements (52% – 8%)
By a 43%

…

Posted in News | Tagged ipsos-mori, martin moore, media standards trust and press complaints commission | 2 Comments

Peter Tatchell writes … Is Museveni the new Mugabe?

By Peter Tatchell | Wed 20th January 2010 - 3:45 pm

Peter Tatchell reports on Uganda’s drift to authoritarianism …

Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, was once seen as the country’s great democratic saviour. Increasingly, he is becoming ever-more tyrannical, repeatedly violating the democratic and human rights principles of the African Union, United Nations and the Commonwealth. The international community is mute. It colludes with his regime.

How odd. World leaders readily condemn President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan – but they happily fund and support Museveni. Why the double standards? How can they justify such silence and inaction?

President Museveni’s Ugandan critics say his regime is a constitutional …

Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Tagged uganda and yoweri museveni | 16 Comments

Opinion: a salty problem for local lovers

By Chris White | Wed 20th January 2010 - 1:50 pm

I have made myself unpopular in some quarters this week by refusing to back a motion to Federal Conference which would create two new statutory duties: on local authorities to stockpile a certain quantity of salt and on householders to clear snow from the pavements in front of their homes. This, I am assured (and believe) is common in other parts of Europe.

There are two problems here: one is liberalism and the other is localism.

The potential legal obligation to clear snow from the pavements actually falls to pieces in practical terms long before it becomes an issue of principle: is …

Posted in Op-eds | 12 Comments

The Independent View: How do we stop the growth of the surveillance state?

By Simon Davies | Wed 20th January 2010 - 12:50 pm

From any dispassionate view, it’s clear that the Liberal Democrats have consistently believed that the protection of our right to privacy is vital for a free and open society.

However, protecting that fragile right is a complex process that requires genuine and tangible policy objectives that will make a real difference. To reverse the rise of surveillance is a task that goes to the heart of how we are governed. Making a real difference will require a courageous agenda of change that reaches deep into the powerful institutions of parliament and government.

There is no doubt in the …

Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Tagged human rights act, privacy and surveillance | 6 Comments

Opinion: Who to Blame for the Democrats’ Loss In Massachusetts? Blame Me.

By Karin Robinson | Wed 20th January 2010 - 11:45 am

Last night Martha Coakley, the Democratic candidate for Massachusetts Senate, lost by 5 points a race that just weeks ago everyone was declaring hers by right. And even before the polls closed it seemed like everyone was playing the blame game.

Coakley’s team and the White House pointed the fingers at each other. Some are blaming the economy, the excellence of Republican candidate Scott Brown (our first centrefold Senator, history should note), or Coakleys repeated Red Sox related gaffs. There’s even a “Drunk Electorate” theory. All of these factors surely played some part.

I’d add in that to …

Posted in LDVUSA and Op-eds | Tagged barack obama, democrats abroad, martha coackley, massachusetts, scott brown and supermajority | 13 Comments

Tackling crime: talking to and involving the public works

By Mark Pack | Wed 20th January 2010 - 10:20 am

The Home Office has recently published a review of the research into how to improve public confidence in the police. One of their conclusions? The very community politics idea, expressed in very New Labour vocabulary, that

The strategies most likely to be effective in improving confidence are initiatives aimed at increasing community engagement. Three out of the four interventions classified in the ‘what works’ evidence all included an element of communicating and engaging with the community (embedding neighbourhood policing; high quality community engagement; and using local-level communications/newsletters).

In other words: talk to people, listen to them and involve them. That is …

Posted in Local government and News | Tagged crime and home office | Leave a comment

Lib Dem PPC resigns over e-mail allegations

By Sara Bedford | Wed 20th January 2010 - 8:50 am

David Jack, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Stoke-on-Trent North, resigned yesterday after accusations that he sent a racist email to a constituent (but see update below).

David cited professional and personal issues as the reason for his decision to step down, but last night’s Channel 4 News gave details of an email allegedly sent by Mr Jack, which contained racist and abusive language. He has denied sending the email, claiming he was out drinking with friends at the time the email was sent.

Posted in News | Tagged christine grocock, david jack, stoke-on-trent and zulfiqar ali | 18 Comments

It’s Brown vs Brown on electoral reform

By Mark Pack | Wed 20th January 2010 - 8:28 am

In a weird display of the mutual weakness at the top of the Labour Party, the Prime Minister and Chief Whip are in disagreement over Gordon Brown’s plans to legislate for a referendum on AV (which would be held after the general election).

Earlier this week the Parliamentary Labour Party debated the proposal and ended up divided and without agreement.

Whilst Gordon Brown and, rather surprisingly given his views on the Liberal Democrats, Jack Straw are both in favour, prominent opponents include Chief Whip Nick Brown. He seems to be particularly motivated by fears that under AV he would lose …

Posted in News | Tagged electoral reform, gordon brown, jack straw and nick brown | Leave a comment

Daily View 2×2: 20 January 2010

By Iain Roberts | Wed 20th January 2010 - 7:27 am

A poem to start the day, this time from John Hegley, who’s even better seen in the flesh.

I said Pat
you are fat
and you are cataclysmically desirable
and to think I used to think
that slim was where it’s at
well not any more Pat
you’ve changed all that
you love yourself
you flatter yourself
you shatter their narrow image of the erotic
and Pat said
what do you mean FAT?

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

Posted in Daily View | Leave a comment

Two Conservative councillors switch; new Norfolk candidate selected

By Mark Pack | Tue 19th January 2010 - 10:54 pm

Welcome to Canncok Councillors Keith and Diane Bennett, who have switched from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats, and congratulations to Dan Roper who has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Broadland. Nich Starling says of him:

I am so pleased that my local Lib Dem candidate is genuinely the sort of person I would be proud to go out and campaign for. I wish him luck and will do whatever I can to help him.

Posted in Local government and Selection news | Tagged broadland, cannock chase council, dan roper and diane bennett | 3 Comments

Cable: “Liberal Democrats committed to Crossrail”

By Helen Duffett | Tue 19th January 2010 - 6:20 pm

Not exactly breaking news, but a reaffirming today of the Lib Dems’ backing for Crossrail, with a financial caveat:

Vince Cable has told the Evening Standard that the Liberal Democrats are backing Crossrail, the east-west railway now under construction in London:

The Liberal Democrats are fully committed to the Crossrail project and we certainly have no plans to scrap it.

However, as with all projects involving public sector money it is critical that Crossrail stays within its agreed budget.

Caroline Pidgeon, Chair of the London Assembly’s Transport Committee told Lib Dem Voice:

The Liberal Democrats have always been fully committed to

…

Posted in London and News | Tagged Caroline Pidgeon, crossrail, railways, transport and vince cable | 2 Comments

Senior Labour councillor defects to Haringey Lib Dems

By Helen Duffett | Tue 19th January 2010 - 5:33 pm

Councillor Brian Haley, one of the country’s most senior black Labour councillors, resigned from the Labour party today and joined the Liberal Democrats. He had been a Labour member for 16 years. His move comes after Haringey was rated one of the worst councils in the country.

This brings the number of Liberal Democrat Councillors in Haringey to 26 – well on course to take control of the council in May – while Labour now have 30.

Councillor Brian Haley, of St Ann’s Ward said:

Over the last few months it has become ever clearer that Labour has absolutely no vision to lift Haringey out of its current mess.

It is for this reason I have taken the difficult decision to leave Labour and join the only party that has the ideas and ability to turn things around.

The Liberal Democrats in Haringey are the only party with the drive and determination to provide local residents with the quality of service they deserve.

I would urge anyone wavering in their support for Labour to join me and back the Liberal Democrats which offers positive local change.

Posted in London and News | Tagged brian haley, defections, haringey, lynne featherstone and robert gorrie | 5 Comments

Julian Huppert writes … Campaigning in Cambridge

By Julian Huppert | Tue 19th January 2010 - 4:45 pm

Liberal Democrat members in Cambridge met last Friday evening to select the person to succeed David Howarth – as candidate, and we hope, as the city’s MP at the next election. Julian Huppert was the winner, and we invited him to introduce himself to LDV’s readers …

Being selected to stand for Parliament is always an honour. Being selected for Cambridge is especially so for me; it’s where I grew up, went to school and university, and still live.

And, of course, it’s a seat we hold, and have great hopes of continuing to hold. This is in no …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged cambridge | 2 Comments

“Reasonable to assume” BNP’s accounts break the law

By Mark Pack | Tue 19th January 2010 - 3:20 pm

Although The Observer headlined on questions over the legality of Lord Ashcroft’s donations to the Conservative Party, the news about the BNP is also of significance:

It has emerged that the Electoral Commission is to review the accounts of the British National party. The BNP submitted a revised set of accounts earlier this month, following concerns that the original set it had given to the commission had not been approved. Following an assessment of the revised accounts, the commission decided that it is “reasonable to assume” a breach of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act has occurred.

The development is

…

Posted in Election law | Tagged bnp, electoral commission and lord ashcroft | Leave a comment

Brown rediscovers his middle class roots

By Sara Bedford | Tue 19th January 2010 - 12:15 pm

Last weekend, the Fabian Society held their New Year conference, entitled ‘Causes to fight for’. I was fortunate to attend the conference on behalf of Liberal Democrat Voice, at the invitation of the Fabians. Over the next week, I will share with readers of LDV some of my thoughts and observations from the day. Today: the keynote speech from Gordon Brown.

Just over 30 months ago, Tony Blair made an over-emotional and stage-managed resignation speech. But as Brown’s long march to his inevitable anointment as party leader began, behind the scenes at Labour HQ a more rapid changeover took place, …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged #fab10, causes, centre, fabians, gordon brown and middle classes | 2 Comments

If you want to understand modern government, understand the Office of the Public Guardian

By Mark Pack | Tue 19th January 2010 - 11:20 am

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) neatly encapsulates much of how modern government is run, its weaknesses and the problems our democratic systems face in trying to control or improve bureaucracy.

The Office of the Public Guardian was created for the best of reasons following the 2005 Mental Capacity Act in order to administer a new Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) process by which people can lay down what should happen to them and who can make decisions for them if they lose the ability to decide for themselves.

Giving people more and clear control over their own lives is what government should do. Moreover, the OPG is, in theory, an accountable public body with annual reports, performance standards laid down by the Ministry of Justice and its operations open to questioning in Parliament.

But the reality of how it works also reveals the dark side of modern government.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged andrew selous, annette brooke, featured, ian taylor, lasting power of attorney, mental capacity act, office of the public guardian, paul burstow and tom brake | 6 Comments

Daily View 2×2: 19 January 2010

By Sara Bedford | Tue 19th January 2010 - 10:30 am

On this day in 1966, Indira Ghandi was elected as the first woman Prime Minister of India, whilst 20 years ago today, the rebel English cricket team, led by Mike Gatting, landed at Johannesburg airport.

Today we wish a happy 30th birthday to world champion Jenson Button and also commemorate the 132nd anniversary of the birth of former Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman. Voters go to the polls today in Massachusetts, to elect a Senator for the seat left vacant by the death of Edward Kennedy.

2 Big Stories

Cadbury agrees Kraft takeover bid

It seems that UK confectioner Cadbury has given up the …

Posted in Daily View | Tagged anders hanson, indira ghandi, jenson button, mark valladares and mike gatting | 1 Comment

Op-eds

By-Election Report 01.10.26 (Joe Nutt)
Picking our allies, a perspective on Israel/Palestine (Gillian Mosely)
Burnham is right to reform the triple lock; the Lib Dems should support it (James Hill)
Why I won’t Wayve goodbye to Black Cabs (Christian de Vartavan)
Keep the earnings link: don’t repeat the mistakes of the 80s (Chris Perry)

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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

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

2 Big Stories

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

2 Big Stories

Cadbury agrees Kraft takeover bid

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