Liberal Democrat Voice

The curious case of the Prince, the severed leg and the missing Rastafarian

By Mark Pack | Mon 28th July 2008 - 2:55 pm

Make of this photoshopping what you will.

Posted in News | Leave a comment

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Russell Johnston RIP

By The Voice | Mon 28th July 2008 - 11:58 am

A number of senior Lib Dem figures have paid their tributes to Russell Johnston, who served the party both as an MP and peer, and in so many other ways:

Former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy MP said:

I was deeply saddened to learn of Russell’s passing. I have lost a great friend and mentor, going right back to my high school days, never mind later in the Houses of Parliament.

“It is no exaggeration to say that Russell changed the face of Highland politics with his completely new approach to constituency representation at that time. His ideas and initiatives were instrumental in the establishment of the original Highlands and Islands Development Board. His work kept the flame of Scottish Home Rule and Europeanism alive through their darkest hours.

“A massive political presence has passed – one which is quite irreplaceable. My heartfelt sympathies go out to Joan and to the entire family.”

Posted in News | Tagged charles kennedy | 6 Comments

The PPC Files (1): the 3 worst things about being a Lib Dem parliamentary candidate

By Stephen Tall | Mon 28th July 2008 - 9:20 am

Imagine what it’s like to be a Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate – tasked with leading and motivating a group of diverse volunteers against all the odds, and organising foot-slogging campaigns on a shoe-string budget that will get you and the party noticed.

Lib Dem Voice contacted a dozen PPCs to find out what they really think about the experience. We guaranteed anonymity to ensure those responding felt able to say what they think, and not simply stick to the obligatory it’s-such-a-privilege line. Of the 12, seven are men and five women, and they include one ethnic minority candidate. The …

Posted in News | Tagged ppc files | 27 Comments

How many votes went missing in London? The Electoral Commission weighs in

By Mark Pack | Mon 28th July 2008 - 7:00 am

In the immediate aftermath of this May’s London Mayor and Assembly elections, it became clear that some mistakes had been made during the count. Some Mayor votes in Merton and Wandsworth were omitted from the count, and in addition the checking process was flawed as votes were reported from more wards than exist in London.

Neither of these errors were serious enough to suggest the wrong people were elected, but the next batch of problems to come to light, thanks to a report by the Open Rights Group, were on a much more significant scale:

Although the glitches are

…

Posted in London and News | Tagged boris johnson, electoral commission and open rights group | 5 Comments

Glass half empty or glass half full? ASEAN and Myanmar

By Mark Pack | Sat 26th July 2008 - 10:29 pm

Last week’s ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) meeting in Singapore produced some very muted criticism of the military junta in Myanmar:

ASEAN foreign ministers, frustrated after years of fruitless overtures to Myanmar to reform, expressed “deep disappointment” in a statement on Sunday that the ruling generals had extended Suu Kyi’s house arrest.

That’s nearly as softly worded a criticism as you could get, but just as it is extremely unusual for African leaders to criticise each other over their internal affairs, so is also the case in South East Asian. These words are therefore potentially a significant departure from the …

Posted in Europe / International | 2 Comments

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A new look for Lib Dem Blogs

By Mark Pack | Sat 26th July 2008 - 10:01 pm

Earlier today, Ryan unveiled a new design for Lib Dem Blogs. I really like it; not just the cleanness of the design, but also the new mute feature and the improved mobile phone support.

Ryan’s explained some of the thinking and features behind the new site on his blog. Since Lib Dem Blogs started there have been various attempts to copy the idea for other parties. None have come close to being as good or successful as Ryan’s efforts. So thanks Ryan – both for this new look and for running the service in the first place.

Posted in Online politics | 6 Comments

Calling all young Lib Dems: Meet the women and men who make the news

By The Voice | Sat 26th July 2008 - 3:40 pm

Journalists of the Press Gallery have started their annual search for the best young political writers of tomorrow in a competition designed to encourage students to voice their views on government and politics. The winners are invited to tour the Houses of Parliament and meet leading politicians and political journalists.

The topics for this year’s competition are:

Years 10-11: if you had half an hour to meet the Prime Minister, name one thing you would ask him to do to make Britain a better place, explaining why you think he should adopt your idea, and how …

Posted in Online politics | Leave a comment

Have you signed up for the Lib Dem conference yet?

By The Voice | Sat 26th July 2008 - 10:17 am

An email arrives at LDV Towers reminding party members that:

For those of you who have yet to register for the federal party conference in Bournemouth, please note the next price increase is fast approaching. Sign up before 31st July for the advance booker rate of £89. The late booker and on site registration rate will be £117, so make sure you catch this last-chance discount.

The agenda timetable will soon be on the website at www.libdems.org.uk/conference. Items not to be missed include:

o the ‘Make it Happen’ pre-manifesto debate
o the Leader’s Q&A hosted by Steve Richards of the Independent and
o the

…

Posted in Conference | 2 Comments

First ever LDV members’ survey

By Stephen Tall | Fri 25th July 2008 - 6:24 pm

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 on a range of current issues in our August members’ survey. Topics we are asking your opinion on include:

– the party’s performance in recent by-elections;
– the launch of Make it Happen, and what you think of the tax-cutting proposals;
– your views on Nick Clegg’s leadership;
– whether the Lib Dems are on the right/wrong track;
– and your chance to rate the individual members of the Lib …

Posted in Voice polls | 9 Comments

Are you a Lib Dem living in Cornwall?

By The Voice | Fri 25th July 2008 - 5:30 pm

If so, you might want to know that the Western Morning News – the south-west’s regional newspaper – is holding a readers’ Q&A event with David Cameron in Cornwall next week.

Do you have a question for Dave? Perhaps: “What did you really think when David Davis told you he was resigning?” Or “How are you getting around without your bike, with only a chauffeur-driven car to rely on?” You can attend in person or submit questions online. Full details here.

Posted in Online politics | Leave a comment

The question isn’t: ‘Should Labour replace Gordon Brown?’ It’s ‘Why would anyone want to succeed him?’

By Stephen Tall | Fri 25th July 2008 - 11:10 am

Last night’s stunning SNP victory in Glasgow East caps one of the worst six months for the Labour party in at least 25 years. Policy gaffes and u-turns; a deeply unpopular leader; and catastrophic election defeats across the country – it doesn’t get much worse than this.

The time has now passed when the question could genuinely be asked whether it is in Labour’s interest to replace Gordon Brown as leader. The answer is just too obvious: of course they should, and (if it can be achieved in a dignified way) the sooner the better. It isn’t just a matter …

Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged david miliband, glasgow east by-election and james purnell | 11 Comments

Glasgow East and the Lib Dems

By Stephen Tall | Fri 25th July 2008 - 10:46 am

Well, let’s not pretend it was a great result: losing three-quarters of your support is rarely likely to cheer a party up. But it would be equally silly to read anything of great significance into it, either. As I pointed out yesterday, in the 1999 Hamilton South by-election the Lib Dems trailed in a pretty dire sixth place: it meant diddly-squat for the party’s fortunes at the subsequent general election.

Yes, it’s true, the Tories managed only to suffer a small drop in support. But, then, it’s not much of a surprise to anyone to learn that the …

Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged glasgow east by-election | 30 Comments

SNP win in Glasgow East

By Mark Pack | Fri 25th July 2008 - 7:47 am

The result:

SNP 11,277 43.1% (+26.1%)
Labour 10,912 41.7% (-19.0)
Conservative 1,639 6.3% (-0.6)
Liberal Democrat 915 3.5% (-8.3)

Majority 365 1.4%
Turnout 42.3% (-6.0)

Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged glasgow east by-election | 25 Comments

Obama in Berlin: “This is the moment”

By The Voice | Fri 25th July 2008 - 12:02 am

The Democratic candidate for President addresses a crowd of ~~100,000~~, ~~200,000~~, ~~1,000,000~~ who-knows-how-many? in the German capital city. All 25 minutes are here for your viewing delectation:

Posted in LDVUSA | 2 Comments

Watford update: Ian Oakley charged by the police

By Mark Pack | Thu 24th July 2008 - 10:38 pm

Ian Oakley, the Conservative Watford candidate who was arrested by the police last week (and subsequently resigned as the Conservative candidate), has now been charged:

TORY hopeful Ian Oakley has been charged by police for his alleged involvement in a three-year hate vendetta.

The 31-year-old former Conservative parliamentary candidate, who quit the party this week, was charged by police in relation to five counts of criminal damage and two counts of harassment.

Posted in News | 3 Comments

Scottish Lib Dem leader nominations close

By Stephen Tall | Thu 24th July 2008 - 1:31 pm

The Press Association reports the (unsurprising) news:

The deadline for nominations in the race to lead the Scottish Liberal Democrats has closed with no late challengers in the three-way campaign.

Mike Rumbles and former ministers Tavish Scott and Ross Finnie will now concentrate on winning party support before the poll on August 26.

The candidates are hoping to succeed Aberdeen South MSP Nicol Stephen, who quit the top job earlier this month citing family reasons.

Posted in Leadership Election and Scotland | Tagged nicol stephen and tavish scott | Leave a comment

Open (speculation) thread: What do you think will happen in Glagow East – and will it matter?

By Stephen Tall | Thu 24th July 2008 - 1:07 pm

What is it about parliamentary by-elections? You wait ages for one, then four come along at once. Hot-on-the-heels of Crewe and Nantwich, Henley and Haltemprice & Howden is Glasgow East, theoretically at least a safe Labour seat. Here was the result at the 2005 general election:

David Marshall, Labour 18,775 (61%)
Lachlan McNeill, Scottish National Party 5,268 (17%)
David Jackson, Liberal Democrat 3,665 (12%)
Carl Thomson, Conservative 2,135 (7%)
George Savage, Scottish Socialist Party 1,096 (4%)
Labour majority: 13,507 (44%), Turnout: 48%

It’s clear enough this is the proverbial two-horse race for first position, with the SNP apparently breathing down the Labour party’s neck. It would …

Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged glasgow east by-election | 63 Comments

Memo to the party re: Bones Commission – time to get with the Internet!

By Stephen Tall | Thu 24th July 2008 - 9:08 am

Last week, the Lib Dem blogopshere lit up following a report in The Times alleging that the Bones Commission on reforming the party’s structures would “turn the party’s traditional structure on its head, centralising all decision-making under a new “chief officers group” and diluting the roles of its committees.” Nick Clegg himself addressed some of the concerns in an article for Lib Dem Voice last week.

Inevitably much of the speculation is just that, as few outside of the party’s inner circles have yet seen the report. And fair enough, to a great extent. After all, the report was …

Posted in News | Tagged chris bones, chris rennard and party reform commission | 4 Comments

Cameron stages photo op to publicise donor’s firm

By Mark Pack | Wed 23rd July 2008 - 10:45 pm

As the Evening Standard reports:

David Cameron is being accused of rewarding Tory donors with free publicity.

The charge came after he went to the training centre for trucking firm Scania to publicise an announcement on new apprenticeships.

Scania’s UK distributor is businessman Chris Kelly, the deputy chairman of a donors group called the Midlands Industrial Council, which has given £561,780 to the Conservatives since MrCameron became leader. It is not the first time Mr Cameron has staged photo-opportunities at factories run by donors. On a trip to Sweden last year he visited a Scania factory.

In May 2006 he opened a

…

Posted in News | Tagged ConservativeHome and midlands industrial council | 9 Comments

The Independent View: The accidental superpower called Europe

By Daniel Furr | Wed 23rd July 2008 - 6:29 pm

Ever since the formation of a political union in Europe, the Continent has battled between liberalism and socialism (or left vs right) – the argument was mainly based around economic reform. This problem still persists today, with France resisting the free market approach and Germany unwilling to restrict trade union power.

France and Germany, at first, rejected any Anglophile influence within the European Union and rejected the economic liberal stance of Britain. It is difficult to understand or justify the positions Europe once took, especially over the Chinese arms embargo, which the EU wanted to end. But Europe is now starting to adopt liberalisation of markets, and is building an ethical foreign policy, stronger military partnership, and abandoning plans to maintain the Chinese arms embargo.

This experiment is now 27 members strong, and recently expanded to create a Mediterranean Union within the current system. However, the Mediterranean states do have access to the European market, and vice versa, because a minority of the Mediterranean members wanted to join the European Union but were denied access on the grounds of not being “European”. So the EU created a union within a union.

It is difficult to predict if the Mediterranean Union will work; Turkey, after all, still wants to join the EU. The misfit and unorthodox transition has put Europe in an uncomfortable position within the world and the new Union is located in uncharted waters; the Middle East process has been inadvertently placed into the hands of a nervous, yet powerful cabal.

Posted in Europe / International and The Independent View | 5 Comments

Huhne on knife crime: “sellers allowed to ply deadly trade”

By Stephen Tall | Wed 23rd July 2008 - 5:39 pm

Extensive coverage today of Chris Huhne’s revelations – via some pointed Parliamentary questions – showing that “none of the people caught selling knives to young people in the last five years were sent to prison and only one was given a community sentence”. The BBC is among those reporting the Lib Dems’ findings that:

• Only 71 people have been successfully prosecuted for selling knives to the children in the last five years
• None were sent to prison and only one was given a community sentence
• 56 were fined, of those 11 were given a fine of between £50 …

Posted in News | 24 Comments

Everything you ever wanted to know about LDV’s Mark Pack…

By The Voice | Wed 23rd July 2008 - 1:28 pm

… Is over at Total Politics’ Daily Politico Q&A here. Whether you want to know about his favourite dish, his unusual hobbies or his political hate figure – all that and much, much more is revealed.

Posted in News and Online politics | Tagged total politics | 8 Comments

Top of the Blogs: The Golden Dozen #74

By Stephen Tall | Wed 23rd July 2008 - 1:21 pm

Welcome to the 74th of our weekly round-ups from the Lib Dem blogosphere, featuring the seven most popular stories according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (13-19th July), together with a hand-picked quintet you might otherwise have missed.

Let’s get straight down to it, in traditional descending order:

Posted in Best of the blogs | 1 Comment

Are UK politicians right to concentrate on Facebook?

By Mark Pack | Tue 22nd July 2008 - 9:45 pm

Take a look round Facebook, and you’ll find multiple examples of all the main political parties, and their MPs, making use of it to promote their wares and network with supporters. However, look at other social networking sites such as Bebo or Myspace and you’ll find only a relatively sparse party presence, with very few MPs around.

Is this concentration on Facebook justified? After all, it is only one of several social networking sites, and as recently as June last year it only got 16% of the UK social networking site traffic, lagging behind Myspace on 29% and Bebo on 34%.

However, …

Posted in Online politics | Tagged bebo, facebook and myspace | 23 Comments

Norman Baker condemns Gordon Brown’s ‘take out the trash’* day

By Stephen Tall | Tue 22nd July 2008 - 6:46 pm

The Guardian asks the question Is Gordon trying to bury bad news?, noting:

At 2pm on the day the House of Commons rises for a 75-day summer break, Gordon Brown will publish 10 written ministerial statements on everything from the gifts received by ministers to the guests entertained at Chequers at the public’s expense.

The move has prompted claims that the prime minister and his government – which is due to publish a total of 30 written ministerial statements today – has broken it own code of conduct and is attempting to “bury bad news” by deluging parliament with such

…

Posted in Parliament | Tagged norman baker | 4 Comments

Join us on Facebook!

By Alex Foster | Tue 22nd July 2008 - 3:05 pm

Lib Dem Voice now has a page on the social networking site Facebook – you can find us here – and show your support by becoming a fan.

If the social networking revolution has so far passed you by, you can still join Facebook for free here.

32 on-the-ball Facebookers have already marked themselves as fans on Facebook even before this official launch, as news of the new page spread like wildfire through people’s recent actions, profiles and newsfeeds. Now the rest of us can join in as we take LDV to never-before imagined heights.

You can use the Facebook site …

Posted in Site news | Tagged facebook | 1 Comment

The Iain Dale Total Politics top blogs list

By Stephen Tall | Tue 22nd July 2008 - 2:19 pm

I have a confession to make, dear reader. There’s an email I’ve been, erm, sitting on while I try to work out what to do with it. And it’s from Iain Dale.

If you read his blog (what do I mean ‘if’, of course we all do) then you’ll already know what it’s about. If not here’s the ~~copy ‘n’ paste~~ skinny:

In early September TOTAL POLITICS, in association with APCO WORLDWIDE will publish the 2008-9 Guide to Political Blogging in the UK. It will contain articles on blogging by some of Britain’s leading bloggers, together with a directory of

…

Posted in Online politics | Tagged ConservativeHome, iain dale, Liberal Conspiracy and total politics | 20 Comments

A wee dram of consolation for Gordon…

By Stephen Tall | Tue 22nd July 2008 - 2:05 pm

He is at least ~~less unpopular~~ more popular than President George W. Bush – PoliticalWire reports on the latest American Research Group poll

finds that just 21% of Americans approve of the way President Bush is handling his job and 72% disapprove. When it comes to Bush’s handling of the economy, 17% approve and 77% disapprove.

Furthermore, 76% say the national economy is getting worse, 61% say their household financial situations are getting worse, and 68% say the national economy is in a recession.

That’s something to cheer the Prime Minister up as he embarks on his holiday – a …

Posted in LDVUSA and News | Leave a comment

Glasgow East Lib Dem candidate “one to watch”

By Stephen Tall | Tue 22nd July 2008 - 1:33 pm

There’s high praise for the Lib Dems’ Glasgow East candidate Ian Robertson in The Herald today:

Yesterday he had Scots grandees Sir Menzies Campbell and Lord Wallace in to help, plus deputy leader Vince Cable, but he knows he won’t be giving up the teaching career any time soon.

Watch him on any of the televised hustings and you’ll be impressed. Most journalists have scored him as an excellent candidate and one to watch if a more winnable seat comes up.

Meanwhile, The Herald also reports on possible trouble for Labour following allegations that “the daughter of retiring Glasgow East MP …

Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Tagged glasgow east by-election and Ming Campbell | Leave a comment

Guardian: Make it Happen “a shift towards liberal traditions and away from social democratic ones”

By Stephen Tall | Mon 21st July 2008 - 5:50 pm

There’s an interesting and pretty perceptive editorial in today’s Guardian taking a thoughtful look at the Lib Dems’ Make it Happen policy proposal paper, launched by Nick Clegg last week. (And, whether it was deliberate or not, let me take a moment to congratulate The Guardian on not rushing to judgment, but taking a reflective, carefully considered, and rounded look at the document).

And broadly it gives Make it Happen a thumbs-up, albeit in a back-handed way for those who came into the party through the SDP:

Liberal Democrats do not think of their party, as the media does, in

…

Posted in News | Tagged make it happen | 29 Comments

Op-eds

Will the real Green party that cared about people and planet please stand up? (Kobe Bibbon)
We need better conversations on AI and the environment (Josh Matthews)
How to spot a Racist (Ben Rich)
Councils must help music – so music can help their communities flourish (Charlie Clinton & Josh Matthews)
Welcome to the Brexit argument, Prime Minister! (Dr Anthony Harris)

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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

The curious case of the Prince, the severed leg and the missing Rastafarian

Russell Johnston RIP

The PPC Files (1): the 3 worst things about being a Lib Dem parliamentary candidate

How many votes went missing in London? The Electoral Commission weighs in

Glass half empty or glass half full? ASEAN and Myanmar

A new look for Lib Dem Blogs

Calling all young Lib Dems: Meet the women and men who make the news

Have you signed up for the Lib Dem conference yet?

First ever LDV members’ survey

Are you a Lib Dem living in Cornwall?

The question isn’t: ‘Should Labour replace Gordon Brown?’ It’s ‘Why would anyone want to succeed him?’

Glasgow East and the Lib Dems

SNP win in Glasgow East

Obama in Berlin: “This is the moment”

Watford update: Ian Oakley charged by the police

Scottish Lib Dem leader nominations close

Open (speculation) thread: What do you think will happen in Glagow East – and will it matter?

Memo to the party re: Bones Commission – time to get with the Internet!

Cameron stages photo op to publicise donor’s firm

The Independent View: The accidental superpower called Europe

Huhne on knife crime: “sellers allowed to ply deadly trade”

Everything you ever wanted to know about LDV’s Mark Pack…

Top of the Blogs: The Golden Dozen #74

Are UK politicians right to concentrate on Facebook?

Norman Baker condemns Gordon Brown’s ‘take out the trash’* day

Join us on Facebook!

The Iain Dale Total Politics top blogs list

A wee dram of consolation for Gordon…

Glasgow East Lib Dem candidate “one to watch”

Guardian: Make it Happen “a shift towards liberal traditions and away from social democratic ones”

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Vince Cable writes: Drill, baby, drill…or not

Lib Dems must do better on Burnham

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Lib Dem Women: Amplifying women’s voices at Conference

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