Ming Campbell MP

Menzies Campbell’s new year message: “I’m listening”

By Ming Campbell MP | Tue 26th December 2006 - 12:22 pm

Menzies CampbellHappy New Year to each and every one of you.

For me, 2006 has been a year unlike any other. Becoming leader of a political party is both a privilege and a great responsibility. I am determined to make the very best of our Party’s opportunities and I believe that we have made a
good start.

I want to take this opportunity to draw your attention to a serious matter. It makes me angry when I meet people up and down the country who have had their lives ruined by crime. We all want to live in a safe and secure environment. I am determined that our Party should use next year as an opportunity to show how we can make that happen.

But we need your help.
I want you to join our New Year campaign: We Can Cut Crime. It will set out our ideas about how to make Britain safer for everyone.

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Merry Christmas from Lib Dem Voice

By the founding editor | Sat 23rd December 2006 - 12:13 pm

Lib Dem Voice will likely be maintaining radio silence for a few days, so have a merry Christmas, and if I don’t see you before then, a happy new year.

Posted in News | 7 Comments
Richard Huzzey

Calling time on Nazi laws

By Richard Huzzey | Sat 23rd December 2006 - 10:45 am

It’s interesting to see that David Irving, the holocaust-denying Briton, has now been released by the Austrian authorities. It raises some challenging questions about other European countries’ attitude to freedom of speech, and the use of Nazi symbols and texts.

Irving describes himself as a historian, which he’s free to do, but he of course has no credentials in academia or peer respect. It’s a bit like me saying I’m a literary critic because I’ve written a review of a book. And his ideas are, of course, foolish, and would be laughable if they weren’t so offensive.

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Posted in Op-eds | 1 Comment

Opinion: Federal election rules could be in danger of making a mockery of our party’s democratic processes

By the founding editor | Fri 22nd December 2006 - 11:56 pm

Ballot paperNick Clegg, speaking on Internet TV station 18 Doughty Street recently described our party as “painfully democratic” – he meant no malice or mischief by the claim, but it was a pithy, and accurate, summary of a key point about Liberal Democrat decision making. Every so often we keep the party’s democracy alive by distributing ballot papers to an electoral college of thousands of voting representatives (who are in turn elected by their local parties) at great expense. When it comes to being democratic, despite the cost, we practice what we preach.

During the latest round of elections to national party committees such as the Federal Policy Committee and the Federal Conference Committee, Liberal Democrat Voice received helpful assistance from election officials Lord Rennard and David Allworthy – their help enabled us to publish a full list of candidates as soon as it became available. This was, so far as I know, the first time a full list of federal election candidates was published online, free to access, allowing non-voting representatives (who do not receive copies of ballot papers and manifestos) to see who was standing for positions of influence in the Liberal Democrats. Alas, having seen that information, they then had no place to comment – in fact, the election rules forbade it.

All being well there are now two years until the next set of elections, and while the last lot is still fresh in our memories we should have a rational debate about the conditions under which the next is fought.

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Posted in Online politics, Op-eds and Party policy and internal matters | Tagged , , and | 5 Comments
Mark Pack

New services for party members

By Mark Pack | Fri 22nd December 2006 - 9:00 am

We’ve added some new features to the all-members website (reached via the link at the bottom of www.libdems.org.uk – you have to be a paid-up party member to be able to register).

They include display of the latest party video, tidy up of some layout issues and – most importantly – a page listing party-recommended suppliers for newspaper printing, recycled paper, colour printers and folding machines. If you’re involved in procuring for your local party, please take a look, or pass the information on.  

Posted in Party policy and internal matters | 3 Comments
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Mark Pack

How green is Gordon Brown?

By Mark Pack | Thu 21st December 2006 - 2:00 pm

Not very, it appears.

Posted in News | Tagged | 2 Comments
Richard Huzzey

I want a goat for Christmas

By Richard Huzzey | Thu 21st December 2006 - 9:55 am

I want to talk goats. Last Christmas and this, my housemates and I have chipped in to buy a goat and some water for Africa, using Oxfam Unwrapped’s gift scheme. I gather the popularity of the idea – whereby you give the cash for a project in the developing world rather than a pressie – is getting more and more popular each year. And yet, I was a bit miffed to see an article in the papers criticising this as an aid strategy and painting the goat as a pantomime villain, not an emissary of good will and Christmas cheer.

Thanks …

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Posted in News | 14 Comments
Mark Pack

2006 by-election round-up

By Mark Pack | Thu 21st December 2006 - 9:00 am
2006 by-election results
Posted in Council by-elections | 15 Comments
Mark Pack

David Cameron and Saudi corruption

By Mark Pack | Thu 21st December 2006 - 8:56 am

Guido has now picked up on the curious silence of David Cameron on the Saudi arms corruption investigation.

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Mark Pack

Liberal Democrats make change to policy-making process

By Mark Pack | Wed 20th December 2006 - 2:00 pm

The party’s Federal* Policy Committee (FPC) has just announced a significant change in the policy making process for 2007. It is setting up a new standing panel of people from which members of policy working groups will be picked in future. The panel will be put together once a year, replacing the old system of advertising for members of each different policy working group separately through the year.

There are more details on the party’s website, including an application form for the new panel; you have until 22nd January to get your form in.

* For the uninitiated in the jargon, “federal” …

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Posted in Party policy and internal matters | Tagged | 14 Comments

How well do you remember the political year gone by?

By the founding editor | Wed 20th December 2006 - 12:30 pm

Question 1Take the Guardian’s Christmas Quiz and find out!

I’m slightly disappointed with my result:

“You scored 20 out of a possible 25. Excellent. You really know your political onions.”

particularly as I’m embarrassed to say I got question number 1 wrong 😐

Posted in News | 8 Comments
Mark Pack

Al Yamamah: More Labour hypocrisy

By Mark Pack | Wed 20th December 2006 - 12:00 pm

A brief recap: after the then Conservative Government signed the Al Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia, Labour politicians were very keen for there to be proper investigations into corruption allegations.

Another example found in the archives: in the early 1990s a National Audit Office investigation was given only a very narrow remit and then surpressed. The then response of Labour MP and defence spokesman Martin O’Neill? You guessed it – he promised that Labour would reopen the inquiry.

Again though, this enthusiasm seems to have waned rather…

(Hat tip: CAAT again).

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Mark Pack

Al Yamamah: Conservatives silent, again

By Mark Pack | Wed 20th December 2006 - 11:00 am

Another burst of stories in the media about the Al Yamamah Saudi Arabian arms deal and Labour’s axing of investigations into corruption (about which you can sign a petition here).

As a Lib Dem it’s gratifying to see the frequent coverage of the party’s views on the issue (yet again), but (yet again) there is nothing from Her Majesty’s Official Opposition (as in this BBC report). Silence from David Cameron and co seems to be the order of the day.

Is it too cynical to ask if all this could be because the arms …

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Mark Pack

Al Yamamah: Labour hypocrisy

By Mark Pack | Wed 20th December 2006 - 9:00 am

Back in the 1980s, Allan Roberts was MP for Bootle and a Labour defence spokesperson. When the Al Yamamah defence sales deal was arranged by the Conservative government with Saudi Arabia and there were allegations of corruption in the air, this was his – and his party’s view:

a. He was “quite confident” that commissions (ie bribes) had been paid, and
b. He demanded an official investigation.

(Hat tip: CAAT)

How times change … and I wonder if the fact that most electronic databases of news stories don’t stretch back to the mid-1980s has anything to do with the lack of stories in …

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More Tory PPC troubles

By the founding editor | Tue 19th December 2006 - 3:00 pm

From the Yorkshire Post, 14/12/06:

A COUNCILLOR has apologised after lunging at a political rival during a debate on bullying.

Coun David Morton yesterday sent a formal apology to Richmondshire District Council’s chief executive Harry Tabiner and leader John Blackie after he had to be escorted from the meeting on Tuesday night.

Coun Morton hurled abuse before lunging at Richard Dunn, a member of the Independent Coalition for Richmondshire, as councillors were about to discuss the bullying scandal plaguing the authority.

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Posted in News | Tagged | 3 Comments
The Voice

Campbell: “determined to take fight for a fairer Britain into the mainstream of British politics”

By The Voice | Tue 19th December 2006 - 11:09 am

Menzies CampbellMenzies Campbell has today delivered a speech to the IPPR entitled “Poverty and opportunity: the Liberal way”.

We reproduce the speech in full below – it’s fairly long and weighty as you’d expect, but worth reading in full rather than skipping to the conclusion, as we’ve done in the blog post title 😉

Some coverage of this speech already here.

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Posted in News | Tagged , and | 1 Comment
The Voice

PPC updates

By The Voice | Tue 19th December 2006 - 10:00 am

The PPC list now shows PPCs for Milton Keynes N, Warrington S, Glasgow N, Bexhill & Battle, Christchurch, Edinburgh West.

Posted in Selection news | 2 Comments
Mark Pack

Is the Today programme going to launch a political party?

By Mark Pack | Tue 19th December 2006 - 9:00 am

I only ask because, whilst it has become traditional for other political parties to copy Liberal Democrat policies, Today has now started doing the same.

Perhaps it is the start of a John Humphrys for Parliament campaign? (Though let’s hope he doesn’t find his attempt to vote for himself scuppered by the failure of his local council to remind him that he signed up for a postal vote; I mean – being told nine times by the council that you have a postal vote isn’t really often enough is it?)

In case you’re wondering if it is site value rating …

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The Voice

Heads up: Campbell to make keynote poverty speech at 11am

By The Voice | Tue 19th December 2006 - 12:01 am

Menzies Campbell will address the IPPR today outlining Liberal Democrat policy proposals on tackling poverty.

More here.

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Thatcher more popular than Shirley Williams?

By the founding editor | Mon 18th December 2006 - 11:24 pm

It cannot be. Two words. Vote Williams.

Posted in Polls | Tagged and | 2 Comments
Steve Cooke

Opinion: Immigration brings more than economic benefits

By Steve Cooke | Mon 18th December 2006 - 7:11 pm

Earth

A report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has provided an interesting slant on population movements in Britain. The report’s full of interesting stats, which, if I could be bothered to quote them, would probably bury the point of this post in numbers. The thing that really struck me was there are 5.5 million Brits living abroad. That’s 9.2% of the population and means there are more Britains living abroad than foreigners living in the UK.

Related to those figures is the finding that: “a small but significant minority are finding the settlement experience much more challenging. Often these Britons come up against linguistic and cultural barriers that they have not prepared for, and have, in response, clustered together away from the host society.”

Could it be that many Britains fail to integrate with their host communities? Surely not!

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The Voice

>> Full details of Lib Dem mini-reshuffle

By The Voice | Mon 18th December 2006 - 3:36 pm

IN: Lynne Featherstone joins the Shadow Cabinet

Norman Lamb, formerly Chief of Staff to Menzies Campbell, takes on the role of Shadow Health Secretary.

Ed Davey becomes the Leader’s new Chief of Staff, which will be alongside his present role as Chair of Campaigns and Communications.

The DTI portfolio is taken on by Susan Kramer, who passes on the International Development portfolio to Lynne Featherstone, who joins the Shadow Cabinet for the first time.

Steve Webb was promoted to Chair of the Election manifesto team in October. He remains in the Shadow Cabinet.

The rest of the …

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PPC update: Milton Keynes North / Harborough

By the founding editor | Mon 18th December 2006 - 1:43 pm

Jill Hope has been selected to run in Milton Keynes North, which presumably ends a long-running and at times extraordinary selection contest in Harborough.

Posted in Selection news | Tagged and | 7 Comments
The Voice

>> Mini-reshuffle underway in Lib Dem shadow cabinet

By The Voice | Mon 18th December 2006 - 11:31 am

Menzies CampbellImpeccable sources. Details sketchy. Has Lembit perhaps been just a little bit too cheeky for Ming’s taste?

Updates in the members discussion board. Official confirmation may not follow for 48 hours or so.

If you know what’s going on, do tell [email protected] – anonymity guaranteed.

Note: if you are a registered user and a Liberal Democrat, and don’t have access to the members-only boards you need to complete this form. But don’t get excited – there’s very little over there at the moment. Lib Dem MPs and their staff tend to …

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Mark Pack

Lib Dems up the pressure on Saudi deal

By Mark Pack | Mon 18th December 2006 - 11:15 am

Liberal Democrat MPs are planning to up the pressure in Parliament over the Government’s controversial decision to drop corruption investigations around the Al Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

(As an aside – perhaps action in Parliament will flush out rather more comment from the Conservatives on this issue, who overall have stayed very, very quiet…).

UPDATE: Simon Hughes has called for action following this case, whilst you can read the views of Norman Lamb (a long time campaigner on this case) here

UPDATE 2: The Liberal Democrat petition calling for an inquiry into the dropping of the Continue reading »

Posted in News | Tagged , , and | 5 Comments
Mark Pack

Nine months on: how the party’s leaders have fared

By Mark Pack | Mon 18th December 2006 - 10:00 am

Liberal Democrats poll ratings graph

Posted in Polls | 6 Comments
Mark Pack

Barbara Roche set to make a comeback?

By Mark Pack | Sun 17th December 2006 - 9:00 am

In Liberal Democrat circles, Barbara Roche is probably best know as the woman who had a 25,998 lead over the Liberal Democrat candidate in her constituency in 1997 (and no Liberal Democrat councillors) but lost her seat to Lynne Featherstone in 2005.

There has been gossip going around for a while that she is seeking to make a comeback “somewhere up north”, and it’s now hit the local newspapers.

It should make for an interesting interview question, “Having squandered a 26,000 lead, do you think you’ll be the right person to hold this seat at the next election?” 🙂

Posted in News | Tagged and | 5 Comments

Mail on Sunday: Opik accusations

By the founding editor | Sat 16th December 2006 - 11:34 pm

Private discussion of Sunday Mail story in here.

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Scottish coalition turning frosty as election nears

By the founding editor | Sat 16th December 2006 - 10:48 am

Polling day for the Scottish Parliament lands in May next year, and the election ‘air war’ is heating up already.

Last week’s Scotland on Sunday newspaper lead with a story placed by anonymous Labour sources saying that, if Labour were to go up roughly six seats (that’s quite a big ‘if!’) at the election, they would pursue a strategy of minority administration and kick the Lib Dems out of coalition government.

The source indicated that the problem was that it was the Lib Dems, not Labour, who were behind many of the flagship changes to government policy in the …

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Mark Pack

Simon Hughes wants to hear from you

By Mark Pack | Sat 16th December 2006 - 10:00 am

Party President Simon Hughes is consulting members on how best to run a new pair of awards, one named after the late Patsy Calton, former MP for Cheadle, and the other after the late Harriet Smith, a star activist, organiser and Conference Revue singer.

The idea of the awards is to thank and recognise otherwise unsung party members – and having awards in the names of Patsy and Harriet will also be a fitting tribute to them both for their many contributions to the party, both tragically cut short by ill health.

You can let Simon have your views on issues like …

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