Liberal Democrat Voice

Two very important parts of our Comments Policy

By The Voice | Sun 19th January 2020 - 6:00 pm

Yes, we have a Comments Policy, which can be found here.

There are two very important parts of it, under the section “Be who you say you are”:

When entering your comment, we ask you to provide a valid email address which belongs to you. This email address will not be published and is requested in case we need to contact you. We may send a test message to the email address given, in order to check its validity. Comments submitted without the provision of a valid email address, owned by the commenter, will not be published.

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It’s Johnson’s responsibility – hold him to account!

By Thomas Hague | Sun 19th January 2020 - 4:30 pm

Today, for the first time since this debacle began all the way back in 2016 we find ourselves with an odd sense of certainty.

For better or (definitely) for worse, at the end of January the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be leaving the European Union under a majority Conservative and unionist Government, headed by Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (yes this is his actual full name to those who aren’t aware).

This may not be the certainty we ever wanted but there is an odd sense of relief in it; sort of like that feeling when you …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged brexit | 4 Comments

Iowa field notes: 29 candidates, 2100 plus events, but who will win the first contest to be the next President of the United States?

By Alex Paul Shantz | Sun 19th January 2020 - 12:50 pm

The Liberty and Justice Celebration, Des Moines, Iowa, USA, November 1st, 2019.
This and all photos below are by Alex Paul Shantz

It’s the first Friday in November, and inside an arena in downtown Des Moines, the capital of Iowa, guests in smart clothes eat dinner around an elevated stage. Suddenly, the lights dim, artificial smoke envelopes a walkway, and the pop song ‘High Hopes’ blares out. Around one end of the arena, across three levels of tiered seating, thousands of people jump to their feet, dancing and waving three feet high letters that say “Boot Edge Edge”. Striding along a walkway towards the stage is… Pete Buttigieg, the 37 year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana?

At this point, I realise I’m at one of the most unique political events I’ve ever attended. Part fundraising gala and part political rally, but with production values that more closely resemble a pro wrestling event. It is in fact the Liberty and Justice Celebration, the final and most important multi-candidate ‘cattle call’ in the year-long campaign preceding the Iowa Democratic caucuses.

Posted in Europe / International | Tagged democratic nomination, featured, iowa caucuses and us presidential election 2020 | 2 Comments

LibDems failed to shift enough Tory remainers – Electoral Calculus on 2017->2019 voter migration

By Paul Walter | Sun 19th January 2020 - 11:25 am

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Martin Baxter’s Electoral Calculus website has an excellent Infographic on Voter migration 2017 – 2019. Using human figures (voters) to represent one percentage point of the voters, he not only shows where 2017 voters and non-voters went in 2019, he also graphically shows 2016 EU referendum preferences.

His conclusion on the LibDems is interesting:

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged 2019 general election | 37 Comments

More warm tributes to Bob Maclennan

By The Voice | Sun 19th January 2020 - 9:36 am

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There have been more touching tributes to Bob Maclennan via Twitter overnight, from across the political spectrum:

Very sad news indeed. Bob was a kind, generous, principled man who made bold moves to drive change in our broken politics. We will miss him dearly, and our thoughts are with his family. https://t.co/OcyBmEN8O2

— Jo Swinson (@joswinson) January 18, 2020

Posted in Obituaries | Tagged bob maclennan | 2 Comments

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Kicked into the long grass – the Lib Dem leadership election

By Paul Walter | Sat 18th January 2020 - 8:30 pm

18.6 Should the post of Leader become vacant before the election of a new Leader, the Acting Leader of the Parliamentary Party in the House of Commons and the President of the Party shall jointly assume the responsibilities of Leader of the Party until the new Leader is elected.
Federal Liberal Democrat Constitution

This afternoon, the party announced the timetable for the election of a new leader of the party. This was agreed at the first meeting of the Federal Board chaired by our new President and current co-leader of the party, Mark Pack.

Nominations will open on May 11th, which is the Monday after the elections on May 7th. Nominations will close on May 28th with ballots opening on June 18th and closing on July 15th, after which the new leader will be announced.

I’m not privy to the Federal Board discussions but it does not take a mind-reader to, at least, pick out some of the themes behind this decision.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged featured and leadership election 2020 | 19 Comments

Our President on the timetable for the leadership election

By Web Magpie | Sat 18th January 2020 - 7:01 pm

Our party President and Co-leader, Mark Pack has just commented on the leadership election timetable on his blog:

The Board discussed in some detail different possible options for the timetable, and we carefully considered the pros and cons of, for example, having a leadership election that took place sooner. Considerations such as wanting to get our review of last year’s elections done first and also avoiding distracting key activists from the May elections were weighed against the benefits of having a new leader sooner.

The close of nominations date will also

…

Posted in News | Tagged leadership election 2020 and Mark Pack | Leave a comment

Lib Dems pay tribute to Lord Robert Maclennan

By The Voice | Sat 18th January 2020 - 5:31 pm

The Liberal Democrats have today led tributes following the death of Lord Robert Maclennan.

Lord Robert Maclennan of Rogart, known as Bob Maclennan, was the last leader of the Social Democrat Party before it merged with the Liberal Party. He then became joint interim leader of the new party.

Bob Maclennan was a Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001. Upon stepping down as MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, Bob Maclennan was elevated to the House of Lords.

Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey said:

It

…

Posted in News | Tagged featured and robert maclennan | 9 Comments

Should we be prouder and more vocal about our membership of the Council of Europe?

By Paul Walter | Sat 18th January 2020 - 4:00 pm

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Should we celebrate Europe Day every May 5th?

An LDV reader, John Probert (who has the rare distinction of being a remaining former councillor on Middlesex County Council) has made a suggestion along these lines.

After January 31st we will still be members of the Council of Europe, who celebrate Europe Day on May 5th (EU members celebrate it on May 9th).

Such a celebration would publicise the fact that we remain members of the Council of Europe, which was first suggested under such a name by Churchill in a wartime broadcast on 21st March 1943.

Its Statute says:

The aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its members for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage and facilitating their economic and social progress.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged council of europe | 7 Comments

+++Timetable to elect new leader set out

By Paul Walter | Sat 18th January 2020 - 2:16 pm

The Liberal Democrats have today agreed the timetable to elect the next leader of the Liberal Democrats.

At a meeting today of the party’s Federal Board in London, the party agreed to open nominations for candidates on the 11th of May and close them on the 28th of May.

The ballot will then open on the 18th of June and close on the 15th of July, after which the party will announce the next leader.

In the meantime, Ed Davey MP and Party President Mark Pack will continue as joint acting leaders of the Liberal Democrats.

Speaking after the meeting, Liberal Democrat Party …

Posted in News | 14 Comments

We let the remainers down – now we need to focus on a Green New Deal

By David Becket | Sat 18th January 2020 - 12:45 pm

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The Liberal Democrats let the EU Remainers down, right from the 2016 Referendum.

On Nick Clegg’s recommendation the architect of our disastrous 2015 election campaign was appointed as chief of strategy for the remain campaign. The result was entirely predictable.

The party then spent four years in the wilderness. A steady, but uninspiring, leadership from Vince and hard work from our local government activists saw the party slowly improve its position.

In the 2019 Euro Elections the Remainers put their faith in the Lib Dems, only to be let down again at the General Election. This time a combination of a terrible campaign, inexperienced and badly advised leadership, fear of Corbyn and First Past the Post ensured that faith in the Lib Dems was once again misplaced. Not all our fault, but with a good campaign and steady leadership we should have made 50 seats, and the picture today would have been different.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged 2015 general election, 2019 general election, brexit, climate change and eu referendum | 19 Comments

Munira Wilson’s maiden speech

By The Voice | Sat 18th January 2020 - 10:45 am

As is traditional, Liberal Democrat Voice is covering the maiden speeches of our new MPs as they happen. In Thursday’s Health and Social Care debate, Munira Wilson, MP for Twickenham, made her first Commons speech:

It is a pleasure—and slightly daunting—to follow so many powerful and emotive maiden speeches. I thought that the hon. Members for Luton North (Sarah Owen), for Vauxhall (Florence Eshalomi) and for Bishop Auckland (Dehenna Davison) made particularly moving speeches. It is an honour to give my maiden speech, and I am especially proud that my five-year-old daughter is in the Gallery to witness this moment. With a record number of female and BAME MPs elected in this Parliament, I hope that I and others will be an inspiration to girls like her and other young women as we strive towards a more diverse Parliament that truly reflects British society.

As the new Member of Parliament for Twickenham, I follow in the illustrious footsteps—or should I say dancing shoes—of the right hon. Sir Vincent Cable. After all, he did get a 10 from Len on “Strictly”! Vince earned the respect of Members of all parties in this House, not just for his economic prowess, but for his dry sense of humour. Who can forget his infamous “from Stalin to Mr Bean” put-down of Prime Minister Gordon Brown?

Posted in Parliament | Tagged featured and munira wilson | 2 Comments

Annoyance of LibDem MPs over power of “new sexy people” in 2019 election decisions – Five candidates ready for party leadership contest – Timetable today

By Paul Walter | Sat 18th January 2020 - 9:00 am

Ailbhe Rea has written a long article on the Liberal Democrats for the New Statesman.

There are some interesting points about the 2019 election covered, based on reported conversations with our MPs:

Posted in News | Tagged 2019 general election, chuka umunna, Jo Swinson and leadership election 2020 | 40 Comments

17 January 2020 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 17th January 2020 - 11:52 pm

Lib Dems oppose Johnson’s Parliamentary agenda
Fall in retail sales demands a radical rethink
PM should seek to bring the country together

Lib Dems oppose Johnson’s Parliamentary agenda

The Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to the Queen’s Speech for debate on Monday 19 January. The amendment details the key reasons why Liberal Democrat MPs will oppose Boris Johnson’s agenda for government, including:

failure to introduce ambitious plans to tackle the climate emergency;
failure to set out measures to tackle poverty and inequality;
failure to protect human rights or to strengthen the voice of citizens.

The amendment also urges Government to introduce a system of proportional representation. …

Posted in News | Tagged Alistair Carmichael, brexit, business rates, ed davey, high streets, retail sales and sarah olney | 2 Comments

We need to shift from a class identity debate to a consensus around our core values

By Warwick Danks | Fri 17th January 2020 - 5:06 pm

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With the dust still settling from the December 2019 General Election, it is necessarily a time for the Liberal Democrats to regroup, refocus and plan for the coming years.

One question which I hear being asked is how the Party can appeal to working-class voters, as part of a strategy to make it more inclusive, representative and, of course, electable. However I believe we need to first take a step back and ask whether the underlying assumption here is valid in 21st Century Britain and, moreover, is it liberal?

With our political rivals in opposition currently locked in heated internal argument as to which of their potential leaders is authentically working-class, it is worth exploring just what that means. Is one born working-class, or indeed middle-class, or does one somehow acquire the designation and accompanying self-identity during one’s lifetime?

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged class and middle class | 16 Comments

Is being bullied by Donald Trump the future for British foreign policy?

By Mark Valladares | Fri 17th January 2020 - 3:36 pm

The news, as broken by the Washington Post, that the Trump Administration threatened to levy a 25% tariff on British car exports to the US unless Britain warned Iran of violations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a deal in which Iran would accept strict rules and oversight of its nuclear activity in exchange for being allowed back into the international community, should concern us all.

Of course, it wasn’t just Britain – the French and Germans were threatened too.

But the difference between us and them is that the French and Germans are part of a bigger group, and …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged donald trump, foreign policy and iran | 2 Comments

Sir John Curtice on the Lib Dem general election performance

By Web Magpie | Fri 17th January 2020 - 2:06 pm

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Jonathan Fryer has blogged about this week’s presentation at the National Liberal Club by Sir John Curtice entitled: “The 2019 Election: A Tale of Hope and Disappointment”.

Jonathan notes the following points about the drop-off of Lib Dem support during the election campaign itself:

Many commentators at the time also attributed the fall in LibDem support to (1) Jo Swinson’s call to Revoke Article 50, rather than pitching wholeheartedly for a second EU Referendum, and (2) her claim to be a potential PM in waiting, despite the modest number of LibDem MPs (albeit supplemented by both Labour and Conservative defections). However, Professor Curtice said polling, notably from YouGov, did not support that assumption. Instead, he highlighted three conclusions about the election result based on his research:

Posted in News | Tagged john curtice and national liberal club | 23 Comments

Vote share increase for Tara Murray in Bristol

By Paul Walter | Fri 17th January 2020 - 12:36 pm

Well done to Tara Murray and team (above with Ed Davey) for an impressive vote share increase in the Brislington East by-election in Bristol yesterday.

The result was:

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Observations of an Expat – Capitalism—New Lease of Life?

By Tom Arms | Fri 17th January 2020 - 11:06 am

The resounding defeat of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party has revived the cries for “Responsible Capitalism.”

Corbyn is a not so thinly-disguised old style socialist. He and his supporters believe that the only route to a fair society is through socialism based on public ownership. The problem is that historical experience says otherwise. There have been successful mixed economies, but every attempt at full-blown socialism has ended in political, economic and social disaster.

In every instance they have hit the brick wall of human nature and its hand maiden the survival instinct. Humans are greedy. That greed has dragged us out of damp caves into centrally-heated bungalows. Conversely, the same greed has ignited wars, destroyed the environment and created social inequalities.

The bastion of world capitalism—the United States—is a shining example of these inherent contradictions. Its national entrepreneurial success has created the wealthiest country in the world. But that wealth is not equitably shared. Two-thirds of America’s wealth is owned by five percent of the population. Forty percent of Americans earn less than $15 an hour; five percent earn the minimum wage or less and 28 million Americans do not have medical insurance.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged observations of an ex pat | 9 Comments

Future Party Communications and Elections Committee Chair

By James Gurling | Fri 17th January 2020 - 9:40 am

Each new Federal Board elects someone to Chair the campaigning and communications function of the Party and having been re-elected for a cumulative period of 10 years in the role, I shall not be standing for a further three when the Federal Board elects the next Chair.

I was first elected as Chair of the Campaigns and Communications Committee (CCC) – the precursor to the current Federal Communications & Elections Committee (FCEC) – in the immediate aftermath of the 2010 General Election. Half the time since that the Party has been in Government in Westminster … and the other half seemingly dealing with the consequences.

Constitutional changes in 2016 ended the practice of the Leader appointing different individuals to Chair separate General, Local and European campaigns and transferred the responsibility to the elected Chair of the FCEC. Expectations at the time were that my first general election campaign would be in 2020. I relished the prospect – putting into practice all the learnings from 2015 would be a substantial task – but one which the Party was more than up to. Instead of which, I have served three Leaders and overseen two general elections, each of them called at short notice and in challenging circumstances.

Posted in Party policy and internal matters | Tagged campaigns and communications committee and featured | 9 Comments

16 January 2020 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 16th January 2020 - 11:15 pm

Lib Dems call on PM to back automatic rights for EU citizens
Lib Dems: Tories have failed on knife crime
Lib Dems demand more action on gambling addiction

Lib Dems call on PM to back automatic rights for EU citizens

The Liberal Democrats have called on the Conservative Government to back legislation to guarantee automatic rights for EU citizens, as new official statistics show the number not granted permanent Settled Status has risen to more than 1 million.

Liberal Democrat peer Jonny Oates this week tabled amendments to the Government’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill to automatically guarantee EU citizens’ rights in law.

The latest EU …

Posted in News | Tagged addiction, christine jardine, daisy cooper, eu citizens, gambling, jonny oates and knife crime | Leave a comment

Paddy & President Jed Bartlet can’t both be wrong – Education should be our flagship

By Kevin Bennett | Thu 16th January 2020 - 11:10 am

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Pretty much everyone has a view on why we had a bad election and, more importantly, what we should do next. I’m a member of Barnsley local party and here are my two cents…

Johnson’s Tories look like they have weathered the storm and are in for a few stable years as a version of Trumps Republicans, appealing to the English rustbelt and the odd white supremacist.

They may be untouchable for a while.

We have just experienced our third bad (so very bad) election in a row.

However Labour, by its standards, has had a shocker. They have not won an election now in 14 years.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged 2019 general election and education | 52 Comments

LibLink: Our new President/Co-leader on the surprising number of elections coming up in May

By The Voice | Thu 16th January 2020 - 9:40 am

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Over on his blog, Mark Pack, our new party President and co-leader, gives us a timely warning about the magnitude of voting opportunities this May:

This year’s round of local council elections are only in England and are the smallest round of that cycle of elections. Which may make you think that it’s a small set of elections and one in which many or even most parts of the country will not be voting.

But…

Posted in Local government and Party Presidency | Tagged 2020 local elections, featured, Mark Pack and party president | 4 Comments

15 January 2020 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Wed 15th January 2020 - 11:45 pm

Lib Dems question FlyBe bailout
Tory minister wrong to promote flying in the face of climate emergency
Ed Davey calls for better support for bereaved families at PMQs
Government must repeal unlawful Snoopers’ Charter
Lib Dems: Prime Minister must now keep his promise to protect Erasmus
Lib Dems: PM agrees to work with Lib Dems on human rights abuses in Syria

Lib Dems question FlyBe bailout

Responding to news that the Government intends to bail out Flybe, Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson, Munira Wilson MP, said:

Flybe provides a vital service in connecting many regions of the UK which are otherwise hard to travel between, not least

…

Posted in News | Tagged bereavement, christine jardine, ed davey, erasmus, flybe, layla moran, munira wilson, snoopers charter, syria and wera hobhouse | Leave a comment

We need to seriously address the issues of work

By David Warren | Wed 15th January 2020 - 4:00 pm

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Back in 1980 I entered the world of full-time employment as a sixteen year-old school leaver. Relatively secure jobs, with pensions and other benefits (in my case luncheon vouchers), were the norm. Thirteen million people were in trade unions.

But the Thatcher revolution was just beginning. It involved targeting those unions which the self-styled Iron Lady said had become too powerful. As a clerical assistant in the Civil Service, I ended up being involved in one of the initial battles when the government refused to implement the recommendations of an independent pay review body. We went on strike and lost. Others followed, notably the printers and miners, who also lost.

The industrial landscape was being redrawn and times they were changing. After my stint in the Civil Service, I spent 25 years in Royal Mail, where I lived through a heavily unionised workforce grudgingly accepting erosion of pay and hard-won working conditions. For those in non-union workplaces it was usually worse, particularly where jobs were privatised.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged trade unions and workplace | 35 Comments

Wendy Chamberlain’s maiden speech

By The Voice | Wed 15th January 2020 - 2:32 pm

As is traditional, Liberal Democrat Voice is covering the maiden speeches of our new MPs as they happen. Yesterday, Wendy Chamberlain, MP for North East Fife, spoke in the Education and Local Government debate:

I begin my maiden speech, perhaps unusually, by congratulating the hon. Member for Bury North (James Daly) on his excellent maiden speech. We can certainly agree on ensuring that deprived children and those with additional support needs are supported. I note his work on the board of governors of Hoyle nursery and commend its achievements as well as those of Springfield Primary and Bury College. I commend the hon. Gentleman’s commitment to education. I appreciate his telling us about his cricket-playing career and the fact that perhaps it does not live up to expectations. I play the amateur Scottish sport of shinty and would be happy to tell Members all about it. I do not play particularly well, so stand well back. I look forward to hearing from the hon. Gentleman again during his time in Parliament.

It is a great honour to make my maiden speech as the new Member of Parliament for North East Fife. I pay tribute to my most recent predecessor, Stephen Gethins, who served North East Fife with distinction from 2015. It is clear from my few days here that he was well liked and well respected by Members across the House. I recognise the work of his parliamentary team, both here and in the constituency. It is easy to forget in the heat of an election that when Members lose or resign their seat that has a direct impact on their employees, so I wish all of them the best for the future.

Posted in Parliament | Tagged featured, gin, maiden speeches, north east fife and wendy chamberlain | 6 Comments

Antony Hook MEP writes… Co-operation to win in 2024? It comes down to four questions

By Antony Hook | Wed 15th January 2020 - 12:30 pm

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The 2019 General Election was the sixth since I joined the party as a student in 1998 and its result was by far the most frustrating. The consequences of the 2019 election will be more considerable and long-lasting for our country than any I saw before.

How this happened, and what needs to change to do better next time, will be subject of a General Election Review, which I expect will be rigorous and take an objective, honest view based on evidence.

If I quote a football manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, do not think I am trivialising. Sir Alex understands more about successful leadership (including managing resources and dealing with the press and a support base) than many people in politics. One of his maxims was “defeat does not matter, what matters is how you come back from defeat.”

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged 2019 general election, cross party co-operation and featured | 19 Comments

Confessions of an amateur activist

By A J Hodges | Wed 15th January 2020 - 11:00 am

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I confess. I came late to the Party, almost three years late after post 2016 referendum ruminations on what life might be like on this small island, stranded at sea from our nearest European neighbours, reliant on our back gardens and allotments for a staple diet of root vegetables and tuber crops. We were taking back control of our borders, our people, our values, hell, even our bangers. As our nostalgia for the post-war period grew, so did our ability to stomach xenophobia in all its ugly guises, holding our metaphorical noses at the whiff of French saucisson or its bigger, brasher Bratwurst cousin.

Well, bollocks to that. Like nearly half of the electorate who voted Remain, we too felt stranded. We had a fight on our hands to stop Brexit and stand up for progressive pro-European liberalism. I joined the Liberal Democrats in early 2019 and took part in a couple of marches, the first time I had taken to the streets since my student days in the late 80s protesting against Maggie and the Poll Tax.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged 2019 general election | 3 Comments

Are we fiddling while Australia burns?

By Catherine Wilson | Wed 15th January 2020 - 9:30 am

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The good news for Australia is that temperatures have fallen and rain is forecast.

I was born and brought up in Australia, so can imagine all too vividly what it is like to live through the horror of out of control bushfires. I’ve seen one from a distance, and even though I was safe it was frightening. Having to flee to the nearest beach in order to save yourself from burning to death is terrible to contemplate.

Although bushfires have always been part of the Australian experience, the number and intensity of the fires has increased. In the 1950s and 60s we had bush fires, but no ‘bush fire season’, as there is now.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged australia, bushfires and climate change | 21 Comments

14 January 2020 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Tue 14th January 2020 - 11:57 pm

Tories should be cutting emissions, not air passenger duty
Lib Dems call out Johnson duplicity on Iran Nuclear Deal
Home Office cover up slammed by Lib Dems

Tories should be cutting emissions, not air passenger duty

Following the reports that the Conservative government is considering cutting air passenger duty on domestic flights as part of a plan to save regional airline Flybe from collapse, Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson Munira Wilson said:

Flybe looks set to follow Thomas Cook, despite only being “rescued” last year. The way to ensure our businesses stay afloat is to provide certainty, rather than the chaos the Conservatives have presided over

…

Posted in News | Tagged air passenger duty, christine jardine, ed davey, flybe, home office, iran and munira wilson | 4 Comments

Op-eds

Britain’s gas gamble: Why Jackdaw is a bad bet for our energy future (Mark Hofman)
Vince Cable writes: The endless hunt for painless taxes (Vince Cable)
Jane Dodds to step down as Welsh Lib Dem Leader (Caron Lindsay)
The silent scandal of ME…and in praise of Tessa Munt (Paul Walter)
The Lib Dems should be bolder. Here’s how…. (James Hill)

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Vince Cable writes: The endless hunt for painless taxes

Jane Dodds to step down as Welsh Lib Dem Leader

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

Lib Dems must do better on Burnham

Two very important parts of our Comments Policy

It’s Johnson’s responsibility – hold him to account!

Iowa field notes: 29 candidates, 2100 plus events, but who will win the first contest to be the next President of the United States?

LibDems failed to shift enough Tory remainers – Electoral Calculus on 2017->2019 voter migration

More warm tributes to Bob Maclennan

Kicked into the long grass – the Lib Dem leadership election

Our President on the timetable for the leadership election

Lib Dems pay tribute to Lord Robert Maclennan

Should we be prouder and more vocal about our membership of the Council of Europe?

+++Timetable to elect new leader set out

We let the remainers down – now we need to focus on a Green New Deal

Munira Wilson’s maiden speech

Annoyance of LibDem MPs over power of “new sexy people” in 2019 election decisions – Five candidates ready for party leadership contest – Timetable today

17 January 2020 – today’s press releases

We need to shift from a class identity debate to a consensus around our core values

Is being bullied by Donald Trump the future for British foreign policy?

Sir John Curtice on the Lib Dem general election performance

Vote share increase for Tara Murray in Bristol

Observations of an Expat – Capitalism—New Lease of Life?

Future Party Communications and Elections Committee Chair

16 January 2020 – today’s press releases

Paddy & President Jed Bartlet can’t both be wrong – Education should be our flagship

LibLink: Our new President/Co-leader on the surprising number of elections coming up in May

15 January 2020 – today’s press releases

We need to seriously address the issues of work

Wendy Chamberlain’s maiden speech

Antony Hook MEP writes… Co-operation to win in 2024? It comes down to four questions

Confessions of an amateur activist

Are we fiddling while Australia burns?

14 January 2020 – today’s press releases

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