Judy Abel

The EU: did we ever really belong?

By Judy Abel | Mon 11th July 2016 - 11:19 am

In just over two weeks pro-EU people have gone from despondency to incredulity as we have seen a succession of Conservative MPs topple each other over Europe, seemingly unconcerned about the damage that has been done to the country by the Leave vote. The Labour Party too are in disarray over this issue and only the Lib Dems are going forward on a pro-EU footing – even though it looks like the country is now heading for the exit door.

But Europe has actually been a divisive issue for political leaders since we first joined the EEC in 1973 and this whole saga, sadly, feels like the final scene in a 40-year soap opera. The political pundits tell us that Europe was the undoing of John Major, and David Cameron has now lost his job because of it. And ever since we joined, successive governments would go to Brussels with the begging bowl, always wanting special treatment for Britain, rather than wanting to get stuck in and build a better Europe.

It seems to me that many of our leaders – and clearly many in the nation at large – never really embraced Europe or, perhaps, even understood it. Many people just wouldn’t know that over many years, a lot of our best social and environmental legislation originated from laws passed in Brussels, and that much infrastructure was built in the poorer regions of the UK with EU money. It has now entered our common folklore that the most searched for term on Google the day after the Referendum was, “What is the EU?”

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Paul Walter

The EFTA/EEA Norway model provides some scope to lessen the pain of Brexit, while increasing control over immigration

By Paul Walter | Mon 11th July 2016 - 9:49 am

One of the legacies of the Leave’s irresponsible, hotch-botched campaign is that, in the public mind, leaving the EU has become inextricably intertwined with leaving the single market and eschewing free movement of goods, services, capital and people. We need to move beyond this binary thinking, which is bordering on the moronic.

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Rob Parsons

Lib Dem policy now

By Rob Parsons | Mon 11th July 2016 - 8:37 am

 

In a way the recent focus on the EU has been a distraction from the things we ought to be talking about and campaigning on. There are many good reasons to want to be inside rather than outside, but there are also many good things to work for whether in or out.

Our political and economic elites are almost entirely neoliberal in heart and doctrine, determined to reduce the power of the state and increase that of corporations, despite the world, with the end of the Soviet empire a generation ago, having moved beyond the phase that made that an attractive proposition for stability. Thus we find ourselves with a choice between being beholden to a neoliberal elite on a European scale, or a neoliberal elite on a countrywide scale (the size of the country yet to be determined). Put in these terms, the choice is unappealing, but, all other things aside, given the option, I would still plump for being in the EU, as human rights were woven into its institutions and practices before the neoliberals came along, and woven in so firmly that they have been unable to do winkle them out.

But, in or out, we find ourselves in a fundamentally divided world, in which inequality grows by the minute. Not just inequality in income but in security, worth, identity and a whole host of other fundamental criteria.

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Caron Lindsay

WATCH: Alex Cole-Hamilton’s speech to March for Europe: No Tory civil war will take our EU identity away

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 10th July 2016 - 10:06 pm

“If you change your mind, I’m the first in line” from Abba’s Take a Chance on Me was not quite what we expected to come blaring out of the PA system at the Young European Movement’s rally after the March for Europe in Edinburgh this afternoon. The good tunes just kept coming, though, with Dancing Queen and the Proclaimers 500 miles featuring as well.

There was a pretty big turnout, which was amazing given that the event was up against Andy Murray winning his second Wimbledon men’s singles title.

The Lib Dem contingent was pretty big, too. We were led by Edinburgh Western MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton who gave a stonking speech. We are here, we are united, and we are citizens of the European Union, he told the crowd. He told people from elsewhere in the EU living here that this was their home, they are our family and they are welcome here. His speech was extremely well received by the crowd. Watch it here.

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Caron Lindsay

Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #462

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 10th July 2016 - 7:00 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 462nd weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (3-9 July, 2016), together with a hand-picked quintet, you might otherwise have missed.

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

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

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The Voice

LDV’s Sunday Best: our 7 most-read articles this week

By The Voice | Sun 10th July 2016 - 3:55 pm

7 bestMany thanks to the 25,000 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here’s our 7 most-read posts…

 Mockery of Diane Abbott shows why our political culture has to change (19 comments) by Caron Lindsay

Vince Cable writes…The birth of the 48 movement (130 comments) by Vince Cable

Tonight’s Question Time is going to be worth watching (13 comments) by Caron Lindsay

How did our constituencies vote in the EU Referendum? (9 comments) by Duncan Brack

Should Parliament put a stop to Brexit? (79 comments) by Caron Lindsay

Realignment of the left – an idea whose time has come? (32 comments) by Caron Lindsay

David Laws and Paul Marshall boost Michael Gove’s leadership bid (38 comments) by Caron Lindsay

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NewsHound

LibLink: Shirley Williams: Bring all sides together to negotiate our future with Europe

By NewsHound | Sun 10th July 2016 - 2:26 pm

While Tory and Labour parties rip themselves apart, the Liberal Democrats have spent a great deal of time offering ideas and solutions. The latest is Shirley Williams in today’s Observer:

She succinctly sums up the mess we are in:

With every passing day, the problems confronting the new prime minister multiply. The balance of payments worsens, the pound sinks against the dollar, the London property market, no longer attractive to ambitious young bankers and financial experts, declines and Brexit begins to look more and more like snake oil.

How do we face those challenges? Well, it needs strong government and opposition:

To get through the business of negotiating an alternative to membership of the European Union, and to do so without our country falling apart, will require patience, tolerance of different and often strongly held views and good, grown-up government. None of these were evident in the bitter, brutal referendum debate. We need not just good government but a serious, responsible opposition as well.

She draws parallels with the mess of the Labour Party in the 80s.

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The Voice

Last chance to book for a discounted place at top election training event

By The Voice | Sun 10th July 2016 - 12:58 pm

Today is your last chance to get a discounted place at the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors and Campaingers’ premier training event, Kickstart, which is taking place in Staffordshire from 2-4 September.

If you are thinking of standing for election next May, you will not find any better training available anywhere in the party. Over the course of a weekend, ALDC give you 30 hours of training, including individualised one to one training for your particular council area.

Here are some more details:

Kickstart is the highly regarded annual residential training weekend organised by ALDC that brings together some of the party’s most experienced and successful campaigners with campaign teams from across the country. The weekend offers training, mentoring, advice, networking and an opportunity to build and improve your campaign plans and knowledge to win more elections in the future.

WHAT’S INCLUDED
at least 30 hours of training with courses suitable for both new and experience campaigners
time to work as a team with an experienced mentor who can look at your plans and advise you from an independent perspective on how to make them even better
guest speaker along with a three course dinner on the Saturday night
drop-in sessions on more specialist campaign techniques and skills
in-depth strategy and review sessions on what worked for people in the 2016 elections
two-nights full board accommodation – including meals and refreshments – in a dedicated training centre with bar and leisure facilities.

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NewsHound

LIbLink: Alistair Carmichael: Parliament can not duck responsibility for UK joining Iraq war

By NewsHound | Sun 10th July 2016 - 11:55 am

As we have a 13-years-too-late mea culpa (but a big boy made him do it) from John Prescott, Alistair Carmichael writes for the Times about Parliament’s role in supporting the Iraq War.

He makes the very valid point that Parliament could have given Blair a much harder time, asking for more evidence, scrutinising every claim made, but they ducked it.

Too many of those who now say, “Of course, if I had known then what I know now …” must be challenged. For the most part they could not have known then what they know now because they were not prepared to ask the questions or to demand the evidence.

Attention focuses on the actions of the prime minister and government of the day and rightly so — they failed to do what they should have done. That is, however, equally true of the Conservative opposition. Where they should have questioned, they acquiesced. Where they should have demanded evidence, they accepted assertions. As a party of the establishment, they could not allow themselves to believe that the various arms of government would be embarking on a war without a sound basis in law.

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Caron Lindsay

Scotland marches for Europe this afternoon

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 10th July 2016 - 11:25 am

At 4pm today, a march organised by the Scottish Young European Movement will take place in Edinburgh.

Liberal Democrats will be there – I’m picking up the placards and leaflets to hand out in a while. You can tell how much I love this cause as I’m having to give up watching both the British Grand Prix at Silverstone AND Andy Murray in the final at Wimbledon to go.

We are meeting at the Floral Clock at the entrance to Princes Street Gardens near the National Gallery of Scotland at 3:30 – and for those who want to watch at least some of the tennis, some of us are heading to the Haymarket pub from 1:45 to cheer Andy on for an hour or so.

Speakers at the rally include John Edward, who ran the Scotland Stronger in Europe campaign and our new MSP for Edinburgh Western Alex Cole-Hamilton.

We know that Alex can deliver a cracker of a speech on the subject – his debut speech to Parliament was in the EU debate.

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Caron Lindsay

Tim Farron to Angela Eagle: If you aren’t going to oppose Tory Little Britain economic vandalism, there’s no point in challenging Corbyn

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 10th July 2016 - 10:25 am

As Angela Eagle prepares to launch her leadership challenge against Jeremy Corbyn, Tim Farron has taken a wee wander down Memory Lane and has found evidence from 2008 when she rubbished Vince Cable’s predictions of what we thought then was an economic storm.

Tim now says that she needs to take heed of the many voices who are wanting Labour to support continuing membership of the EU. If Labour are not prepared to do that, then, he says, there is no point in changing leader.

He has a number of questions for her:

The big issue for any Labour challenger is what will they do to reverse Jeremy Corbyn’s lack of leadership on our membership of the EU.

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Jenny Randerson

Baroness Jenny Randerson writes…For our transport sector Brexit means we are currently going nowhere fast

By Jenny Randerson | Sun 10th July 2016 - 8:55 am

Although few people have talked about it, Brexit is going to raise serious issues about how we get about. Our transport sector faces practical problems that need to be solved, or at least grappled with. These are issues that affect us in everyday life. I am pretty sure that people who voted to leave still expect to be able to fly abroad to their summer holidays and to buy goods that have been transported safely and in a timely manner from other countries. There is a simple, practical fact about which nobody—no referendum, no decision—can do anything: the continent of Europe, the land mass, stands between us and much of the rest of the world.

One immediate issue is the Channel Tunnel. The dream of the Channel Tunnel long predates the European Union, but the tunnel was constructed while Britain was a member and it has been executed and managed with EU membership at the forefront. It is privately financed and privately run by an Anglo-French consortium and its scale is simply enormous—400 trains a day, 50,000 passengers a day and 54,000 tonnes of freight a day. We cannot ignore that the British border is in France, an arrangement which has already been put under considerable doubt.

It is clear that many who voted to leave did so in the expectation of tighter border controls. This conflicts with the inspiration behind the Channel Tunnel, to have freer and faster movement of both people and goods between Britain and France. Any moves to implement tighter controls or to apply them in different ways will inevitably have an impact on business and on the enormous investment that the Channel Tunnel represents.

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Caron Lindsay

Think about Andrea Leadsom’s target audience

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 9th July 2016 - 3:52 pm

Most of the progressive side of social media is frothing in collective disgust at Andrea Leadsom’s comments in today’s Times (£).

There is no doubt that they were absolutely disgusting.

After explaining that, as a former banker, she understands “how the economy works and can really focus on turning it around” — unlike, by implication, the home secretary — she stresses that she is a “member of a huge family and that’s important to me. My kids are a huge part of my life, my sisters and my two half brothers are very close so I am very grounded and normal.” Mrs May, of course, has spoken of her heartbreak at realising that she could not have children.

In case the contrast is not clear enough, Mrs Leadsom goes on: “I am sure Theresa will be really sad she doesn’t have children so I don’t want this to be ‘Andrea has children, Theresa hasn’t’ because I think that would be really horrible, but genuinely I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake. She possibly has nieces, nephews, lots of people, but I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next.” There is also an empathy that comes from motherhood, she suggests, “when you are thinking about the issues that other people have: you worry about your kids’ exam results, what direction their careers are taking, what we are going to eat on Sunday”.

Lest you think the Times might be making it up, here’s the audio:

It should go without saying that whether you have children or not, whether that’s by choice or not, has no bearing on whether you care about the future of our planet. However, what Leadsom did was made even nastier because she knew perfectly well that Theresa May and her husband had not been able to have children. The pain of infertility is really tough to go through, as you come to terms with the fact that your life is going to be different than you thought it would be. It gets harder as you see your contemporaries all having children and embracing family life. Leadsom disproves her own argument, that being a mother gives her more empathy.

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NewsHound

Michael Moore calls for UK to copy Nicola Sturgeon’s Brexit action

By NewsHound | Sat 9th July 2016 - 1:20 pm

In the days after the Referendum, Nicola Sturgeon assembled a team to advise the Scottish Government on all aspects of Brexit. Academics, financial, legal and constitutional experts will be making sure that Sturgeon and her team get well-informed advice.

Former Lib Dem Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore, now an adviser with PwC, welcomed this move and said that the UK Government should do the same. The Herald has the story:

He praised the expertise of those who will be advising the First Minister.

“Everybody on that panel, you can see how they have earned their place, and they are also quite independent-minded.

“(For instance) Charles Grant, who is probably one of the most pre-eminent European experts in the UK and Europe, is the kind of guy who can go in and talk to the top officials and ministers anywhere on the continent.

“The First Minister and others deserve credit for having a broad range of people, who won’t just go along with a particular view.

“They are there to offer expertise and presumably also to challenge.”

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Caron Lindsay

Farron: Lib Dems will take on the Tories and deliver the internationalist, economically competent, decent government that Britain deserves”

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 9th July 2016 - 11:50 am

An article on the Times Red Box website examined the potential for a Liberal Democrat comeback following the EU Referendum.

I spoke to the journalist who wrote it, Natasha Clark, and may have compared Tim Farron to another Liberal leader from across the Atlantic:

They had a dynamic leader who made the case, harnessed the mood of the people with a very simple message. I think we will soon have a majority of people who don’t want to leave the EU, and we will be there to make that case.

Tim Farron was also interviewed and he had a right go at Theresa May:

Farron is, understandably, not a fan of any of either candidate for the Tory leadership, in particular the home secretary, who he slams for her inaction during the referendum campaign.

“Theresa May makes Jeremy Corbyn look like a grafter,” he jeered. “In the sense that she can step into the breach having done nothing to save the country… she may have had more of an impact than if Jeremy Corbyn did. The economy is going down the plughole because of that cowardice.”

In contrast, he made it clear what he and the Lib Dems have to offer:

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The Voice

LISTEN: Tim Farron on Any Questions

By The Voice | Sat 9th July 2016 - 10:50 am

Not only did we have Sal Brinton on Question Time this week, but Tim Farron took part in last night’s Any Questions.

You can listen to the whole thing here.

Key points included Tim talking about Chilcot. He said that the conclusions were “massively grave” and there was a juxtaposition between Blair’s absolute determination to go to war and the complete and total absence of any planning after the conflict. All of us, he said, were less safe because of that decision. Charles Kennedy stands vindicated by Chilcot.

He said that he found it objectionable that in two hours of defensiveness we only got 15 seconds of qualified regret from Tony Blair. The least the families of those who lost their lives deserved, he said, was an apology and they didn’t get it.

He also made a very salient contribution on a question on Andrea Leadson’s CV. Whatever may or may not have happened, he said, it’s insignificant compared to the fact that she fronted a campaign which said the NHS would get £350 million a week if we left the EU.

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Caron Lindsay

Nick Clegg helps children learn budgeting skills

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 9th July 2016 - 9:47 am

I’m reading David Laws’ Coalition at the moment and one of the recurring themes is the drama and tribulation around virtually every budget and Autumn Statement. Pulling all the measures together involved tortuous and protracted intrigue as both coalition parties tried to advance their own policy priorities – and the Liberal Democrats usually came out on top.

So it amused me when I saw an article in his local Sheffield newspaper showing Nick practising some different but no less important budgeting skills – helping young children learn financial skills at a primary school in his constituency.

It had been a Lib Dem priority to get some sort of financial skills education on to the curriculum. The Star has the details:

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The Voice

Norman Baker calls for Tony Blair to be “impeached”

By The Voice | Fri 8th July 2016 - 9:32 pm

Former Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker has called for Tony Blair to be impeached over his conduct in the run-up to the Iraq War.

Baker told the Argus:

“We have had to wait a long time for this and there is a sense that justice delayed is justice denied.

“Tony Blair is in terrible self denial. Saying the evidence wasn’t sexed up can only be trying to keep his spirits up. You almost feel sorry for him.

“He should just admit he was wrong and move on.

“I would like him to be impeached and made to defend himself because he has done so much wrong. ”

Mr Baker said he knew that the inquiry would not re-examine the death of weapons inspector David Kelly – having discussed the remit of the report with John Chilcot several years ago.

Mr Baker published his own dossier of evidence which he believes casts doubt on the Hutton Inquiry’s key conclusion that Dr Kelly killed himself in 2003.

So what is all this impeachment about?

The Parliament website explains:

Impeachment was a means by which Parliament could prosecute and try individuals, normally holders of public office, for high treason or other crimes and misdemeanours. The impeachment process was invented prior to the creation of popular political parties and the establishment of the conventions of collective and individual ministerial responsibility. When impeachment was used, for example in the 16th and 17th century, it represented the only means by which Parliament could dismiss an individual holding office under the Crown.

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Jane Dodds

Congratulations to the Welsh football team

By Jane Dodds | Fri 8th July 2016 - 4:30 pm

So Wales did not get beyond the semi finals in Euro 2016. Or rather; Wales got through to the semi finals of Euro 2016. An awesome performance which highlighted real teamwork and courage. They had tenacity in the face of people expecting so little of them. They believed in themselves and gave it everything.  They stood out as a team who felt privileged to be in the contest, wanted to make their mark and will come home to Wales with their heads held high having made it to the semi finals. Llongyfarchiadau Cymru/Congratulations Wales.

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ALDC

ALDC’s by-election report – 7 July

By ALDC | Fri 8th July 2016 - 2:59 pm

Last night saw three by-elections taking place, in Eden, Conwy and Suffolk Councils, with the Liberal Democrats putting up candidates on two of the ballots; Penelope Appleton stood in the Mostyn ward in Conwy, and Jon Neal for the Carlford ward in Suffolk. All of the seats were held by their previous party, but in both of the wards where we stood we enjoyed a vote increase, of 4.1% in Conwy and 4.2% in Suffolk.

In Eden just two candidates stood for the Appleby ward, making it the first contested election in this ward for 13 years, following the death of the Independent councillor Keith Morgan. The Conservatives were represented by Philip Guest, who ran against the Independent candidate Karen Greenwood, with the area remaining an Independent hold, by 187 votes to 67.

The Conwy by-election was prompted by the resignation of Labour Councillor Jobi Hold, and was successfully defended by Labour, despite a decrease in their voting share of 8.7%. Between all the parties which stood in the previous election in 2012, the Liberal Democrats experienced the largest increase in their voting share at 4.1%, totalling 126 votes for Appleton. 

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Chris Fauske

Reclamation, not realignment

By Chris Fauske | Fri 8th July 2016 - 1:25 pm

Regular readers of LDV  have recently been reminded of similarities between contemporary populist discontent and the 1930s. There is, however, one other aspect of the ‘30s which might be important to the Liberal Democrats today—and, it should go without saying—to the country as well.

And it’s not just the ‘30s. There are lessons, too, that should be learned from more recent events.

To the ‘30s first: These were deeply unstable times for British political parties and for parliament. These were the years of the National Government, of the splintering of the Liberal Party, of enormous division in the Labour Party that almost paralysed it. In retrospect, the Conservative Party was also much closer to permanent splintering than it perhaps appeared at the time.

Today, of those three parties it is the Liberal Democrats who look most likely to come through the next couple of years in best shape.

The single most important reason for that change is that it is clear, as it was not in the ‘30s, where the party stands on the most pressing issue of the day. And from a clear stance as to that main issue, positions on a variety of subsidiary issues also follow necessarily. However unsure as to the specific details, party members and the public at large can parse a variety of Lib Dem policy positions on immigration, human rights, internationalism and trade, among others, reasonably accurately based on the confident knowledge that the party is staunchly committed to the EU project.

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John Kelly

Disaster of Iraq is just one chapter of a flawed British Middle East Adventure

By John Kelly | Fri 8th July 2016 - 11:59 am

As we reflect on the Chilcot report, it is also worth reminding ourselves that British Foreign Policy in the Middle East has been flawed and at times disastrous for the last 100 years.  Too often it has been based on colonial ambition or narrow economic self-interest or just surrendering to powerful lobbies – often ignoring the expertise of well-informed diplomats and historians whose advice would have helped to avoid and repeat mistakes.

Until shortly before World War 1 the Levant was run by the armies of occupation of the Ottoman Empire.  While this colonial Ottoman governance was exploitative and far from benign, it must be admitted that Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in relative peace and harmony, trading together, socialising and even inter-marrying.  The arrival of the French and British colonial powers was at first welcomed by most Arabs, who anticipated a less grasping and more civilised governance and some hope of eventual self-rule.  Fairly soon the Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916 led to a carving up of the region into French and British spheres of influence which showed little respect for natural communities and ethnic or religious difference.  Promises about self-governance were repeatedly broken or only half-implemented. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 which promised the creation of a Jewish national home within Palestine was greeted with dismay by Palestinian Arabs, so the British government pledged that the rights of Palestinians must be protected in the implementation of this plan – a promise that was totally forgotten when the time came.

In the aftermath of World War 2, and, under pressure from Zionist terrorist gangs, a virtually bankrupt British Government could not escape quickly enough; it abandoned the Palestinians to their fate when the UN approved the partition of the country.  The resulting ethnic cleansing and subsequent Israeli –Arab wars have left the festering sore of Israel as the occupying power in Palestinian majority areas in defiance of international law and UN resolutions.

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Rob Parsons

The referendum: What were people voting about?

By Rob Parsons | Fri 8th July 2016 - 10:25 am

Two articles give much food for thought about the referendum. The Independent’s “Austerity and class divide likely factors behind Brexit vote” finds that 60% of the country self identfy as working class and have strong views on immigration, benefits and the unemployed. The report also mentions anti-establishment feelings towards bureacracy and government. The social mobility of the second half of the twentieth century, which saw many working class people move into middle class jobs has all but ended so the possibility of social mobility as a route to security is no longer available. The article also notes short terms changes in that in the years immediately following the 2008 crash there was high approval for austerity, but that has now lessened, with views on related issues, such as the proper rate for benefits, being confused. There is also a mixed pattern with regard to stress and freedom at work and also towards the ideas of coalition and voting reform.

The Guardian’s “Meet 10 Britons who voted to leave the EU” outlines a series of views from leave voters about what they were voting for and against.

The views expressed resonate with the idea that people were voting against the EU as representing the interests of the elite and not the interests of ordinary people. This quote sums up that view:

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Iain Roberts

What next for moderate Labour?

By Iain Roberts | Fri 8th July 2016 - 8:55 am

Corbyn has won. It’s clear that he will come out victorious in any leadership contest and the Chilcot report has put the final nail in the coffin of a serious challenge.

And more importantly the left of the Labour Party has won. Their project – to seize control of the levers of power within Labour and change the rules to turn it into a true hard-left socialist party – will take another couple of years, but it will almost certainly happen.

So Labour as a party of government is gone and Labour as a party of protest is here to stay. Despite my many and frequent disagreements with my political opponents in the red corner, I have to say that is a tragedy for our country.

The question moderate Labour members – including the vast majority of their MPs, all their MEPs and a large proportion of their councillors – are asking is, of course, “what next?”

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Paul Walter

The next Prime Minister won’t be Michael Gove but will be a human being

By Paul Walter | Thu 7th July 2016 - 5:55 pm

So, huge sighs of relief and trebles all round. Michael Gove will not be Prime Minister. Phew!

So, the next Prime Minister, and presumably the country’s future direction with it, will be chosen by the 0.2% of the population in the Tory party from amongst Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom. So we’ll get our second female Prime Minister.

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Paul Walter

Splendid and moving tribute to David Rendel, former Liberal Democrat MP

By Paul Walter | Thu 7th July 2016 - 4:10 pm

David Rendel at Anti-Iraq war demo 15th Feb 2003 Some rights reserved by Paul Walter

David Rendel at the 2003 London march against the Iraq war. David described voting against the Iraq invasion, in the House of Commons, as his proudest moment.

Last Monday, a memorial event was held for former Liberal Democrat MP, David Rendel. This was at the Corn Exchange theatre in Newbury. Family, friends, colleagues and former constituents of David filled the hall to overflowing.

The tributes started with a film of David’s life put together by Rachael Clarke, Deputy head of policy of the Liberal Democrats. This film included video footage and photos from David’s political and family life.

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Joe Otten

Even UKIP have no plan for this

By Joe Otten | Thu 7th July 2016 - 2:50 pm

Sheffield Full Council yesterday was met with a large pro-EU rally with speakers from all parties and other groups, including Sheffield Lib Dem group leader Shaffaq Mohammed.

Sheffield Stay

The debate continued in the chamber, on item 10, which was moved up the agenda in response to the demo. Sheffield is one of those councils that has this kind of debate quite regularly in full council, the business of running a council being decided in cabinet. Whether this is a good use of everyone’s time is questionable, but it is how we do things.

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Scott Kennedy-Lount

Don’t forget “cross-border” workers at the negotiating table

By Scott Kennedy-Lount | Thu 7th July 2016 - 1:59 pm

In the press and broadcast media so far there has been conflicting information from Conservative leadership candidates, Labour and UKIP about the future of the Freedom of Movement of EU citizens if and when we leave the EU; the status of EU Nationals already here in the UK and UK citizens already living and working in other Member States. The latter is open to interpretation as so far it would appear to address the individual works and lives in one single Member State.

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The Voice

LibLink: Julian Astle – Education is the route to really “taking back control”

By The Voice | Thu 7th July 2016 - 12:42 pm

Julian Astle — one time adviser to Paddy Ashdown and more recently a senior Lib Dem policy advisor in the coalition — has just taken up an appointment as Director of Creative Learning and Development at the RSA.

Julian’s been writing over on the RSA blog about the real lessons from the referendum:

The moment Britain leaves the European Single Market will be the economic equivalent of stepping off a travellator onto terra firma – a decelerating jolt, followed by the realisation that you now have to move a lot faster simply to travel at the same pace.

So how, without the propulsion that free access to a market of 500 million consumers provides, can we maintain – or even increase – the speed at which our economy grows?

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Caron Lindsay

Tonight’s Question Time is going to be worth watching!

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 7th July 2016 - 11:55 am

Sal has been brilliant on Question Time every time she’s been on. Just after she became President, she was on with the annoying David Starkey. Then earlier this year, she took UKIP to task for their horribly racist broadcast about Turkey.

Tonight’s programme should be brilliant with Sal and Hislop having a good go at Falconer and Galloway.

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