Liberal Democrat Voice

Rennie: EU Vote will define our country for decades to come

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 22nd June 2016 - 6:00 pm

Willie Rennie has been travelling round Scotland on town centre tour over the last few days, urging voters to vote to remain in the European Union.

Here he is in Perth:

Campaigning for remain in Perth with the team. #INtogether Still lots undecideds so work still to be done. pic.twitter.com/3kdb5MH8l6

— Willie Rennie (@willie_rennie) June 22, 2016

In his final pitch to voters he said:

Voters going to the polls tomorrow will be doing more than simply putting a cross in a box. They are taking a decision over the values that will define us as a nation for decades to come.

Open and outward looking or insular and closed. Ambitious and hopeful or timid and cynical.

We have a choice between building on the progress that we have made as part of the EU, or leaving and going it alone. The EU has helped protect human rights and workers’ rights. Our businesses sell their products all over Europe, supporting jobs here in Scotland and across the UK. Crime does not respect international borders and the EU helps our police work with other forces across Europe to keep us safe.

Tomorrow we can choose to work together or walk away from international cooperation that has helped keep the peace in Europe for more than five decades. We will choose to work together or walk away from something that has given us billions of pounds in trade, millions of jobs across the UK and has helped bring thousands of criminals to justice.

Posted in News | Tagged willie rennie eu referendum | 2 Comments

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The most brilliant event of the EU Referendum

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 22nd June 2016 - 5:30 pm

I’ve found this EU Referendum really difficult. It’s been a horrible, nasty, divisive campaign with the most uncomfortable racist and nationalist overtones. I can’t remember which of our lot said it, but they were right that the dog whistle has become a foghorn. The thought that within 48 hours, our country might choose the path of isolationism and blaming of the others, believing a campaign based on lies is not doing anything for my anxiety levels.

This afternoon, however, there was bright spot.

Outside the Scottish Parliament, the folk group Lau held a ceilidh flashmob to call for a Remain vote. I heard about it yesterday on Facebook and I was gutted that I couldn’t go. I asked Hannah Bettsworth, the awesome almost graduate, former co-President of Liberal Youth Scotland and occasional Liberal Democrat Voice contributor to go instead. She initially demurred, but curiosity eventually got the better of her.

The Strip the Willow is the most bonkers, potentially lethal Scottish ceilidh dance. It basically involves lots of spinning at great speed. There have been times I have thought I was going to end up on the next island while dancing it. It’s fast and fun.

Here, Jamie Ross from Buzzfeed and Lib Dem Scottish Parliament supremo Matthew Clark show people how it’s done. Matthew is the one with the grey trousers and black jumper.

I think I will rightfully look back on this as the low point of my career. Via @severincarrell. https://t.co/YOW2qXrZeJ

— Jamie Ross (@JamieRoss7) June 22, 2016

Posted in News | Tagged buzzfeed and matthew clark | 1 Comment

LibLInk: Edward McMillan Scott: Turkey’s EU membership will remain in the EU’s deep freeze, no matter what Leave says

By NewsHound | Wed 22nd June 2016 - 5:00 pm

The Leave campaign continue to peddle the lie that Turkey is about to join the EU.

This is not going to be happening any time soon despite the disgraceful leaflet which shows the 76 million figure and an arrow going straight from Turkey to Britain (and actually in Scotland, the arrow pointed to Scotland).

Former Liberal Democrat MEP Edward McMillan has outlined the issues surrounding Turkey’s application in an article on politics.co.uk.

Turkey has always been a divisive issue for the Tories, whose Ukip tendency see Turkey’s membership as the final nail in the EU’s coffin. I witnessed this for several years in the 1990s, when I was the European parliament’s spokesman on Turkey’s accession bid. Leading Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan has waded into the Warsi resignation debate this week. He says he asked her to join Leave and now claims she declined, although his friend, Ukip MP Douglas Carswell, told the Huffington Post that Hannan had indeed recruited her.

But internal Conservative politics aside, the fact remains that Turkey’s entry into the EU remains a very distant prospect. The EU’s response to Turkey’s often blunt courtship has traditionally been: “We don’t think either of us is ready for this yet, but let’s keep working on the relationship”. However, recent thuggish behaviour by President Erdogan’s hoodlums against any dissent to his corrupt regime has made even EU diplomats use much stronger language.

Posted in News | Tagged edward mcmillan-scott, eu referendum and turkey | 3 Comments

LDVideo: Paddy: Don’t let other people determine your future

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 22nd June 2016 - 3:59 pm

In a video for the European Movement, of which he is President, Paddy Ashdown urges people to make sure they vote, and vote Remain tomorrow.

Posted in News | Tagged eu referendum and paddy ashdown | Leave a comment

The North West: What has the EU ever done for us?

By Dr Paul RIchardson | Wed 22nd June 2016 - 2:59 pm

Despite weeks of campaigning and countless articles and debates, the Leave and Remain campaigns have consistently failed to connect with voters at a local or regional level.

Yet, the EU has been one of the most active and effective organisations in overcoming regional inequality, with Northern Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, the Tees Valley, and the Scottish Highlands currently receiving the largest amount of EU funding per person. In this blog, I suggest that the EU is as issue of huge regional, as well as national importance, and that the North West of England is a strong case in point.

From 2007 to 2013 the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), which managed the EU’s European Regional Development Fund for the North West, was allocated £755.5 million. During this period it invested in the region’s public transport network, including a £10.8 million contribution for a second tramline in Manchester and £7.9 million for redeveloping Victoria station.

The fund was also used to set up enterprise centres, technology centres, job training, broadband, environmental and renewable energy projects, as well as improved housing. In addition, significant sums were spent on arts and culture (including £3.8 million for the National Football museum, £6.8 million for Media City), healthcare (£4.7 million for the Royal Eye Hospital), universities (£23 million for the National Graphene Centre), and tourism (£14.7 million for Blackpool).

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged eu referendum and north west | 7 Comments

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Baroness Julie Smith writes…The European Peace Project

By Julie Smith | Wed 22nd June 2016 - 11:55 am

Peace: the single most important reason for the creation of what we now call the European Union, and the reason it remains so crucial. The European project arose from a clear vision: to make war in Europe ‘materially impossible’, to create enduring peace in a continent long ravaged by war. It is almost impossible to imagine now the devastation that plagued our continent for so long. And that is thanks to the visionary ideas of its founders. A spirit of reconciliation and mutual cooperation among the six founding members was crucial to ensuring Immanuel Kant’s idea of perpetual peace seemed to be a reality.

Of course, many would argue that is NATO that has kept the peace in Europe. It has certainly been important in securing the borders of its European members. During the Cold War the European Community as it was initially known could rely on an American security blanket to protect them from Soviet threats. Yet, within its own borders it was the mutual trust that developed as a result of pooling sovereignty in the areas of coal and steel and then across a wider set of economic policies that ensured member states began to see each other as partners and allies, not potential invaders.

For generations now we have lived secure in the knowledge that our fathers, brothers and sons will not be summoned to fight for our country. Military engagement by the state and by individuals signing up is voluntary, not forced. We have the EU to thank for that.

Posted in News | Tagged eu referendum and peace | 2 Comments

Lord Martin Thomas writes…The Red Army

By Martin Thomas | Wed 22nd June 2016 - 10:20 am

I am six inches taller this week. Wales smashed Russia in Toulouse! Russia was our heroic ally during the war but for most of my adult life, we were living under the threat of a huge looming Stalinist empire.

I grew up with soccer, as we used to call it. Saturdays were school rugby in the morning, and the Boys’ Enclosure at the Wrexham Racecourse soccer ground in the afternoon. Tunnicliffe thunders down the wing, crosses to Les Speed in the centre who puts the ball in the net. At our end, the amiable Ferguson tries to keep his knees together in goal – he famously let one through his legs at Stoke in the FA Cup. Soccer was simple then.

Then Hungary with Pusckas put six goals past England in 1953 and the world turned upside down. Russia invaded Hungary and Pusckas fled to Real Madrid. Soccer became Football. What you have to do now is stroke the ball to each other in your own half, send it back to the goalie and back again – intricate patterns of play with the only hope of a goal to wake up the crowd from a penalty, corner or free kick.

Posted in News | Tagged eu referendum, football and Wales | 3 Comments

WANTED! Prime Minister for poisoned chalice of post Brexit Britain

By George Kendall | Wed 22nd June 2016 - 8:57 am

I have an article in the New Statesman, asking why anyone would want to be Prime Minister if we vote to Leave. I’d be interested in what you think on this issue, so please do comment below.

If we vote for Brexit, and a Leave campaigner becomes Prime Minister, their every word of reassurance will be repeated back to them a thousand-fold.

As the country lurched into recession, economists would point out that 90% of them had predicted this. Voters would ask the new Prime Minister, why did you say Project Fear was a lie?

If David Cameron remained Prime Minister, and tried to mitigate the damage would be denounced as a betrayal. If he tried to stay in the single market, they’d scream, “We voted to end freedom of movement.” If he delayed invoking Article 50 they’d hound him till he did. And every set-back would be blamed on his “weak and pathetic” negotiating skills.

Posted in News | Tagged eu referendum and new statesman | 14 Comments

My reflections on the Guardian Live EU Referendum debate

By David Graham | Tue 21st June 2016 - 8:33 pm

Attending the Guardian Live referendum debate at Cadogan Hall, off London’s Sloane Square, last night were Chris Grayling MP, Daniel Hannan MEP and John Mann MP for the Leave side; against Andy Burnham MP, Caroline Lucas MP and our very own Tim Farron MP for the Remain side. The debate lasted an hour, and gave the speakers an opportunity to put forward what they considered to be their best points.

Mr Grayling was on the defensive in relation to the economy. He criticised the Institute of Fiscal Studies and National Institute for Economic and Social Research modelling for assuming – in line with the raising of tariffs and other restrictions on trade that would kick in as a matter of existing EU law -that the pound would fall and that trade with the remainder of the EU would fall in a Brexit scenario. He trotted out the facts that German cars and French food are sold in the UK, but had no answer to the riposte that all other Member States (including net importers from the UK and states with a small share of trade with us) would have to agree before tariffs could be reduced. He said that studies showed we would be better off, albeit not as well off, in 12 years’ time. This glossed over the predictions of short-term recession and permanently foregone output of the order of 2% to 5% every year compared to a remain scenario.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged eu referendum and tim farron | 6 Comments

Say goodbye to the EU and say goodbye to the benefits of the European Investment Bank

By Caroline Pidgeon | Tue 21st June 2016 - 4:47 pm

What has the European Union ever done for us, is one of those questions which most Liberal Democrats have no hesitation in answering – from cleaner beaches to reduced roaming charges for mobile phone users

However, one example that sadly receives little attention is the record of the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Now banking might seem rather dry, indeed rather boring for many people. However, when it comes to the EIB its benefits do need to be heard.

I was first alerted to how significant its lending was when I read the papers going to the Transport for London (TfL) Board last …

Posted in Op-eds | 6 Comments

We built the EU for our children

By Shirley Williams | Tue 21st June 2016 - 2:54 pm

Our country has a long and great tradition of leadership. Increasingly, we recognise that it has to be not only national leadership but our global leadership, where we are a part of a larger group of human beings seeking a better world and a better life, which makes the greatest difference to our lives. It would be a tragedy if this country gave up that kind of leadership because it is essential in the modern world, in which countries are totally interconnected with one another.

We have warred for generations over land, resources and ideas, spilling the blood of our children so that one small corner of the continent can put its flag in another small corner of the continent. In the last century we called this to an end. We agreed that we had finally had enough of the bloodshed and instead collaborated to build a stronger, more peaceful Europe.

It is not just violence we are protecting against. In building the European Union we have built the single biggest trading block in the world, the largest source of overseas investment in the world and an organisation which has the capacity to have a major impact in its negotiations in the World Trade Organisation and elsewhere.

Posted in Op-eds | 23 Comments

Why our peers need to embrace rather than shun social media

By Laura Willoughby | Tue 21st June 2016 - 1:05 pm

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There has never been a day when the Liberal Democrats have been happy with their media coverage. We just don’t get our fair share, and when we do our liberal ideals are often squeezed in a way that makes us uncomfortable. It has always been hard talking about liberalism. It is why we focus so much attention to get our own message out through leaflet and now via email and social media. It is amazing to now have access to channels where we can broadcast what we are doing that can get to a mass audience without the filter of a biased media.

So I am disappointed to see that another Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords announced they are pulling the plug on their social media account. As our presence in the upper chamber has grown, our ability to communicate our every day liberal deeds seems to diminish. Ex Chief Executive and communications professional Chris Fox announced the closing of his social media accounts on the day he was elevated (thanks mate!). Others have never even tried to get to grips with sending out an email, let alone new form of social media. Every day our peers are working hard and telling no one. I despair.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged house of lords and peers | 4 Comments

EURef: Twitter made a difference to voter registration

By Antony Hook | Tue 21st June 2016 - 11:20 am

The Data Driven Journalism blog has analysis of how often the Leave and Remain campaigns have been mentioned on Twitter.

One of the findings, is that link to register to vote was shared over 140,000 times on Twitter after 15 May, with a big spike around the registration deadline.

As far as I know, only the registration website managers could know how many people clicked on that link from Twitter and registered. But if someone delivered 140,000 pieces of papers with a registration form on we would say “well done” …

Posted in News | 9 Comments

Could there be three ironic (?) tragedies that follow a leave vote?

By Paul Walter | Tue 21st June 2016 - 10:08 am

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Posted in Europe Referendum and Op-eds | Tagged eu referendum | 67 Comments

MP security – we must keep access for the public

By Nigel Jones | Tue 21st June 2016 - 8:58 am

I never met Jo Cox. All I have heard about her tragic and pointless death is that she was the right sort of MP that entered Parliament with pure motives and who is a sad loss. She cared about the people in her constituency, regardless of their background. She worked for OXFAM, and knew that life in Britain is much easier than in other parts of the world – and she believed that it is our duty to help those in need, not least those children who have fled war in Syria and are now alone. …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged jo cox and jo cox mp | 2 Comments

Kath Pinnock’s tribute to Jo Cox

By The Voice | Mon 20th June 2016 - 6:25 pm

Kath Pinnock was supposed to be campaigning for Remain with Jo Cox on the afternoon she died. This is the tribute she gave this afternoon in the House of Lords.

My Lords, Jo Cox was my MP. She was savagely attacked and murdered on a street just yards from the market place where we were due to meet that very afternoon to campaign together on an issue about which we both cared passionately: being part of an open, co-operative EU.

That was not to be.

Jo had strongly held, principled, views. She was willing to work with all those who would help to

…

Posted in News | Tagged featured and jo cox | 2 Comments

Working to build a liberal core vote in Merton

By Anthony Fairclough | Mon 20th June 2016 - 5:30 pm

Merton Liberal Democrats were very pleased and somewhat surprised to be among the first winners of the Party’s “referendum pledge challenge”.

The vast majority of the winning groups are areas of (often recent) historic strength for the party with an organisation to match – so it was a real boost to us to see the local group’s name up there.

Last summer, bolstered by our newbies, we agreed a selection of campaign themes that articulated who we were and what we wanted to achieve as a group. This included the EU referendum/staying in the EU. A co-ordinator was appointed for each theme, to keep a watchful eye on developments in the area, and make sure we never forgot the themes in the heat of campaigns.

On the prompting of the EU campaign co-ordinator, all our street stalls during the London elections were about the referendum from an early stage. We’d also agreed that we would ask about the referendum as a secondary question when doing voter ID, but in many places we found it an easier conversation starter to go with the EU, before moving into asking for support for the London team.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged eu referendum and merton | 1 Comment

Johnson and Gove, like Trump, believe in the magical power of the word

By Bernard Aris | Mon 20th June 2016 - 4:07 pm

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In a recent analysis in the Washington Post of why Republican voters keep on supporting Trump and his “macho gone beserk”-rhetoric, the veteran American political analyst E.J. Dionne cited a classic book about Right-Wingers and their rhetoric, what they believe their phrases can accomplish.

The social scientists Seymour Martin Lipset and Earl Raab observed in their classic book from 1970 “The Politics of Unreason/ Right Wing Extremism in America, 1790-1970” that:

Right-wing extremists have always highlighted ‘the magical power of the word’ and the faith that just saying the right thing, believing the right thing, is the substance of victory and remedy.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged brexit | 2 Comments

LibLink: Jeremy Browne on why Europe fears Brexit

By Mary Reid | Mon 20th June 2016 - 2:19 pm

On City AM, Jeremy Browne has been explaining that Europe fears Brexit because it would unleash forces that could prove impossible to control. He writes:

In Britain, we inevitably focus most on how our departure from the EU would affect the UK. What the other countries in the EU mainly worry about, however, is how it would affect Europe. They are standing back, nervous that any intervention could be open to misinterpretation and be counter-productive, but they watch our referendum with trepidation.

The

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged eu referendum and jeremy browne | Leave a comment

LibLink: Mark Williams on happiness, which is still ground for punishment in Iran

By Mary Reid | Mon 20th June 2016 - 12:45 pm

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Mark Williams has written an article for The Hill, the Washington based news source. Under the eye-catching headline “Happiness is still ground for punishment in Iran” Mark writes:

A couple of years ago, Western audiences were noticeably shocked at the news that several Iranian youths had been arrested for the “crime” of dancing together and posting a video of themselves celebrating life to the strains of an American pop song called “Happy.” It was one in a long series of vivid reminders of repression in Iran. But unfortunately it was one of only a few that have gained significant traction in the Western media. It left the European and American public with the right idea about the Islamic Republic, but also with a potentially incomplete picture of how serious and how pervasive the problem is.

He explains that the incident took place soon after the reportedly moderate Hassan Rouhani had taken over as President, and there was hope that things would change under his leadership. But hopes were dashed.

Posted in LibLink | Tagged human rights, iran and mark williams | 2 Comments

What did the EU ever do for us?

By Paul Harrison | Mon 20th June 2016 - 11:38 am

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And so the Brexit campaign tells us how much better things would be if we went it alone. Well, let me share my own experience as a former Headteacher and bring some perspective and reality into the argument.

Apparently we constantly lose out financially by being in the EU. Not my experience.

My school was a relatively successful rural comprehensive in County Durham. As with many rural schools, we struggled each year to balance our budgets and were certainly not favoured by either central or local government. No Building Schools for the Future, Excellence in Cities or Action Zones funding for us! We were certainly losing out compared to other schools in the area.

With no capital funding available, I turned to Europe and twice successfully bid for funding, to build a Construction Workshop and a Virtual Learning Environment. These were not large sums – €120,000 and €150,000 – but it was money I could not access elsewhere. We ran four Comenius projects and a Youth in Action project with our European partners, averaging €25,000 per project, so bringing in a further €125,000 to the school. And then we also successfully bid for two European Social Fund projects to share our best practice with teachers elsewhere in the EU and this brought in a further €80,000.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged education, eu referendum and schools | 28 Comments

Let’s create a positive legacy for Jo Cox

By Chris Key | Mon 20th June 2016 - 9:52 am

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The tragic death of Jo Cox is a potent symbol of what Britain in 2016 has become.

A society in which blame of the other, hatred of those with differing opinions and distrust of MPs have all sadly become de rigueur.

Yet she is also a beacon of what one human being can do to change the course of politics and something good has to come from her tragic death.

She entered the House of Commons just a year ago and campaigned fervently to change government policy on refugees. George Osborne said tonight that Jo would never know how many lives she has changed. What a fitting tribute.

Any aspiring MP should watch her fabulous maiden speech and wonder if they could do the same. I have been considering the idea and she has made me want to try.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged jo cox | 26 Comments

Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #461

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 19th June 2016 - 9:26 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our xxxth 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 (12-19 June, 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:

Posted in Best of the blogs | Leave a comment

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

By The Voice | Sun 19th June 2016 - 4:30 pm

7 best Many thanks to the 10,800 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here’s our 7 most-read posts…

Tim Farron attacks Farage poster over Orlando atrocity (31 comments) by The Voice

RIP Jo Cox MP (17 comments) by Caron Lindsay

About Nigel Farage and the British Fishing industry (47 comments) by Newspuppy

It’s time to drop everything and concentrate on the EU Referendum (53 comments) by Caron Lindsay

Proof arrives that Remain are right on the economy (68 comments) by Joe Otten

Understanding the fears of those leaning towards Brexit (31 comments) by Mark Argent

Posted in Site news | Leave a comment

It was only when he mentioned the knife that we started to panic inside

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 19th June 2016 - 2:55 pm

The man sat, twisted on the chair in front of us.

He was clearly agitated, veering between frustrated anger and incoherence.

Life had not been kind to him and his behaviour and choices hadn’t helped him.

We were the outlet for his frustrations.

We were the staff in an MP’s office. We dealt with these sorts of frustrations on a regular basis, doing everything we could to help. We made it a rule that we would never turn anyone away and we always promised them that we would do everything within our power for them. We couldn’t guarantee success, but we were on their side.

The man got up and walked around the office shouting. Then he’d sit down again and the cycle would repeat.

It was only when he mentioned that he sometimes carried a knife that we started to panic a bit. The door to the room was between the man and us. The windows, two storeys up from the busy High Street did not offer any possibility of escape.

Stuff suddenly felt very real.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged mp safety | 8 Comments

LISTEN: Great Lives: Millicent Garrett Fawcett

By The Voice | Sun 19th June 2016 - 1:30 pm

The BBC has made their programme in the Great Lives series on Millicent Garrett Fawcett available free on iPlayer.

Listen to it here.

Lesley Abdela talks to Matthew Parris on Fawcett’s life and achievements and the way she campaigned, rejecting militancy and building up support for a variety of causes so that it eventually became obvious that women should have the vote.

She talks about how, as a teenager, Millicent, her sister and a friend discussed how they were going to break into male dominated areas like medicine and politics.

There’s also the story of her being robbed and when the thief appeared in court, the property he stole was described as that of Fawcett’s husband.

Matthew Parris was pretty rude to Lesley Abdela, telling her that her name sounded like a council estate named by Ken Livingstone. She dealt with that by saying she’d be very pleased for that to happen.

Posted in News | Tagged bbc, lesley abdela and millicent garrett fawcett | 3 Comments

David Steel pays tribute to Derek Ezra, emphasising his pro-European views

By The Voice | Sun 19th June 2016 - 11:59 am

In twelve years as Liberal Leader, David Steel only got to nominate eight peers. One of them was former National Coal Board chairman Derek Ezra, who died last December.

In London this week, Lord Steel gave a speech at Haberdashers’ Hall (Derek Ezra was an honorary Liveryman) in which he paid tribute to Derek Ezra. He also explained why his colleague was so in favour of a European organisation that worked together and kept the peace.

During my twelve years as party leader Prime Minister Thatcher was notoriously mean in Liberal peerages, allowing me only eight during that time in spite of the encouragement of the Tory leader in the Lords – Willie Whitelaw – to do better. Subsequent Prime Ministers were much kinder to Ashdown, Kennedy and Clegg and allowed them several nominations in each list. Inevitably my eight nominations were all either former senior MP’s or party office-bearers – with one exception – Derek Ezra.

In his memoirs he says that I nominated him “in order to introduce some industrial experience on to the Liberal benches” and that is true but not the whole truth – I thought it important for the public to see that we had people of his calibre in public life. He was known as chairman of the National Coal Board but few knew he was an ardent Liberal, arguing against the pattern of “them and us” in so much of British business. And what a success he was, one colleague saying “Derek ought to give lessons to the rest of us on how to put questions in the Lords” and another describing his contributions – even from his wheelchair in later life – as combining “integrity, clarity and relevance”. I always considered his expertise on energy and conservation debates as adding greatly to the prestige of our party.

Lord Ezra was an active and committed European from his earliest days as a student at Cambridge, as Major Ezra during the war and in his four-year service in the European Coal and Steel Community in Luxembourg. Delivering a lecture in this very hall in 2005 he mentioned his earlier work with Jean Monnet “one of the most remarkable men of the 20th century” who “was convinced that in order to avoid future wars and promote stability and prosperity, European countries would have to cooperate on a more integrated basis than ever before”. Derek added “Britain remained a reluctant participant – in my opinion much to our disadvantage”.

Posted in News | Tagged david steel and derek ezra | 1 Comment

Staying in Europe and building our teams

By Dawn Barnes | Sun 19th June 2016 - 10:32 am

Up until Thursday and the sad news of Jo Cox MP, the Lib Dem IN campaign in Haringey was full steam ahead.

Our London election campaign canvassing included the EU question and some EU activity to motivate those not entirely engaged in the London elections. As soon as the May election were over, we got on with a schedule of street stalls, doorknocking, delivery, fundraising and social events to stay in the EU.

It’s been great fun and helped get more people out to join us regularly. The …

Posted in Op-eds | 4 Comments

Nick Clegg on the Brexit Betrayal

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 19th June 2016 - 8:51 am

Last Thursday,the European Movement held a “Lead not Leave” rally in Edinburgh in support of a Remain vote. Just before the event started, the news that Jo Cox had been shot came through but at that time we didn’t realise the full horror of what had happened.

All the contributions from the cross-party panel were superb. The Greens’ Sarah Beattie-Smith was passionate on women’s rights, climate change and the EU having the power to make sure multi-nationals pay their taxes. Tory Jackson Carlaw said he’d been surprised by how much a Remain vote had come to mean to him. North East Fife SNP MP Stephen Gethins, who had been disgracefully misquoted on the Vote Leave leaflet was passionate about membership of the EU. Kezia Dugdale was warm and talked about some very practical reasons we need to stay for social justice and workers.

The final speaker was our own Nick Clegg. He was pretty stark. He talked about the reality of Brexit, waking up to discover that the Leave lot don’t know what’s happening, the Tories are immersed in a bloodbath, there’s constitutional gridlock and the economy is, frankly, down the toilet. It was one of the best speeches I’ve heard him make.

It was very different in style to his tremendous resignation speech, but no less powerful and compelling. The scenario he sets out is very plausible. He wasn’t trying to appeal to the audience. He knew that he was at an event where most people were going to be pretty passionately in favour of Remain. He wanted to address his remarks to the waverers. Your mission, dear readers, for the next few days is to play this to as many waverers as you can.

Now, the whole thing is definitely worth watching, but if you just want Nick, go to about 25:55.

I had recorded his speech (and Kezia’s) on their own. It was my first time using Periscope and to say that I screwed it up royally is an understatement. For a start, I didn’t realise you had to type in what your were broadcasting so people had a clue what the random video was.

I had meant to embed the tweets in which they were broadcast on Thursday, but it obviously wasn’t appropriate to do so and they only last for 24 hours.

By some miracle, the recordings are still on the app, and I’d love to shove them on You Tube but I can’t work out how. If you know, please tell me.

Enjoy. The text (more or less) of Nick’s speech is under the cut but listen to it if you can. The energy of his delivery really brings it alive.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged eu referendum, european movement and nick clegg | 39 Comments

Sarah Olney bids to become candidate for Mayor of London

Going for four in a row in Scotland

Observations of an Expat: Canada

Happy Birthday to us!

Rennie: EU Vote will define our country for decades to come

The most brilliant event of the EU Referendum

LibLInk: Edward McMillan Scott: Turkey’s EU membership will remain in the EU’s deep freeze, no matter what Leave says

LDVideo: Paddy: Don’t let other people determine your future

The North West: What has the EU ever done for us?

Baroness Julie Smith writes…The European Peace Project

Lord Martin Thomas writes…The Red Army

WANTED! Prime Minister for poisoned chalice of post Brexit Britain

My reflections on the Guardian Live EU Referendum debate

Say goodbye to the EU and say goodbye to the benefits of the European Investment Bank

We built the EU for our children

Why our peers need to embrace rather than shun social media

EURef: Twitter made a difference to voter registration

Could there be three ironic (?) tragedies that follow a leave vote?

MP security – we must keep access for the public

Kath Pinnock’s tribute to Jo Cox

Working to build a liberal core vote in Merton

Johnson and Gove, like Trump, believe in the magical power of the word

LibLink: Jeremy Browne on why Europe fears Brexit

LibLink: Mark Williams on happiness, which is still ground for punishment in Iran

What did the EU ever do for us?

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