Mary Reid

Caroline Pidgeon elected in London …

By Mary Reid | Fri 6th May 2016 - 11:52 pm

Caroline Pidgeon… but not as Mayor of London – that will be Labour’s Sadiq Khan, although it has yet to be announced officially.

Instead she has won a seat on the London Assembly from the party list. Sadly she will be our only Assembly Member.

The constituency seats have been shared between Labour (9) and Conservatives (5). The final result for the London Assembly, including the seats allocated from the party lists, is:

Labour – 12

Conservative – 8

Green – 2

UKIP – 2

Lib Dems – 1

The names of all 25 Assembly members can be …

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Caron Lindsay

Former MP Leech elected as Councillor

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 6th May 2016 - 8:15 pm

Former Manchester Withington MP John Leech has been elected as councillor for Didsbury ward. He will be the sole voice of opposition on Manchester City Council.

John said:

In 2005 I promised not to give up on the residents of Manchester Withington. I haven’t and I’m not going to. I will continue to fight for south Manchester as I always have done. I’m not going anywhere.

I couldn’t be happier to be back on the council and back in a position to help local residents.

Tim Farron said: 

John is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever known and I am absolutely thrilled that his

…

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Caron Lindsay

From elation to sadness: my mixed emotions on the Scottish results

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 6th May 2016 - 6:53 pm

If you had told me six months ago that we would retain 5 seats in the Scottish Parliament and win mainland constituency seats from the SNP, I’d have laughed in your face. It didn’t seem possible when polls were giving us 3% and 4% in the polls. It’s a testament to the bright, bold and ambitious campaign Willie Rennie has run.

@timfarron saying congratulations to @agcolehamilton and @willie_rennie for GAINING constituency seats. pic.twitter.com/c5PxBsf53l

I’m finally home now. I might be a little more flaky than usual as I have now been awake for approaching 34.5 hours. I’m desperately trying not to go to sleep for another couple of hours so I can just go to bed for the night then. I’m not sure that’ll work.

It’s been a while since I left a count or ended an election night smiling. For most of the last 4 weeks, I’ve been helping Alex Cole-Hamilton’s campaign in Edinburgh Western. Getting Alex elected to Holyrood is something I’ve tried to do for the past 9 years. In 2007, he topped the list in Mid Scotland and Fife but our success in Dunfermline stopped him getting in. In 2011, he stood in Edinburgh Central and was 2 on the Lothians list, but the coalition made that an impossible election for us. It was at that point that he made his tweet which was immortalised in Nick Clegg’s resignation speech:

In 2011, after a night of disappointing election results for our party, one of our candidates in Edinburgh, Alex Cole-Hamilton said that if his defeat was part-payment for the ending of child detention then he accepted it with all his heart.

Those words revealed a selfless dignity which is rare in politics but common amongst Liberal Democrats.

We will never know how many lives we changed for the better because we had the courage to step up at a time of crisis.

So this time, I really wanted him to win, not least to reward the huge effort he has made in building the team around him, knocking on 25,000 doors in the constituency and running a textbook campaign.

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Mary Reid

Kirsty Williams stands down as Leader of Welsh Lib Dems

By Mary Reid | Fri 6th May 2016 - 5:47 pm

Kirsty WilliamsKirsty Williams has announced that she is standing down as Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, following the bruising results in the Assembly election. She explained here:

I can’t tell you how much of a privilege it has been to serve this party as leader over the last eight years, but with that privilege comes responsibility. Despite our best efforts, and a positive campaign, it has not been enough.

And for that, I must take responsibility.

In these new circumstances, the party will want to reflect and consider the way

…

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NewsHound

++BBC: At least EIGHT police forces are actively investigating Conservative election expenses from the 2015 election

By NewsHound | Fri 6th May 2016 - 5:08 pm

BBC News’ Home Affairs correspondent, Daniel Sandford reports:

Eight police forces are investigating whether Conservative MPs filed election expenses illegally after the 2015 General Election, the BBC understands.

The allegations centre around failing to register the accommodation costs of party activists who were involved in the “battle bus” operation.

The party has blamed an “administrative error”.

A Conservative spokesman said the party had already brought the error to the attention of the Electoral Commission.

The activists on the party’s battle bus targeted marginal seats.

The police probe will ascertain whether the expenses for the people using the bus should have been filed by

…

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Mary Reid

Update on London results

By Mary Reid | Fri 6th May 2016 - 4:59 pm

Sadiq Khan’s victory as London Mayor seems inevitable.

Four of the constituencies have declared so far, with two electing a Conservative Assembly member and two Labour.

Update: make that three Conservative and four Labour.

Our eyes are still on the London-wide lists, and here Green, UKIP and Lib Dems are in competition for the last six or seven places. It now looks likely that we will get two, as last time.

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Paul Walter

Government abandons enforced 100% academisation in England

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 4:25 pm

The BBC reports that the government have climbed down over enforced academisation. What they are now proposing seems to be what they were doing before this crazy scheme was mooted.

They’ve sneaked out this “trash” on a busy Friday afternoon hoping no-one will notice.

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NewsHound

++Lib Dems GAIN Watford – Tories wiped out!

By NewsHound | Fri 6th May 2016 - 3:39 pm

Watford march action day


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Mary Reid

Follow the London count on London Elects

By Mary Reid | Fri 6th May 2016 - 12:46 pm

 

The interim figures for the London elections are being declared throughout the day on London Elects.  Counting is being carried out electronically.

In the contest for Mayor of London around 50% of the votes have been counted and verified. Progress in counting is being revealed in each of the large Assembly constituencies. The bar chart (which tantalisingly does not show the percentages – where did they get that idea from?) indicates that Sadiq Khan is substantially ahead of Zac Goldsmith on first preferences at the moment. Caroline Pidgeon is lying fourth just behind the Greens, but ahead of UKIP. Of course, this may change as the constituencies level up in their counting progress.

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Mary Reid

Final results for Welsh Assembly

By Mary Reid | Fri 6th May 2016 - 12:10 pm

Whilst I was catching a few hours sleep – I find 24 hours with no sleep is pretty much my limit – the results were declared for all but one of the regional lists. Sadly we lost out, mainly to UKIP, in four of the regions and our hopes were pinned on Eluned Parrott gaining a seat in South Wales Central. But once again we came fourth behind UKIP and missed out.

So the final position is that we only have one Welsh AM, Kirsty Williams, who bucked the trend, got 52% of the vote and increased her majority in the constituency seat of Brecon & Radnorshire. Warm congratulations to her, and commiserations to those who lost.

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The Voice

Tim Farron on last night’s results: “When we get knocked down, we refuse to get knocked out”

By The Voice | Fri 6th May 2016 - 10:42 am

Tim Farron's q and a at Newcastle Uni
Tim Farron has just sent the following email to party members:

12 months ago we suffered the worst defeat in our party’s history, yet in this election we have shown that when we get knocked down, we refuse to get knocked out.

I’m incredibly proud of all our candidates and grateful for their hard work and the commitment.

We are starting to see the result of our hard work and determination, and recognition of an unwavering commitment to the communities we wish to represent. These elections are starting to show that Liberal Democrats are in a position to grow.

In Scotland, Willie Rennie and Alex Cole-Hamilton gained seats – against the odds – from the SNP. And despite the full onslaught of the SNP machine we increased our share of the vote in both Orkney and Shetland.

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Paul Walter

Lib Dems “over the moon” in Gosport

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 6:45 am

Portsmouth News reports:

THREE Liberal Democrat gains saw the party grow in Gosport.

Now the party has nine councillors, after plucking two wards from the Conservatives and one from Labour.

New councillors Dawn Kelly, Richard Earle and Angela Prickett were victorious as the Tory majority shrank.

Lib Dem leader Peter Chegwyn said: ‘I’m over the moon.

‘It’s a fantastic night for us.’

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Paul Walter

Lib Dems keep huge majority in Eastleigh

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 6:42 am


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Paul Walter

Lib Dems gain two seats to win over half of the seats contested in Portsmouth

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 6:39 am

Well done to Gerald and the team!



The full results are here.

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Mary Reid

Kirsty Williams holds her seat

By Mary Reid | Fri 6th May 2016 - 4:30 am

And with a big majority of 8170.

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Mary Reid

Liberal Democrat GAIN Edinburgh Western from SNP

By Mary Reid | Fri 6th May 2016 - 4:08 am

With a great result…

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Paul Walter

Lib Dems win every council seat in Southport for the first time since 1858

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 4:05 am

I think this should say “Lib Dems or predecessor parties”….


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Paul Walter

19.9% vote increase for Tavish Scott in Shetland

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 3:54 am
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Paul Walter

Lib Dems gain seat in Rochdale from Labour

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 3:50 am


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Paul Walter

Lib Dems gain Portsmouth’s Nelson ward from Labour

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 3:48 am


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Mary Reid

Best news of the night! Willie Rennie gains North East Fife from SNP

By Mary Reid | Fri 6th May 2016 - 3:26 am

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Paul Walter

Lib Dems gain seat in Sunderland

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 2:26 am


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Paul Walter

Lib Dem gain from Labour in Bury

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 2:25 am


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Paul Walter

Lib Dems hold control of Eastleigh

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 2:23 am


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Paul Walter

Mark Hunter storms to victory in Stockport

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 2:20 am


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Paul Walter

Lib Dems gain two seats and hold seven seats in Hull

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 2:16 am


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Paul Walter

16% swing from SNP to Lib Dems in Orkney

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 2:13 am

The BBC reports:

Orkney was the first constituency to declare in the Scottish Parliament election, with the Liberal Democrats holding the seat.

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Paul Walter

Spectacular by-election win – Lib Dems take seat from Tories in Newbury

By Paul Walter | Fri 6th May 2016 - 2:03 am

Elizabeth O'Keefe and team

Elizabeth O’Keeffe (centre) with some of her team in Newbury

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Mary Reid

Wales: The Results – another open thread

By Mary Reid | Thu 5th May 2016 - 11:32 pm

 

Like Caron in Scotland I will be trying to track results, this time for the National Assembly of Wales. I have to admit that here at Lib Dem Voice we are at a bit of a disadvantage because none of us lives in Wales nor are we fully conversant with all the issues (although I can sing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau rather better than John Redwood, having learnt Welsh for a couple of years at primary school).

So be gentle with us, and help us out. We would very much welcome input from readers in beautiful Wales on @libdemvoice, or [email protected], or in the comments below.

But before the results start appearing on @britainelects, or your channel of choice, here is some essential background information.

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Paul Walter

The last risk I expected on polling day was sunstroke

By Paul Walter | Thu 5th May 2016 - 11:00 pm

IMG_2856Well done and thank you to everyone who has done anything for the Liberal Democrats in our campaigns culminating today.

What a glorious day it was here in the south of England! – and apologies if the weather in your area wasn’t as great.

My straw hat got its first outing of the year and, as I tramped round the streets of Newbury, I couldn’t believe how lucky we were to have such glorious sunshine and warmth.

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