Liberal Democrat Voice

Moving exams in Ramadan “sensible and inclusive” says Farron

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 7th January 2016 - 5:10 pm

Tim Farron has reacted to the needless controversy surrounding the decision by exam boards to move certain popular exams so that they take place before Ramadan with a perfectly sensible, liberal statement:

The idea that this is an attack on British values is ridiculous and depressing. Rather than seeking to divide people by their faith, we should see this sensible move as an opportunity for inclusion and understanding.

This is a simple rescheduling of some school exams, recognising that a number of students will be observing Ramadan. As a person of faith myself I think it is entirely reasonable and decent to consider such things when planning exam dates.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged education, exams, ramadan and tim farron | 13 Comments

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Two Liberal Democrat interventions on Freedom of Information (and what Tim said about Alex Carlile)

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 7th January 2016 - 3:55 pm

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Leading Liberal Democrats have made two recent interventions on freedom of information legislation.

Today, Alistair Carmichael called for all private contractors doing public work to also be subject to FOI requests and promised strong opposition to any attempts from the Conservatives to water down the FOI system.

The call comes amidst reports that ministers may extend FOI requests to charities. From the Press Gazette:

The Government is considering strengthening the ministerial veto on Freedom of Information disclosures but dropping other proposed changes to the act, according to a report in The Times.

It is also considering extending the act to cover charities and private sector companies which work on public sector projects, the paper reports.

The Goverment’s Independent Commission on Freedom of Information was set up to review the act last year in the wake a Supreme Court decision which over-rode a ministerial veto and ordered the disclosure of letters sent by Prince Charles to ministers.

The commission has faced a huge backlash from media groups, charities, trade unions and civil society bodies because its consultation document suggested it was only looking at ways to reduce the “burden” which FoI places on the public sector.

Alistair Carmichael said:

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged Alistair Carmichael, freedom of information and tim farron | Leave a comment

LibLink: Nick Clegg: My birthday wish is that we win the argument for staying in the EU

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 7th January 2016 - 2:41 pm

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Nick Clegg’s first Standard column of the New Year is published on his birthday. Twitter was not exactly heaving with birthday wishes as midnight passed, but there were some:

Natal felithitathionth to the previouth gloriouth leader 🙂 https://t.co/mXsrEf5N77

— LiberalDemocrat Igor (@LibDemIgor) January 7, 2016

Anyway, when he blows out the 49 candles on his birthday cake today, he’ll be wishing that we stay in the EU. I thought they weren’t supposed to come true if you told them, but there is some relevance to the paragraph he spends going on about the misery of a January birthday. What was happening around the time he was born?

On this day 49 years ago, British diplomats were preparing for negotiations with the six founder members of the European Economic Community — Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Luxembourg — over our application to join. It was our second attempt to get into the European club, having tried four years earlier only to be rebuffed with a haughty “Non!” from Charles de Gaulle.

The debate about whether we should be in or out was remarkably similar to the one we are having today. People on the pro side of the argument believed it was in our economic and strategic interest to join; the antis warned it would lead to the surrender of too much British sovereignty. Plus ça change.

Posted in Europe / International and LibLink | Tagged eu, evening standard and nick clegg | 12 Comments

Baroness Celia Thomas writes…Derek Ezra 1919-2015

By Celia Thomas | Thu 7th January 2016 - 11:55 am

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Liberal Democrat peer Derek Ezra died on 22 December 2015 at the age of 96. Celia Thomas remembers him.

Liberal Peers were absolutely delighted when Derek Ezra took the Liberal whip on becoming a Peer in 1983. He was one of the best known men in public life at the time, having been a well-respected Chairman of the Coal Board from 1972 to 1982. He had been a Liberal since university days, he told us, where he joined the Cambridge University Liberal Club in 1936. There he was a friend of Richard Wainwright, who was later to become the Liberal MP for Colne Valley.

A few years later, when war broke out, Derek became a gunner, rising eventually to the rank of Lt. Colonel; he later joined British Intelligence, where he was secretary of the Combined Intelligence Objectives Sub-Committee. After the war, he spent four years in Luxembourg as a member of the UK delegation to the European Coal and Steel Community where he worked with Jean Monnet, largely regarded as the founding father of the European Community. From that time on, Derek was a passionate, but not uncritical, supporter of the European Union.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged derek ezra, featured and obituaries | 4 Comments

The EU referendum: a great opportunity for the Lib Dems

By Iain Gill | Thu 7th January 2016 - 10:10 am

International Office_with text I am thrilled to announce that I have been appointed to manage our Party’s EU Referendum campaign!

With Britain’s future in Europe hanging in the balance, 2016 is a watershed year for this country. For Britain to remain an outward-looking, progressive and prosperous nation at the heart of the international community, we need to secure our future in Europe.

The Liberal Democrats are unique in being the only national party in the UK who are unequivocally in favour of remaining in Europe and have a long history of committed internationalism. This referendum is a challenge but also an opportunity for us to prove that liberalism and international are more important than ever before for Britain.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged eu referendum | 21 Comments

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Lynne Featherstone calls for cuts to solar energy to be rescinded

By Mary Reid | Wed 6th January 2016 - 5:36 pm

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Following on from Ed Davey’s outspoken criticism of the Government’s cuts to subsidies for renewals, we hear that Lynne Featherstone has tabled a motion in the Lords calling for the cuts to the feed-in tariff subsidies for solar energy to be rescinded. These subsidies are being reduced by a huge 65% next month, which will lead to the loss of up to 18,700 jobs in the industry over the next four years.

This motion could result in another defeat in the Lords – something we have been growing used to since the notable Lib Dem campaign on tax credits.

Tim Farron is quoted in the Financial times:

Posted in News | Tagged house of lords, lynne featherstone, renewables and tim farron | 4 Comments

Tim Farron on Labour’s meltdown

By Mary Reid | Wed 6th January 2016 - 4:35 pm

Tim has just posted this comment on his Facebook page:

I despair at Labour’s meltdown. Britain needs a progressive liberal voice that can actually challenge the Conservatives and offer an alternative that understands real people’s lives.

Just this week, when a party is needed to challenge the Housing Bill, shine a light on the UK’s shady relationship with Saudi Arabia and highlight the worrying consumer credit bubble, Labour are nowhere to be seen. Labour is not that credible alternative. It is split from top to bottom.

While Britain is

…

Posted in News | Tagged tim farron | 48 Comments

Let us decide the fate of our open spaces

By Jim Hardaker | Wed 6th January 2016 - 2:58 pm

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Across the UK, cash-hungry councils are selling off parks and open spaces to fill up their coffers.

We’re supposed to accept that in these times of diminishing government spending it’s necessary to sacrifice some niceties – but the loss of recreational green land that’s supposed to belong to us all is going too far.

To think that councils are using the funds from selling our parks to deliver services is optimistic at best. Land sale is capital. Services come out of the revenue budget.

Yet still it seems hard for the public to make a case that their parks should be saved. Councillors claiming to represent their constituents clearly feel that silent majorities outweigh the hundreds and even thousands who sign petitions, and perhaps they do. But something needs to change or we will never have a way to know for sure.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged parks | 7 Comments

LibLink: Ed Davey says Government is “butchering UK’s renewables”

By The Voice | Wed 6th January 2016 - 1:13 pm

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BusinessGreen refers to some of Ed Davey’s recent comments as a ‘blistering attack’ in which he ‘slams Conservative ministers’.

He was responding to some research, including Freedom of Information requests, that was carried out by the Carbon Brief. In a nutshell, Conservative ministers have been claiming that household energy bills were rising because of a projected overspend of £1.5 billion by 2020 on subsidies for clean energy. Hence, they claim there was an urgent need to cut the subsidies for renewables.

But the disclosed emails between officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change show that by last summer they already knew that energy bills would be 7% lower than originally projected.

According to BusinessGreen, Ed Davey claimed that ‘the revelations provided further evidence the government had slashed renewable energy subsidies on the false premise there was excessive upward pressure on energy bills. He also urged ministers to now release the full detail of the calculations used to project a £1.5bn overspend.’

Posted in News | Tagged ed davey, energy bills, featured and renewable energy | 6 Comments

Caroline Pidgeon: “Halve Tube fares before 7.30am”

By NewsHound | Wed 6th January 2016 - 11:50 am

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Caroline Pidgeon, London Assembly member and our candidate for London Mayor, has come up with a bright idea that has a range of benefits. She proposes that fares on all Transport for London rail services (including Underground, DLR, and Overground) should be halved for journeys before 7.30am.

As she says:

Half price fares on TfL’s Tube and rail services would really help some of London’s lowest paid workers who often have to work unsocial hours. This is a genuine fare cut that can be delivered immediately.

Posted in News | Tagged Caroline Pidgeon, tfl, transport for london and tube | 8 Comments

Blue foxes, red greens and a gold star

By Phil Aisthorpe | Wed 6th January 2016 - 10:23 am

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Boxing Day saw the Countryside Alliance wrong footed. The Countryside Alliance for those not in the know is an organisation that masquerades as the champion of rural life but is in fact merely the mouthpiece for blood sports such as fox hunting and grouse shooting. It is the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing and on Boxing Day like many others it was caught out by the weather.

Boxing Day is fox hunting’s showpiece day and the Countryside Alliance went wild on Twitter to proclaim that a quarter of a million fox hunters and their supporters had taken to town squares and village greens across the land to celebrate what they see as the impending and inevitable demise of the Hunting Act. With Christmas card scenes of scarlet clad gents and gentesses on horseback trotting ceremoniously in a sea of hounds and polished hunting horns heralding a return to Merry England we were treated to an endless stream of romantic snaps.

Posted in News | Tagged environment, flooding and rural | 14 Comments

What hope for liberalism in the US presidential election?

By David Warren | Wed 6th January 2016 - 8:55 am

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American history and politics are a passion of mine, so I always look forward to their primary season.

A year when the incumbent President is not seeking reelection is always especially interesting because it means both big parties engage fully in the lengthy process of selecting a candidate. 2016 is such a year.

American politics is unique and finding a viable candidate from what we would call the centre left is difficult. The Republicans have been an almost exclusively right wing conservative party for decades. Even those in the establishment who have resisted the insurgency of the so called tea party can be pretty scary.

Democrats too have shifted rightwards. Bill Clinton founded the ‘New Democrats’ before Blair’s New Labour and, inspite of all the talk of change, the Obama Presidency has turned out to be pretty much business as usual in most areas.On human rights and civil liberties in particular the administration varies little from its predecessors. The prison at Guantanamo Bay remains open and the draconian Patriot Act firmly in place.

Posted in Europe / International and Op-eds | Tagged american politics and us | 12 Comments

Willie Rennie on the four key Liberal Democrat values and the Lib Dem record of achievement

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 5th January 2016 - 9:45 pm

Willie Rennie put in a strong first day at work and set out the ideas on which the Scottish Liberal Democrats will fight the election in just 4 months’ time.

He firstly intervened on the First Minister whose government promised to give 27% of 2 year olds nursery education. They’ve managed barely half that.

Before the First Minister moves on from education, new official Government figures show that only 7 per cent of two-year-olds are receiving nursery education. The First Minister’s promise was that 27 per cent would. How can she talk about a revolution in education and in childcare when she cannot even meet her timid plans?

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged holyrood, Scotland, scottish elections 2016 and willie rennie | 3 Comments

Tom Brake slams “shamefully weak” UK government statement on Saudi executions

By The Voice | Tue 5th January 2016 - 9:03 pm

Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson Tom Brake has torn into the Government’s statement on the executions of 47 prisoners in Saudi Arabia in a series of tweets this evening.

Shamefully weak statement from the UK Government on the Saudi execution of 47 people and its impact on the whole of the Middle East.

— Tom Brake MP (@thomasbrake) January 5, 2016

How can a country which executes peaceful protestors & advocates the subjugation of women chair UN Human Rights Committee? #SaudiArabia

— Tom Brake MP (@thomasbrake) January 5, 2016

Posted in News | Tagged human rights, saudi arabia and tom brake | 18 Comments

A funny BBC captioning fail…

By Newspuppy | Tue 5th January 2016 - 7:45 pm

Since he became leader, Tim Farron has been confused with Michael Fallon and today a BBC New Channel caption labelled maverick Eurosceptic Tory MP Michael Fabricant as Tim Farron. I wonder which of them was more embarrassed by the error.

Strong new look for Tim Farron. pic.twitter.com/pRMWixNLyM

— Andy Mannion (@andymannion77) January 5, 2016

Posted in Online politics | Tagged michael fabricant and tim farron | 7 Comments

65,000 job losses doesn’t constitute an employment crisis, according to SNP MSP

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 5th January 2016 - 6:23 pm

One of the weirdest things about Scotland at the moment is that there is no great sense of an asteroid, let alone a bullet, being dodged. The SNP’s predictions about oil prices, based on them being around $113 a barrel, have been shown to be well wide of the mark. They said we’d have this massive oil boom. That’s before some of their more excitable supporters started going on about secret oil fields whose existence was being kept from us by a malevolent Westminster establishment.

Nobody really appreciates how lucky we are. Scots could be facing independence, which the SNP had said would happen on 24th March this year, that’s in less than 10 weeks’ time, with the price of oil barely above a third of their estimates. It wouldn’t be much freedom for people who desperately needed public services. There would have to be either massive cuts or massive tax rises to cope with that massive hole in the public finances.

The plummeting oil price had, according to Oil and Gas UK, cost 65,000 jobs as far back as last September. It’s had a devastating effect on the economy of North East Scotland. Aberdeenshire West MSP Dennis Robertson doesn’t seem to think so, though. He said that there was no jobs crisis in the North East.

From the Official Report:

Posted in News | Tagged alison mcinnes, holyrood, jeremy purvis, oil revenues and Scotland | 3 Comments

Nature conservation: a liberal legacy

By James Baillie | Tue 5th January 2016 - 4:55 pm

2015 was a strange year for me, as it was a strange year for the party; an odd, jarring mixture of losses and new hopes. In my case, one especially sad loss was that of my grandfather, Ted Smith, a pioneer of nature conservation across the UK, and especially in his native Lincolnshire – and also a Liberal and Liberal Democrat since the 1930s (one of the last few times I saw him, I helped him fill out his ballot for last year’s leadership election). He was a kind, quiet man, relentless in his pursuit of good causes; but others now have to lift that flag, and as such I thought this might be a time to reflect on how we think about conservation as a party.

We know that the natural world is under threat, perhaps more so than ever given the threat of climate change, and we have been the party most committed to strong science-led efforts to tackle that threat. The green agenda, however, must not be simply reduced to a question of climate alone. We owe it to future generations to conserve and protect Britain’s biodiversity, green spaces and habitats.
Liberal Democrats have to take the lead on the politics of nature conservation. Firstly, we must because nobody else will do so effectively. The Tory agenda for rural areas is one for corporations and landowners, protecting vast mismanaged estates and failing to provide effective solutions to rural issues. Labour’s agenda for rural areas is all too frequently non-existent. We can do better, and we must.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged conservation | 3 Comments

The Syria Vote and Beyond – Radical Ideas for Difficult Problems

By George Kendall | Tue 5th January 2016 - 3:32 pm

This Saturday, there is a day conference for Liberal Democrat members on the Syrian issue, sponsored by Lib Dem Lawyers association, Liberal International, and the Lib Dem Christian Forum.

It looks excellent.

Posted in Events and Party policy and internal matters | 21 Comments

Five New Year’s resolutions for Liberal Democrats #5

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 5th January 2016 - 2:10 pm

Over the past few days, I’ve been suggesting some New Year’s Resolutions for Liberal Democrats to see us through 2016. Here’s number 5.

Pay attention to the Governance Review

There has been a group putting together proposals about the way our party is run. The last few years has given us many examples of where our disciplinary and other processes simply aren’t fit for purpose and it is difficult to see where accountability lies. The Federal Executive will be drawing up a set of proposals for change. As an FE member, I do not want to see the power of members diminished or to see key decisions being exclusively taken by a small group of people, remote from members. We are a grassroots movement that believes in power being held at the lowest practical level and we need to live those values.

So, all I’m saying is keep an eye on what’s being proposed. If you are going to Spring Conference in York, come to the consultation session and if you aren’t, respond to the proposals with your comments. Above all, make sure your voice is heard. Constitutions may bore the hell out of you, but they set out where power is held. It’s important that we get that balance right.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged new year's resolutions 2016 | Leave a comment

Farron calls on Cameron to put national interest before party management on EU

By Joe Otten | Tue 5th January 2016 - 12:54 pm

Party leader to allow his frontbench team to campaign for a different position. Will Labour ever be united again? What do you mean this isn’t about Labour? Oh. This is the announcement that ministers will be able to campaign against the government at the referendum.

Tim Farron is demanding that Cameron shows the courage of his convictions.

David Cameron should have the courage of his convictions and make the case we all know he wants to make, that by staying in Europe, Britain can thrive.

The Prime Minister is failing to lead his own Government, let alone the country, putting his

…

Posted in Europe / International and News | 11 Comments

Flood protection or overseas aid? A false choice

By Paul Walter | Tue 5th January 2016 - 11:30 am

Help UK
Over the festive period, I saw the image on the right on a social media site, stating, against a backdrop of flooded housing:

It’s time to STOP sending money abroad and help people in the UK now. LIKE, COMMENT or SHARE if you agree?

A comment under the image mentioned:

…the 250 million we are giving to India to fund their Space Programme.

Oh dear. Where to start? Call me an old pedant, but I’m naturally suspicious of any entreaty which feels the need to include block capitals. But that’s just one of my little foibles.

My mind boggled at the idea that we are giving “250 million” to India to fund their Space Programme. It took just a quick Google to see where that came from. Our old friend the Daily Mail had a remarkably thoroughly, if one-sidedly, researched article on 15th February 2015 which was headlined as follows:

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged flooding, india and international development | 12 Comments

Obituary: Brian Niblett – Liberal Democrat ‘force of nature’

By The Voice | Tue 5th January 2016 - 9:54 am

Veteran Liberal Democrat campaigner, Brian Niblett, sadly passed away on 10 December following a year-long battle with cancer.

Brian Niblett came from modest beginnings, growing up in Filton, South Gloucestershire, the youngest of four children. Brian joined British Gas as an apprentice and went on to become a chartered engineer and enjoy a 22 year career with the company. His final role was as head of public relations for the Middle East and Africa before he left in 1996 to focus on politics and to set up his own PR and marketing consultancy with his partner, Lisa.

Posted in Obituaries | Tagged bristol, east midlands and newbury | 8 Comments

Parliamentary Committee backs calls for UK to take 3000 unaccompanied refugee children

By The Voice | Tue 5th January 2016 - 8:31 am

Westminster’s International Development Select Committee has backed calls by Save the Children for the Government to take 3000 unaccompanied refugee children from Syria.

From the BBC:

The International Development Committee said it backed calls from charities for the UK to accept more unaccompanied minors as a matter of “utmost urgency”.

Lone children risked being forced into prostitution or the drugs trade unless given sanctuary, the MPs said.

The UK has taken 1,000 refugees so far as part of a 20,000 five-year target.

But humanitarian campaigners say this is inadequate and that refugees already in Europe should qualify for resettlement under the UK’s Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme, which is currently restricted to those in refugee camps in Syria and neighbouring countries.

The BBC gives the teensiest, tiniest mention to the fact that Tim Farron supports this measure, but doesn’t quite capture the extent of his support, going as far as actually trying to make it happen by lodging a bill in Parliament.

Posted in News | 1 Comment

What the Scottish Liberal Democrats should be saying in 2016

By John Knox | Mon 4th January 2016 - 2:41 pm

The Liberal Democrat manifesto for the Scottish elections this spring needs to be a cracker or we will not be noticed, even by the 5 per cent of voters who are thinking of supporting us. So let me suggest a list of radical ideas.

First, we should be arguing for a 3p rise in income tax to raise around £1bn for public services. Just about every day there is an example of our schools, colleges, health and care services, social work departments, police and fire brigades, libraries, sports fields etc. being short of money. And George Osborne is only half way through his austerity programme. This constant cutting has to end and we should be honest with people and say we all need to pay more in tax to halt this drastic decline in our public services. And while on the subject of income tax, we should say that from next year onwards (when Scotland gets its new powers) those earning over £60,000 a year should pay income tax at 50 per cent, so raising another £100m for public services.

Of course, extra funding should not be pumped into these public services without constant reform. The funding should be targeted….on struggling schools, poor communities, on preventive medicine not expensive treatments for the very old.

Posted in News | Tagged Scotland and scottish elections 2016 | 19 Comments

Peter Black AM writes…A Welsh budget cast in partnership

By Peter Black | Mon 4th January 2016 - 1:12 pm

The summer of 2014 was a particularly busy one. In addition to the usual constituency and regional based activities I was also engaged in a series of meetings with the Finance Minister and her officials in an effort to get a budget deal for the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

The history of these deals has been chequered during this fourth Assembly. Labour do not have a majority so they need the support of at least one other party to get their budget through. They will not deal with the Conservatives so that just leaves two other possible partners.

At first, the Labour Government had it made. They negotiated with both the Welsh Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru, and played one off against the other. In their first budget, they struck a deal with the Welsh Lib Dems and as a result, the pupil deprivation grant was born. In the second they did a deal with Plaid Cymru, who secured a two year investment in apprenticeships.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged Wales | Leave a comment

Paddy: Tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia “a far greater danger” than ISIL

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 4th January 2016 - 12:40 pm

Paddy Ashdown has told the Independent that the growing tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the wake of the Saudi executions carried out over the weekend is “a far greater danger” than ISIL. He said that the UK Government should be robust about calling the Saudis out for their actions:

Lord Ashdown said Saudi Arabia’s sudden mass execution of prisoners – including the prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and a number of young political protesters – may have been intended to derail the ongoing Syrian peace talks in Vienna.

These executions are deeply, deeply destabilising to the very delicate situation that exists in the Middle East and the danger of a wider Sunni and Shia conflict. The West, including the UK government, is only just realising the danger of this and its implications for long term peace in the region. It poses a far greater danger in the long term than, for example, Isil,” the former Lib Dem leader added.

The UK Government should be making it explicitly clear that it regards this act as extremely destabilising. These executions are shocking in human rights terms and reveal the real nature of the people with whom we are dealing. The UK’s stance underlines its deeply illogical position of ignoring the funding of jihadist groups, including Isil, which is coming from within Saudi Arabia.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged human rights, iran, menzies campbell, paddy ashdown, saudi arabia and tim farron | 6 Comments

Liberal Democrat Voice Stars of 2015 Part 7

By The Voice | Mon 4th January 2016 - 11:55 am

We wanted to honour those Liberal Democrats that our readers felt were true stars of 2015, which has been one of the toughest years in our party’s history. Over the past few days, we have sought out nominations and now have a rather impressive list that we’ll be publishing in instalments during this week. Here is the seventh part. Their names come with the comments made about the contribution they have made. Some are parliamentarians, some are councillors, most are grassroots activists. Let’s celebrate them and the many others who are fighting fto keep that Liberal Democrat flame alive. These are our Liberal Democrat stars of 2015.

Nicholas Pentney

Nicholas worked tirelessly above and beyond as our Organiser in North Cornwall for the General Election in 2015, always with a positive and friendly attitude, encouraging a can do attitude.

Nicholas sadly lost his mum just before the Bournemouth conference yet he still attended conference attending training workshops from first thing in the morning to last in the evening. Nicholas then returned and worked tirelessly on Adrian Sanders’ campaign during the by-election needed by the sad passing of Nicholas’s mum Ruth. Everything Nicholas does he does with a smile and a calm cheerful manner.

I can not praise Nicholas enough and I consider it an honour to work with Nicholas as a part of our team in North Cornwall.

Posted in LDV Awards | Leave a comment

Willie Rennie sets out the case for a bright, green, liberal Scotland

By The Voice | Mon 4th January 2016 - 11:25 am

Willie Rennie kicks off election year in Scotland by setting out the case for a bright, green liberal Scotland. Speaking on a visit to a factory in his Fife constituency, he said:

The last five years in the Scottish Parliament have been dominated by independence. The next five years should be dominated by a bright, green and liberal programme for Scotland:

With Scotland returning to work today it should signal a change of focus for our parliament: it’s time to get on with the day job.

Children and young people deserve a good quality education with nursery education and a pupil premium to give every child a chance of a good job. Yet under the SNP, Scotland’s once proud education system has slipped in the world standing.

People deserve a good quality health service with better mental health services and more GPs. Yet under the SNP there’s long waits to see a GP or get mental health treatment they need.

Posted in News | Tagged Scotland and willie rennie | 2 Comments

It’s time to move party HQ out of London

By Simon McGrath | Mon 4th January 2016 - 10:25 am

One of the adverse effects of the awful General Election result has been a significant drop in Party income, as we are now of much less interest to potential donors and people who wish to exhibit and hold fringe meetings at Conference. That means that we have to look at radical measures to cut costs so that we can deliver the maximum political effect on our reduced income. One area we should look at very closely is the location of Party HQ and whether we need have staff in an expensive central London location. The easy answer would be to move to another, cheaper London base, but that in my view would be a mistake – we should be asking if most of our staff need to be in London at all or whether they could be based somewhere else, where rents and salaries are lower.

Without a detailed knowledge of who does what at HQ it is difficult to know how many people we would need to keep in London – the press team of course and anyone who needs daily personal contact with Tim and the MPs. But looking at the latest organisation chart it is difficult to see why the people who work on IT and digital, compliance, conference, Membership and Finance need to be in London.

Posted in News | Tagged party hq | 37 Comments

Op-eds

Observations of an Expat: West Bank Settler Sanctions (Tom Arms)
Recollections of 9/11 (George Cunningham)
Why we need a Trade NATO (Dominic Sokalski)
‘I Fear a Target on My Back’ — A Liberal Democrat’s fight for Hong Kong’s freedom (Alan Dai)
Making the most of the Government’s belated action on illegal Israeli settlements (Jonathan Brown)

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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!

Moving exams in Ramadan “sensible and inclusive” says Farron

Two Liberal Democrat interventions on Freedom of Information (and what Tim said about Alex Carlile)

LibLink: Nick Clegg: My birthday wish is that we win the argument for staying in the EU

Baroness Celia Thomas writes…Derek Ezra 1919-2015

The EU referendum: a great opportunity for the Lib Dems

Lynne Featherstone calls for cuts to solar energy to be rescinded

Tim Farron on Labour’s meltdown

Let us decide the fate of our open spaces

LibLink: Ed Davey says Government is “butchering UK’s renewables”

Caroline Pidgeon: “Halve Tube fares before 7.30am”

Blue foxes, red greens and a gold star

What hope for liberalism in the US presidential election?

Willie Rennie on the four key Liberal Democrat values and the Lib Dem record of achievement

Tom Brake slams “shamefully weak” UK government statement on Saudi executions

A funny BBC captioning fail…

65,000 job losses doesn’t constitute an employment crisis, according to SNP MSP

Nature conservation: a liberal legacy

The Syria Vote and Beyond – Radical Ideas for Difficult Problems