Caron Lindsay

Five New Year’s Resolutions for 2016 #4

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 4th January 2016 - 8:55 am

I’m suggesting five New Year’s resolutions for Liberal Democrats. Here, in very short and sweet from, is number 4.

Be very radical on diversity

We simply cannot go on with the embarrassment of our parliamentarians being as white and male as they are. It’s time to follow the example of Justin Trudeau and Nicola Sturgeon and Just Do It. It’s not just about processes, it’s about an unshakeable commitment to delivering diversity at every single level of the party from local party committees right up there that has to be driven by everyone in leadership positions. I think that measures like quotas, zipping and all women shortlists are an essential part of this. Others disagree, but if we don’t, we’ll still be having these discussions in 30 years time. At least now we know that the “but it has to be about merit” argument by opponents has been comprehensively debunked by the evidence. 

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Antony Hook

EURef Round-Up 2: Shirley Williams enters the debate…

By Antony Hook | Mon 4th January 2016 - 7:00 am

Lib Dem Peer Shirley Williams has written in the Belfast Telegraph of the problem of widespread misunderstanding about how the EU works and what it actually does. She calls for a more direct role for national parliaments in how the EU works and for EU Commissioners to appear before national parliaments to answer questions as Ministers do. She also calls for a European news channel:

Europe badly needs continent-wide communication. The main public broadcasters in the EU should be able to construct between them a European channel reporting not only on the European Parliament, but also on significant developments in other national parliaments.

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Posted in Europe / International, Europe Referendum and News | 2 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #444

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 3rd January 2016 - 7:00 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 444th 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 (26 December 2015 – 2 January, 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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Posted in Best of the blogs | 1 Comment
Caron Lindsay

Lembit on life after defeat

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 3rd January 2016 - 2:47 pm

Thanks to Will Barter and James King for alerting us to an interview Lembit Opik gave to Radio 4’s Saturday Live, broadcast yesterday, where he talked about the huge effect his 2010 election defeat had had on him. He had been worried about losing, but his confidence had been boosted by the data they had locally and when he was defeated, he was totally shocked. He said he’s “assumed he was going to win” and defeat hit him in 4 stages, taking him 3.5 years to turn his life around.

He described the initial disbelief and the displacement activity that led him to go pretty much straight on to Have I got news for you in the immediate aftermath of his defeat. He then described a 2 year grieving process and further period of depression before he was able to get on with his life. He talked about the “albatross” of having the reputation of having thrown away a safe Liberal Democrat seat. He also described how he came within 6 weeks of having his house repossessed when he didn’t have a Plan B to fall back on when he lost his income.

He also talked about his relationship with Gabriela Irimia from the Cheeky Girls and said that it was the most important relationship he had had. He was heartbroken when she ended it. He only used her name once in quite a long discussion about her. What surprised me was that he said that he was surprised that his personal life would affect his professional reputation. You’d think he’d never read a tabloid. He said he’d do it all again if he had his time again because nobody should tell anyone who to love.

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Caron Lindsay

Time to think about Spring Conferences

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 3rd January 2016 - 1:25 pm

In the next 8 weeks, Liberal Democrat Spring conferences will be held. First up is the Welsh Conference on the weekend of 5-7 February in Cardiff. I suspect the motions deadline has already passed, but we will keep you up to date when the agenda is published. Lynne Featherstone will be a keynote speaker and the event will be an opportunity to showcase Welsh Lib Dems’ achievements and plans ahead of the Assembly elections in May.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats meet in Edinburgh from 26-27 February, half a day shorter than usual. There is still plenty time to submit a motion. If you have an idea for a change in policy, here are the timescales:

Deadlines for motions to conference are as follows:

Policy motions – 15 January at midday
Amendments – 24 February at midday
Topical issues – 25 February at 17.00
Emergency motions – 25 February and 26 February at 17.00

You need to get 25 members to agree your motion, or you can ask a local party or organisation like EMLD, LGBT+ Lib Dems, Scottish Lib Dem Women or Liberal Youth Scotland to submit it for you.

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The Voice

Liberal Democrat Voice Stars of 2015 Part 6

By The Voice | Sun 3rd 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 sixth  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.

 Cllr Frank Hindle

He has been a councillor in the town for 25 years he and served as opposition group leader on Gateshead Council during the difficult years of the coalition. He has also been N.E Regional Chair and was the Parliamentary candidate in Gateshead in 2010 and 2015. He has been the election agent for the local authority elections for years. and he is currently starting a term as Chair of Gateshead Liberal Democrats. Frank has dedicated his life to the party and deserves some recognition for his dedication and work.

Dave Hodgson and Christine McHugh

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Caron Lindsay

Tim Farron says UK Government should challenge Saudis over executions and human rights

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 3rd January 2016 - 10:28 am

Tim Farron went on Sky News yesterday to describe the execution of 47 people in Saudi Arabia as both “morally wrong and politically foolish” and to criticise the UK Government for being too soft on the Saudis and not calling them out for their appalling human rights record.

I remember being very proud when one of the first big things Vince Cable did as acting leader back in 2007 was to boycott the state visit of the Saudi King. I was not so chuffed last year when there was a chorus of silence from Liberal Democrats when flags were flown at half mast following the death of the Saudi King.

So, it’s good to see Tim Farron slamming the Saudis for their actions and the UK Government for being too soft on them. I’m also interested that he made the point that the relationships between the two governments benefit the most powerful people in both countries but don’t do much for those who aren’t well off. Watch the whole thing here.

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Caron Lindsay

Five New Year’s Resolutions for Liberal Democrats #3

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 3rd January 2016 - 8:55 am

I’m suggesting five New Year’s resolutions that Liberal Democrats should make for 2016. Here’s the third.

Sort our fundraising out

Any professional fundraiser knows that it takes years to establish a successful fundraising operation. In politics, that’s much more difficult to do because of the electoral cycle and general political climate. Professional fundraisers might baulk at the way in which we as a party ask people for money so frequently and by our increased use of digital fundraising. In some ways they may be right, but they also need to understand more about the rapidly changing environment in which we operate.

Candidates and campaign teams at all levels are going to have to be much more strategic about how we approach raising money to pay for our campaigns in the future, particularly when many of them are facing well-fundsd opponents carpet bombing their target areas with phone calls, emails, direct mail and literature. There is a huge disparity between what we can afford and they can so we need to be more creative in use of free stuff and work out how we can seriously raise some more money. It will increasingly come down to local campaigns having to do it for themselves rather than relying on the national party to do it for them. However, we need a national operation too, to help build our capacity on the ground in all parts of the country and that costs money. If we are to grow again, we need to make much more progress.

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Paul Walter

2016 prediction: Miriam for LibDem leader

By Paul Walter | Sat 2nd January 2016 - 4:30 pm

MiriamOK. An apology for bare-faced clickbait, as well as a whole slew of excuses for actually, physically, buying the Daily Mail, are necessary:

  1. I couldn’t find a copy of i or The Times at Nero’s, so I was reduced to reading their free copy of the Daily Mail in a sort of post-modern ironist sort of way.
  2. I saw this “story” and thought it would provide an innocent scintilla of amusement for an otherwise bored LDV reader.
  3. In an attempt at mobile-detox, I had left my mobile at home. I therefore didn’t have a camera to take a pic of the page (right).
  4. I guessed (wrongly) that this story wouldn’t be available online but, anyway, guessed (rightly) that the printed page would “big up” this story more than the online version.
  5. I think this is the first Daily Mail I have bought for several years.
  6. I was otherwise bored.
  7. I was only following orders.
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A look back at 2015 and hopes for 2016

By A Liberal in Leeds | Sat 2nd January 2016 - 2:58 pm

Wow! What a year 2015 was! It is staggering to think that just 12 short months ago we were in coalition. Now we have eight MPs. Despite that Jeremy Corbyn has been elected leader of the Labour party, leaving us with a centre-left vacuum to move into.

Coalition was by no means perfect. The vast majority of members and voters can agree on that.  I believe tuition fees was a big mistake. It was wrong to go back on a key commitment in the manifesto. We most a lot of trust after that and we paid a heavy price in May. We lost 49 liberal democrat representatives in the Commons.

Another failure of coalition was communication. We were so busy showing that coalition worked we did not announce where we disagreed with the Tories. I think this was a key factor in the public feeling that we were “in bed with the Tories”. Progress was made on this but far too late. For the Chancellor’s final budget ministers produced an alternative Liberal Democrat budget. We should have been doing that for the whole government.

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John Kelly

UN tells Israel to stop taking Palestinian resources

By John Kelly | Sat 2nd January 2016 - 1:25 pm

In a little reported step on Tuesday 22 December, the United Nations General Assembly, citing the Fourth Geneva Convention, adopted a resolution demanding Palestinian sovereignty over natural resources under Israeli occupation and the UK actually voted in favour!

The Fourth Geneva Convention was adopted in 1949 following the Second World War and the forced migrations of many peoples that occurred during and immediately after it.    Article 49 of that 4th Geneva Convention clearly states: ““The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”   Israel ratified this Convention in 1951. In 1993, the United Nations Security Council adopted a report from the Secretary-General and a Commission of Experts which concluded that the Geneva Conventions had passed into the body of customary international law, thus making them binding even on non-signatories to the Conventions whenever they engage in armed conflicts. 

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Posted in Europe / International and Op-eds | Tagged , and | 29 Comments
The Voice

Farron blasts shelving of enquiry into banking culture

By The Voice | Sat 2nd January 2016 - 12:55 pm

We already know that the Government tried to slip out lots of bad news (including crucial evidence of the hardship caused by the Bedroom Tax) in a giant Take out the Trash day before Christmas, but the Financial Conduct Authority used Hogmanay to slip out the fact that it wasn’t going to bother with publishing a review into banking culture. Apparently it “wouldn’t help.” Try telling that to the people who suffered as a result of one of the worst crashes in history.

Tim Farron was on this one straight away and ended up getting quoted pretty widely. He said:

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The Voice

Liberal Democrat Voice Stars of 2015 Part 5

By The Voice | Sat 2nd 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 fifth 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.

 James Baker and Mick Taylor from Calderdale

For going  above and beyond the call of duty for the party despite various health & personal difficulties.

Sheree Miller

For being our outstanding candidate in Boleyn Ward by-election, who got a thoroughly deserved second place. Just brilliant on the doorstep, talking to people, listening to their concerns. And a great chilli too.

Amy Stuart

As a representative of the influx of members post-election and for her inspirational speech at Conference Rally.

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Posted in LDV Awards and Op-eds | Tagged | 2 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Jeremy Browne to tour Europe ahead of Referendum

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 2nd January 2016 - 10:45 am

I was lucky enough to visit Guildhall in London a couple of months back and spent a very enjoyable afternoon being shown round and hearing about its fascinating history. I had a lovely lunch, too. While in the dining room, I saw Jeremy Browne having a big lunch meeting. It wasn’t long after he’d been appointed as the City of London’s representative to the EU, a role which is right up his street after his stint as a foreign office minister during the Coalition.

Sky News reports that he’s heading off on a tour of EU capitals to showcase the importance of the city of London to the EU.

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Posted in Europe / International and News | Tagged , and | 10 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Five New Year’s resolutions for Liberal Democrats – #2

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 2nd January 2016 - 9:30 am

I’m suggesting five New Year’s resolutions that Liberal Democrats should make for 2016. Here’s the second.

Stop fighting each other

This party has been incredibly resilient over the past five difficult years. We’ve mostly chummed along (albeit with heavy hearts) and got on with the job. However, there have been a few flashpoints, mainly online between a few people.  There’s one group of people who broadly think that the Coalition was evil,  and that the party was taken over by pseudo-Tories hiding behind the Orange Book and that everyone who thinks differently should bog off and join the Tories. Heavens, a small subset …

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Stephen Tall

LibDemVoice Fantasy Football League: how it stands after Week 19

By Stephen Tall | Sat 2nd January 2016 - 8:00 am

Congratulations to erstwhile LDV day editor Mark Valladares, whose modestly titled Creeting Gentry FC (1,128 points) start 2016 in pole position in the LibDemVoice Fantasy Football League after Week 19. It’s a fiercely contested position, though — just 37 points separate the top 10.

But let’s also hear it for three players outside the top 10, who were the highest scoring managers in December: Michael Brown’s Mike’s Dream Team v5 (372), Benjamin Andrew’s Pleased to Beat-chu (363) and Steven Garrett Thirteen striders (362).

ldv ffl 19

There are 219 players in total and …

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Caron Lindsay

Repost: Charles Kennedy’s New Year’s Day reflections from 2014

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 1st January 2016 - 2:55 pm

In 2014, we faced European elections and a Scottish referendum. In 2016, we face Scottish Elections and an EU Referendum. On New Year’s Day, Charles Kennedy sent us his reflections on the year ahead. There is much in here that is relevant today, particularly the bit about being “bold to the point of fearlessness” about portraying our unique political optimism. It brought a tear to my eye reading it. He is so missed.

Locally and nationally 2014 is going to be a decisive one – not just for us Liberal Democrats but for Scotland, the UK and the European Union

…

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Caron Lindsay

Five New Year’s resolutions for Liberal Democrats #1

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 1st January 2016 - 1:35 pm

So, it’s the morning after the New Year parties. Everyone else in my house, including the dog, is sleeping off a fun evening of Monopoly in which the two teenagers comprehensively bankrupted the adults over some seven hours. I therefore have time to suggest a few New Year’s Resolutions for Liberal Democrats to see us through 2016.

Don’t let anyone put us in the corner

I don’t know about you, but I am done with caution and contrition. Sure, we were in government for a few years and we seriously screwed a few things up. You’d think we were the only party ever to make mistakes, but we also did a lot of good things for good, liberal reasons. It was our Deputy PM who insisted that a judge-led enquiry investigate phone hacking when the Tories wanted to sweep it under the carpet. It was our Business Minister who brought in shared parental leave. It was our schools minister who gave extra money to disadvantaged kids in school. It was our Climate Change Secretary who faced down the Tories and made sure money was put into renewable energies. It was our Health Minister who started the long job of reforming appallingly poor mental health services which left many without the treatment they needed. Whatever you might think of Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander, the Tories’ recent welfare proposals show exactly what they would have stopped. It took a while for Nick Clegg to come round to the idea that Theresa May’s Snooper’s Charter was ridiculous, but once he got there he stood firm, for years. Oh, and there’s the small matter of protecting human rights legislation, too.

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The Voice

Liberal Democrat Voice Stars of 2015 Part 4

By The Voice | Fri 1st 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 fourth 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.

Cllr Fran Wilson

Fran is Leader of Maidstone BC

You can’t get bluer then the County of Kent, with only two out of the counties district and borough Councils not being Tory controlled, one of those is UKIP lead,  the other is Lib Dem lead Maidstone. Maidstone went orange in May 2015, despite a disappointing general election result, the Lib Dems continue to be the main opposition to the Tories in the Town. Under the leadership of veteran Lib Dem Cllr Fran Wilson, the Councils Lib Dem group brought together a rainbow coalition of parties to take control of the Council and rid Maidstone of its unpopular Tory rulers. Uniting Lab, UKIP and Independents they have dumped the hated Labour executive/cabinet system and reintroduced the more inclusive committee system, as a result giving every Councillor a voice on the Council. This is Fran’s second stint as Council Leader, who is the only female Council Leader in Kent, being no novice to local government,  she walks a daily tight rope of trying to keep the Tories out of power in Maidstone, with her informal “rainbow” coalition, at the same time Fran and her colleagues continue to fly the Lib Dem flag in Kent and deliver key Lib Dem polices in the Town.

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Tim Farron MP

Tim Farron’s New Year Message: 2016 can be a year of hope and opportunity

By Tim Farron MP | Fri 1st January 2016 - 6:00 am

The New Year is a time to look forward and it is as important for us as a party to set ourselves new goals and ambitions as it is as individuals.

I am determined that the Liberal Democrats face the new year with a new sense of purpose, a new drive and a sense of ambition.

David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn both lead parties that are fundamentally divided. Whether it is over Europe, like the Conservatives, or their leader, like Labour, both the government and the official opposition are at war with themselves.

This obsession with their own internal problems is bad for politics and bad for Britain.

For the Conservatives, David Cameron and George Osborne are more and more obsessed with appeasing their backbenchers, resulting in policies that are punishing people that are trying to provide for themselves and their families. To make things worse, they are taking a wrecking ball to public services, particularly local government.

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Caron Lindsay

A guid New Year tae ane and a’

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 1st January 2016 - 12:00 am

Ok, even if you don’t speak Scottish, you get the gist.

Few Lib Dems will be sorry to see the back of 2015, but we’re an optimistic bunch so we hope that 2016 will fulfil its promise for us as a party.

We hope that wherever you are, you have peace, health and happiness throughout the year.

And, we know that some of you will be seeing in the New Year without someone you love. For some of you, that sense of loss is very, very new. To you especially we send our love and solidarity.

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Charles Lawley

A New Year’s resolution: turning immigration from our weakness to our strength

By Charles Lawley | Thu 31st December 2015 - 6:01 pm

January 1st 2013, I stepped on the scales. I had spent Christmas at my in-laws and they had 12 of us round for Christmas Day, so of course my mother did enough Christmas dinner for 36 people. Leftover food was in abundance. The untouched Turkey weighed more than my then 4-month-old son. I was having a full Christmas dinner for breakfast, lunch and tea (yes, “tea”, I’m Northern) from the 26th to that morning.

The scales hit 18 stone dead on. I was officially fatter than I had ever been before in my life. I decided enough was enough, my weight had bothered me too long. I made my first ever New Year’s resolution; “I’m going to get thin.” And I did. I started by eating a lot less food (just two Christmas dinners a day), and then I started exercising. I did those Insanity workout DVDs (they’re brutal, they really work). At my lightest I got myself down to 12 stone 3. I felt great. I felt like I looked great. I wasn’t embarrassed when trying to get ready. I wasn’t embarrassed when my appearance came up. I wasn’t just pretending to be confident anymore. I was confident. Everything felt better because of it. I made something that has always worried me, I worked on it and it felt amazing.

The Liberal Democrats need to do the same. As a Lib Dem who has spent a large portion of my life in Conservative-Labour marginals and with friends who live in areas of Manchester and Lancashire that are now UKIP facing Labour seats, what bothers me about us is our reputation on immigration.

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Caron Lindsay

The Lib Dem week in Wales

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 31st December 2015 - 4:10 pm

Here is our weekly roundup of what the Welsh Liberal Democrats, led by Kirsty Williams, have been getting up to..

Labour waste money on ad campaign for a metro system that won’t be in use for 5 years

Welsh Labour metro billboard wasteEluned Parrott AM has blasted the Labour Welsh Government for wasting over £52,000 on an advertising campaign intended to promote the South Wales Metro.

Over recent months, posters, light boxes and banners simply saying “It’s approaching” have been appearing in train stations across South Wales.   The posters feature no useful information for the public, but instead just have the word ‘Metro’ and the Welsh Government’s logo on them.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are huge supporters of the South Wales Metro system, but believe money would be better spent on an information campaign that informs and consults with the public.

In response to a written question from Eluned Parrott AM, the Labour Transport Minister Edwina Hart stated that:

the total committed expenditure relating to marketing and information relating to South Wales Metro as of 30 November 2015 is £52,782+VAT.

Work is not expected to start on the Metro system until 2017 and the Welsh Government has made clear that the project will not be complete until at least 2020.

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The Voice

The Lib Dem week in Scotland

By The Voice | Thu 31st December 2015 - 2:41 pm

Welcome to our weekly roundup of what the Scottish Liberal Democrats, led by Willie Rennie, have been getting up to.

The plight of 50,000 children on housing waiting lists

Jim Hume highlights the tens of thousands of children on housing waiting lists in Scotland. This is an area entirely devolved to the SNP Government. Jim said:

It’s unbelievable that someone has been on a council house waiting list since the end of the Second World War. The lack of housing available for social rent in this country is a disgrace and Ministers should be ashamed of themselves. The SNP has muddied the waters on housing by backtracking on election promises and Scots and their children are paying the price.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats believe children need the best start in life. This cannot be achieved if there is uncertainty about whether they’ll even have a roof over their heads. Last week we discovered 30,000 children have been homeless on Christmas Day over the past three years. When you put that figure with the tens of thousands of children currently on housing waiting lists, it paints a very bleak picture for young people needing support as they’re grow up in Scotland.

Projects such as the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, which is funded by the Scottish Government, are bringing properties back into use but not at a rate that will actually make much of a difference.

These kind of schemes need more funding so that they can stop being a drop in the ocean and start having an impact. How many more thousands of children will be left languishing on waiting lists before the Scottish Government recognises there is a housing crisis in this country?”

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Posted in A weekly catchup and Scotland | Tagged | 2 Comments
The Voice

Liberal Democrat Voice Stars of 2015 Part 3

By The Voice | Thu 31st December 2015 - 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 third 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.

Everyone involved in making sure we had a full slate of candidates in parliamentary elections

I’d like to nominate as Lib Dem stars all the people involved in making sure we have a full slate of candidates in parliamentary elections. Being the end of 2015 I’m thinking particularly of the General Election but the same will apply to all elections. That’s the people in the states and regions who manage the process, those who organise approval, selection and appointment of candidates, the returning officers who work with local parties, and those in local parties who do the shortlisting. It is a huge organisational job that I think most members won’t appreciate the scale of, and it takes a small number of activists a lot of time to get right and is obviously crucial for us as a political party.

Bradley Hillier-Palmer

As one of our newest members in Camden, he has led a charge of activity around supporting refugees – including street stalls collecting for Calais, and is actually in Calais this week helping refugees struggling.
He embodies the Liberal Democratic spirit of equality, community and liberty with enthusiasm and action, and I have no doubt he will go on to be a valuable asset to the Lib Dems
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Caron Lindsay

Reprise: My first post of the year

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 31st December 2015 - 10:25 am

This is the post I wrote 365 days ago that went live as 2015 dawned.

Despite all our efforts, it ended up being one of the worst years ever to be a Liberal Democrat. The devastation of election night, followed less than a month later by the death of Charles Kennedy could have knocked the stuffing out of us. In many ways, we are still grieving and adjusting to our new circumstances, while simultaneously engaged in that #libdemfightback.

There are huge challenges ahead of us in this coming year – the Welsh and Scottish elections, the London Mayoral election and local elections, as well as the EU Referendum and making sure that all these new members stick with us. Where the referendum is concerned, it will be up to us to make the case to remain a positive one and not a choice that people are scared into making.

Thankfully, we have a leader who is very good at articulating what liberalism is all about and who is good at getting himself and the party noticed. We have many committed long standing activists and new campaigners all over the country. If we can harness that energy and articulate a bold, radical message, we may even take some steps forward, but we shouldn’t kid ourselves that we’ll make any more than that. The giant leap will take more time but there is a determination to claw our way back. 

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The Voice

Lib Dems in the New Year Honours

By The Voice | Thu 31st December 2015 - 8:25 am

The New Year Honours were announced late last night. We have trawled through the list and have spotted a couple of prominent Liberal Democrats.

But we are sure there are others known to you, our readers.  Please let us know in the comments about anyone we have missed, and we’ll add them to this post.

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Antony Hook

Europe Referendum: News Round-Up 1

By Antony Hook | Thu 31st December 2015 - 7:00 am

In a new series for Lib Dem Voice readers, I will be reporting a summary of the latest news from media in the UK and abroad about Britain’s referendum on its future in Europe.

Brexit Risks Damaging Sterling, Investment and Trade

Highlighting the economic damage that holding the referendum will to do, quite apart from the damage of Exit itself, The Wall Street Journal notes that  the pound has fallen to an 8-month low against the dollar and reports that:

“Investors also remain wary… as a possible withdrawal could discourage investment flows that have supported the pound.”

Sir Victor Blank, former Chairman of Lloyds Bank and Trinity Mirror, writes in the Telegraph about the danger to British business of Brexit and benefits for jobs, investment and trade that come from being in Europe.

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Posted in Europe / International, Europe Referendum, News and Scotland | 2 Comments
Willie Rennie

Willie Rennie’s New Year Message: Let’s unite Scotland with a positive liberal message

By Willie Rennie | Thu 31st December 2015 - 6:00 am

So what can we look forward in 2016? The Forth Road Bridge’s continued opening (we hope). Scots athletes excelling as part of Team GB at the Rio Olympics. Andy Murray mounting another challenge at Wimbledon.

And the small matter of a Scottish Parliament election that will set the direction of the country for five years.

As ever, at this election voters face a choice.

They can choose five more years of constitutional division and grievances with the SNP who have failed to protect crucial services.

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Caron Lindsay

Review: Miriam edits the Today programme

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 30th December 2015 - 6:55 pm

I never did get up at 6am to listen to the Today Programme. A horrendous night meant I was just getting to sleep at that time. Thankfully, there’s iPlayer in the World so I could catch up later. It’s well worth listening to which you can do  here.

The main themes were the sort of place Britain is and the opportunities it offers to people from other countries and the need for girls to have positive female role models and about women and leadership. Interviewees included Theresa May, Jamie Oliver, footballer Vincent Kampany, Tamara Rocco, principal dancer at the English National Ballet, Richard Branson, James Blunt and Nadiyah Hussein winner of the Great British Bake Off. There was also a really interesting section discussing why some young women feel the need to go to Syria.

I’ve done some more detail below, but I do think it was a varied programme. She was maybe more subtle than I would have been about some aspects of the way women are portrayed in the media, but we do need more talking about these kinds of issues so it was refreshing to see her present her thoughts in this way.

The British dream

Miriam argued British people don’t necessarily see the “British dream” in the same way as people from other countries. She defines it as the freedom to be yourself and realise your ambitions. She asks 3 prominent immigrants to reflect on their experiences in this country.

Chief Executive of the London Stock Exchange Xavier Rolet said that other European cities tend to be built on national players. London is different because people come from all over the world and can reach prominent positions. He argues that “innovation is fuelled by diversity and seldom results from narrow thinking.”

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