Caron Lindsay

Two appalling examples of lack of diversity in our public services

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 7th August 2015 - 3:55 pm

Before anyone mentions it, yes, I do know that the Liberal Democrats’ parliamentary gender balance is horrendous everywhere except Wales and Europe,the latter being because we only have one MEP. Stuff must be done to resolve this, but that’s not the point of this post.

This week, two examples of lack of diversity in our public services have come to light. The first has been revealed by the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Only 1% of Scotland’s Police Officers identify as coming from a BAME background – and none make it to the highest grades in the force.

Figures obtained using freedom of information laws found that – despite 7.6 percent of Scotland’s population being BAME – there are no BAME officers in the top two ranks and only two across the top four ranks held by the 446 most senior officers in Scotland.

In total, there are only 175 BAME officers out of a total 17,515 police officers.

Figures for police staff showed that there are no BAME in the top five grades, and only 69 out of 5963 staff overall.

Commenting, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP said:

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , and | 11 Comments
Advert
Caron Lindsay

Email glitch highlights need for better integration of party databases

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 7th August 2015 - 1:25 pm

I’ve had something to say about the content of certain emails which have come out from party HQ.  On Wednesday, I couldn’t fault the content of the email that came out from none other than party legend Sir Simon Hughes to new members:

It is my pleasure to invite you to your first Liberal Democrat Conference as a member of the Liberal Democrats.

This year’s Autumn Conference in Bournemouth (19th – 23rd September) is the first big opportunity for our party to gather together in large numbers following the general election and an opportunity to meet with like-minded people to discuss and debate ideas about the party’s direction in the future.

All those attending conference for the first time can register at a special discounted rate of £72 for the whole week or, if you prefer, you can register for just the weekend or for just one day – it’s entirely up to you. I would be really pleased, Galen, if you could join me and other Liberal Democrats at our September Conference this year.

Already more members have registered to attend this Conference than our Autumn Conference last year – a really encouraging increase. Members want to meet the new leader and hear directly from Tim Farron about his plans and ideas for the years ahead.

To make sure you have a really good time at Conference we’ve put together a number of ‘new representative’ events, giving you the chance to meet me and other new representatives. We have also put together a schedule of recommended events to show you what Conference is like which we’ll make available shortly.

The problem was that much mirth was caused by the fact that this was received by quite a lot of people who were not what you would call new members. One friend who joined the party the year I was born received it, as did one of our most prolific commenters on this site. A quick head count of all the people I know who got it reveals several hundred years of Liberal Democrat membership between them. 

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , , and | 10 Comments
Ruth Dombey

Cllr Ruth Dombey writes: In memory of David MacDonald

By Ruth Dombey | Fri 7th August 2015 - 11:55 am

Where to begin?

A young man of 28 – with his whole life ahead of him – has had that life cruelly and unexpectedly snatched away. It’s hard to find the right words.

Dave MacDonald was truly special. As the emails and Facebook comments pour in from across the country, we all remember his kindness, his generosity and his boundless enthusiasm.

He was a tireless campaigner and set himself the highest standards.The trouble is he then expected the same from everyone else – and would never take no for an answer. I had barely had time to make myself a cup of tea during the recent Grove byelection Polling Day, take two gulps and he was pushing me out the door again.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 8 Comments
NewsHound

Tim Farron on Calais refugees: “These are bright, educated people that just want to create a life for themselves.”

By NewsHound | Fri 7th August 2015 - 10:16 am

While David Cameron uses demeaning language comparing them to insects, Tim Farron takes himself off to Calais to actually meet some of the refugees there. He spoke to Buzzfeed’s Emily Ashton about his experiences. Here are some of the highlights:

An invitation to David Cameron

He should go ,” said Farron of the prime minister. “I will take him. He should talk to people there and look at the reality of the situation and he should deal with the reality rather than dealing with the myth.

The idea that they are all money grabbing people seeking to claim UK benefits is rubbish

The significant majority in the camp are, according to the French authorities and doctors, absolutely what any reasonable person would consider a refugee fleeing from war or persecution,” he said.

So this idea they are all money-grabbing people is just rubbish. I got talking to a bunch of guys from Eritrea, from Sudan, from Libya, and these are guys who wanted to come to England. Not one of them had a clue about benefits. They wanted to come to the UK because the UK represents the good life. Not that it’s a bed of roses or it’s cushy; I mean a life where people aren’t shooting at you, where you can be free to worship where you want to worship.

“We don’t get fewer losers by pitting one group against others”

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , and | 10 Comments
The Voice

#WeAreAllHuman: Liberal Youth members show solidarity with Calais refugees

By The Voice | Fri 7th August 2015 - 8:53 am

“We will not dehumanise, we will not demonise, we will support them.”

Liberal Youth members have made a video in solidarity with the refugees in Calais. Joanne Ferguson, who joined the Party in May and has written for this site several times, tells David Cameron: “You have the power to save human lives, use it.”

Watch and share.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , and | 6 Comments
Advert
The Voice

Greg Mulholland’s Fair Deal for your local campaign shortlisted for PR Week Award

By The Voice | Thu 6th August 2015 - 4:25 pm

The Casked CrusaderYou know us! Any excuse to use this photograph.

This isn’t entirely gratuitous, because the Casked Crusader Greg Mulholland’s successful Fair Deal for your local campaign has been shortlisted for an award, in the Public Affairs category of the PR Week Awards.

The Wharfedale Observer has the story:

The campaign, backed by ten industry groups, culminated in a Parliamentary victory last year when a bill amendment was added to ensure licensees would have the right to independent rent assessments.

PR Week, one of the main publications in the campaigning and lobbying sector, has now chosen the Fair Deal scheme as one of the Public Affairs category finalists for its annual awards.

Mr Mulholland said: “It is a huge honour for us to be nominated for such a major national award and make it on to the shortlist.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , and | Leave a comment
Caron Lindsay

Spare a thought for London Underground staff today

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 6th August 2015 - 2:52 pm

On the day of the last tube strike, I wrote that, unusually for me, I had some sympathy with what the unions were saying:

Let’s think about this a little. How would you feel if you were used to working a certain pattern of hours and your employer then told you that you would have to start working round the clock? (Party staff, please don’t answer that. I know you all work pretty much round the clock anyway.) You may have other responsibilities or require additional childcare and incur extra costs if you have to change to a different shift pattern.

There is a view I’ve seen articulated in a number of places that tube drivers earn £50,000 a year and should just get on with it. Actually, I don’t hold with that. I tend to value the people who provide services to me. Every time I step on a tube train, I’m relying on the drivers to keep me safe therefore I feel that I have some obligation to support them having decent pay and working conditions. It seems that the management has been less than effective at doing what they are paid to do – manage the change in the organisation.

I still feel that way, more so,  in fact.  Have a read of this very practical account of what the proposed changes to shift patterns will mean, written by a ticket officer. 

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 89 Comments
Sal Brinton

Sal Brinton writes…Remember to send in your nominations for the Party Awards

By Sal Brinton | Thu 6th August 2015 - 1:25 pm

The deadline for this year’s Party Awards has been extended to Monday at 9am – don’t forget to nominate! I know there are people all over the country who deserve to be rewarded for all the hard work they put in during the election period, not to mention the invaluable ongoing work which so many party officers and others have been carrying out.

As a reminder, please see below the various categories, and how to apply.

President’s Award – any member elected to public office.

Harriet Smith Award – any member never elected to public office.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 1 Comment
David Faggiani

Liberal heroes in pop culture Part 2: Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation

By David Faggiani | Thu 6th August 2015 - 11:55 am

This is the second of what will hopefully be a series of light-hearted pieces that we will publish over the summer. Please do nominate further entries in the comments! This one was suggested by Josh Kirk on Facebook!  For a link to Part 1, click here.

It is the 24th Century. Humans have explored nearly a quarter of the Galaxy. Energy and resources are almost limitless, all people are free to explore their full intellectual and emotional potential, and, for some reason, the French are now from Yorkshire. Not only that, but they drink Earl Grey (“hot”), play the flute, read detective stories, and make sexy baldness look effortless. Or maybe that’s just this particular Frenchman. I give you Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the USS Enterprise, NCC 1701-D.

Picard is a decisive, brilliant commander, whose own emotional reserve and professional detachment from his crew does not stop him from drawing on their suggestions and stratagems to help do the right thing, crack the problem of the week, and make the Federation a little wiser, and better. Aided by his Commander William Riker (“Number One”), Chief Engineer Geordi LaForge, Counsellor Deanna Troi and many others, the Enterprise crew is an example of collective discipline combined with useful, diverse ideological debate, and respectful divergence of opinion. The model, perhaps, for an effective liberal Party?   

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 5 Comments
Peter Jones

The EU consultation: all right as far as it goes…

By Peter Jones | Thu 6th August 2015 - 10:25 am

Have you gone through the EU consultation sent out from Liberal Democrat HQ by Austin Rathe? I did, answering all the questions or clicking the right options just like a good Lib Dem should – I declared myself committed to staying in the EU, and chose all the suggested benefits of being in the EU: freedom of movement, greater prosperity, no war in Europe thanks to the EU, and so on.

Yet I found the whole exercise unsatisfactory and lacking in nuance. The consultation is full of leading questions. One can only answer as I did (with just a little scope for variation) because to do otherwise would be to take the stance of the Conservatives or UKIP – but this hardly offers a truly rounded assessment of the EU as it exists today.

I expressed my views as I did because, being a liberal, I do accept that the propositions in the consultation are more true than not true. That is why I expect to vote to stay in the EU regardless of what David Cameron manages to renegotiate. On balance, I think the EU is still a good thing and therefore I feel the UK should be in it, both as a matter of playing our part in the world and because it’s in our interest to be there. But do I think the EU is pretty much fine as it is? No I certainly do not – I think it badly needs a major overhaul.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 21 Comments
Dominic Mathon

New access fund for London candidates – how you can help

By Dominic Mathon | Thu 6th August 2015 - 8:55 am

We all know standing as a candidate involves huge personal and financial sacrifices. I’m always grateful to everyone who puts themselves forward – whether as a “paper” candidate flying the flag for the party, or even as a target seat candidate dedicating all hours of the day to the party.

For next year’s elections in London we will shortly be selecting our Mayoral candidate and 25 candidates for the London Assembly. Those candidates’ ability to lead and motivate our activists and to promote our messages is going to be critical to our performance at these elections. And the high profile London elections are an early opportunity to show the Lib Dem fightback in action.

But it is also critical that our field of candidates reflects the diversity of London in all its aspects.

We know our ability to communicate with all Londoners will be strengthened by presenting a field of candidates who reflect the city’s diversity. But we also understand the costs and sacrifices involved in attending hustings, community events, and local party campaign days.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , and | 6 Comments
ALDC

ALDC Awards 2015 – all you need to know

By ALDC | Wed 5th August 2015 - 3:45 pm

Have you run a great campaign? If so ALDC want to hear from you!

The ALDC Campaigner Award winners highlight the best ideas and practice of Liberal Democrat activists across the Country and we are still looking for entries to this year’s Campaigner Awards.

We have already had some great examples from Focus teams at ALDC HQ and will be sharing these more widely after Conference but we still want to hear from you.

The awards include prizes for the Best Ward Campaign, for engaging with your local members, the best literature and examples of digital campaigning well as community and by-election campaigns and best overall campaign. Details of all of the categories can be seen here.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | Leave a comment
Caron Lindsay

“Opportunity, community, sustainability and an open mind.” Willie Rennie’s liberal values for today’s Scotland

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 5th August 2015 - 2:15 pm

On Sunday night, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie made a speech in St John’s Church in Edinburgh. He talked about his vision of liberalism and what it means for today’s world. He looked at the consistency of liberal values in practice through the ages and quoted Charles Kennedy on finding the way forward from the history books.

There’s nothing particularly new in there, and I’m not sure about this “militant for the reasonable person” phrase. Reasonable, is, after all, a very subjective phrase. I’m sure Nigel Farage thinks he’s being reasonable, but generally liberals find what he says deeply unpleasant. Nor am I sure about militant. Maybe that’s because I remember the Labour lefties in the 1980s. We liberals are passionate, certainly, but militant? I’m not so sure. I prefer his summary of liberal values – opportunity, community, sustainability and an open mind. Those are very consistent themes for him and he’s been talking about them ever since he became leader. What he now needs to do is show how these values underpin all our policy ideas.

I also liked the bit where he praised the Church’s strong support for equal marriage, saying that they had shown that tolerance, faith and love were “comfortable allies.”

He also talks about how he and Tim Farron come from similar backgrounds and have similar perspectives on liberalism. He ended with a list of things that his small team had done. What he needs to add when he does that is to say how these have actually persuaded or provoked changes in SNP government policy. It’s not a bad record for a small team of 5 MSPs out of 129.

Here’s his speech in full. What do you think?

Continue reading »
Posted in News and Op-eds | Tagged , , , and | 10 Comments

A smaller state is a liberal ideal to be proud of – the question is how you get there

By Max Parish | Wed 5th August 2015 - 12:54 pm

 

New leader, new members, wins in the Lords – the fightback is on. But Liberal Democrats shouldn’t ditch the crucial debate about what the party is for.

A values-driven blueprint for opposition is essential, but doesn’t answer the killer question. If the Lib Dems didn’t exist, why invent them? The party cannot simply become a vessel for virtue signalling. I believe that a bold, liberal vision should rest on a progressive case for a smaller central state.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 132 Comments
Keith Aspden

How should we approach the devolution debate? A perspective from York

By Keith Aspden | Wed 5th August 2015 - 11:45 am

York Liberal Democrat Council GroupSince the elections in May Liberal Democrats in York have been faced with ongoing questions surrounding devolution. The recent Summer Budget announcements on devolution pose us with many challenges however they also gives us a welcome opportunity to ensure that decisions can be taken closer to the communities they affect, rather than in Whitehall.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has paved the way for devolution in England with Nick Clegg announcing their City Deal in March 2012. They will hold the first elections for a directly elected metro-mayor in 2017. Authorities across the country and in Yorkshire now have the opportunity to follow this path and submit a bid to gain similar access to devolved budgets and power.

Yorkshire is an enormous geographical area which already has two Combined Authorities and three Local Economic Partnerships (LEPs) in its boundaries. The number of possible deals is almost endless. There are debates raging about which towns and cities should and should not be included in any proposals to government.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 15 Comments
Anton Georgiou

Let’s appeal to lovers of a big- hearted Britain and win the immigration argument.
 


By Anton Georgiou | Wed 5th August 2015 - 10:22 am

I felt compelled to put into words my thoughts on the situation in Calais following David Cameron’s intervention, describing those seeking refuge in the United Kingdom, as ‘swarming’ over the border.

To invoke the language of the BNP, UKIP, the National Front, and the English Defence League is irresponsible and inflammatory. Similar language was used by the Daily Mail in the 1930s when describing Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution.

My family are refugees; my grandparents and their three young daughters were forced to flee their homes following the invasion of Cyprus in 1974. This issue is therefore very close to my heart. The UK gave refuge to my family in the 1970s, and for this they will be eternally grateful. They became part of London’s mosaic society. As with many other immigrants at the time, they were welcomed by both the government and society. Immigrants were seen as beneficial to the country, they brought with them skills, and a willingness to work long hard hours to better their lives. They saw the UK as a safe haven, and respected the native population. At the time the British people, by and large welcomed them, and accepted that immigrants were good for both society and the economy.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 28 Comments
Liberal Youth

Liberal Youth Freshers’ packs are here

By Liberal Youth | Wed 5th August 2015 - 8:55 am

As I’m sure you are all aware since May 7th many local parties have experienced a giant surge in new members and the great news is that loads of those members are students!

There’s never been a better time to engage young people in the party and the effort and enthusiasm that they can put into helping out with a range of activities in your local party, will be incredibly beneficial. So, how do we engage young people I hear you ask?! The answer; Freshers’ fairs!

Freshers fairs are a great way to recruit and engage young members. The timing of Freshers’ Fairs differ from one institution to another, but they are usually held in late September. However, now is the time to start the preparations, as Universities/Colleges and their Students’ Unions are hard at work making arrangements for their biggest event of the year. So please do get in touch with your nearest HE/FE institution to find out more information as soon as possible.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Leave a comment
The Voice

Tim Farron goes to Calais to see the humanitarian crisis for himself

By The Voice | Tue 4th August 2015 - 10:16 pm

For Tim Farron, the situation in Calais has always been primarily a humanitarian one. He was furious last week when David Cameron described the desperately vulnerable people there as a “swarm.” Most recently he asked Cameron to make sure that we were doing our fair share to end the “immeasurable suffering” of the people in Calais. He wrote:

I am sure you agree that it is heartbreaking to see hundreds of desperate people subsisting in makeshift camps night after night, willing to risk life and limb in the hope of a better future while many in Kent and across the country see their daily lives hugely disrupted through no fault of their own.

I welcome your commitment yesterday to providing France with the resources needed to deal with the situation and am writing to seek assurances that alongside the necessary security measures, support will also be given to humanely process those seeking asylum, return those who have no right to remain, and ensure that, in line with international obligations, standards of welfare and accommodation are urgently improved.

Today he went to Calais to see the situation on the ground for himself.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , , , and | 24 Comments
Ed Fordham

Good luck, Jeremy

By Ed Fordham | Tue 4th August 2015 - 7:27 pm

Okay so here is the rub (possibly more than one): I massively feel sorry for friends, colleagues, opponents in the Labour Party who are faced with the very real election of Jeremy Corbyn. I genuinely believe that his election and his pitch would be a retrograde step for any party. An equivalent would be Nigel Farage tipped to win Leader of the Conservatives… which in the current climate Farage might want to think about.

But one of the jibes I hear most from Labour folk, and it is Labour folk, is that Liberals (and they can’t get the name right and choose not to) are too pure, to small and too broad stroke in our politics.
And yet, if I understand their concern over Corbyn-mania correctly it’s that he will confine them to unelectability for a generation.  And so they demonstrate their flaw. They quite like Corbyn – but they can’t vote for him because he won’t give them power. They might agree with him, but dare not.  That they can’t leave Labour and create either a new party or join with another non-Tory alternative because they are Labour folk – that is what I loathe about their politics. That their tribal instincts are so deep that they can’t be honest and advocate fair votes for local government, let alone our national parliament – even though they have allowed a series of different voting and counting systems across the UK.
Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 84 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Sad news: Sutton and Cheam’s organiser David MacDonald dies at 28

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 4th August 2015 - 5:58 pm

I was very sad to see this announcement from Simon Drage, London Lib Dems’ Liaison Officer, on Facebook today. It’s reproduced with his permission:

Very sadly David MacDonald who until recently was Constituency Manager for Paul Burstow and Organiser for Sutton and Cheam, as well as a Vauxhall Member, died following an epileptic seizure on Saturday. David was an energetic campaigner and a generous friend. He went out of his way to help his colleagues across London and beyond and as well as his duties in Sutton took on being the parliamentary candidate for his home town of Burton this year. He was also elected by his fellow constituency organisers to be their representative on the staff liaison committee. He had formidable skills running committee rooms, most recently helping run one of the committee roooms in the successful campaigns in the Wallington South by-election (in Carshalton & Wallington) and the Grove by-election (Kingston).

The response to Simon’s message has shown that David, who was just 28, was very well loved and respected by colleagues all over the country. They speak of someone who was always willing to give help and guidance. I know that many of you reading this will know David. Please feel free to share your own memories, or pay tribute, in the comments.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged , and | 9 Comments
ALDC

ALDC’s By-election report – 30 July 2015

By ALDC | Tue 4th August 2015 - 4:45 pm

Lib Dem candidates were fielded in all five principal council by-elections held last Thursday. The two contests in Aberdeen (UA) in Kincorth/Nigg/Cove and Hilton/Woodside/Stockethill wards, both caused by the resignation of the new MPs for Aberdeen North and South, resulted in two comfortable SNP holds. Lib Dem candidates Ken McLeod and Jonathan Waddell polled 6.5% and 4.1% of the first preference votes respectively, a slight decrease in the Lib Dem vote share from 2012 on both counts. The result of both by-elections was sealed after the first round, with the respective SNP candidates receiving over 50% of the first preference votes.

The Conservatives easily held their seat in Droitwich East ward in Wychavon (DC) with 52.2% of the vote, with Lib Dem Rory Roberson coming fourth with 11.4%. The Tories also picked up a gain from the Lincolnshire Independents in North Hykeham Mill ward in North Kesteven (DC). The victory brings the Conservative representation on the council up to twenty nine and reduces the Lincolnshire Independents, who are the official opposition to the Tories on the council, down to eight councillors.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Tagged and | 8 Comments
Elwyn Watkins

Asylum: Let’s look at the numbers

By Elwyn Watkins | Tue 4th August 2015 - 2:32 pm

I thought that I would do a little bit of number crunching on the asylum seeker figures for 2014. I have given the link below. It needs a little bit of expertise to wade through the data, but I would be more than happy to help out if someone is interested.

Firstly, let’s be clear about the overall numbers. In 2014 just under 25 thousand people claimed asylum in the UK. In context this represents about 4% of people coming to our country. But actually the real number that should be used is the number of people who are granted asylum. Of the nearly 25,000 that claimed asylum in 2014 only 7,270 were granted asylum. Hence just over 1% of the immigrants to the UK in 2014 were people that we have granted asylum to.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | 24 Comments
Steve Walpole

Avoiding a ‘Munich moment’

By Steve Walpole | Tue 4th August 2015 - 12:43 pm

 

In October of 2010, the coalition government published its Strategic Defence Review into the future of the UK’s armed forces. It spoke of the need to counter the threat from an enemy which fought an asymmetric campaign, citing the growth of Al Qaeda and the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In doing so it ignored the writings of David Kilcullen, perhaps the foremost expert in asymmetric warfare and the hard won experience of our Armed Forces fighting a 30 year conflict in Northern Ireland. Instead it advocated reducing its greatest asset for fighting an asymmetric war, the army, down to 80,000 from its then establishment of 102,000. This loss of 20% of its fighting force was supposed to be offset by raising the countries reserve forces up to 30,0000. Needless to say the MoD is having great difficulty in recruiting reservists.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 33 Comments
Daisy Cooper MP

What if your boss could check your internet browsing history? 

By Daisy Cooper MP | Tue 4th August 2015 - 10:17 am

What if your boss could check your internet browsing history?

What if you became a criminal just because you attended a rock concert?

And what if a supermarket knew you were pregnant before you did (actually a true story)? And they could sell that information on?

Most people don’t know that all three things are entirely possible thanks to the Conservative’s Snoopers Charter, the SNP’s use of facial recognition software and the power of supermarkets to track your changing shopping habits against your personal data.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 17 Comments
Mary Reid

From fishing lights to hat boxes

By Mary Reid | Mon 3rd August 2015 - 3:32 pm

Here at LDV Towers we do get some very odd requests. Many of them are designed for search engine optimisation – using a well visited blog like ours to sneak in links to their own sites in order to push them up the Google rankings. But some are just bizarre marketing.

From China:

This is XXX from XXX LED Limited proudly introduce a new underwater fishing LED light. This is the most successful fish lure attraction ever invented.

Features:
1. Guarantee to catch fish faster and easier due to it’s attractive LED light.
2. Capable to function to the depth of  150 meter (492 feet).
3. Proven to catch Squid, Red snapper, Salmon, Plaice, and etc…
4. No more messy baits and smelly hand.

Please contact me for more details.  Thank you for your time!

Continue reading »
Posted in Humour | 7 Comments
Antony Hook

You should stand for Police & Crime Commissioner

By Antony Hook | Mon 3rd August 2015 - 12:58 pm

 

Next May, the entire United Kingdom will vote. It will be the first national election since the General Election and will be seen as a test of all parties one year into the new parliament.

Police & Crime Commissioner elections will take place in England & Wales, on the same day as devolved elections.

If you care about human rights, as Liberal Democrats do, policing is where human rights come into sharp focus. No other civilian agency in entrusted with powers so affecting liberty and so at risk of political demands based on popular misunderstanding. Policing needs checks and balances from a liberal point of view, and strategy founded on evidence.

Continue reading »
Posted in Campaign Corner | Tagged and | 23 Comments
Mike Biden

“An Engaged and Constructive” policy for Europe

By Mike Biden | Mon 3rd August 2015 - 11:12 am

 

Austin Rathe has launched a consultation of Lib Dem members on our views regarding the European Union and the forth-coming referendum. I was quick to reply.  As a long term supporter of the European Union and its aims and having played an active role in the European election campaign last year I have definite views.

The referendum is not simply about what we like and don’t like about the EU, but more fundamentally about what sort of country we want to be and what role we seek to play in world affairs. A recent study rated Britain as the world’s leader in “soft power”, a result that supports the view that Britain is the most influential country in the world.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 41 Comments
Mark Argent

An open letter to Nick Clegg

By Mark Argent | Mon 3rd August 2015 - 9:34 am

 

Dear Nick

I delayed writing this letter until the leadership election was past, so it didn’t get lost in that campaign, but want to write to thank you for your rich contribution to the Liberal Democrats.

We owe you a great deal, not least for the wisdom, statesmanship and tenacity you have shown. It is a tribute to you and the colleagues who you led that you stepped into ministerial roles with a naturalness and fluency that belied the fact that we had not formed a majority government in living memory. It is a tribute to you personally that you withstood so many brickbats from so many quarters with such dignity.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 121 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #425

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 2nd August 2015 - 7:00 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 425th 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 July – 1 August, 2015), 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:

Continue reading »
Posted in Best of the blogs | 2 Comments
The Voice

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

By The Voice | Sun 2nd August 2015 - 5:15 pm

7 ver 4 fullMany thanks to the 14.200 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here’s our 7 most-read posts…

Why I went from being Rugby Green party’s General Election candidate to a revived Liberal Democrat activist (60 comments) by Terry Green

Leaving UKIP for the Liberal Democrats (45 comments) by Jakob Whiten

++Tim Farron announces diverse spokesperson team (56 comments) by Newshound

Continue reading »
Posted in Best of the blogs and Site news | Leave a comment
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Adam
    "Labour and the Greens want to do things for you, the Conservatives and Reform want to do things to you, but the Liberal Democrats want to do things along with ...
  • John Payne
    Thanks to Tom for a broad brush summary of how attitudes to what has happened in Palestine have changed since the formation of the state of Israel. However, I ...
  • Brian austen
    Does the flagrant disrespect for International law shown by in Gaza and the West Bank mean that Israel is no longer a reliable partner in the Western Military ...
  • Jonathan Brown
    I really like this. Thanks for writing about it - I haven't been following Renew Europe developments!...
  • John B Grout
    Excellent piece, Josh. As for seeking others' thoughts on the pitch, here are mine: Labour and the Greens want to do things for you, the Conservatives and R...