Stephen Williams

Stephen Williams MP writes… Giving councils more power over betting shops

By Stephen Williams | Thu 1st May 2014 - 12:58 pm

fixed-odd-betting-machinesThe remit of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is huge. Ministers are responsible for housing, local economic development, planning policy, parking, local government finance, localism and community integration. Often these issues spark controversy. But all CLG ministers are in complete agreement that there is an urgent need to revitalise the Great British High Street, to bring back the bustling centres of retail and leisure which served their communities so well prior to the financial crash. We want high streets and town centres that encourage people to spend a …

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The Voice

Nick Clegg to host live Twitter Q & A at 2:30 pm today

By The Voice | Thu 1st May 2014 - 12:30 pm

Nick Clegg will be taking to his keyboard for what he described as a “Twitter Town Hall” at 2:30 pm this afternoon.

We’ll bring you the highlights later, but if you want to ask him something, it couldn’t be simpler. Why not take a few minutes out of your lunch hour to send him a question?

 

Posted in News | Tagged and | 1 Comment
Adam Corlett

Opinion: Of driverless cars and passengerless trains

By Adam Corlett | Thu 1st May 2014 - 11:19 am

"Driverless Car in Bonita Springs" by Chris Griffith

Driverless cars may not be quite as revolutionary as the 19th century spread of the railway, but there are huge benefits coming into view. The sooner we can deliver them, and the sooner policymakers can take them into account, the better – with mixed results for railways.

To be conservative, let’s imagine it’s 2044 – 30 years from now. We will look back at the idea of people customarily directing 1 tonne cars at speed as madness. Millions

…

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 28 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Call Clegg: “Inhumane” treatment of elderly in care homes, gambling, Royal Mail, Nick’s messy car and putting Dominic Cummings in his place..

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 1st May 2014 - 10:50 am

I’ve done a Storify thingy of today’s Call Clegg highlights. Enjoy!

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Stephen Tall

Rent reforms – Miliband to announce 20th area of Lib-Lab agreement today

By Stephen Tall | Thu 1st May 2014 - 10:00 am

decent homesSix weeks ago I highlighted the 17 policy areas where there is significant agreement between Labour and the Lib Dems. These range from tax-cuts for low-earners and the mansion tax to local school accountability to an EU in/out referendum. There were also two areas I omitted, flagged by Adam Corlett in a comment here: childcare and a living wage.

A 20th area can now be added, with Ed Miliband set to announce Labour’s plans for the private rental sector, some of which mirror the Lib Dems’ Decent Home …

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Nick T

CCHQ seem to be misremembering again – let’s help them out

By Nick T | Thu 1st May 2014 - 9:02 am

Generous-hearted souls that we are here at LDV Towers, we are inclined to think that the good people of Conservative Party HQ have been getting a little confused again in recent days. You see, to mark the end of the month, when many people will be receiving their pay slips, they have been tweeting about the coalition’s success in raising the income tax personal allowance:

This …

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Posted in News | Tagged | 2 Comments
Stephen Tall

Latest Euro election polls: Ukip take the lead, but what about the Lib Dems?

By Stephen Tall | Wed 30th April 2014 - 10:20 pm

It’s the last day of April, a month which began with the second ‘Nick v Nigel’ debate and has seen 11 polls asking specifically about voting intentions in the European elections on 22nd May. Here’s what they show:

euro election polls april 2014

Quite a lot of movement, but the trend appears now to be that Ukip are in a clear first place above 30%, followed by Labour around 25%, then the Tories on 20%. The Lib Dems are some way back in fourth place, at or around 10%, with the Greens fluctuating …

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Posted in Europe / International and Polls | Tagged | 50 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Danny Alexander and Alistair Carmichael go independence myth busting

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 30th April 2014 - 9:42 pm

Saltire and Forth BridgeBoth Danny Alexander and Alistair Carmichael have tried their hand at taking on some of the pro-independence supporters’ claims about the consequences of independence today with varying degrees of success.

Before I start, I usually try to refer to SNP and Yes supporters as pro-indy people or something like that but it’s a bit clumsy. I say the Yes Lot, too, as long as people know I’m doing it in good spirit.  I don’t really like calling them Nationalists because the likes of Jim Murphy use that as a …

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Caron Lindsay

Nigel, Newark and Nostalgia

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 30th April 2014 - 2:50 pm

Newark CastleOne of my earliest political memories is the moment when Shirley Williams got up at Bradford in 1981 and announced that she would be a candidate in the Crosby by-election. Her talk of how sometimes in politics it was necessary to take risks, to “scale unscalable heights” gave the 14 year old me goosebumps. It was all very much “stand up for what you believe in, take risks, go and change the world” motivation.

Decades later, Shirley wrote about her decision to stand for Crosby in her excellent autobiography, Climbing the …

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Ed Davey

Edward Davey MP writes… A better deal for people on ‘pre-payment’ energy meters

By Ed Davey | Wed 30th April 2014 - 1:15 pm

Electric Meter on the Back of the HouseLiberal Democrats in Government are doing everything possible to help consumers with their energy bills.  Just last week I announced that by the end of the year energy suppliers will halve the time it takes to switch energy supplier from the current five to two and a half weeks.  This is just the first step to achieving my ambition of achieving 24 hour switching.

But there is more that can be done, and I have written to energy suppliers asking them to now focus on …

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NewsHound

LibLink: Paddy Ashdown in Bangladesh: Stoves that save children’s lives

By NewsHound | Wed 30th April 2014 - 12:15 pm

Photo UNICEF BangladeshPaddy Ashdown has been writing over at UNICEF’s blog about his recent visit to Bangladesh. There, he saw the benefits of an initiative, supported by Marks and Spencer, to provide better ventilated, safer, fuel efficient stoves to 40,000 homes.

First of all, he outlines how dangerous simply cooking dinner could be:

I have just returned from a visit to the country and even in the tiny village of Daccope, children are exposed to potentially deadly air pollution in their own home every day. This dangerous mix of chemicals, including carbon monoxide,

…

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Nick Tyrone

The Independent View: New report from the Electoral Reform Society: Close the Gap – Tackling Europe’s democratic deficit

By Nick Tyrone | Wed 30th April 2014 - 10:53 am

EU flagThe new report out by the ERS, written by Chris Terry, is one in which the problem of “democratic deficit” in the European Union is explored. This is an issue that pro-Europeans have traditionally shied away from. However, it is the pro-Europeans who must actually take the arguments forward if Britain is to remain in the EU. The Eurosceptics, meanwhile, simply need to hammer home the fact that, from their point of view, there are no answers other than exit.

In the report, twelve recommendations on how to …

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Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Tagged and | 8 Comments
Giles Goodall

Opinion: Why I joined the Lib Dems 20 years ago – and am still proud to be one

By Giles Goodall | Wed 30th April 2014 - 9:19 am

Liberal Democrat badge - Some rights reserved by Paul Walter, Newbury, UKNext month marks my 20th anniversary as a Liberal Democrat. Could it really be that I’ve spent two decades – and my entire adult life – as a member of Britain’s (still) third party? And more to the point (as some friends would no doubt ask me), why?

I signed up in the dying days of John Major’s government, shortly before we won our first ever MEPs at the 1994 European elections – as well as the first …

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Caron Lindsay

Trouble in paradise…SNP MEP says leadership should admit they made a mistake over independent Scotland’s EU membership

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 29th April 2014 - 10:14 pm

DSC_0044So we’ve had the first real sign of jitters within the SNP ranks tonight. Up until now, they’ve been as tight as anything, united against everyone else as they pursue their lifelong goals. In fact, I suspect there might have been a few times Nick Clegg has looked at the loyalty of SNP members and elected members and maybe felt a wee pang of envy. Even when two SNP MSPs resigned the whip over the party’s abandoning of its anti NATO stance, it was all done more in sorrow than anger. …

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Rebecca Taylor

Rebecca Taylor writes … the benefits of the Erasmus+ programme for young Brits

By Rebecca Taylor | Tue 29th April 2014 - 5:24 pm

erasmusYesterday the European Union increased its commitment to providing learning and development opportunities for young people right here in Britain, through the launch of the revamped Erasmus+ programme.

The new revamped Erasmus+ programme has a total budget of £12 billion, with £100 million already earmarked for the UK in 2014 alone.  Along with my Liberal Democrat colleagues in Brussels we pushed for a bigger Erasmus budget than the previous scheme and were successful in obtaining a 40% increase at a time when the overall EU budget was cut. Grants will now be made available for education, training, youth and sport. In total it’s estimated that nearly a quarter of a million students, apprentices, teachers and youth workers will benefit from the EU grants.

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Mary Reid

Nick Clegg announces £500million investment in green cars

By Mary Reid | Tue 29th April 2014 - 2:58 pm

POD-PointThe Liberal Democrats have just announced a new Government initiative to encourage the use of electric cars.

Drivers of electric cars already benefit from zero road tax and zero congestion charge in London, as well as the knowledge that they are helping to reduce air pollution. But they have also had to plan journeys carefully so they can find charge-points when they need them.

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The Voice

David Steel responds to Cyril Smith allegations: “Idle gossip is not a basis for any inquiry at all”

By The Voice | Tue 29th April 2014 - 2:54 pm

Former Liberal leader Lord (David) Steel has responded on today’s BBC Radio 4 World at One to accusations that he failed to take seriously allegations levelled in 1979 by Private Eye magazine that Cyril Smith abused boys at a Rochdale hostel. You can listen to Martha Kearney’s interview with him here:

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Caron Lindsay

Is the SNP’s latest European Election Broadcast even legal?

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 29th April 2014 - 12:45 pm

imageLast week, the SNP’s first broadcast for the European Elections was broadcast. It bore a remarkable similarity to the broadcasts that they have been putting out since the end of last year which were all aimed at persuading people to vote Yes in the independence referendum. It interspersed colourful footage of children talking about how wonderful and independent Scotland with black and white starkness portraying a vision of hellish Westminster rule.

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Spencer Thompson

The Independent View: Lessons for Clegg – we need to be more innovative on maternity and paternity pay

By Spencer Thompson | Tue 29th April 2014 - 11:14 am

Nick Clegg in a London schoolLast week, Nick Clegg gave a speech at the launch of the Cityfathers, a network of working dads based in the Square Mile and Canary Wharf. In it, he focused in particular on changes to parental leave coming into force next year, which will allow couples to transfer a portion of their maternity leave entitlement to fathers after two weeks. While the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has argued that we should go further, creating a ‘use it or lose it’ block of leave for fathers, in general the Coalition’s move has been regarded as at least a first step in the right direction for parental leave policy.

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Posted in The Independent View | Tagged , and | 8 Comments
The Voice

Lib Dems pay tribute to Oliver Thomas

By The Voice | Tue 29th April 2014 - 9:37 am

logo_lg new Liberal Democrat logoFive people lost their lives in the helicopter crash in Afghanistan last week.  Amongst them, sadly, was 26 year old Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas from Brecon, who had worked as a researcher for Roger Williams in his Westminster office.

Tributes have been paid by a number of leading Liberal Democrats.

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Posted in Obituaries | Tagged , , and | 2 Comments
Stephen Tall

Local elections 2014: your quick-and-easy guide to the Lib Dem numbers that matter

By Stephen Tall | Tue 29th April 2014 - 8:00 am

Polling station sign. Photo credit: nilexuk on FlickrLib Dems in England will need no reminding that 22nd May isn’t just European election polling day: it’s also local election day across all 32 London boroughs, all 36 metropolitan boroughs, 74 second-tier district authorities, 20 unitary authorities and five directly-elected mayoral posts.

There are 4,216 seats up for grabs. No party is contesting them all, though as you can see both Labour and Conservatives are fielding candidates in more than 90% of them, while the Lib Dems are contesting 65%. Ukip will be standing in just under 50% of seats and the Greens in 42%.*

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Caron Lindsay

Menzies Campbell MP on Salmond’s “disturbing lack of judgement” over Putin

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 28th April 2014 - 5:06 pm

Alex Salmond - License Some rights reserved by Ewan McIntoshYou would think that politicians would have more sense than to express any sort of admiration for Vladimir Putin. Alex Salmond has followed in the footsteps of Nigel Farage. He told Alistair Campbell for GQ:

Obviously, I don’t approve of a range of Russian actions, but I think Putin’s more effective than the press he gets, I would have thought, and you can see why he carries support in Russia.

He’s restored a substantial part of Russian pride and that must be a

…

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Matt Gallagher

Opinion: What are the Lords Spiritual for?

By Matt Gallagher | Mon 28th April 2014 - 3:41 pm

house of lordsIn a week when the Prime Minister has been stung, twice – once by a malevolent jellyfish and then by public reaction to his observation “Britain is a Christian country,” there has been much analysis of polling and census data in support or denunciation of his statement.

Cameron supporters point to the 2011 census, where 59% ticked the box to describe themselves as ‘Christian,’ while his detractors preferred a YouGov poll where the question, “are you religious?” saw only 29% of respondents answer in the affirmative.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 6 Comments
Stephen Tall

Drugs and e-cigarettes: criminalise, legalise, regulate? Here’s what Lib Dem members think…

By Stephen Tall | Mon 28th April 2014 - 2:00 pm

drugsLib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum  to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. More than 830 party members responded – thank you – and we’re publishing the full results.

Two-thirds of Lib Dems back legalisation of ‘soft’ drugs…

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Posted in LDV Members poll | Tagged , and | 14 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Nick Clegg: I won’t prop up a minority government without a coalition

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 28th April 2014 - 12:50 pm

Nick Clegg speaking York InEurope Some rights reserved by Liberal DemocratsIn an interview with Anne McEvoy in yesterday’s Sunday Times (£), Nick Clegg makes it clear that he has no interest in the Liberal Democrats keeping a minority government in office with out a full coalition after the next election:

For the first time, Clegg is explicitly ruling out any kind of loose-pact arrangement, like the short-lived Lib-Lab one in the 1970s or variants on “confidence and supply” arrangements, a political anoraks’ phrase, whereby a smaller party provides support

…

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The Voice

LibLink: Tim Farron: Let’s extend the pupil premium to young carers

By The Voice | Mon 28th April 2014 - 11:57 am

imageOn his recent column on the ALDC Members’ website, Tim Farron has made the case for the Pupil Premium to be extended to young carers:

One of the biggest Lib Dem wins of this Coalition Government has been the Pupil Premium. The Pupil Premium was designed as extra support for kids in our schools who need a little extra help to get the best start in life.

I don’t need to tell you about it; you’ve supported it from an idea in our manifesto to its implementation. I’m preaching to the converted. It’s

…

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NewsHound

Liberal Democrats support mixed-sex civil partnerships – and Tories don’t. There’s a surprise.

By NewsHound | Mon 28th April 2014 - 10:22 am

imageFrom yesterday’s Sunday Times (£):

DAVID CAMERON is to veto proposals to give heterosexual couples the same right as gays to enter into civil partnerships, provoking a coalition split with the Liberal Democrats.

Cameron believes that allowing civil partnerships for heterosexuals would undermine the sanctity of marriage and alienate many traditional Tory voters.

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Posted in News | Tagged and | 9 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Danny Alexander: UKIP is wrong on jobs, wrong on prosperity and wrong on security

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 28th April 2014 - 9:24 am

Danny-Alexander

Today, The City UK publishes two reports which, they say, “show that leaving the EU poses very significant risks to the UK’s future, undermining economic well-being and the ability of business to grow and compete in world markets.” All in all, “A Legal Assessment of the UK’s relationship with the EU – a financial services perspective” and “Analysing the case for EU membership – How does the economic evidence stack up? predict a quadruple whammy of higher prices and unemployment, lower growth and wages should Britain leave the EU. That’s before you …

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Stephen Tall

Ukip examined: who they are, what they stand for, and what it all means for British politics

By Stephen Tall | Mon 28th April 2014 - 8:00 am

revolt on the right ukipI’ve just finished reading Revolt on the Right, Robert Ford and Matthew Goodwin’s fascinating book analysing the rise of Ukip and what makes the party and its voters tick. Mark Pack has already written a very good review for LibDemVoice here. Here’s my take on some of its key insights.

Who votes for Ukip? The ‘left behind’

For a start, it debunks the myth that Ukip is a party of disaffected, well-to-do, shire-Tories obsessed by Europe and upset by David Cameron’s mild social liberalism on same-sex marriage. Yes, there are some Ukip voters like that, but they tend to be its peripheral voters, the ones most likely to give the Tories a kick in the Euros next month then return to their traditional True Blue ways in time for the general election. Ukip’s core vote in reality is made up of what the authors define as ‘left behind’ voters, overwhelmingly comprising older white working class males with no formal educational qualifications.

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Caron Lindsay

Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #373

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 27th April 2014 - 7:00 pm

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 373rd 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 (20-26 April, 2014), 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 | 2 Comments
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