Nick T

Clegg opposes ban on halal and kosher slaughter; now we need to hear his reasons

By Nick T | Thu 6th March 2014 - 1:14 pm

Nick Clegg has said he is “emphatically” opposed to the UK introducing a ban on the slaughter of animals in compliance with what some see as religious requirements. Slaughter of animals for the production of halal or kosher meat is currently exempt from UK regulations requiring animals to be stunned into unconsciousness before having their throats cut.

Clegg was answering a question on his weekly LBC phone-in, prompted by a recent ban on such slaughter imposed by the Danish government, where agriculture minister Dan Jørgensen supported a ban on the basis that “animal rights come before religion”.

Here’s how the Guardian’s Andrew Sparrow summarised Clegg’s response when asked whether he supports a Denmark-style ban:

Emphatically not, says Clegg.

No government of which he was part would support this, he says.

He says he supports the right of Jewish and Muslim communities to decide how animals are slaughtered. That is an important liberal position, he says.

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George Lyon MEP

George Lyon MEP writes…Brave mountain rescue teams should not have to pay VAT on essential, lifesaving kit

By George Lyon MEP | Thu 6th March 2014 - 11:59 am

We were navigating in near zero visibility in a white-out.

As I was navigating I put my foot out and onto nothing, and fell down about 800ft of sheer cliff.

You figure you have had it.

These are the words of 25 year old Scot Ollie Daniel, who plunged through snow while walking in the Cairngorms in January this year.

In Scotland we are lucky to have some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the world. Walkers and climbers are a common sight in the Highlands and Islands all year round. But we know that these activities are not without risk.

Ollie was rescued …

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Posted in Europe / International and Op-eds | Tagged , , , and | 5 Comments
Caron Lindsay

So what’s happening at Conference? Part 3: The Fringe

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 6th March 2014 - 10:24 am

Here’s the third part of my guide to Spring Conference in York this weekend. Just think, this time tomorrow, we’ll be on our way. Anyway, part 1, the debates, can be found here and part 2, the training, is here.  Oh, and don’t forget to download your Conference App. It’s now been further developed and the issues I mentioned the other day are largely sorted.

It will certainly help you manage your schedule, but, as I sad the other day, it can’t make decisions for you when there are 10 things that you want to go to at …

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The Voice

Jeanne Tarrant describes her first 50 days as Pastoral Care Officer

By The Voice | Thu 6th March 2014 - 8:56 am

In January, Jeanne Tarrant started as the new Pastoral Care Officer at LDHQ. She introduced herself on here.

A little about me:  I previously worked for the Royal College of Midwives as a team manager and a Trade Union Officer.  I have extensive experience in negotiations, supporting members through disciplinary action, grievances, supporting individuals in raising concerns including whistleblowing, developing and maintaining relationships with different groups whilst preserving confidentiality and also developing training for shop stewards on the new equality Act 2010 on understanding and challenging various types of behaviour which may adversely affect others and damage working relationships.  And

…

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Stephen Tall

What Vince Cable said about teachers – and, more importantly, what he meant

By Stephen Tall | Thu 6th March 2014 - 8:40 am

vince cable“Teachers know absolutely nothing about the world of work.” That’s what Vince said if you believe today’s newspaper headlines. And they’re right, he did use those words. But what the newspapers are choosing to ignore is what he meant by them.

Here’s the full quote, from a question-and-answer session about how best to improve the quality of careers advice:

“There has been an argument in Government about how to get the right careers advice in schools and successive governments have frankly messed this up. But the underlying problem is of course that most teachers, particularly in the secondary sector, are graduates. They know how universities work, they know what you have to do to get an A-level, they know about UCAS forms – but they know absolutely nothing about the world of work.”

At that point, Vince’s audience of 600 representatives from the manufacturing industry laughed and clapped. Vince quickly realised how his remarks could have been (mis-)interpreted, commenting “I’ve only one joke today and it was unintentional.” You can heard the exchange below:

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Kirsty Williams AM

Kirsty Williams AM writes… An important step towards minimum nurse staffing levels in Wales

By Kirsty Williams AM | Wed 5th March 2014 - 8:00 pm

Today, the National Assembly for Wales voted to give me permission to bring forward a Private Members Bill to set minimum nurse staffing levels in law.

I believe this is necessary in Wales because we currently have the highest number of patients per nurse in the UK, which means that all too often our nurses are unable to give the time to perform their role to their highest caring ability.

Evidence is increasing from across the world on the positive impact that nurse staffing levels have on patient care and the recruitment and retention of staff. Nurses who have fewer patients to …

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Stephen Tall

Lib Dems as ‘The Party of IN’ – Clegg’s pro-European strategy starts to pay off

By Stephen Tall | Wed 5th March 2014 - 7:10 pm

nick clegg v nigel farageKudos to Nick Clegg and his team, including his director of strategy Ryan Coetzee. The gambit of issuing a personal challenge to Nigel Farage to debate Nick on Europe has been accepted not only by the Ukip leader, but also now by the media. As Caron Lindsay reported here this morning – #NickvNigel – We have a date and #NickvNigel: We have 2 dates – any more for the Tour? – the two leaders will face-off both on TV and on radio within the next …

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Caron Lindsay

South East UKIP Euro candidate says businesses should have right not to serve women and gay people

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 5th March 2014 - 5:43 pm

On the day that Nick Clegg has pointed out how, well, useless UKIP MEPs are, I had a look back 5 years to a post I wrote two days before the 2009 European election in which I pointed out why they are really bad news. I could have written it today. Nothing really has changed.

And over that 5 years, we’ve had a stream of UKIP councillors and parliamentary hopefuls say silly things. We’ve had the floods being related to equal marriage and Godfrey Bloom’s fridgegate. Not to mention one of their major donors describe women wearing …

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Opinion: Tell us your views on a fair, liberal criminal justice system

By Geoff Payne | Wed 5th March 2014 - 4:51 pm

The prevention, detection and prosecution of crime and the sentencing and rehabilitation of offenders is one of the fundamental roles of the government and the independent judiciary. It is also something that matters enormously to the electorate. No-one wants to be a victim of crime. No-one wants to be accused of a crime they did not commit.  Many offenders would want to rehabilitate themselves and live a decent life in the future.

For too long, crime policy has suffered from an obsession shared by successive Labour and Tory Governments of seeking to be ever tougher than the last and yet completely …

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The Voice

Access to Elected Office Fund for disabled people extended to 2015 and annual limit doubled to £40,000

By The Voice | Wed 5th March 2014 - 3:30 pm

Don’t be afraid of what people see or think of you – try and rise above your disability, keep your chin up and do what you can during the election. Be inspired by what people like the late Lord Ashley of Stoke, Anne Begg and David Blunkett did. I have lost many times over the years, but I don’t give up! At the end of the day people will recognise what you have tried to achieve and admire you for the successes you have achieved.

So says Liberal Democrat candidate David Buxton. David is deaf and has been able to take …

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Keith Aspden

Opinion: York welcomes Spring Conference

By Keith Aspden | Wed 5th March 2014 - 2:25 pm

yorkAs the countdown to this weekend continues, I would like to say how pleased I am to be welcoming Spring Conference to York. I have been speaking to local party members, businesses and organisations like Visit York about the conference and it is clear that anticipation is building.

 Visit York estimate that this weekend will boost the city’s economy by more than £600,000. And I know that hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, and restaurants are reporting soaring demand.

Added to the short-term economic boost is the long-term impact that national exposure will bring. It is a showcase for York as a destination for conferences and events. York is a beautiful, well-connected city with the potential to hold many more big political and business conferences. This weekend should just be the beginning….

It is also a chance for our members in York to meet our ministers and MPs as well as councillors and campaigners from across the country. And as we all know, a chance for local party members to actually debate and decide national party policy.

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Stephen Tall

Julia Goldsworthy re-selected as Lib Dem candidate for Camborne and Redruth, quits as Danny Alexander’s SpAd

By Stephen Tall | Wed 5th March 2014 - 1:30 pm

julia-goldsworthyCongratulations to Julia Goldsworthy, selected last Friday to fight what is, on paper at any rate, the Lib Dems’ top target in the 2015 general election: Camborne and Redruth. This was the seat which Julia, who had been the party’s shadow chief secretary to the treasury, lost by just 66 votes to the Tories in 2010. Julia, who became special adviser to Danny Alexander at the Treasury shortly after her defeat, has resigned her post to focus on the campaign.

Camborne and Redruth was one of the eight Conservative-held marginal seats …

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Caron Lindsay

Vince Cable “considers all female shortlists for city firms.” Really?

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 5th March 2014 - 12:30 pm

Yesterday’s Guardian ran a story which said that Vince Cable was considering all female shortlists for the boards of FTSE companies.

That headline was  at this stage over-egging that particular pudding. All he is doing is asking the Equality and Human Rights Commission to advise whether such a move would be legal.

That was in fact the eighth of ten recommendations in a report by Charlotte Sweeney who has worked has head of diversity for top banks, which reviewed the effectiveness of the Government’s voluntary code for city headhunters. It’s worth having a look at the whole report which is available …

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Caron Lindsay

#NickvNigel: We have 2 dates – any more for the Tour?

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 5th March 2014 - 10:50 am

So, not only is the BBC running a Nick vs Nigel televised debate on 2 April at 7pm on BBC2, but LBC have announced that they are running one the week before on their now national radio station. From their website:

On Wednesday 26th March at 7pm, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, will go head-to-head with UKIP leader Nigel Farage in a live hour-long programme.

The LBC Leaders’ Debate will be hosted by Nick Ferrari in front of a live studio audience in London.

The debate is taking place after the Deputy Prime Minister challenged the leader of

…

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The Voice

#NickvNigel – We have a date

By The Voice | Wed 5th March 2014 - 9:51 am

nick clegg v nigel farageIt’s just been announced – the date we’ve been waiting for, when Nick Clegg will face Nigel Farage to debate whether Britain should be in or out of the EU.

Nick challenged Nigel two weeks ago on his Call Clegg radio show on LBC.

The debate will actually be televised, on BBC2 and will take place on Wednesday 2 April at 7pm.

Julian Huppert has just been on the BBC News Channel saying that he thinks that Nick will do really well, making the positive case for the European Union. On the two largest parties in British politics, he said:

I’m not surprised the other two parties have refused to take part. David Cameron’s party is completely split and Labour don’t quite know where they are on this. We are the only party who wants to be IN Europe, IN work.

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The Voice

Nick Clegg: “I have to drag the Tories kicking and screaming” to raise tax threshold”

By The Voice | Wed 5th March 2014 - 8:41 am

Nick Clegg took questions from journalists after yesterday’s speech on security and privacy. One of them was on tax, after the reports in the press over the weekend that the Tories were cheekily trying to claim credit for lowering the tax threshold.

Let’s hope that some nice cartoonist has some fun with his comment that he’s had to drag the Tories kicking and screaming into every set of talks on lowering taxes for those on low and middle incomes.

He also said that his recent plea for an extra £500 workers’ bonus had received a frosty reception from the Conservatives.

He said:

And it

…

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Julian Huppert

Julian Huppert MP writes…Nick Clegg has put Liberal Democrats far ahead of other parties on security and privacy

By Julian Huppert | Tue 4th March 2014 - 6:49 pm

This morning was a good day for Liberal Democrats. I and many others went to RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute to hear Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of our party, deliver a speech on security and privacy in the internet age.

He sent out a clear and strong message: the legal framework for the UK’s intelligence agencies and intelligence oversight structure is in desperate need of an overhaul, and this must start with an independent review, which he has commissioned.

His wider ambitions are set out in a piece for the Guardian today. The Tories are blocking changes …

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Tad Jones

Opinion: Drugs – Evidence based policy, liberalism and some Uruguayan political courage

By Tad Jones | Tue 4th March 2014 - 5:12 pm

drugsAre we seeing some change in the way societies view drugs?

Last December Uruguay legalised cannabis, and in the US, the states of Colorado and Washington legalised cannabis for personal use in 2012. The Netherlands has, for some time, allowed cannabis use in specialist coffeeshops. Of course, none of these examples have opted for free and unfettered access for all, but rather a regulated system where the authorities can exert control. The Uruguayan plan includes a user registry, a tax, and quality control, with the aim of reducing profits for organised crime, and reducing drug related violence.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 17 Comments
Annette Brooke MP

Reform of the Planning System

By Annette Brooke MP | Tue 4th March 2014 - 4:33 pm

As Co-Chair of the DCLG Parliamentary Policy Committee I am pleased that Motion F5 ‘Reform of Planning’ will be before Conference on Saturday 8th March. The members of our committee are very clear that a pledge for 300,000 homes per year to be built (Federal Conference motion September 2012) requires planning permission for 300,000 homes per year!

Do Liberal Democrats have the political will to address our housing crisis?  Do we only have that will as long as the homes are not in our own backyards?  We present our motion for debate with the belief that the answer to the first question …

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Adam Killeya

Opinion: Henry Ford and the coalition’s ‘localism’

By Adam Killeya | Tue 4th March 2014 - 2:55 pm

Brent Town Hall. Photo credit: stevecadman on FlickrFord famously commented that customers could have any colour they like as long as it’s black. It feels to me that at the moment we can have any localism we like as long as it’s blue.

Two particular events have provoked this thought. The first is that that council tax bills are about to go out and, under localism, a council cannot raise council tax significantly, including to protect services, without holding a referendum. However they can cut council tax and services without any such requirement. Furthermore, as councils have to pay for the referendum themselves, increasing council tax by a little over the limit is not financially viable. Therefore the referendum rules do not give local people more control so much as force councils to subscribe to Conservative ideas about the balance between services and taxation.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 11 Comments
Mary Reid

Liblink: Nick Clegg – security oversight must be fit for the internet age

By Mary Reid | Tue 4th March 2014 - 1:25 pm

nick clegg pondersNick Clegg writes today in the Guardian under the headline: ‘Edward Snowden’s revelations made it clear: security oversight must be fit for the internet age.’

Until this week, the revelations published by the Guardian about the nature and extent of internet surveillance had provoked little reaction from British politicians. The quality of the debate in the US provides an unflattering contrast to the muted debate this side of the Atlantic.

Some of the revelations have described far-reaching intelligence-gathering capabilities. There are questions of principle here that require answers. Are such capabilities necessary and proportionate? Does the benefit to national security clearly outweigh the infringement of privacy? Are there proper checks and balances to guard against abuse? To ask these questions is not to question the good faith of those who work for the agencies. I have had the privilege of working with all three security services, and have nothing but praise for their professionalism.

I don’t doubt that they comply with the legal framework set for them by parliament. The issue is whether the rules we have set are fit for the internet age.

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Toby Fenwick

Opinion: Ukraine – Next Steps

By Toby Fenwick | Tue 4th March 2014 - 12:27 pm

ukraineAn international affairs policy wonk could be forgiven for thinking that April Fools’ Day had come early. After all, the last 72 hours have seen the Russian Federation occupy Ukraine’s Crimea, and apparently threaten to attack Ukrainian forces in Crimea if they don’t surrender. Such an action is in direct violation of the 1994 Bucharest Memorandum, the OSCE’s Helsinki Final Act, and Article 2(4) of the UN Charter.

The use of force without the explicit authorisation of the UN Security Council has a very specific name: aggression. The Nuremburg Tribunal described aggression as the “supreme international crime”: aggression starts wars, destroys lives and is a visceral attack on the international rule of law.

Simply, aggression is international gangsterism of the highest order.

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Mary Reid

Nick Clegg announces 2015 negotiating team

By Mary Reid | Tue 4th March 2014 - 11:34 am

Nick Clegg has announced the team who will handle coalition negotiations after the election in 2015 (if needed, of course).  It will consist of Danny Alexander, Steve Webb, Sal Brinton, Lynne Featherstone and David Laws.

In his book ‘22 days in May‘ David Laws revealed that Nick Clegg had appointed the 2010 negotiating team in secret during the previous year. The team was not put together in haste after the election, as many had assumed, so there were really no excuses for the absence of women. Politically David Laws and Danny Alexander were drawn from the economic liberal wing of …

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David Boyle

Opinion: How to balance the UK economy

By David Boyle | Tue 4th March 2014 - 10:41 am

A-Co-operative-bank-sign-007I was a bit flummoxed after being taken to task on Lib Dem Voice last week for being anti-business. What had I done? I had been criticising payday loan companies for hoovering up money away from local companies.

There are two underlying problems here, confusions which muddy the political debate on business.

The first is the misleading idea that somehow all business is always on the same side.  Organisations like the CBI claim to speak for business while actually promoting the interests of the biggest.  It isn’t the way the world is.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 7 Comments
Nick Tyrone

The Orange Bookers v the Cameroons: Liberal Reform/ERS event at spring conference

By Nick Tyrone | Tue 4th March 2014 - 8:46 am

This Saturday, March 8th, at spring conference, Liberal Reform and the Electoral Reform Society will be hosting an event in the Bootham Room of the Hilton York on the topic of Which Party for Liberals? Conservative or Liberal Democrats?

I know already that, right from the title, there will be some in the party who will be upset. “Why limit the choice outside of the Lib Dems to just the Tories?”, I can imagine some will ask. The binary nature of the debate was inspired by Nick Boles’ talk a few months ago about the need for a “National Liberal” party, one …

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Posted in Conference | Tagged and | 8 Comments
Caron Lindsay

LibLink: Kirsty Williams: St David’s Day – Wales has every right to be up there with the best

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 3rd March 2014 - 4:41 pm

I actually got goosebumps reading this St David’s Day piece Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams wrote for Endeavour Public Affairs. It’s brimming with passion, expressing pride in and love for Wales. It’s a real uplifting read, and folk on both sides of Scotland’s independence referendum should note that this is how you inspire people.

She grabs you right from the start:

 Identity isn’t a fixed status; it is a feeling.  Personally, first and foremost, I feel Welsh; then British; then European.  Being Welsh is always the overriding sense of who I am.  I believe a reason for this is how comfortable

…

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Gareth Wilson

Opinion: I’m 89% Liberal Democrat and a lot of my friends were surprised to be too

By Gareth Wilson | Mon 3rd March 2014 - 3:45 pm

Friday lunchtime at work I was sent this email:

email image

Intrigued, I followed the link to the website and did the test myself, which came back Lib Dem with a bit of Labour thrown in.  The Tories, UKIP and the BNP were at the bottom. Pretty accurate. I then repeated the test with the knowledge I have of the policies of the other parties, again impressively accurate whoever I pretended to agree with, from the Greens to the BNP. It’s a very well researched questionnaire.

What made me write this post was …

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The Voice

In the next month 33 seats in Scotland and Wales will short-list their wannabe Lib Dem MPs

By The Voice | Mon 3rd March 2014 - 2:35 pm

Lib Dems winning hereHere’s the full list of selection contests in the coming month available for Lib Dems on the approved parliamentary candidates’ list, together with the closing date for applications.

The following seats have selections in progress and are currently advertising for candidates:

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Caron Lindsay

Have you downloaded your Spring Conference app yet?

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 3rd March 2014 - 1:01 pm

The new Liberal Democrat conference app is now available on both Google Play and Apple’s app store. The instructions for downloading it in the Conference agenda are not ever so clear as they don’t tell you what its called –  Lib Dem Spring Conf 2014.

If you have a Blackberry or a Windows phone, you need to go here.

I downloaded mine this morning with more than a little apprehension. You see, it’s never worked for me before. I have always had problems getting the “My Schedule” part of it to work. To me, that part is the whole point. …

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 16 Comments
Ed Wilson

Opinion: Don’t like the exam question? Just cross it out…

By Ed Wilson | Mon 3rd March 2014 - 11:30 am

The place of religious schools in a secular society is always a subject for debate, but it comes to a head when you discover that some schools are redacting questions in GCSE exam papers because they wouldn’t approve of the answers.

All schools are required to teach the national science curriculum, and are inspected on that basis by Ofsted. We are told that to present creationism as science is not allowed. Yet one school – a Jewish girls’ secondary in this case, but the same question may arise elsewhere – has chosen to cross out questions which offend their sensibilities. …

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