Credit where it’s due. If David Cameron had returned to Britain empty-handed or walked out of the EU budget talks in a fit of pique he’d have been pilloried. Plenty of his opponents were hoping he’d do just that.
As it is, he’s able to boast (not without justification) that he’s successfully negotiated a 3% real-terms cut in the EU budget — to a cumulative €960bn (2014-20) — and protected the British rebate. Nick Clegg, who’s been a particular critic of …
Good morning Liberal Democrats and visitors.
You don’t have time to read this right now because you are on your way to join the day of action for the campaign for fairer taxes. To find your nearest, go here and enter your postcode.
We inherited a system in 2010 where a cleaner would pay a higher marginal rate of tax on his income at 20%, than a hedge fund manager would on her income converted to capital gains at 18%. Decades of Conservative and Labour governments alike saw the …
In my wild youth, which was as long as it was fecund, I enjoyed a brief and mutually unsatisfactory fling with Marxism. One of the most fearsome methods used by Marxists to direct debate is to retreat into the world of “ism”’s, where, rather than engage in discussion of the relevant point, opponents are branded with the prevailing pejorative ‘ism’ of the day.
While its probably too late for Marxists to change, it’s rather disturbing when more mainstream political figures fall into the same habits. A recent example of this came when Labour MP Peter Hain, speaking on The …
It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:
The Home Office yesterday announced plans for the regulation of CCTV as part of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
This is fantastic news. The regulation of CCTV and the protection of civil liberties were key to our manifesto and prominent in the coalition agreement.
Britain is home to as many as 4.2 million CCTV cameras – up to 20% of cameras globally – yet under Labour there was virtually no control over who has access to state surveillance. Our reforms mean we can control who has access to cameras, and how the footage is used.
Regulation will be crucial …
MEPs vote against discards and for sustainable fisheries across Europe
On Wednesday, MEPs voted for an ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) by 502 to 137 votes.
Chris Davies, who founded the cross-party MEP campaign group Fish For the Future, commented after the historic vote:
Today’s overwhelming support for EU fisheries reform from MEPs across all parties and nationalities puts us in a very strong negotiation position with Member States in the Council of Ministers. The Irish Presidency has made clear it wants to complete the reform by June.
People across Europe have said that we must
…
The news about the abandonment of the EBC is to be welcomed by all interested in a progressive and inclusive education system. Is this beginning of the end of the regular Gove-ian, back of the envelope initiatives, which seem to have little to do with evidence-based, rigorous research and planning, and more to do with a kind of “Tom Brown’s Schooldays”, personal take on what makes for a good education? Somehow I doubt that. But at least it’s a start.
The education world has been suffering from major shock and awe style reforms and promises (threats?) of reform, such as EBCs …
It may only be February, but like schools, half-term is approaching fast (don’t forget, Easter is a bit earlier this year). And with the break starting on Friday, there’s still quite a bit of business to squeeze in. Curiously, there are no oral questions or debates initiated from the Liberal Democrat benches all week, but the agenda isn’t without interest.
On Monday most attention will be focussed on the Second Reading of the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill. Baroness Stowell of Beeston has the unenviable task of leading …
Let me begin by saying that I enthusiastically support equal marriage. The ability of two people who love each other to marry regardless of their gender is a blessing, Tuesday’s vote was a victory for liberalism, and despite its flaws the Bill is a big step forward to a fairer society. I found the explanations made by those Lib Dem MPs who opposed the bill to be intellectually unconvincing, sometimes evasive, and fundamentally illiberal.
And yet, I was slightly perturbed by the number of people – and a party organisation – discussing whether to refuse to campaign for the ‘rebels’. …
Mark Pack has posted last night’s poll findings from Eastleigh, showing the Tories narrowly ahead with both Labour and Ukip out of serious contention. In case you needed some reasons to help the Lib Dem campaign in the next three weeks in whatever way you’re able here are 5 from me…
Lord Ashcroft’s poll is pretty ideal for the party: it piles the pressure on the Tories as early front-runners, while confirming how tight the contest will be. The Lib Dems’ local strength is significant …
Before I start, news from Eastwood in Nottinghamshire;
Result:Eastwood South byelection (Ashfield Con)LD831.Ind 221.Lab 227.LDgain from Lab.Turnout18.4%Lab2nd by6!604 majority,65%of vote.
— Jason Zadrozny (@jzadrozny) February 7, 2013
Congratulations to candidate David Hallam and all of our team in Ashfield on this gain from Labour.
Made slightly more complex by the fact that our beloved site crashed late yesterday evening, we’re another day closer to the Eastleigh by-election. Unfortunately, I can’t get to Eastleigh, but am giving money instead. And if, like me, you’d really like to help but can’t get to Hampshire, you can do so by visiting the …
1st Eastleigh poll puts Con + LDs within margin of error: C34 LD31 Lab 19 UKIP 13 (Ashcroft poll)
— Mark Pack 🔶 (@markpack) February 7, 2013
That 3 point gap is within the margin of error on the poll, and so it is, as they say in the US about such results, a statistical dead-heat.
What is clear is that this is a contest between Liberal Democrats and Conservatives. Nigel Farage was right it would seem to back out of fighting the seat – and Labour too are clearly out of it in Eastleigh.
The Labour vote share is particularly interesting as we’ll see how well the party can do at squeezing a clearly third-place Labour in a Parliamentary by-election. The pre-2010 record is of course very good …
Liberal Democrats are determined to ensure that all our pupils can access qualifications that measure up to the best in the world today.
But existing GCSEs have weakened over time. Colleges and employers tell us they don’t prepare young people properly for work or further education. While GCSE results have increased steadily, England’s results in the internationally recognised PISA tests have remained flat. This cannot be fair for young people who are working hard to achieve their best.
GCSEs need to change: the question is how.
The original plan to bring back the O-Level was unacceptable. A two-tier system that divides pupils into …
Yesterday, Chris Rennard and John Sharkey raised the important and inter-connected issues of sugar consumption and childhood obesity, respectively, during Oral Questions in the Lords.
These related topics prompted fifteen minutes of debate from a packed Chamber, as the responding Minister – Earl Howe – spelt out what the Government is doing to encourage healthier eating and prevent the problems associated with poor diet and lack of exercise, from worsening.
John Sharkey began proceedings by pointing out that not one of the companies signed up to the responsibility deal for calorie reduction is a fast-food operator. He …
Writing in today’s Financial Times, Lib Dem schools minister David Laws has the following to say about the Government’s announcements on reforms to the systems of examination:
We need all schools to teach all children well in all subjects. For that reason, we propose judging schools by the progress their pupils make in eight subjects. Two of those subjects will be English and maths; a further three will be any combination of sciences, history, geography and languages. The remaining three are open – they could be further sciences or languages, subjects such as art or music,
…
Simon Beard’s article on what he calls ‘the debate around legalising assisted dying’ is so replete with errors, half-truths and spin that it is difficult to know where to start with the correcting pen.
He refers to “the estimated 500 people who commit suicide each year due to a terminal or chronic illness”. The estimate he refers to was made in a report by Demos on the incidence of suicide among seriously ill people. This report does not state that 500 people commit suicide each year because they are terminally or chronically ill. It estimates that “approximately 10 per cent …
The Social Mobility All Party Parliamentary Group have been working since 2011 to get an in-depth understanding of what it is that enables some people to get ahead in life whilst others fall behind and aren’t able make the most of their abilities and potential.
What became glaring to us through our report on “The Seven Key Truths of Social Mobility” published last year was the importance of so-called “soft skills”, an area all too often neglected in the social mobility debate. To shine a spotlight on this neglected area we held a Character and Resilience Summit yesterday in Admiralty House …
I wondered if the Tories might try and turn up the heat on Nick on today’s LBC Call Clegg now that the starting gun has been fired for the Eastleigh by-election just 3 weeks from today.
I wasn’t expecting the unmistakeable tones of “Boris from Islington” telling Nick to get ministers out of their cars and onto bikes, and get some investment into infrastructure.
Sadly, the London Mayor (for it was he) didn’t quite have the guts to actually talk to Nick live. He’d pre-recorded his question. Nick lobbed the ball firmly back into Boris’ gob by asking him if he were …
Over the course of four years at Mid Staffordshire hospital, hundreds of patients suffered from appalling neglect and mistreatment. Relatives that voiced concerns were ignored; staff that tried to speak up were silenced. It was a shocking betrayal of trust of patients and their families.
Yesterday Robert Francis QC published his report into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. The public inquiry lasted more than two years, heard over 250 witness statements, considered over one million pages of documentary evidence, and has produced a report nearly two thousand pages long. It makes 290 separate recommendations.
The story of Mid Staffs, the report …
9.30 am on Saturday morning may not be a prime-time slot, but on 9th March there will be more than usual interest in a constitutional amendment tabled to the Lib Dem spring conference.
Why? Because the amendment will make it possible for the Lib Dem federal conference to pass a vote of no confidence in the party leader to trigger an election.
Here‘s the proposed amendment:
‘An election for the Leader shall be called upon a vote
…
The morning’s big news is that Conservative education secretary Michael Gove is set to announce a U-turn today on his plans to scrap the current GCSE exams and replace them with a new EBacc qualification in 2015. Here‘s how the Independent reports it:
The Education Secretary bowed to overwhelming pressure for a rethink from Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, the exams regulator Ofqual and MPs from all parties. It is understood that he decided to act after being warned by civil servants that one key plank of his reforms – handing each of the core subjects over to just
…
In my lifetime, the role of women and girls in British society has been transformed. There has been an emancipation revolution.
Many of these changes have been legal. It seems remarkable today to reflect that, until 1975, women were not allowed to buy a house without financial guarantees being provided by a man, typically their father or husband.Other changes have been cultural. It is extraordinary, for example, that until 1972 a female diplomat in the Foreign Office was required to resign if she got married.
As each of these barriers to female attainment has been removed, women have capitalised on the opportunities …
Just released by Lib Dem HQ:
I can confirm that Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael will tomorrow, Thursday 7 February, move the writ to trigger the Eastleigh by-election.
The by-election will be held on Thursday February 28.
Liberal Democrat Party President Tim Farron said:
Liberal Democrats have proud 20-year record of action in Eastleigh, fighting for people in both local government and in Westminster.
The people of Eastleigh should have the opportunity to elect someone to serve the constituency as soon as possible.
This is going to be a tough fight, and clearly a fight that’s between Liberal Democrats and Conservatives. I know that
…
The latest Lib Dem Party Political Broadcast is airing tonight, with a variety of people telling how they’d use an extra £600 per year, thanks to Liberal Democrats cutting income tax:
Greg Mulholland, Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West, has put a lengthy statement on his website explaining why he abstained during last night’s vote on the Marriage (Same sex couples) Bill. He did not want to vote against as he supports equality, but he does not feel that the Bill, as currently drafted, delivers that.
He said:
I do agree unequivocally that all adults must be treated equally in terms of legal recognition of their relationship and the rights that they convey; the question is how best to deliver that at the same time as protecting freedom of conscience. These are
…
Lucy Care, a member of the Federal Policy Committee from Derby and regular contributor to Liberal Democrat Voice, has written an interesting piece for the Independent on the Quakers’ involvement in the fight for LGBT equality.
She recalls a gay man talking to a Young Quaker workshop when she was in her teens and how this affected her:
He described his search for love and finding his ‘Mr Right’. He talked about his joy and loving commitment towards the man with whom he hoped to spend the rest of his life. The emotions which he described seemed to me then – and
…
The Conference Agenda has been finalised and is now available online, along with policy and consultation papers.
The agenda features a variety of debates including one on education (“Every Child Taught by an Excellent Teacher”) and another on corporate tax avoidance.
There are also Q&A sessions with Ministers on International Affairs, Green Jobs and Health and Social Care. Nick Clegg will do a Leader’s Q&A on Saturday 9 March at 15:50 and Paddy Ashdown’s sure-to-be-barnstorming speech as Chair of the 2015 General Election campaign is at 11am on Saturday 9 March.
Every motion in the agenda is open to amendment, and the …
Every year, Women in Public Life hold awards to celebrate female leaders across politics, journalism and business. As Dame Kelly Holmes puts it on their website:
Women are under represented in business, the arts and politics. These awards help to highlight and reward the achievements of women and encourage others to pursue leadership roles and to strive for greater representation. I encourage all
…
The Chief Constable of the new Scottish single police force has suggested that men who are convicted of domestic violence while drunk should be banned from drinking alcohol.
I wondered what Lib Dem Voice readers thought of this proposal. In England, Drinking Banning Orders have been around for 7 years but the guidance on their use suggests that they may not be appropriate if an individual is subject to domestic violence proceedings.
I’d be interested to see if anyone has any knowledge of how these orders work in practice, and whether they are effective in reducing offending. Are they too illiberal, …
Jenny Willott, Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, has confirmed in a statement on her website that she would have voted in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill had she been able to be in Parliament yesterday. She is currently on maternity leave.
She said:
I am currently on maternity leave so was unable to vote yesterday, but I feel that it is important for my constituents to know how I would have voted, given the significance of this legislation. Equal marriage is central to the Liberal Democrat belief in a fair, free and open society, and I would
…
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The bigger your car, the bigger your fuel duty cut (Mark Hofman)
A call for reform with a small “r” (Keith Creswell)
Liberals debate (Lucas North)
What do we think of Ed Davey’s tax cut announcement? (Caron Lindsay)
What does a Lib Dem “trans activist” look like? (Caron Lindsay)
The Hecklers: a great documentary about the 1966 election
Plaid Cymru take another step into the twilight zone
Lord Bonkers Diary: "Burnham is hiding In The North"
A podcast on Christopher Hill's The World Turned Upside Down
We are in the fight of our lives: Ed Davey
Councillor defies council to install hedgehog sign
The Joy of Six 1580
Lord Bonkers' Diary: Very much against buttocks
My view on a bland Lib Dem conference
Matt Wardman 
paul barker 
Peter Davies 
Tristan Ward 
John C 
