Liberal Democrat Voice

LibLink: Mark Pack – Some party rebellions are good for the leader

By NewsHound | Sun 18th September 2011 - 2:34 pm

The Voice’s Mark Pack has been guesting over at the New Statesman again, this time pointing out how there are some party rebels Nick Clegg may rather welcome:

Political pundits go on endlessly about how leaders should have “Clause 4 moments” when they pick a fight with parts of their own parties. In this case, the reluctant have handily offered themselves up in opposition to Nick Clegg and democrats, providing an easy route for the Deputy Prime Minister to garner the benefits of a Clause 4 moment without its usual pains.

You can read Mark’s post about Lib Dem conference …

Posted in LibLink | Tagged constitutional reform, house of lords, lords reform, Mark Pack, nick clegg and nick thornsby | Leave a comment

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Exclusive survey results: What Lib Dem members say about the party’s direction and Nick Clegg’s leadership

By Stephen Tall | Sun 18th September 2011 - 1:25 pm

Lib 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. Some 550 party members responded, and we’re currently publishing the full results.

Increase in members thinking Lib Dems on ‘right track’

LDV asked: Do you think, as a whole, the Liberal Democrats are on the right course or on the wrong track?

This gives us a net figure for ‘right track / wrong course’ of +47%, a significant up-tick over …

Posted in LDV Members poll | Tagged nick clegg | 9 Comments

LDVideo | Nick Clegg rallies conference, Danny Alexander clamps down on tax evasion

By Stephen Tall | Sun 18th September 2011 - 12:10 pm

Whether you’re one of the thousands of Lib Dem members busy at this year’s conference, or you’re one of those (like me) who’re having to sit this one out, Lib Dem Voice will try and make sure you don’t miss out on the action. Here’s how Day 1 of the party conference has been making news…

Nick Clegg: Lib Dems ‘imposing will’ on government

(Also available on the BBC website here.)

Danny Alexander: We need to make sure tax is paid

Posted in Conference and YouTube | Tagged birmingham 2011 conference, Danny Alexander and nick clegg | 5 Comments

LibLink: Simon Hughes – It’s our job to rein in the ruthless Tories

By NewsHound | Sun 18th September 2011 - 9:55 am

Today’s Observer carries an interview with Simon Hughes:

At a time when the Tory right is pressing David Cameron ever harder to follow its agenda and trample on the Lib Dems, Hughes is acting as his party’s, and the coalition’s, left-wing brake. “I think the useful role I can play is to be a guardian of the policy and traditions of the left of the party,” he says…

Hughes has a strong message for such Tories as they demand a more eurosceptic agenda and the end of the 50p rate of tax for those earning more than £150,000. He describes them as

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged simon hughes | 5 Comments

Lib Dem lawyers attack legal aid plans

By Mark Pack | Sun 18th September 2011 - 9:25 am

Political Scrapbook this weekend has an open letter from Alistair Webster, the chair of the Liberal Democrat Lawyers Association, attacking plans for legal aid:

If the true aim is to leave a skeleton and third rate public legal system, the government should make that clear and we can judge it accordingly … I, for one, do not wish to be ashamed of the Party which I have supported since its foundation. This Bill is dire.

It’s a rather odd letter in some ways – both in its over-the-top rhetoric that is far more likely to put up the backs of the …

Posted in News | Tagged alistair webster, legal aid and political scrapbook | 9 Comments

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Liberal Democrat Conference: Sunday preview

By Mark Pack | Sun 18th September 2011 - 8:45 am

Here’s my preview of the Sunday at the Liberal Democrats conference in Birmingham. (To find out more about any of the motions I mention, or indeed the others I’ve not highlighted, see the full agenda for the Liberal Democrats conference.)

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Blog of the Year Awards 2011: The Winners #LDBOTY

By Helen Duffett | Sat 17th September 2011 - 10:35 pm

What’s loosely termed the awards “ceremony” for the 2011 Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year Awards has just drawn to a glittering close. As the last firework fades in Birmingham’s night sky, I’m delighted to announce the winners:

Posted in Best of the blogs | Tagged alex wilcock, blog of the year awards, julian huppert, mike smithson, nick thornsby, richard morris and stephen williams | 1 Comment

Nick Clegg’s speech to the Liberal Democrats conference rally

By Nick Clegg MP | Sat 17th September 2011 - 8:30 pm

Welcome to Birmingham, a city with a great, outspoken liberal tradition. The home of Joe Chamberlain, where Gladstone called for Home Rule in one of the most rousing speeches of his life, and where Lloyd George nearly lost his life when he spoke out against the Boer War. Now it’s the home of those great modern day, outspoken liberals – John Hemming and Lorely Burt.

I have spent the last few weeks criss-crossing the country, speaking to as many of you as possible, hearing your concerns and answering your questions. We did what Lib Dems do: discussed, debated, argued – …

Posted in Conference | Tagged andrew reeves, chris fox, chris lucas, john hemming and lorely burt | 3 Comments

Lib Dem Conference round-up: Saturday

By Mark Pack | Sat 17th September 2011 - 7:57 pm

What happened on Saturday in Birmingham at Liberal Democrat conference:

Posted in Conference | Leave a comment

Lynne Featherstone’s speech to conference

By Lynne Featherstone | Sat 17th September 2011 - 6:45 pm

Conference – the Liberal Democrats have now been in Government for more than 500 days.

And I know what you’re all thinking. You’re thinking – this is tough.

And I know that it hasn’t always been easy; and that at times the reality of this Coalition business is very tough.

But that is the point. That is what we are here for.

Because who are we – if not the party who makes the hard calls?

We are the ones who opposed Iraq – when no one else did;

Who championed the Green agenda – when no one else did;

Who warned of the banking crisis – …

Posted in Conference | 3 Comments

EXCLUSIVE: 84% of Lib Dem members continue to back Lib/Con Coalition

By Stephen Tall | Sat 17th September 2011 - 4:55 pm

Support for Coalition as high as ever

LDV asked: Do you support or oppose the Lib Dems being in the Coalition Government with the Conservatives?

Posted in LDV Members poll | Tagged featured | 19 Comments

LibLink: Rennard and Webb in the Saturday papers

By NewsHound | Sat 17th September 2011 - 4:36 pm

A double dose of LibLink love with two pieces to highlight.

First, an op-ed from (Lord) Chris Rennard for The Guardian with a lesson from history for the Liberal Democrats:

leaves the Liberal Democrats shaken by the drop in poll support but not entirely surprised by it. My view is that the drop in support should not be regarded as inevitable on polling day in 2015. In December 1996, the Lib Dems were suffering from too close an association with Labour and a poll rating below 10%. Analysis of the new parliamentary boundaries showed that the Lib Dems were down to

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged chris rennard and steve webb | 1 Comment

Opinion: Never Mention “STV” Again

By Alex Wilcock | Sat 17th September 2011 - 3:15 pm

The Liberal Democrat Conference opens today in Birmingham with perhaps the most depressing talking shop ever put on a Lib Dem Agenda. It’s the consultative session for the “May 2011 Election Review”: a big drop in the popular vote; a major setback on local councils; a disaster in Scotland; a total and utter thrashing in the AV referendum. And it’s the last that looks the most hopeless.

Is electoral reform finished for good, or at least for a generation? Instead of endlessly debating what went wrong, there’s one major change we can make right now to improve things next time: …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged birmingham 2011 conference, electoral reform, proportional representation and single transferable vote | 29 Comments

“In government, a thorn in the Tories’ side” – James Landale’s alternative Lib Dem conference slogan

By Stephen Tall | Sat 17th September 2011 - 1:45 pm

‘In Government On Your Side’ is the official slogan of the Lib Dems’ autumn conference, which officially starts today. But the BBC’s James Landale has proposed an alternative – and I’m rather taken with it:

In government, a thorn in the Tories’ side

The suggestion comes in his pre-conference assessment here. It’s a fair-minded take that recognises the bruising year the Lib Dems have endured, but also acknowledges why the mood in Birmingham will be more upbeat than much of the media was probably expecting (or hoping). And for two …

Posted in News | Tagged birmingham 2011 conference, james landale and steve richards | 2 Comments

Opinion: The battle for the Electoral Reform Society – the results

By Simon McGrath | Sat 17th September 2011 - 11:55 am

A few weeks ago I wrote a piece about the battle for control of the Electoral Reform Society. The results of the Electoral Reform Society Council election have since come out and they show a clear victory for the ‘reform’ slate, eight of whose 15 candidates got elected. Just four of the existing nine council members were re-elected (the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Michael Meadowcroft, who topped the poll) with the other three successful candidates also being in favour of reform.

There had been talk of a legal challenge to the elections, centering on whether those given …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged electoral reform society and jessica asato | 5 Comments

Nick Clegg on the top tax rate

By Mark Pack | Sat 17th September 2011 - 10:45 am

Nick Clegg’s interview in today’s Independent is rather more subtle on tax than the headline “I won’t let Osborne cut 50p tax” suggests. For in fact the story goes on to say:

Mr Clegg made clear that the Liberal Democrats would back abolition of the 50p rate in the long run only if it is not raising much revenue and if it is replaced by new taxes on “unearned income”. These could include a 1 per cent annual “mansion tax” on homes worth more than £2m, a land tax, and restricting tax relief on pensions to the basic 20p rate.

In …

Posted in News | Tagged george osborne, nick clegg, tax and vince cable | 5 Comments

Opinion: Really Facing the Future

By David Boyle and Simon Titley | Sat 17th September 2011 - 10:35 am

Really Facing the Future has just been published on the Liberator website.

We have written it as an alternative to the Liberal Democrats’ policy development agenda, Facing the Future (PDF): this was published in August 2011, and intended to set out the party’s values, highlight the main challenges and summarise policy development priorities for the remainder of the current parliament – it will be debated at party conference this coming Monday morning.

We believe that Facing the Future fails to face the future. It lacks political imagination, it lacks a coherent analysis of the challenges we face and it …

Posted in News | 2 Comments

Total Politics: top Liberal Democrat blogs and bloggers

By Mark Pack | Sat 17th September 2011 - 9:45 am

Out with a little less fanfare than usual this week have been various categories in the Total Politics Blogger League Tables, including the top Liberal Democrat blogs:

1 Lib Dem Voice

2 Caron’s Musings

3 Liberal England

4 Andrew Reeves’ Running Blog

5 Stephen’s Liberal Journal

6 Mark Pack

=7 Liberal Vision

=7 A Scottish Liberal

9 Cllr Fraser Macpherson

10 Mark Reckons

And the top Liberal Democrat bloggers:

Lovely and fitting to see Andrew appear so highly in both …

Posted in News and Online politics | Tagged andrew reeves, blogging and total politics | Leave a comment

Andrew George MP writes… The NHS Bill is putting our health service at risk

By Andrew George | Sat 17th September 2011 - 8:45 am

Liberal Democrats can reasonably claim to have been the architects and cheerleaders of the NHS. However, we now run the risk of being cast as the office juniors and apologists for the architects of its demise.

I used these words when I addressed the Spring Conference in Sheffield this year; during the debate which soundly castigated the Government’s controversial Health & Social Care Bill and which precipitated the unprecedented ‘pause’.

Though the media didn’t give us credit, two thirds of ‘unfettered’ (by Ministerial or other office) Liberal Democrat MPs rebelled in last week’s debate and votes on the Bill.

In spite of the …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged NHS | 11 Comments

Government takes another step towards equal civil marriage

By Mark Pack | Sat 17th September 2011 - 12:01 am

Ahead of the keynote conference speech from Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone on Saturday afternoon, the Government has announced another step towards making civil marriage available to same-sex couples.

A public consultation on how best to do this will start in March next year, with a strong hint of legislation then following in this Parliament: “I am delighted to confirm that in March, this Government will begin a formal consultation on equal civil marriage for same-sex couples. This would allow us to make any legislative changes before the end of this Parliament” said Lynne Featherstone.

Posted in News | Tagged david cameron, equalities, gay equality, gay marriage and lynne featherstone | 12 Comments

The LDV Friday Five: 16 September 2011

By The Voice | Fri 16th September 2011 - 5:00 pm

It’s Friday. It’s five o’clock. Here’s a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week:

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

Danny Alexander suggests £12,500 income tax threshold (25 comments) by NewsHound
The 7 Lib Dem MPs unaffected by the Boundary Commission proposals (23 comments) by Stephen Tall
MP conference fringe league table 2011: Vince is the new Simon, Simon is the new Vince (5 comments) by Mark Pack
The most exciting part of the Parliamentary Boundary review proposals (14 comments) by Mark Pack
Opinion: Time to face reality on conference security (51 comments) by Simon McGrath

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

(16th September, 2006-10)

Campaigning in Wales (1 comment) by Alison Goldsworthy, from 2006
Sarah Ludford: my first party conference memories (0 comments) by Sarah Ludford MEP, from 2007
An embarrassment of riches (2 comments) by Alex Foster, from 2008
Adam Boulton writes… Lib Dems should back a Leaders’ Debate (15 comments) by Adam Boulton, from 2009
Tim Farron: I’ll be a distinctive voice as President (25 comments) by Tim Farron MP, from 2010

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

(excluding Liberal Democrat Voice or its variants)

Posted in Friday Five | Leave a comment

LibLink: David Laws – We must tackle the economy and mend our broken society

By Nick T | Fri 16th September 2011 - 3:27 pm

In today’s Sun, David Laws has an op-ed urging Liberal Democrats to resist becoming an internal opposition, and instead maintain our role as “constructive front-seat drivers”, tackling the country’s economic and social problems.

Here’s a sample of what David has to say:

In its first year, the Coalition focus was on unity — agreeing an economic plan and proving to a sceptical country that coalition could work. We have passed both tests.

In its second year, the relationship between the parties has matured.

We don’t pretend that we agree on every dot and comma. There have been differences, including on the NHS.

Lib Dem voters

…

Posted in LibLink | Tagged david laws | 11 Comments

Better postal voter security amongst Government’s proposed changes to election law

By Mark Pack | Fri 16th September 2011 - 1:55 pm

This week the government has put three new changes to election law out for consultation:

Ending the automatic postponement of parish and community council elections in England and Wales that currently occurs when they fall on the same day as ordinary local government elections and either a Parliamentary or European Parliamentary general election.
Mandate 100% checking of the personal identifiers for postal votes at elections (comparing the signatures and date of birth given when a postal vote is cast against the originals on file from the postal vote application). Although 100% is often recommended and done, the law only requires a

…

Posted in Election law | Tagged postal voting and proxy voting | 8 Comments

A quiet revolution in political party finance

By Mark Pack | Fri 16th September 2011 - 12:25 pm

As the Financial Times reported earlier this week (expanding on a point Stephen has made previously):

The party said it had raised more than Labour from individual and corporate donors in five out of the past six quarters. In the second quarter of this year the party attracted £850,000 against £300,000 for Labour, which is now majority financed by money from the big unions.

As far as I’m aware, this is the first time the Liberal Democrats have been raising more money from non-trade union sources than the Labour Party, which is a major change from the previous well-established and …

Posted in News | Tagged donations, donations (Lib Dem) and party funding | 12 Comments

Graham Tope: a life in politics

By Mark Pack | Fri 16th September 2011 - 10:57 am

To help mark the celebration of Sutton Liberal Democrats running the local council for 25 (yes, 25) continuous years, a family history project between former council leader (Lord) Graham Tope and his son has been turned into a book of political and personal reminiscences.

The book’s subtitle “Conversations between father and son” captures its structure: an email exchange over several years as son Andrew sought to find out more from his father, with Graham sending long replies back tapped in on his Blackberry. That gives the questions and answers an immediate and personal touch, even if sometimes at the expense …

Posted in News | Tagged featured, graham tope, sutton council and sutton liberal democrats | 2 Comments

Blog of the Year Awards 2011: The Shortlists

By Helen Duffett | Fri 16th September 2011 - 10:10 am

Nominations for the Liberal Democrats’ Blog of the Year Awards 2011 closed on 2 September. Since then, the judges Helen Duffett (that’s me), Richard Flowers, Olly Grender, Katie Razzall, Stephen Tall and Martin Tod have been poring over the entries for the six categories.

It’s been a big task, and a fun one, to distil so many excellent examples of Lib Dem blogging and e-campaigning into lists of the five best.

Congratulations if you’ve been shortlisted, but if you haven’t: remember that the shortlists are based on the judges’ subjective opinions. The awards are intended to be a fun way to celebrate the talent in the Lib Dem blogosphere, whilst introducing you to some blogs you might not have read before.

First, a reminder that the winner of the Best non-Liberal Democrat politics blog category will be decided by a public vote here on Liberal Democrat Voice, so please have a read of the nominated blogs and then head on over to the sidebar to cast your vote.

Next, a plug for the awards ceremony itself. If you’re coming to party conference in Birmingham, do come along to the Andante Suite, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Birmingham, from 9.45pm on Saturday 17th September.

Now, without further ado, here are the shortlists: (Drumroll, please)

Posted in Best of the blogs | Tagged blog of the year awards | 11 Comments

Have you taken part in the House of Lords reform consultation yet?

By Mark Pack | Fri 16th September 2011 - 8:55 am

Aside from the debate at Liberal Democrat conference on Lords reform, there’s another important opportunity to have your say on Lords reform at the moment. The official public consultation from the Joint Committee of the Draft House of Lords Reform Bill runs until 12 October and Unlock Democracy have put together a very simple to use website that steps you through responding to the consultation quickly and effectively.

So do make a visit to http://action.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/page/s/lords-reform-consultation and make sure your views go in before 12 October.

Posted in News | Tagged constitutional reform, featured, house of lords, Joint Committee of the Draft House of Lords Reform Bill, lords reform and unlock democracy | Leave a comment

Lib Dem Conference preview: Saturday

By Mark Pack | Thu 15th September 2011 - 5:55 pm

What to watch out for on Saturday in Birmingham at Liberal Democrat conference:

Posted in Conference | 3 Comments

Service voter registration rises again

By Mark Pack | Thu 15th September 2011 - 3:54 pm

In a written statement to the House of Commons this week, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Andrew Robathan reported on the latest survey of electoral registration levels amongst members of the armed forces:

It indicates that 75% of service personnel are registered to vote, up from 69% in 2009 and 60% in 2005. This represents the highest level of service registration since I first raised the issue back in 2005. Of those registered in 2010, the majority (77%) chose to register as ordinary rather than service voters. The level of voters registered as overseas voters has remained at 1%.

Posted in Election law | Tagged andrew robathan and electoral registration | Leave a comment

Project: Lib Dems coming together, to make politics better

By Charlotte Henry | Thu 15th September 2011 - 2:23 pm

Everyone in politics likes to talk about change, none more so than the Lib Dems (who can forget that fabulous piece of election music…) but do we really practise what we preach? In areas such as diversity, campaigning, and our overall political role, we are frequently found to be behind the times. Our party can still say one thing at one end of a road, and another thing at the other end. Shamefully, we also still have woefully few female MPs, and not a single BME MP.

It’s all well and good discussing our failings, but it is much more …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged charlotte henry, corporate anthems, diversity, equalities and jo shaw | 2 Comments

Op-eds

Tom Arms’ World Review (Tom Arms)
Lib Dem Women: Amplifying women’s voices at Conference (Donna Harris)
Christine Jardine to stand down as MP at next election (The Voice)
Observations of an Expat: When Donald met Xi (Tom Arms)
Conference from the other side of the barrier (Barry Rhodes)

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Lib Dem Women: Amplifying women’s voices at Conference

Christine Jardine to stand down as MP at next election

What does a Lib Dem “trans activist” look like?

Caron’s kitchen table diary

Increase in members thinking Lib Dems on ‘right track’

Support for Coalition as high as ever

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

5 sample LDV Members’ Forum threads

5 from the LDV archive

5 top reader search returns to get to LDV

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