I have literally just got in from the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ Executive meeting where Tavish Scott tendered his resignation as Scottish leader.
I can honestly say that I have never been so proud to be a Liberal Democrat. The day after a set of incredibly painful election results, the Executive and new Parliamentary party, much diminished in size, gathered to discuss things. The atmosphere was full of mutual consideration and respect. We knew how bad we were all feeling and all wanted to look after each other.
I’d asked on Facebook this morning for people to let me know if they wanted …
Rupert Read, the Green Party Co-ordinator – East of England, writes:
Dear LibDems
It was good to work with you, and with LabourYes, with UKIP, with people from all parties and none, during the referendum campaign just concluded. We – the YES side – have been defeated by a farrago of money, lies and the worst of propaganda.
What to do now? The answer, surely, is that it is time to press hard for real full Lords reform, with PR as the electoral system. That would be a true prize. It is the very least the Tories can deliver for you / for …
Even before the results of Thursday’s various polls were known, there was quite a bit of chatter about how energy secretary Chris Huhne is positioning himself to become Lib Dem leader. Unfortunately, much of this chattering was carried out by people who clearly don’t know very much about the Liberal Democrats – or at least pretend not to – and consequently much of the analysis was almost certainly wrong.
One person who does understand the Liberal Democrats is Julian Astle, former advisor to Paddy Ashdown, and here’s a sample of his take on Huhne’s recent behaviour on his Telegraph blog:
The votes are in, and counted. The wait is over but for the YES camp it’s the bad news we’ve been dreading, and reform of Westminster elections is now lost for many years at least. So what does a NO vote mean for the future?
For the Liberal Democrats as a party, it’s undoubtedly a bitter pill to swallow having carried the flag of electoral reform for years. The referendum on AV was the jewel in the crown of the coalition concessions, the final offer that made coalition possible. For many activists a change in the voting system has seemed like …
Looking forward and rejecting recriminations, what the country needs now is a New Deal. What the party needs now, within the Coalition and after the deal-breaking of the last few weeks, is also a new deal.
As might have been expected, the economy is flat lining. The bounce that the optimists thought would spontaneously follow a period of recession has not occurred. We are on the verge of a round of public expenditure cuts that will further depress the economy and destroy the life chances of millions.
The justification for accepting deeper and earlier cuts to public expenditure said more about an …
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. Over 500 party members have responded, and we’re currently publishing the full results.
Tuffrey set to beat Opik for London mayoral nomination
LDV asked: It’s thought that there are two names who may stand for the London mayoralty as the Lib Dem candidate in 2012: Lembit Opik and Mike Tuffrey. Who do you think you are most likely to vote for?
10% – Lembit Opik
56% – Mike Tuffrey
18% – I do not
The Egyptian revolution of 1919 helped bring about independence, whilst that of 2011 may well bring about democracy. Events of 2011 took place with heavy use of the internet, yet those of 1919 took place before the electronic computer had even had its début. So is talk of the internet’s role in 2011 over-hyped?
One reason for scepticism is that half-way point that Egypt is even now still at. A dictator may have been ousted, but it was as much military coup as popular uprising, for it was the army’s initial unwillingness to try to stop the protests and then its …
In amongst all the bad results, it’s understandable that news from two of the best candidates I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years has been mostly overlooked. But it’s worth highlighting that Dave Hodgson won re-election as Mayor in Bedford, whilst Zuffar Haq held on to second place in Leicester South.
Congratulations to them both and to their teams.
Here are the result details:
Leicester South
Jonathan Ashworth (Lab) 19,771 (57.8%, +12.2)
Zuffar Haq (LibDem) 7,693 (22.5%, -4.4)
Jane Hunt (Con) 5,169 (15.1%, -6.3)
Abhijit Pandya (UKIP) 994 (2.9%, +1.4)
Howling Laud Hope (Monster Raving Loony) 553 (1.6%, n/a)
I wanted to get in touch immediately to thank everyone who has worked so hard in the elections. This was always going to be a challenging time. For the first time in most of our memories we were fighting as a party of Government – and a government dealing with the economic mess Labour left us in.
But there is no getting away from the fact that this has been a bad set of results – both the election results for the Liberal Democrats and the referendum outcome. I am certainly deeply disappointed. I know many of you are too. I …
The control of Bury Council came down to one seat. Recounts couldn’t separate the two candidates. So short straws were drawn to see who won and hence who got control of the council:
When I quickly penned this morning’s results round-up, I thought I’d struck a more or less appropriately pessimistic tone; that the results were undeniably grim for the party, but we’d have to wait for the rest of the day to see if there was something of a north/south divide.
Well, I’ve waited, and I think we can now more or less officially say: these results are a disaster for the Lib Dems, worse than most of us had feared they could be.
In Scotland, the party has been reduced from 16 MSPs to just five. In Wales, we clung onto …
Over on his work blog, The Voice’s Mark Pack is using 1993 as the yardstick to judge this year’s elections results by:
The year 1993 is turning out to be the benchmark for the Liberal Democrat performance in Thursday’s elections. Though no-one (including myself) was talking of 1993 before Thursday, two numbers both point to that year.
First, it looks as if the proportion of local councillors who are Liberal Democrat will be back to 1993 levels once the final results are in today. Second, the April ICM poll put the party on 15% – the same figure as in April 1993,
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In the aftermath of Thursday’s elections, it’s no surprise that there is plenty of speculation on how the results may affect the re-thinking going on over Andrew Lansley’s NHS plans. But there’s another significant public services dispute bubbling along, mostly unnoticed.
It’s over the forthcoming Public Services White Paper, an early draft of which caused consternation in Liberal Democrat ranks (with one senior Liberal Democrat calling it shocking) due to its enthusiastic backing for introducing widespread private provision of public services. In the latest draft, as the BBC reported during the week, the emphasis is much more on bringing in …
The Liberal Democrat candidate for Westerhope, Neil Hamilton, died this afternoon after spending the day campaigning.
Police were called to his house after no-one could contact him. Mr Hamilton, thought to be in his early 60s, was a junior cricket coach.
Under council rules, if a candidate dies during an election, and before all votes are cast, the election is null and void and a by-election must be held.
Our condolences to Mr Hamilton’s family, and to the local party in Newcastle.
The words ‘Good morning’ may seem overly ironic if you’re a Lib dem waking up this morning to the news of the party’s pretty awful 2011 election results. Here’s a quick round-up for those who’ve avoided the media so far today…
Scotland: a huge night for the SNP, with the Lib Dems and Labour both suffering a rout at the hands of the nationalists. With 59 of 73 results declared, the Lib Dems have just four seats, a loss of seven. It sounds like the party will end up with six MSPs, down from 16.
Scotland: the party is defending 16 seats (11 constituency MSPs, and five regional list MSPs), which was a drop of one compared to 2003. There are 129 contested seats for the Scottish Parliament.
Wales: the party is defending six seats (3 constituency AMs, and three regional list AMs), which was the same as in 2003. There are 60 contested seats for the Welsh assembly.
In the English local elections:
1,876 of the 3,948 Liberal Democrat councillors (48%) have been defending their seats today in –
The Voice is only a success because of the interest and support from our readers. For many people just lurking and reading the site is all they want to do – and that’s fine, we’re grateful for people taking the time to read the site.
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Today, in case you hadn’t noticed, is election day. There are national elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and local elections for 279 councils across England. And of course there’s the referendum to determine the voting system used for elections to Westminster.
Four years ago, in 2007, the Liberal Democrats were a party of opposition. Today, we’re in a Coalition government. Let’s recap the starting positions…
Scotland: the party is defending 16 seats (11 constituency MSPs, and five regional list MSPs), which was a drop of one compared to 2003. There are 129 contested seats for the Scottish parliament.
You show your choice by putting a cross (X) in the ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ box on your ballot paper.
Put a cross in only one box or your vote will not be counted.
Obviously, this referendum is not being conducted under the Alternative Vote system, but I’ve heard some reports of people wanting to emphasise their awareness of AV by actually using it to vote today. Thinking a little self-reference won’t go amiss, some have suggested voting in order of preference, with a 1 for Yes and a 2 for No.
Don’t do it!
Papers bearing a vote for both answers will be rejected:
Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of a variety of key issues, and what you make of the Lib Dems’ and Government’s performance to date. Over 500 party members responded, and we’ve been publishing the full results of our survey over the past week.
Today, in the final part of our survey, we focus on the performances of the leading lights of the Liberal Democrats — those of our MPs in the cabinet, those occupying ministerial positions, and other leading Lib Dems:
How would you rate the performances of the following leading …
Sunday’s Observer featured a lengthy interview with deputy prime minister Nick Clegg from its chief political commentator, Andrew Rawnsley. Rawnsley takes a look at what has been a tumultuous year for the deputy PM, covering a whole variety of topics along the way.
Here’s a short extract from the interview:
His very existence as deputy prime minister is a daily reminder to the Conservatives and their tribalist mouthpieces in the media that the Tories failed to achieve a clear election win, even against an opponent as unpopular as Gordon Brown. For many on the left, Clegg is the great betrayer who sold
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. Over 500 party members have responded, and we’ll be publishing the full results this week.
Two-thirds of Lib Dem members say party on the right course
LDV asked: Do you think, as a whole, the Liberal Democrats are on the right course or on the wrong track? (Comparison with January’s figures.)
65% (61%) – The right course
26% (25%) – The wrong track
9%
Here’s a few key pieces of information for polling day.
Voting in person
Polling stations are open between 7am and 10pm today. No votes can be cast after 10pm; it’s not like the shops where being in the queue at closing time is enough.
You don’t need your polling card to vote (but in Northern Ireland you do need to bring ID with you).
You have to vote at your local polling station, which is indicated on the card. If you’ve lost your card and aren’t sure where to vote, you can contact your local council.
In most parts of the country you’ll be given more than one ballot paper today. Check the instructions carefully as, for example, you should only put one cross on the referendum ballot paper but you may also live in a ward where you can vote for more than one local council candidate.
EU citizens can vote in local elections even though they can’t vote in the referendum (which is open to anyone qualified to vote in a Westminster general election, plus peers).
Voting by post
Postal ballots can be handed in at polling stations today.
Make sure all the paperwork is completed and put inside the (outer) sealed envelope. It’s best if you return this to a polling station yourself, but if you can’t make it you can ask someone else you trust to take the sealed envelope to a polling station for you.
If you get the paperwork wrong, your postal vote will be invalid. One of the most common mistakes is filling in the date field wrongly, as I explain in this short video:
It’s become a grim feature of many Parliamentary campaigns for around the last decade to see last minute anonymous smear leaflets to appear over the Liberal Democrat policies for sexual equality and toleration.
The leaflets often vary in approach and the one that is just going out in Leicester South ahead of tomorrow’s by-election takes a particularly pernicious twist by pretending to be a Lib Dem leaflet promoting gay rights and distributed in very heavily Asian areas only:
Charles Kennedy MP has emailed Liberal Democrat members and supporters with a “get out and vote” (and “get out the vote”) message, ahead of tomorrow’s elections and referendum:
Tomorrow you have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to have your say on how we elect our MPs to Westminster. Important elections are also taking place across the country for the Welsh Assembly, Scottish Parliament & local councils. Thursday is Decision Day.
When I was first elected in 1983, the idea of changing our voting system for Westminster elections seemed important, but the chance seemed remote. When the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly were established, neither
Chris Rennard, Liberal Democrat peer and the party’s former Chief Executive, writes today at the Guardian’s Comment is Free about the myths behind MPs’ opposition to AV.
The first myth, Chris says, is that the alternative vote system could lead to more hung parliaments, which has led to the Conservative hierarchy ferociously defending first-past-the-post:
The major misconception about the alternative vote system was expressed by former Tory minister Peter Lilley in the debate on the Queen’s speech that followed the coalition agreement. He supported the coalition “because a hung parliament makes it necessary”. But he said: “I would not support changes
The House Magazine has a new feature out looking at the likely political fallout from Thursday’s elections and referendum. It looks at both a Yes or a No vote, including this from me on future Lib Dem / Labour relations:
At the launch of the Yes2AV campaign, a tantalising glimpse into the future was offered for those who dream of a unification of the progressive left. On the stage at Methodist Central Hall sat Labour leader Ed Miliband, Green leader Caroline Lucas, and Liberal Democrat stalwarts Charles Kennedy and Shirley Williams. And Tim Farron, Lib Dem party president and a likely future leadership contender, was there too. However, Mark Pack, co-editor of Lib Dem Voice, warns against reading too much into the apparent bonhomie. “Coalitions are driven by parliamentary arithmetic far more than by politicians’ own preferences,” Pack says. “So the answer really depends on the public rather than how relations between politicians are affected by the referendum.
It also quotes Olly Grender on the possible policy implications of a No vote:
If the referendum is lost, then disgruntled Lib Dem backbenchers will be keen to contribute to a ‘shopping list’ for Nick Clegg to take to David Cameron. Insiders say the plans to reform the NHS will become a priority, while proposals for reform of the Upper House will be published at the end of the month. Olly Grender, former communications chief for the Lib Dems, sets out the desired gains from the NHS and Social Care Bill:
“There should be clear safeguards regarding the issue of competition and the private sector, and funding should be secured on the understanding that reform and reduction are impossible to achieve together,” Grender argues. “There should also be a change of pace regarding the introduction of GP consortia.” Further goals, says Grender, should include “a faster drive towards the increased threshold of £10,000 helping people on lowest incomes during the toughest times”, while greater safeguards of critical public services – “whilst continuing to try to pay down the deficit” – should, she says, be put in place. On top of House of Lords reform, Grender argues, climate change and social mobility need greater emphasis.
I’ve talked in more detail about what to watch out for in Thursday’s results in this YouTube clip:
Yesterday, Pollwatch looked at the current state of the parties; today it’s the turn of the party leaders, Messrs Clegg, Cameron and Miliband.
As with all polls, what follows comes with caveats. Four of the polling companies – YouGov, Ipsos-Mori, ComRes and Angus Reid – ask questions specifically to find out the public’s views of the party leaders. And each asks variants on the basic question – do you think Clegg/Cameron/Miliband are doing a good job – to come up with their figures, so comparison ain’t easy. For that reason, I’m taking a 3-month rolling average which isn’t very statistically ‘pure’, …
Jason Connor Please clarify specifically how they miss the mark?
Christine is a very popular and highly capable Lib Dem MP, if not one of the most popular. If she is ous...
David Blake If Alex Cole-Hamilton has anything to do with this he should resign....
Steve Trevethan Thank you for an interesting and relevant article.
Might the rise of extreme right, populist parties be a/an (unsurprising) consequence of Neoliberalism, aka...
Alison Smith Christine Jardine is a highly respected MP of national stature so this concerns Lib Dems far outside the boundaries of Edinburgh West. Furthermore, if other Sco...
Chris Moore I was another member who wanted Christine to stand for leader in 2015 and 2018/9. Indeed, wrote to her to that effect. Her qualities are undeniable.
The man...
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