Tag Archives: alison suttie

Alison Suttie writes: Thank you to our volunteers

By Alison Suttie | Sun 7th June 2026 - 7:55 am

Thank you.

As we mark Volunteers’ Week, that’s the message I most want to share with the hundreds of Liberal Democrat members who give their time to support our candidate approval and selection processes.

As Chair of the Joint Candidates Sub-Committee, I see first-hand every week the extraordinary contribution our volunteers make. Whether you sit on approval panels, help organise assessments, support candidate development, serve on selection committees, provide mentoring, stand as a candidate or any of the other ways volunteers keep the whole process running behind the scenes, you are helping to build the future of our party.

Every approval conducted and every selection completed is only possible because volunteers step forward to make it happen. Your efforts ensure that local parties across the country can put forward strong Liberal Democrat voices in their communities.

So, to everyone who has played a part – thank you. Thank you for the evenings spent on Zoom, the weekends given up for assessments, the paperwork, the interviews, the mentoring conversations and all the countless hours that most members never see.

As we look ahead to the next General Election, our work is far from finished. We will need more approved candidates, more selections completed and more support for those stepping forward to represent our party. That means we will once again be asking members to volunteer their time and expertise.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged candidates, featured and volunteers | 1 Comment

3-7 February 2025 – this week in the Lords

By Mark Valladares | Mon 3rd February 2025 - 12:13 pm

Another busy week awaits in the Lords and so, without further ado…

There’s a bucketful of Liberal Democrat activity this week, and we’ll start with Oral Questions. On Tuesday, Mike Storey will be asking the Government what steps they are taking to deal with mental health problems in primary schools, whilst on Wednesday, William Wallace seeks clarity on Government plans for changes they are considering for citizenship education in schools to accompany proposals to reduce the voting age to 16. Alison Suttie quizzes the Minister on UK assessment of Russian interference in Moldovan politics on Thursday.

There are two Liberal Democrat-led Short Debates, with John Lee querying Government plans to encourage first-time investors in the stock market on Monday, and Olly Grender asking the Government what steps they are taking to ensure that fines paid by water companies are used to repair the damage done by sewage pollution.

The Bills up for debate this week include:

the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, a.k.a. “Martyn’s Law”, which will compel all UK venues with a capacity of more than 200 people to have plans for an attack on their premises, which is at its Committee Stage
the Renters’ Rights Bill, which is due its Second Reading
the Data (Use and Access) Bill, which will have its Third Reading
the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill, which is at its Committee Stage

Posted in News and Parliament | Also tagged dominic addington, Jane Bonham Carter, john lee, john sharkey, lorely burt, lynne featherstone, meral hussein ece, mike storey, olly grender, paul scriven, ros scott, sue garden, tim clement-jones and william wallace | Leave a comment

22-26 January 2024 – this week in the Lords

By Mark Valladares | Mon 22nd January 2024 - 1:03 pm

Hello, dear readers, and we meet again for another episode of the costume drama that is the House of Lords. And this week, it’s a “Rwanda week” even though the Rwanda Bill only received its formal First Reading on Thursday and isn’t due back until next Tuesday.

Even a relatively keen observer like myself is often surprised by the working of the Lords and, this week, the International Agreements Committee takes centre stage. I suppose, having thought about it, that any Parliamentary chamber would want to take a close look at international agreements signed in its name, and the House of Lords is no different. Chaired by Peter Goldsmith, the former (and rather controversial) Labour Attorney General, the Committee published its report on the UK-Rwanda Agreement on an Asylum Partnership. It doesn’t make good reading for the Government and, in typically courteous Lords fashion, accuses James Cleverly of effectively attempting to mislead the Committee (see paragraph 44). The report, including a series of recommendations, is to be debated on Monday and there will then be a motion, moved by Lord Goldsmith, resolving that:

His Majesty’s Government should not ratify the UK-Rwanda Agreement on an Asylum Partnership until the protections it provides have been fully implemented, since Parliament is being asked to make a judgement, based on the Agreement, about whether Rwanda is safe.

You can expect contributions from the two Liberal Democrat members of the Committee, Chris Fox and Tim Razzall, and there is every possibility of a Government defeat if Labour whip their members to vote for the motion.

Posted in News and Parliament | Also tagged alan beith, chris fox, claire tyler, dominic addington, jeremy purvis, rwanda, tim clement-jones, tim razzall and ukraine | Leave a comment

Olly Grender and Alison Suttie to sleep out for World Homelessness Day

By The Voice | Fri 5th October 2018 - 11:55 am

It’s World Homelessness Day next Wednesday. To mark the occasion and highlight the plight of young people forced to sleep on the streets, Lib Dem peers Alison Suttie and Olly Grender will be sleeping out overnight. They are raising money for De Paul, a charity which helps young people who are affected by homelessness.

Already they have raised more than £1000 for De Paul. On their Just Giving page, they explain why they are doing this:

This will be our third year of sleeping out just once a year for this charity. Depaul UK is a fantastic youth homelessness charity providing housing and support to 16-25 year olds who do not have a safe place to sleep.

According to government figures, the number of young people sleeping rough in England increased by 28 per cent, between 2016 and 2017. No young person should find themselves sleeping on the streets.

Depaul UK believe that every young person deserves a home and a stake in their community, which is why they work tirelessly to provide the stability and support young people need to progress beyond homelessness.

In 2017, they supported 3,763 young people empowering them to lead better, more independent lives.

This year, to raise vital funds for the emergency and preventative services they provide nationally, Alison and I will team up again and will be sleeping out at the Kia Oval on Wednesday 10th October. That evening before the sleep out we will hear from Depaul staff about the great work they’ve been doing. We will then buy some cardboard from Depaul and bed down for the night.

Posted in News | Also tagged de paul international, homelessness and olly grender | 2 Comments

Olly Grender writes…Why Alison Suttie and I are sleeping out tonight

By Olly Grender | Wed 11th October 2017 - 6:54 pm

Don’t know about the rest of you but I love my bed. Nothing makes me appreciate it more than the annual DePaul International sleepout.

Tonight Alison Suttie and I will be bedding down in the Somerset House courtyard. We are in a safe secure place in comparison with most people who are homeless and on the streets.

But a night sleeping out in central London is a stark reminder to us of what too many people endure – and in growing numbers. You don’t feel safe. You don’t really sleep. You spend the day feeling pretty ropey. That is just one night.

The next day I will speak in a debate in the Lords about availability of housing – what a sorry tale that has been over the decades and lies at the heart of a growing crisis of homelessness here in the UK. Alison has seen DePaul’s work in Odessa in Ukraine and in Bratislava in Slovakia in her international work with Tuberculosis NGOs.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged de paul international, featured, homelessness and olly grender | 4 Comments

Alison Suttie writes…Why shouldn’t 16 year olds vote in the EU Referendum

By NewsHound | Sun 22nd November 2015 - 1:24 pm

In the wake of the House of Lords voting to give 16 and 17 year olds the vote in the EU Referendum, Alison Suttie wrote about the debate for the Huffington Post.

It’s fair to say she was unimpressed with the Tories’ arguments against the measure:

Some of the arguments we heard from Tory peers against extending the franchise for the EU referendum last night were truly absurd and were the sort of patronising arguments and attitudes that would not have sounded out of place in the House of Lords a hundred years ago in debates about giving women the right to vote. 16-year-olds are mature enough to work and pay tax. They are mature enough to join the army or get married. Suggesting that they are incapable of understanding political debate is patronising in the extreme.

As a Scot, Alison knows only too well the positive impact 16 and 17 year olds had on the referendum.

Posted in LibLink | Also tagged eu referendum and votes at 16 | 21 Comments

Let’s get some action on votes at 16

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 23rd September 2014 - 1:37 pm

As I said on Friday, one of the best sights of the Independence Referendum was seeing enthusiastic 16 and 17 year olds heading to vote. They were so engaged in the process and it seems so unfair to take it from them now. Votes at 16 has been our party policy for a long time. It was our Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore who, along with Nicola Sturgeon, made it happen for the Referendum. It may not be practical to implement before next May, but we should at least try to get legislation passed this Parliament if we can.

Funnily enough, there is a Bill being debated in the House of Lords, a Private Members Bill brought in by our Paul Tyler. It was introduced on his behalf by Alison Suttie in June. It needs the Government to give up some time for it. This is something that we could make happen.

Unsurprsingly, Alistair Carmichael says it’s a matter of when, not if, 16 year olds get the vote:

The energy and enthusiasm of young people in the referendum campaign is something of which Scotland should be proud.

I have always believed that young people are much more politically engaged than they are given credit for. Never has that been clearer than during the referendum campaign. One of the most active volunteers for Better Together Orkney was in fact fifteen year old Jack Norquoy of Birsay. Jack spoke at a packed meeting in Kirkwall Town Hall alongside Shirley Williams. He made a powerful and compelling case for what he believed in.

Our young voters were given the opportunity and seized it with both hands. I believe that it is now only a matter of time until we see votes at 16 rolled out across the UK. That time should be now.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged Alistair Carmichael, kirsty williams roger roberts, paul tyler and votes at 16 | 42 Comments

Baroness Alison Suttie’s maiden speech

By NewsHound | Fri 29th November 2013 - 12:52 pm

It is a tradition for LDV to bring its readers copies of our new MPs’ and Peers’ first words in Parliament, so that we can read what is being said and respond. You can find all of the speeches in this category with this link. Last Wednesday, Baroness Suttie made her maiden speech in the House of Lords during a debate on human rights. Her words are reproduced below.

Baroness Suttie (LD): My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Alton, on securing this timely and important debate. I congratulate my noble friend Lord Finkelstein on his …

Posted in News and Parliament | Also tagged human rights and maiden | 1 Comment

So, who are these new Liberal Democrat peers, then?

By The Voice | Thu 1st August 2013 - 5:15 pm

Earlier today, we told you about the ten new Liberal Democrat peers. We thought you might like to know a little more about them.

Cathy Bakewell

Cathy was first elected to Somerset County Council in 1993 and has since gained expertise in a number of fields: fire and rescue, policing, equalities, safeguarding children and further education. Her appointment bolsters our local government experience in the Lords. She also served on Ruth Kelly’s 2007 commission which looked at the barriers to people becoming councillors. She may have similar ideas about addressing our under-representation of women in other areas.

Olly Grender

Olly Grender’s career has …

Posted in News | Also tagged brian paddick, cathy bakewell, christine humphreys, house of lords, ian wrigglesworth, james palumbo, jeremy purvis, olly grender, rumi verjee and zahida mansoor | 12 Comments

New Lib Dem peers announced

By The Voice | Thu 1st August 2013 - 11:09 am

The new Liberal Democrat Peers, announced today, are:

Catherine (Cathy) Mary Bakewell MBE – former leader of Somerset County Council
Rosalind (Olly) Grender MBE – former Director of Communications for Shelter and former Director of Communications for the Liberal Democrats
Christine Mary Humphreys – President of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and former Member of the National Assembly for Wales
Zahida Manzoor CBE – Former Legal Services Ombudsman and Deputy Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality
Brian Paddick – Former Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police Service
James Palumbo – Co-founder and chairman of Ministry of Sound Group, the

…

Posted in News | Also tagged brian paddick, cathy bakewell, christine humphries, ian wrigglesworth, james palumbo, jeremy purvis, nick clegg, olly grender, rumi verjee and zahida manzoor | 42 Comments

Lib Dems set to name 7 new peers for House of Lords, says Sunday Times

By Stephen Tall | Sun 16th June 2013 - 11:30 am

Today’s Sunday Times front page (£) splashes with a ‘Cash for peerages row hits Clegg’ headline. The reality is slightly less exciting: Rumi Verjee, a prominent donor to the Lib Dems, is apparently top of the list of seven names put forward for peerages:

Rumi Verjee, a multimillionaire who brought the Domino’s pizza chain to Britain, is top of a list of seven names compiled by the Lib Dems who are expected to be awarded honours within weeks. He has given £770,000 to the party since May 2010. … Verjee

…

Posted in News | Also tagged brian paddick, featured, house of lords, ian wrigglesworth, interim peers panel, liz lynne, lords reform, nick clegg, olly grender, rumi verjee, sal brinton, sudhir choudhrie and sunday times | 37 Comments

Who is who behind the scenes in the coalition?

By Mark Pack | Wed 18th August 2010 - 11:07 pm

Today’s Guardian has a pretty decent go at covering who the key advisers are, on both the Liberal Democrat and Conservative side, how they are working together, who talks to who and so on.

The piece has been praised by others today, but I only say “pretty decent” because it doesn’t mention Alison Suttie. Talking about Lib Dem advisers without mentioning her is a bit like talking about Lib Dem MPs without mentioning Vince or my diet without mentioning chocolate. Previously for Ming Campbell and now for Nick Clegg she’s played an absolutely key role in a deputy chief of …

Posted in News | Also tagged coalition, jonny oates, nick clegg and the guardian | 5 Comments

Op-eds

The Brexit Referendum – 10 years on (Callum Robertson)
One year on, and I’m still finding it hard to feel pride (Rebecca Jones)
Andy Burnham’s housing challenge: Why his own arguments demand more than Labour’s current plans (Iain Donaldson)
ALDC’s by-election report – 18th June (Joe Nutt)
Mathew on Monday: Starmer’s resignation and an increasingly ungovernable country (Mathew Hulbert)

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Actually, this Summer of Strategy could be quite good…

Josh Babarinde writes…The Lib Dem Summer of Strategy

Alison Suttie writes: Thank you to our volunteers

What’s going on with party strategy?

Tag Archives: alison suttie

Alison Suttie writes: Thank you to our volunteers

3-7 February 2025 – this week in the Lords

22-26 January 2024 – this week in the Lords

Olly Grender and Alison Suttie to sleep out for World Homelessness Day

Olly Grender writes…Why Alison Suttie and I are sleeping out tonight

Alison Suttie writes…Why shouldn’t 16 year olds vote in the EU Referendum

Let’s get some action on votes at 16

Baroness Alison Suttie’s maiden speech