Tag Archives: cross party co-operation

Chris Bowers

The disconnect that many Lib Dems cannot see – or refuse to see

By Chris Bowers | Mon 18th October 2021 - 3:25 pm

The word ‘tragedy’ is used in the literary world in a very specific sense: to denote a situation in which people can’t see what’s going on around them and how it’s destined to end in tears. I cannot help feeling we Liberal Democrats are in the middle of a tragedy we need to stop very soon before it’s too late.

Our autumn conference last month had a steady underlying seam of tribalism about it. The most outward sign was the motion to stand a candidate in every seat unless local members agree to stand aside. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong about this motion; it’s what it says about the underlying mood that worries me – that we are the Lib Dems and we don’t need to do business with anyone else, thank you.

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NewsHound

Lib Dems lead cross-party call for clarity on coronavirus loan scheme

By NewsHound | Mon 27th April 2020 - 2:23 pm

The Liberal Democrats are leading a cross-party call for the Business Secretary to provide clearer guidance to lenders regarding Business Interruption Loans, following reports that lenders have been slow to approve loans to struggling businesses due to extensive due diligence processes.

Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse has been joined by over 20 MPs from across the political spectrum in writing to the Business Secretary to call for the additional guidance.

The letter asks that the Government sets out the “minimum level of due diligence required” to underwrite loans, criteria which would enable lenders to process applications at a faster pace. …

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Christopher Johnson

We need to rethink our relationship with other parties

By Christopher Johnson | Mon 6th April 2020 - 8:47 am

Corbyn’s out and Starmer’s in. What does it mean for us?

I feel it means a contemplation of our relationship with other parties. I feel we need to open a discussion about what happens next, even if it goes nowhere.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I think we should stand firm to our liberal values, and I certainly don’t think we should become synonymous with any other party. When a voter puts their cross in the Liberal Democrat box, they should be assured they are voting for the Liberal Democrat candidate.

Nor do I think electoral pacts are necessarily the right road to …

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Antony Hook

Antony Hook MEP writes… Co-operation to win in 2024? It comes down to four questions

By Antony Hook | Wed 15th January 2020 - 12:30 pm


Embed from Getty Images

The 2019 General Election was the sixth since I joined the party as a student in 1998 and its result was by far the most frustrating. The consequences of the 2019 election will be more considerable and long-lasting for our country than any I saw before.

How this happened, and what needs to change to do better next time, will be subject of a General Election Review, which I expect will be rigorous and take an objective, honest view based on evidence.

If I quote a football manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, do not think I am trivialising. Sir Alex understands more about successful leadership (including managing resources and dealing with the press and a support base) than many people in politics. One of his maxims was “defeat does not matter, what matters is how you come back from defeat.”

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Richard Kemp

Preparing for a Partnership Parliament

By Richard Kemp | Mon 29th July 2019 - 11:20 am

We now need to prepare for what is almost certain to be a Parliament with no one-Party majority, following a General Election in the next few months. In local government we have a lot of experience in dealing with this sort of situation.

Currently in England alone we are involved in Government in more than 70 Councils. In some we have overall control and at the other extreme in others we have passively let another Party take minority control on the basis of some assurances.
There seem, however, to be five things which make arrangements work:

1. A clear manifesto from the Lib …

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The Voice

3 April 2019 – today’s press releases

By The Voice | Wed 3rd April 2019 - 11:00 pm

Antwerp yesterday, a Cold War exhibit at the National Archives this evening… anyone would think that there was an issue with Europe at the moment. Three press releases this evening for your delectation and delight…

  • Liberal Democrats “raring to go” with European election manifesto
  • Cross-party statement on People’s Vote and revoking Article 50
  • Swinson condemns anti-LGBT laws in Brunei

    • Liberal Democrats “raring to go” with European election manifesto

    The Liberal Democrats are “raring to go” for a European election with the party’s Brexit spokesperson confirming the drafting of a manifesto has already begun with a “vision for the UK inside the EU” while party members

…

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The Voice

19 March 2019 – yesterday’s press releases

By The Voice | Wed 20th March 2019 - 6:45 am

‘Govt treating EU citizens appallingly’ with Settled Status call charges

Responding to reports that thousands of EU citizens are being forced to pay for calls to the Home Office’s Settlement Resolution Centre for help with their Settled Status applications, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:

EU citizens in the UK are our neighbours and our colleagues, our families and our friends. But ever since the Brexit referendum, they have been treated appallingly by this Conservative Government.

Making them pay up to 40p per minute to get help navigating the complex Home Office system for applying for Settled Status is just

…

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Mark Valladares

2-3 March 2019 – the weekend’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Mon 4th March 2019 - 7:15 am

Welcome to the start of a new week here at Liberal Democrat Voice. Our Party press release coverage appears to be quite successful, but I find myself wondering if it might not be more useful first thing in the morning, rather than last thing at night, so here it is in the early morning slot. Do let us know what you think…

  • Cable: Corbyn must work with opposition leaders to secure a people’s vote
  • Fox must come clean on failure to secure trade deals
  • Moran: Govt must be more ambitious to end period poverty
  • Corbyn must confirm people’s vote support

Cable: Corbyn must work with …

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Mark Valladares

22 February 2019 – today’s press release plus a late breaking bonus…

By Mark Valladares | Sat 23rd February 2019 - 12:02 am

Getting back on track, this should bring us up to date. One feature of the work of the Press Team is press releases that are embargoed until 00:01 the next day. here at Liberal Democrat Voice, we respect the embargo guidance because we understand the rules. However, there is nothing stopping us from publishing the press release as soon as possible after that time. So, the second of today’s press releases was embargoed until one minute ago. Enjoy…

Lib Dems: McDonnell must follow warm words with action

Responding to comments made by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell that Labour are moving towards backing …

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Mark Valladares

Joint statement from Lib Dems, Green Party, SNP and Plaid Cymru on Barnier meeting

By Mark Valladares | Thu 25th October 2018 - 10:00 pm

Liberal Democrat Leader Vince Cable and leading figures from opposition parties met Michel Barnier at the European Commission’s Berlaymont building headquarters in Brussels today.

The Lib Dems, SNP, Plaid Cymru and Greens are working together, alongside rebels from Labour and the Conservatives, to fight Brexit. Vince Cable pressed Barnier on the need for the EU to make contingency plans for a People’s Vote and to protect EU and UK citizens rights in the event of a no deal Brexit.

The other attendees were SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford, Plaid Cymru Westminster Leader Liz Saville Roberts, and Molly Scott Cato, the …

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Mark Valladares

25 October 2018 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 25th October 2018 - 9:46 pm

Yesterday, we received a lot of press releases with an embargo upon them until after midnight, so it’s a bumper bunch today…

Leading figures from opposition parties will meet Michel Barnier in Brussels today to say the UK must remain within the Single Market and the Customs Union.

The campaign to resolve Brexit through a People’s Vote will also be discussed. The Liberal Democrats, the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens have all said they would support the public to have the final say on any Brexit deal in a vote in the House of Commons.

Last weekend saw …

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Chris Bowers

Richmond shows progressive alliances do work

By Chris Bowers | Mon 7th May 2018 - 12:42 pm

Buried amid the dramatic and highly welcome headline of the Liberal Democrat landslide on Richmond-upon-Thames Council was a rather overlooked factor –that, when progressive alliances are done properly and sensitively, they can work and be a great asset to the party.

In 2014 the Conservatives won thirty-nine of Richmond’’s fifty-four councillors. This time we won thirty-nine but, while we picked up the other fifteen councillors four years ago, this time the Tories only got eleven, with the other four going to the Greens. And those four Greens are in part a Liberal Democrat …

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NewsHound

TUC General Secretary to meet with cross-party leaders to set out Brexit concerns

By NewsHound | Mon 5th March 2018 - 8:00 am

The TUC’s General Secretary has accepted an invitation to speak to a group of cross-party opposition leaders about the TUC’s position on Brexit.

Frances O’Grady will meet with the Westminster leaders of the Liberal Democrats, SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party to discuss the need for a Brexit that protects workers’ rights, jobs and livelihoods of millions of people across the UK.

The General Secretary will also set out why the TUC believes that single market membership and customs union should be on the table for the next phase of Brexit negotiations.

The meeting is set …

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Michael Taylor

Loyalty and respect

By Michael Taylor | Wed 19th April 2017 - 7:29 pm

Politics in the UK seems to be in flux following the Brexit vote. With the Tories split between remain and leave and Labour too busy squabbling amongst themselves to be effective it ought to be a time for the Liberal Democrats. Yet, so far, although we have seen many individual members of both the Labour and Conservative parties switch to the Lib Dems, only a handful of councillors and no MPs or MEPs have done so. Why is this?

I want to suggest that in the case of the Labour Party there are two factors; loyalty and respect

We often accuse the Labour Party of being tribal. The reality is that loyalty is ingrained in the psyche of Labour Party supporters and even more so in MPs. The worst thing that you can do is be ‘disloyal’. Crossing the floor is unthinkable for almost all Labour MPs and we need to recognise that this is a real factor in preventing people from joining us. When you couple this with the attitude of Labour people to what they perceive as treachery – for example the Lib Dems joining with the Tories in government – you begin to see how difficult it is to get people to come across, even if they share our values to a much higher degree than the values of the Labour Party.

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