Tag Archives: david cameron

Alex Foster

Twitter: a hit at conference

By Alex Foster | Sun 14th September 2008 - 6:23 pm

Oh dear – here we are again – hashtag taxonomies again, snigger, snigger.

Actually, twittering from conference is working quite well.  It’s all the more important when hotels and conference centres are charging obscene fees for access to wireless access and the useful free internet access is massively oversubscribed.

And there have been really useful uses of the system this afternoon.  I could commission Gavin Whenmen to write about a fringe because I knew he was there because he twittered about it.

Continue reading »
Posted in Conference | Also tagged and | 2 Comments

Labour and the Lib Dems

By Gavin Whenman | Sun 14th September 2008 - 5:58 pm

To the Marriott Highcliff Hotel for CentreForum and the Fabian Society’s lunchtime fringe: Labour and the Lib Dems: Allies or enemies? Squeezing myself between John Piennar and Rita Chakrabarti, it was standing room only as I watched Stephen Williams, David Lammy, Vince Cable and Charles Clarke argue their respective points.

Nabbing the free orange juice (it’s apparently politer to say “complementary”, but not once did the juice say how nice I’m looking) as I arrived, Stephen Williams was finishing his opening remarks and so I cannot regale you with the nuanced argument he made. Suffice to say, his overwhelming intelligence was …

Continue reading »
Posted in Conference and Events | Also tagged , and | 8 Comments
Alex Foster

Grice’s Indy Paean to Clegg

By Alex Foster | Sat 13th September 2008 - 6:33 pm

Andrew Grice, writing the Independent this morning, gives us details of what the party’s research says the public thinks of our leader.

And do you know, it appears they like him! Well, I never.

The article is full of the stuff Lib Dems have always known and that seldom seems to feature on the pages of apparently grown-up newspapers.

e shouldn’t dismiss or ignore the Liberal Democrats. They won 5.9 million votes at the previous election, 22 per cent of those cast. We often hear about Labour stealing Tory policies but the Liberal Democrats often make the running, without getting the credit.

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Leave a comment
Stephen Tall

Two ways to follow the Lib Dem conference (apart from on LDV, of course)

By Stephen Tall | Sat 13th September 2008 - 9:34 am

Those of you who can’t make it to Bournemouth will still be able to follow proceedings as they happen, rather than as the media decides to report them, in two ways:

BBC Parliament – there will be full conference coverage for you to watch: click here to find out more.

BBC2’s The Daily Politics – if you’re happy enough with highlights, Andrew Neill’s show is back on air after the summer break on Monday with the Lib Dem conference. Highlights, the producers tell us, include:

* On Monday we launch Andrew Neil’s Daily Politics Blog and morning email. You can sign up

…

Continue reading »
Posted in Conference | 1 Comment
Stephen Tall

Poll: Clegg seen as to the left of Lib Dems

By Stephen Tall | Thu 11th September 2008 - 4:45 pm

The results of today’s Times/Populus poll of voters’ views about the main parties and their leaders will bring a wry smile to the faces of many Lib Dems today.

Voters have been asked to place themselves, the three main parties and their leaders on a Left-Right spectrum. Political opinions are more complicated than just this measure (for instance, covering liberal versus authoritarian), but the spectrum provides a revealing pointer about how voters view politics and how their opinions change.

On a 0 to 10 scale, Left to Right, the position of the average voter fluctuates from year to year

…

Continue reading »
Posted in Polls | Also tagged and | 29 Comments
Stephen Tall

Clegg: 80-90% of voters better off under Lib Dem tax plans

By Stephen Tall | Thu 11th September 2008 - 1:34 pm

There’s a pre-conference interview with Nick Clegg in today’s London Evening Standard (copied ‘n’ pasted across to the Daily Mail) in which the Lib Dems’ tax-cutting agenda is spelled out. Worth reading in full, but here are some highlights:

On the Lib Dems plans to reduce taxes:

Mr Clegg admitted the Lib-Dems had urged higher spending in the past, but said that the political “terms of trade have changed” thanks to soaring food and fuel bills being faced by voters.

On the winners and losers:

“Those people who would be paying more would be a minority of taxpayers at the top. We

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged | 2 Comments
Mark Pack

David Cameron’s brush with the law

By Mark Pack | Fri 21st March 2008 - 2:02 pm

Here’s a sample of what David Cameron has said before:

David Cameron will unveil plans tomorrow for a new “three strikes and you’re out” rule (January 2008)

For persistent offenders, the public deserve a break from their behaviour (April 2006)

Now here’s the thing. Can you guess who was caught cycling through a red light and without a helmet in 2007? And was then caught again cycling through a red light, with an eye-witness reporting “instead of apologising, his whole attitude was one of arrogance”? And then we have today’s news, complete with photos:

The Tory boss

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged and | 16 Comments
Mark Pack

Vince Cable tops poll for best performing MP

By Mark Pack | Tue 4th December 2007 - 1:32 pm

Iain Dale, that paragon of impartial and erudite words of wisdom on UK politics (occasionally, when he’s not being an unthinking Tory loyalist obviously), has published the results of his poll on which MPs have performed best in the last month.

The poll was open to readers of his website who (as Iain acknowledges) are a rather Conservative leaning bunch overall. All of which makes Vince Cable’s result in topping the poll all the more impressive – beating David Cameron into second place.

Overall this is how the Liberal Democrat MPs performed (the scores are average marks):

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , , , and | 2 Comments
Mark Pack

David Cameron and Saudi corruption

By Mark Pack | Thu 21st December 2006 - 8:56 am

Guido has now picked up on the curious silence of David Cameron on the Saudi arms corruption investigation.

Posted in News | Also tagged and | 2 Comments
Mark Pack

Al Yamamah: Conservatives silent, again

By Mark Pack | Wed 20th December 2006 - 11:00 am

Another burst of stories in the media about the Al Yamamah Saudi Arabian arms deal and Labour’s axing of investigations into corruption (about which you can sign a petition here).

As a Lib Dem it’s gratifying to see the frequent coverage of the party’s views on the issue (yet again), but (yet again) there is nothing from Her Majesty’s Official Opposition (as in this BBC report). Silence from David Cameron and co seems to be the order of the day.

Is it too cynical to ask if all this could be because the arms …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged and | 1 Comment
Mark Pack

David Cameron: one today

By Mark Pack | Wed 6th December 2006 - 9:00 am

It’s one year since David Cameron became leader of the Conservative party. There has been, is and will be plenty of stuff about this anniversary, so I’ll just point out this animation.

Posted in News | Leave a comment
Mark Pack

David Cameron’s environmental record

By Mark Pack | Mon 4th December 2006 - 12:27 pm

The Daily Mirror has a good round-up today of the reality behind Cameron’s claims to be serious about the environment:

1 HIS CAR: David Cameron switched to a supposedly green Lexus GS, which is more polluting than the 10 best selling models in the UK.

2 GREEN TAXES: The Conservatives were silent during the debate on the recent Finance Bill on fuel duty, vehicle excise duty, climate change levy, land fill tax and aggregates levy.

3 NUCLEAR POWER: Cameron avoided the tricky issue by shunting the decision off to his policy commissions, which is not due to report until 2007. And Scottish Tories voted in May for the building of new nuclear power stations north of the border.

4 COMPANY LAW REFORM BILL: Shadow ministers in the Lords voted against measures in the Company Law Reform Bill requiring companies to give greater regard to the environment.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Leave a comment
Will Howells

Cameron labelled an undeserving icon

By Will Howells | Thu 30th November 2006 - 4:58 pm

Readers of Arena have given David Cameron the thumbs down, listing him fourth in a poll for the men’s magazine’s “Anti-Icon of the Year”.

Sky News reports that Cameron was picked as an “undeserving icon” for “attracting ridicule for his ‘hug a hoodie’ campaign and for cycling to the House of Commons while a gas guzzling car followed behind with his briefcase.”

He was held in fourth place by the salubrious company of Syed Ahmed from The Apprentice, comedian Russell Brand and occasional musician Pete Doherty, who topped the poll with 38% of the vote.

Posted in Polls | Also tagged , and | 1 Comment
Mark Pack

What happens when you don’t have policies?

By Mark Pack | Sun 26th November 2006 - 9:57 am

“Tory leader’s satisfaction ratings are comparable to that of Howard, Hague and IDS … The revelation that only 25 per cent of the electorate consider themselves satisfied with Cameron’s performance as leader of the opposition – rising only to 45 per cent among Tory voters, down from 60 per cent in February – will be a blow to his inner circle, given that it suggests a similar trajectory to his failed predecessors Howard, Iain Duncan Smith and William Hague. The most common reason for dissatisfaction was lack of clarity about his policies.”

(This is The Observer’s comment on their latest …

Continue reading »
Posted in Polls | 2 Comments
Mark Pack

Conservative councillor joins Lib Dems

By Mark Pack | Fri 17th November 2006 - 5:54 pm

A Conservative councillor in Mole Valley has switched to the Liberal Democrats. One of her reasons particularly caught my eye:

“Mr Cameron does not seem to be following up his rather vague aspirations with any solid policies.”

Who knows, perhaps it is because he is so busy changing his clothes?

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged | Leave a comment
Mark Pack

New Lib Dem TV broadcast: Brown, Cameron and Iraq

By Mark Pack | Thu 16th November 2006 - 4:23 pm

Continue reading »
Posted in Lib Dem TV and Online politics | Also tagged and | Leave a comment

Conservative referred to racism watchdog by Liberal Democrats

By the founding editor | Mon 6th November 2006 - 2:24 pm

David CameronEd Davey has today written to the Commission for Racial Equality providing details of an offensive email sent by a Conservative councillor and parliamentary candidate.

Ed has also written to David Cameron and Francis Maude calling for the Conservatives to take swift and decisive disciplinary action.

The email – which contains an inflammatory ‘poem’ that features on a white supremacist website, as well as a picture of the white cliffs of Dover with the words ‘piss off – we’re full’ on them – was sent by Conservative councillor Ellenor Bland to other Conservative councillors …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | 10 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Peter Martin
    @ Kira, The words you quoted were from Peter Davies'. Not me. I wouldn't agree with raising VAT on energy to 15% right now. I'd leave it as is. The point ...
  • Peter Martin
    “‘why can’t social care and NHS spending be treated as ‘investment’’. Of course, that wont wash”. I'd agree if were talking about re...
  • Peter Martin
    There's really only two fiscal rules that make any sense: 1) If inflation caused by an overheating economy is the main issue, then governments should tax mor...
  • Peter Davies
    @Kira Collins You seem to have missed the bit about raising tax allowances. That primarily helps those on low wages....
  • David Wright
    According to this well-argued article (by Lib Dem councillor Mark Ellis), a simple wealth tax wouldn't work, but tax on TRANSFER of wealth could, if current tax...