Tag Archives: ed miliband

Nick Clegg grilled by Martha Kearney: Lib Dems “the voice of fairness” in government

By The Voice | Tue 30th April 2013 - 8:35 pm

Nick Clegg fared better than Ed Miliband in his pre-local election grilling today by Martha Kearney on BBC Radio 4’s World at One. You can watch the 18-minute interview here:

Posted in News and YouTube | Also tagged martha kearney, nick clegg and world at one | Leave a comment

Nick Clegg MP writes… The Labour and Tory exodus

By Nick Clegg MP | Mon 29th April 2013 - 12:50 pm

Something is happening on the centre ground of British politics. An exodus. The Conservative leadership is being lured to the right. Ed Miliband is pulling his party to the left. Only the Liberal Democrats are holding firm.

That creates an opportunity for our party. Over the last twenty years the centre has become a crowded place. First New Labour pitched up, determined to demonstrate a new found credibility on the economy. Then followed a detoxified Conservative Party, hugging hoodies and frolicking with huskies. Yet now – in what, in time, may prove to be a highly significant political shift – the …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged conservative party, european convention on human rights, featured, labour party, new labour and tony blair | 80 Comments

Revealed: What Lib Dem members think of Ed Miliband and David Cameron

By Stephen Tall | Fri 29th March 2013 - 9:30 am

Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

Miliband edges ahead of Cameron among Lib Dems (though ratings of both decline)

We’ve been asking this question for 18 months, and over the past year there has been quite a reversal in fortunes for the two party leaders, as this graph illustrates:

Here’s the detail from this month’s survey…

Posted in LDV Members poll and News | Also tagged david cameron | 12 Comments

So. Farewell then, David Miliband

By Stephen Tall | Wed 27th March 2013 - 10:45 am

So.
Farewell then
David Miliband.

You did not
Win the
Labour leadership.

Though you got more votes
Than Brother Ed

The trade unions
Did not
like you.

They liked
him instead.

That was
your tragedy.
And it will be
His.

EJ Thribb

Posted in News | Also tagged david miliband, international rescue, labour leadership contest and rendition | 36 Comments

Opinion: Oh no! Ed’s got us!

By Mark Thompson | Sun 17th February 2013 - 8:45 am

Well he has hasn’t he? I mean this ruse to force a vote on the a mansion tax is piece of political genius surely? The Lib Dems will look like fools traipsing through the lobby with the government whilst Labour dangles something that the party in general and Vince in particular has wanted to bring in for years.

Won’t they?

There’s no denying it’s an eye-catching move clearly designed to embarrass the Lib Dems. But of course the party’s MPs will (largely – a few backbenchers may peel off of course) vote with the government on any opposition motion of this nature. …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged mansion tax and political shenanigans | 58 Comments

IFS verdict: Labour’s 10p tax idea “has no plausible economic justification”

By Stephen Tall | Fri 15th February 2013 - 8:00 am

Ed Miliband’s announcement yesterday that Labour will re-introduce a 10p starting rate of income tax paid for through the introduction of Vince Cable’s mansion tax has received a tepid response from the Institute for Fiscal Studies. The IFS put out a note yesterday headed simply, Better options exist to help low earners than 10p tax rate:

A 10p tax rate would reduce taxes for those on low incomes and strengthen their work incentives. A far simpler and more sensible way of achieving these aims would be to spend the same

…

Posted in News | Also tagged featured, income tax, institute for fiscal studies, mansion tax, national insurance, tax and vince cable | 12 Comments

Rejoice! Labour has a policy. Even better it’s a Lib Dem policy.

By Stephen Tall | Thu 14th February 2013 - 11:35 am

Yesterday at PMQs Ed Miliband channelled Ronald Reagan. Today he’s channelling Vince Cable:

Labour does have a policy after all. Two in fact! It’s just that they’re both Lib Dem policies: tax cuts for low-paid funded by mansion tax.

— Stephen Tall (@stephentall) February 14, 2013

Here’s what Ed has just announced:

Let me tell you about one crucial choice we would make, which is different from this government. We would tax houses worth over £2 million. And we would use the money to cut taxes for working people. We would put right a mistake made by

…

Posted in News | Also tagged Centre for Policy Studies, featured, ronald reagan, ryan bourne, tax and vince cable | 31 Comments

Why Cameron is now the ‘Yes to the EU’ campaign’s best hope

By Stephen Tall | Thu 24th January 2013 - 2:30 pm

There are two very good reasons David Cameron didn’t want the Tories endlessly to bang on about Europe. First, because most of the public just aren’t that interested. Secondly, because the Tories are irreconcilably split on the issue and not even a referendum will settle matters.

That’s why for seven years as Tory leader Cameron tried to quell discussion, and then when that failed sought to steer a mid-course with gestures of Euroscepticism, such as December 2011’s faux-veto. In the end, he couldn’t hold out any longer. The …

Posted in Europe / International and Op-eds | Also tagged david cameron, eu referendum, featured and nick clegg | 27 Comments

Revealed: What Lib Dem members think of Ed Miliband and David Cameron

By Stephen Tall | Wed 2nd January 2013 - 6:35 pm

Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 550 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

Cameron ends the year a nose ahead of Miliband among Lib Dems

We’ve been asking this question for 15 months, and over the past year there has been quite a reversal in fortunes for the two party leaders, as this graph illustrates:

Here’s the detail from this month’s survey…

Do you think David Cameron is doing well or badly as Prime Minister?

Posted in LDV Members poll | Also tagged david cameron | 5 Comments

It’s not just this Government that’s unpopular: it’s the idea of Coalition. Here’s what Lib Dems need to do about that.

By Stephen Tall | Fri 7th December 2012 - 8:15 am

There are many arguments the Lib Dems are winning in government. But there is one very big debate we’re currently on the losing side of with the public: that coalition government is capable of working. And it’s not surprising that voters are unpersuaded given we Lib Dems look a whole lot less than convinced by the experience.

The known knowns of Coalition

Let’s get two pieces of mitigation out of the way:
1) Coalition government is always tougher on the junior party: we lack the democratic mandate and …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged coalition, david cameron, featured, john kampfner and populus | 62 Comments

Opinion: Can Labour be trusted on mental health?

By Tim Purkiss | Wed 21st November 2012 - 8:55 am

In my last two articles for Liberal Democrat Voice I wrote about the current under provision in mental health treatment in the country and why it is important that properly addressing mental health is brought into the political mainstream.

Thankfully in recent weeks this has started to happen. Of course there was Ed Miliband’s speech to the Royal College of Psychiatrists in which he spoke of the need for improved provision in mental health treatments across the country. Many people will of course welcome this state of affairs and it is encouraging if Miliband is intending to put improved …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged labour, mental health, NHS and paul burstow | 4 Comments

Norman Lamb writes: A landmark for the NHS – and a line in the sand for mental health

By Norman Lamb MP | Tue 13th November 2012 - 5:55 pm

The first mandate between the Government and the NHS Commissioning Board was published today, setting out the priorities for the health service over the next two years. It reaffirms our commitment to a comprehensive and universal NHS, available to all based on need rather than on your ability to pay. Its overriding aim is to make the NHS work better for patients.

The Mandate was drawn up following widespread consultation over the summer. Key goals contained within it include:

Improving standards of care, especially for the elderly
Better diagnosis,

…

Posted in News | Also tagged mental health and nhs commissioning board | 5 Comments

Revealed: What Lib Dem members think of Ed Miliband and David Cameron

By Stephen Tall | Fri 9th November 2012 - 7:55 am

Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 550 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

Miliband overtakes Cameron among Lib Dems for first time

We’ve been asking this question for a little over a year now — a year which has marked quite a reversal in fortunes for the two party leaders, as this graph illustrates:

Here’s the detail from this month’s survey…

LDV asked: Do you think Ed Miliband is doing well or badly as leader of the Labour party?

Posted in LDV Members poll | Also tagged david cameron | 3 Comments

The living wage is fine as far as it goes, but the Lib Dems can be bolder

By Nick T | Mon 5th November 2012 - 8:00 pm

There we have it. Miliband’s big idea: the living wage. Only it is not Miliband’s idea. And more to the point it is not a very big idea. In fact, it seems to me extraordinarily unambitious.

We presently have a system in which somebody earning the national minimum wage – which for most is not sufficient to live in any comfort even before tax – and working full time pays income tax at 20% on about a third of their salary, national insurance, VAT on the goods they buy, fuel duty and road tax on the car that gets them to …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged living wage | 16 Comments

From today’s Lib Dem News…

By The Voice | Fri 2nd November 2012 - 1:00 pm

Posted in Humour and News | 2 Comments

Opinion: Debate around mental health must be in the political mainstream

By Tim Purkiss | Wed 31st October 2012 - 2:25 pm

On Monday Ed Miliband made a speech to the Royal College of Psychiatrists concerning the taboo surrounding mental illness. He spoke about the devastating human and economic consequences of failing to address the under- provision in mental health treatment and promised that, amongst other things, a Labour Government would re-write the constitution of the NHS in order to address this under provision.

In my previous post on this website I wrote about the motion concerning mental health which was passed at the Lib Dems autumn conference in Brighton.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged mental health and nick clegg | 6 Comments

An ironic gift to Miliband from some of his opponents

By Mark Pack | Sat 20th October 2012 - 6:59 pm

Amongst the political obstacles between Ed Miliband and No. 10 Downing Street are a closely entwined pair related to deficits: how much control over him is wielded by the trade union bosses* and does he have a credible alternative to the government’s economic policies?

Labour has often been very coy about quite what it would cut and how much it would cut. Ed Miliband’s speech at the anti-austerity protest march today did not shed light on matters.

However, rather than that being a problem to him, his political opponents to his left …

Posted in Op-eds | 9 Comments

PMQs: The Chief Whip’s brain is missing*

By Paul Walter | Thu 18th October 2012 - 12:23 pm

*Conservative Chief Whip, that is.

Does Andrew Mitchell have some embarrassing photos of David Cameron? Or is there some disaster coming up, known only to the Prime Minister, for which he is conserving the Chief Whip for dumping overboard at an expedient moment as “cover”?

There has to be some reason that the PM preserves in post a man responsible for one of the longest public aftermaths ever for an intemperate outburst.

Posted in PMQs | Also tagged andrew mitchell, david cameron, unemployment and youth unemployment | 14 Comments

Opinion: The challenge ahead for Nick Clegg

By William Jones | Mon 15th October 2012 - 10:53 am

The right-wing, who have been rocking the leadership boat for David Cameron, have been dealt with. With some PR mastery, that has relaunched him. Even the threat of Boris seems to have melted away.

Cameron is now considered a “real Tory” amongst activists after Osborne provided some red-blooded Tory announcements. He has removed any questions about his leadership, for now, if he can steamroller the Lib Dems with a further £10bn of benefit cuts, the shelving of any taxes

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged david cameron, george osb and nick clegg | 19 Comments

Another idea Ed Miliband is supporting that Liberal Democrats have heard – and done – before

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 3rd October 2012 - 6:55 pm

In Saturday’s Times (£), Ed Miliband talked about helping poorer households with their fuel bills. His “unprecedented scheme” where the party will mobilise communities to buy electricity at lower prices than individuals could manage.

The scheme will be run by iChoosr, which will negotiate on consumers’ behalf with big power companies. The more people who sign up, the harder the bargain they will be able to drive. It will be tried out in three areas, starting next month, with the aim of securing cheaper bills by the New Year. Volunteers will leaflet the pilot areas with an emphasis on reaching

…

Posted in News | Also tagged energy tariffs, iChoosr, Lakeland Radio, south lakeland council and the times | 13 Comments

Spotted outside Labour Conference – a reminder of how Lib Dems cut taxes for poorest

By NewsHound | Wed 3rd October 2012 - 1:23 pm

Labour conference delegates and Manchester residents will see an interesting sight as they pass the Conference Centre.

With many thanks to Liberal Democrat Kat Dadswell for tweeting the picture, the Voice brings to you:

After Ed Miliband’s “one nation” speech yesterday, the Liberal Democrats fight back with a graphic demonstration of how much income tax has been cut for those earning the minimum wage. Struggling low paid workers handed £1018 to Alistair Darling in 2010. Their tax bill will be just £573 in 2013.

This is part of the Fairer …

Posted in News | Also tagged fairer tax and labour | 17 Comments

The top campaigning lesson from Ed Miliband’s speech: repetition is what you need

By Stephen Tall | Wed 3rd October 2012 - 8:25 am

“We are the One Nation party,” Nick Clegg will tell the Liberal Democrats in his speech to their spring conference tomorrow.

Remember this headline? Probably not. Yet it dates from March 2012, just six months ago.

So what happened? Two key things, I suggest. First, Nick’s ‘One Nation’ message was drowned out by the furore over the NHS reforms which dominated the party’s spring conference this year. Secondly, it was one line among many which was uttered and quickly disappeared, like a whispered greeting on a windy day.

There was some snarky commentary from journalists who heard Ed Miliband …

Posted in Conference and Op-eds | Also tagged featured, new labour and nick clegg | 27 Comments

It’s not Vince you should be texting Ed

By Mark Pack | Sun 30th September 2012 - 7:25 pm

Ed Miliband’s text messages to Vince Cable may have got him in trouble with his own political party and even resulted in party officials taking away his mobile phone.

They also have been text messages sent to the wrong person if Ed Miliband’s serious about preparing the ground for future Labour-Liberal Democrat cooperation.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged nick clegg, nick thornsby and vince cable | 14 Comments

Labour health policy descends into mess on first day of conference

By Mark Pack | Sat 29th September 2012 - 8:48 pm

At a Q&A session, Labour leader Ed Miliband said:

I think what would be not sensible is for us to come along and say, ‘well, Andrew Lansley, now Jeremy Hunt, they’re changing all the arrangements, have these new clinical commissioning groups and so on, and we’re just going to reverse it all back and spend another £3bn on another top-down bureaucratic organisation.

Miliband confirms he won't repeal Health Act – talks vaguely about changing principles underpinning NHS. Interesting.

— Oliver Wright (@oliver_wright) September 29, 2012

So Labour wouldn’t just reverse all the Health and Social Care Act changes? That would mean quietly forgetting some of the rhetoric about how the passage of the Act would kill the NHS, but it’s easy to see why …

Posted in News | Also tagged andy burnham and NHS | 20 Comments

Miliband: Labour took my mobile phone away

By Mark Pack | Fri 28th September 2012 - 12:01 am

What a bad year it is to be a political satirist. First there was the problem of the minister who met the Prime Minster, intending to resign – yet somehow the conversation ended without the PM noticing that a resignation was on offer. Hard for a satirist to top that.

And now we have the bizarre case of the Labour Party confiscating its own party leader’s mobile phone, as reported by Sky:

Posted in News | Also tagged featured | 7 Comments

Revealed: What Lib Dem members think of Ed Miliband and David Cameron

By Stephen Tall | Fri 17th August 2012 - 8:05 am

Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 500 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.

Miliband, at -20%, gets best rating yet among Lib Dems

LDV asked: Do you think Ed Miliband is doing well or badly as leader of the Labour party?

Posted in LDV Members poll | Also tagged david cameron | 43 Comments

Opinion: Liberal Democrats must stay true to our traditions post 2015

By David Thorpe | Wed 15th August 2012 - 1:17 pm

The period between now and the next general election in 2015 will be crucial in deciding the immediate future of the Liberal Democrats-but the post general election period will have a much longer term significance. I have long been one of those Liberal Democrats who believe that the word ’Liberal’ has been a little to silent in the party name – as policies around goldfish at fairs and ever increasing public spending without corresponding accountability have cast the party a long way from the roots developed by Beveridge, Keynes and Gladstone.

Posted in News | Also tagged david cameron, equidistance, keynes, william beveridge and william gladstone | 65 Comments

Opinion: Is this the start of Plan A+?

By Adam Corlett | Sun 12th August 2012 - 9:25 am

It looks like the coming months will see new initiatives to boost the economy, following the second quarter contraction (now revised up slightly to -0.5%) and a record trade deficit.

As The Spectator reports,

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged david cameron, economy, eric pickles, george osborne, housing and nick clegg | 4 Comments

Lords Reform – reflections from Alaska in the rain

By Mark Valladares | Fri 10th August 2012 - 12:35 pm

And so, what some, myself amongst them, feared as inevitable has come to pass, as serious Lords reform goes the same way as electoral reform, probably dead for a generation. Here, aboard the MV Columbia, shrouded in fog at the ferry terminal in Haines, it is hard, almost impossible, to tell what is ahead, a bit like the next few months of coalition. Better to look back, perhaps.

I’ve been something of a pessimist on the likely success of Lords reform from the early stages of the process. That could be because, whilst in retrospect the signs were always there, nobody much wanted to see them.

Posted in News and Op-eds | Also tagged coalition agreement, david cameron, lords reform and nick clegg | 12 Comments

Are politicians really getting younger?

By Stephen Tall | Sun 5th August 2012 - 2:15 pm

“The worship of youth has diminished – perhaps generally – in recent years.” So said Vince Cable a couple of weeks ago in a newspaper interview which inflamed speculation he’d be partial to a tilt at leading the Lib Dems. It also prompted various politicians-are-getting-younger pieces in the media.

LibDemVoice’s Mark Pack took the time and trouble to dig out the data. He showed that while the trend-line in the first half of the last century was for prime ministers to get older, in the 50 years since there has been a movement towards younger premiers (James Callaghan being …

Posted in News | Also tagged david cameron, featured, james callaghan, Mark Pack, nick clegg and philip cowley | 2 Comments

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Tag Archives: ed miliband

Miliband edges ahead of Cameron among Lib Dems (though ratings of both decline)

Cameron ends the year a nose ahead of Miliband among Lib Dems

The known knowns of Coalition

Miliband overtakes Cameron among Lib Dems for first time

Miliband, at -20%, gets best rating yet among Lib Dems

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