Tag Archives: Jo Swinson

How the MPs are lining up (UPDATED)

By Stephen Tall | Thu 25th October 2007 - 2:57 pm

I’m grateful to Jonathan Isaby of The Daily Telegraph, who has compiled (and allowed me to reproduce here) his up-to-date list of which Lib Dem MPs have declared for which leadership candidate so far.

Jonathan comments: “Below are my most up-to-date lists, which suggest that Huhne now cannot possibly overtake Clegg in terms of MPs declaring. Brackets state where they went in the 2006 election.”

The list shows that Nick has attracted two MPs who supported Chris as leader in 2006: Greg Mulholland and Stephen Williams; and seven who supported Simon Hughes (all listed below). Chris has attracted one former Ming Campbell backer – Tom Brake – and two MPs who supported Simon Hughes last time.

Nine MPs have stated they will not declare for any candidate; 14 have yet to state their intentions.

As was pointed out in the comments on yesterday’s thread, the number of MPs who declare for any one candidate is, in one sense, irrelevant: we are a one-member-one-vote party. Clearly, however, MPs’ endorsements will carry some influence with party members, especially among non-activists.

It will also influence how the media perceives, and then reports, the strengths of the respective leadership campaigns. Though, of course, being seen as the favourite is not always the most comfortable of positions, as Ming Campbell discovered last time. Lib Dems do love an underdog.

Posted in Leadership Election and News | Also tagged annette brooke, charles kennedy, colin breed, john hemming, john leech, john pugh, julia goldsworthy, mike hancock, Ming Campbell, norman baker, norman lamb and stephen williams | 26 Comments

Opinion: What to do about excess packaging

By Jo Swinson MP | Fri 7th September 2007 - 7:45 am

The media and public clamour surrounding excess packaging is growing. The Women’s Institute and The Independent are both running national campaigns against packaging, while companies like Lush Cosmetics have begun to see the economic sense of letting consumers buy the products they want, without unnecessary cardboard or plastic accompaniment.

The Government has failed to take the lead on curbing excess packaging, paying lip-service to the issue without offering strong, effective policies. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) Waste Strategy, published in May this year, passed up a golden opportunity to get serious about packaging, merely offering a handful of proposals limited in scope and ambition.

On Wednesday, 19th September (at 9am, for the early birds among you!) I will propose a motion to conference entitled Taking Action to Tackle Excess Packaging (full text below). The measures covered in the motion will set the Liberal Democrats on the front foot in the packaging debate. It combines straightforward solutions with innovative policies to provide a clear, effective approach on preventing excess packaging and reducing packaging overall.

The motion takes steps to strengthen and support Trading Standards offices, with whom the role of policing excess packagers lies. The creation of a new national body, to tackle large-scale producers of excess packaging in conjunction with local Trading Standards offices, is proposed. Some cases of excess packaging may be beyond the scope of regional Trading Standards offices, and in these cases a broader, more strategic, view is appropriate.

Posted in Conference and Op-eds | 3 Comments

Swinson: Tories’ anti-gay actions speak louder than words

By Stephen Tall | Wed 1st August 2007 - 12:04 am

Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson has rebutted Alan Duncan’s accusations that she unfairly highlighted Tory MPs’ overwhelming failure to support gay rights.

Mr Duncan branded the Lib Dems “shits” after Ms Swinson, the party’s equalities spokesperson, pointed out the following facts:

* 80% of the 25-member Tory shadow front-bench has voted against major items of gay rights legislation since 1998;
* 90% of those eligible to vote voted against the equalisation of the age of consent; and
* 85% of those eligible to vote voted against the repeal of Section 28.

Mr Duncan, the Tories’ first openly gay MP, railed against Ms Swinson on the …

Posted in News | 4 Comments

Lib Dems attack Tories on gay rights record

By Alex Foster | Sat 28th July 2007 - 2:11 am

So says the headline over at PinkNews.co.uk.

80% of the Tory shadow cabinet have voted against gay rights legislation in the last ten years.

Liberal Democrat Equality Spokesperson Jo Swinson MP said:

“That 80% the of the current shadow cabinet, appointed by David Cameron, have voted against significant LGBT rights legislation shows that his commitment to equality is paper thin.

“Worse still, David Cameron himself actively voted against the repeal of section 28 and against adoption by same sex couples.

“David Cameron’s 21st Century rhetoric can’t hide his party’s 19th Century principles.”

Posted in News | 3 Comments

What Lib Dem MPs will be reading this summer

By Stephen Tall | Mon 2nd July 2007 - 1:37 pm

We’re into July, yet summer seems to have decided to give the UK a miss this year (so far). No matter.

Packing books for the beach (or wherever) is as much a summer ritual as the Brits crashing out of Wimbledon, and helping out in the latest Parliamentary by-elections. So Lib Dem Voice asked a few of the party’s MPs which books they’d be taking with them on holiday this year. Here’s what they told us:

Posted in News | Also tagged annette brooke, chris huhne, colin breed, john hemming, john leech, john pugh, lorely burt and lorley burt | Leave a comment

Opinion: So just how strongly did the Lib Dems oppose the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill?

By Hywel Morgan | Sun 20th May 2007 - 12:34 pm

“This is unacceptable” said Ming Campbell in an email to party members and supporters on the eve of this bill being given its third reading in the Commons.

But having watched this bill progress through the Commons I’ve not been hugely impressed by the Lib Dem commitment to oppose it.

To take it in stages. This bill received an unopposed second reading. I’m not an expert on the minutiae of Parliamentary procedure but according to the committee stages of this bill, it could have been blocked if it had it received an objection from a single member.

The bill then passed to the committee stage. You would expect that a bill which the party considered to be unacceptable would be strongly opposed at committee stage.

Yet not a single amendment was put. Not a single vote was called for.

Indeed to read Nick Harvey’s comments there wasn’t even a Lib Dem MP on the committee.

“I agreed to serve on the Committee to provide some of the insight that I have gained through my work on the House of Commons Commission and the Members Estimate Committee. I am not here as a party spokesman; I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that this is a House matter on which Members must make their own judgments. I would not expect party Whips to seek to get involved in it.”

(Nick Harvey – Committee stage – 7th February 2007)

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged julia goldsworthy, norman baker and norman lamb | 20 Comments

Lib Dem MPs flock to Facebook

By Mark Pack | Sun 11th February 2007 - 8:00 am

There’s been a flurry of Liberal Democrat MPs starting to use the social networking site Facebook in the last few weeks – including party leader Ming Campbell (the first UK party leader to do so, just as he was the first on Google Video and YouTube), Jo Swinson, Steve Webb, Stephen Williams and Lynne Featherstone.

Facebook used to only be open to students – and so there is a strong Lib Dem Youth and Student presence on it – but has recently been opened up to anyone.

If you are a Facebook user yourself or you …

Posted in Online politics | Also tagged facebook, lynne featherstone, Ming Campbell, stephen williams and steve webb | 3 Comments

Jo Swinson on our Scottish prospects

By Mark Pack | Fri 26th January 2007 - 1:00 pm

Posted in Lib Dem TV and News | 10 Comments

Candidate news: Lucy Care selected for Derby North

By the founding editor | Tue 16th January 2007 - 1:35 pm

Derby Liberal Democrats have selected local councillor, Lucy Care to be their Parliamentary Spokesperson for the new Derby North constituency.

At the selection meeting on Saturday, party members overwhelmingly chose Lucy Care to be their prospective candidate for the next General Election, from a shortlist of three.

Lucy Care said “I am delighted by this vote of confidence in me by my party colleagues. We have shown again and again that the Lib Dems can win locally, and next time it is likely that voters in Derby will elect a Lib Dem MP. I have lived here most of my life; my family use local health services and my school-aged children attended local schools. I therefore know how important it is to have good local services.

“I have worked hard for local people and the city in my years as a councillor, but I know that we need changes nationally to get the changes people want in Derby. For example, we need to give our doctors and nurses more freedom to treat patients according to their professional judgement, instead of being driven by government targets. Pupils need freeing from being taught just to pass tests at school, and local people should be given more power over planning decisions.

Posted in Selection news | 1 Comment

Cosmo backs Swinson

By the founding editor | Wed 8th November 2006 - 9:00 am

FFF

Jo Swinson, MP for East Dunbartonshire, has been honored with a National Award in The Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Female Awards with Olay. The initiative, launched earlier this year, celebrates women with the FFF factor – smart, passionate and inspirational women from a variety of backgrounds, who have been truly inspirational and not afraid to break boundaries, be at the top of their field and help those in need.

Jo Swinson, who, at 26 years old, is the youngest MP in the House of Commons, attended the glittering Awards ceremony …

Posted in News | Leave a comment

Voice Podcast: Climate change march

By the founding editor | Sun 5th November 2006 - 7:27 pm

The latest Lib Dem Voice Podcast is an account of the Grosvenor Square to Trafalgar Square march, including a group interview with Chris Huhne, Simon Hughes, Ed Davey and Jo Swinson.

If you want to skip my guff, and jump straight to the interview it’s at 4:51 in.

This is my first serious attempt at Podcasting – so please be vicious in your criticism, and tell me bluntly what’s hot and what’s not!

You can find out more about the Lib Dem Green Tax Switch at www.greentaxswitch.com

Subscribe to Podcasts …

Posted in Podcasts | Also tagged chris huhne, climate march, ed davey and simon hughes | 2 Comments

Lib Dem Voice climate march Podcast coming soon

By the founding editor | Sat 4th November 2006 - 4:57 pm

Podcast coming soon, just as soon as:

I fix my PC, which is the only thing that can get the audio off my minidisc recorder
I work out how to cover the fact that I was on one march with a bunch of Trots, while every single other Liberal Democrat was on another march. I have some script writing to do…

When the Podcast does come, it contains a nice interview with Chris Huhne, Jo Swinson, Ed Davey and Simon Hughes.

Then, given a choice between interviewing my fellow grass roots members to capture their thoughts in the cold, or retiring to …

Posted in News | Also tagged chris huhne, ed davey and simon hughes | 5 Comments

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Tag Archives: Jo Swinson

How the MPs are lining up (UPDATED)

Opinion: What to do about excess packaging

Swinson: Tories’ anti-gay actions speak louder than words

Lib Dems attack Tories on gay rights record

What Lib Dem MPs will be reading this summer

Opinion: So just how strongly did the Lib Dems oppose the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill?

Lib Dem MPs flock to Facebook

Jo Swinson on our Scottish prospects

Candidate news: Lucy Care selected for Derby North

Cosmo backs Swinson

Voice Podcast: Climate change march

Lib Dem Voice climate march Podcast coming soon

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Josh Babarinde writes…The Lib Dem Summer of Strategy

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What’s going on with party strategy?

A strange but welcome feeling

Tag Archives: Jo Swinson

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