Sixteen years ago today, a new website appeared on the scene. Liberal Democrat Voice’s first piece suggested Simon Hughes was “certain” to be challenged for the Party Presidency.
Word reaches the Voice that weeks before the position had been advertised in Lib Dem News, party officials in Cowley Street received a call requesting a copy of the nomination papers for party President – the caller was not acting on behalf of Simon Hughes.
Word also reaches us that one potential candidate is positioning himself to blitz Autumn Conference with an army of supporters bearing nomination papers, to seize the momentum.
A Presidential contest is no bad thing – though there is an argument that there are better ways to spend the money. The Voice has been told that a proposal is being put to the Federal Executive to double the campaign expenditure limit – to £5000 per candidate.
Since then, we have been there in excellent, good, bad and absolutely bloody awful times. We’ve published 34033 posts and 491588 comments.
The make-up of the team has changed a lot over the years, but it has always put a huge amount of time and effort into bringing you a flavour of liberal ideas and news about what’s going on in the party. I am particularly grateful to the current team, Mark, Mary, Andy, Charley as creative, imaginative and eloquent day editors, Tom Arms our insightful foreign affairs editor and Ryan and Alex who keep the site running and bills paid. I’ve not been well this past wee while and they have been brilliant at keeping the site going.
Thank you, too, for reading and contributing to the site. If you haven’t written for us before, check out our guidelines for writers here.
Here’s a highlight from each year to mark our Sweet 16.