Tag Archives: liberal democrat leadership

Caron Lindsay

The first key difference in the Liberal Democrat leadership race emerges

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 24th May 2015 - 2:15 pm

So, we have a key difference between the two contenders in our two horse leadership race.

While settling down for Eurovision last night, I asked both if they were watching. Tim was going to watch with his family today as his kids are a bit too young to stay up that late. Norman was making his way back home after a day of campaigning in London. When that was established, I asked them a question of interest to many Liberal Democrats. Doctor Who – yes or no. Here are the responses in the order in which they were received:

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Guy Burton

Opinion: What sort of leadership do the Lib Dems need?

By Guy Burton | Fri 22nd May 2015 - 8:55 am

Attention for many Lib Dems is now turning to the leadership election: the relative merits of the two candidates, their personal histories and political preferences.  This reflects the traditional approach to leadership: what is it that makes an individual a ‘great’ man or woman?

Particularly useful for understanding how leaders act is the dichotomy between ‘transformative’ and ‘transactional’ leadership.  Transformational leaders tend to be seen as ‘active’: not only do they have a clear vision, but they also innovate by undertaking political change. In many ways they challenge their followers by acting independently of them; Paddy Ashdown’s abandonment of equidistance in 1992 may have been just such a case. Transactional leadership may be ‘passive’ but this doesn’t mean that it is means standing still. It can be incremental, building steadily on previous changes. Charles Kennedy’s leadership was probably an example of this.

However, leadership doesn’t operate in a vacuum. In political science we pay attention to the wider context or environment that leaders have to work within.  These may be close, like the leader’s ‘followers’ (party membership), or they may be more distant, such as the political order (constitution, composition of government, etc) and wider social and economic forces underpinning it.

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NewsHound

Tim Farron talks to Pink News about his record on LGBT issues, disestablishing the Church of England and the Lib Dems’ “massive embarrassment”

By NewsHound | Wed 20th May 2015 - 8:55 pm

Tim Farron has given an extensive interview to Pink News in which he directly addresses his voting record on LGBT issues and announces some key policy initiatives he wants to take forward.

His three ideas are:

One, when it comes to the equal marriage legislation, I think we really missed a trick on trans issues. On the spousal veto, I think it’s an appalling thing that one person is allowed to block another person’s freedom. We should be making that a priority.

Secondly, it strikes me as deeply troubling is that there was no regulation of psychotherapists in the UK for quack conversion therapy.

Thirdly, we’ve got to end the gay blood ban, which is a disgrace. My pledge to you is that my first opposition day bill will be getting rid of the gay blood ban. All of these things need to be based on the science, not on prejudice.

One issue which has been widely discussed in recent days on social media is the fact that he voted against the motion to give time and money to the Same Sex Marriage Bill, although he never actually opposed the Bill itself, voting in favour at second reading and abstaining at third reading.

He says it’s because he was unhappy that there was insufficient time to fully scrutinise several aspects of it:

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NewsHound

Norman Lamb praised by Guardian for his work as care minister

By NewsHound | Wed 20th May 2015 - 7:48 pm

There’s praise in the Guardian for Norman Lamb’s work on mental health and for his efforts on social care. They assess him as a good but not a great minister – although they then go on to make pretty clear that the things he couldn’t deliver were because they were blocked by the Tories. Norman’s judgement on what needed to be done seems to have been pretty much exemplary:

First, on mental health:

Once in post, Lamb threw himself into the role with gusto. He combined a heavy Westminster workload – not least ensuring passage of the watershed Care Act – with a remorseless programme of visits to observe care practice and engage with professionals, carers and people who use services. He always seemed accessible: approached by strangers on the train from his North Norfolk constituency to London, he would happily set aside his papers and chat.

Ray James, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, says: “Norman combined insight and integrity to help ensure a landmark piece of social care legislation was delivered with people across the sector. The time he took to listen to those working at the frontline was always invaluable and appreciated. He can look back knowing that he made a difference.”

One difference that Lamb undoubtedly made, or at least helped in no small part to make, was the greatly enhanced profile of mental health. Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, describes him as “a fantastic advocate” who was clearly passionate about the cause. “As minister, he was involved in a number of key drives to improve mental health services, from the crisis care concordat to the introduction of the first waiting times and access standards for mental health.”

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Daisy Cooper MP

Daisy Cooper writes… Building a diverse party: my challenge to leadership candidates

By Daisy Cooper MP | Sun 17th May 2015 - 8:54 am

Last year, I ran for Party President on a platform of party reform, with a focus on diversity. Now that all eight of our remaining MPs are white, middle-aged, middle class men, that reform agenda is even more important than before.

I’m asking both declared leadership candidates – Tim Farron and Norman Lamb – whether and to what extent they will commit to these achievable measures.

1. Will you promise to take a zero tolerance approach to inappropriate behaviour, insisting that all elected representatives and everyone in your team has a “responsibility to act” on any and all anecdotal and substantive evidence that reaches them?

2. Will you promise to appoint at least one recognised senior Disability Activist, as a spokesperson for the party (possibly as a Peer)? This person may well be required to speak out against Tory cuts that could impact disproportionately on disabled people.

3. Will you promise to support a motion to Conference to ring-fence money to support the election of at least one BAME candidate to Parliament in 2020, or similar ideas towards the same goal?

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Zack Polanski

Opinion: Fury and the future

By Zack Polanski | Sat 16th May 2015 - 11:55 am

I’m furious.

It’s not an ideal place to begin to write a blog but I imagine it can be harnessed effectively by it’s conclusion.

I’m furious. Thankfully not at the electorate which is always a hiding to nothing. No, it’s mainly with a Tory party that has managed to sneak away with winning an election whilst avoiding being held truly accountable.

We know they will make £12 billion of welfare cuts yet they managed to avoid telling us which of the most vulnerable are most likely to be hit.

I’m furious at a Tory party who played the politics of nationalism and remember that only one day after the Scottish referendum, Cameron was talking the language of division over English votes for English laws.

And fury simply turns into incredulity when we see that Michael Gove is now the Minister responsible for justice.

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Tim Farron MP

Tim Farron MP writes…It’s time to make a fresh start

By Tim Farron MP | Sat 16th May 2015 - 9:00 am

This is a critical moment for our party and for our country. The general election was won through the politics of fear. But we need to be honest: we failed to make a strong enough case for liberal values. Now we face a new and greater challenge: to show that we are still relevant, to speak what we believe, and to prove that we matter. In a crowded political market dominated by negativity, we have to be clear about the beliefs and philosophy that set us apart.

This is a process which needs to involve the whole party, not just its leader. But this is what I believe.

As my hero William Beveridge once wrote, ‘Liberalism is a faith, not a formula’. The core of my liberalism is a belief in the essential goodness of men and women, an optimistic confidence in the capacity of ordinary people to make the most of their lives, fulfil their talents and realise their dreams. I believe it is the duty of government to make this possible – to create the conditions in which individuals and their communities can flourish.

Individuals can best pursue their dreams when they can control their own destinies. That means being free to act on their own values and commitments. A state that constantly interferes with personal life stifles individuality and demotivates people. But most people also need the support and respect of the communities they live in to be able to form and act on their own plans of life. Only a more equal society can provide the stable base most people need to succeed.

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Norman Lamb MP

Norman Lamb MP writes…We can’t wait another 5 years to have a woman in the party leadership

By Norman Lamb MP | Fri 15th May 2015 - 7:15 pm

The campaign for the leadership of our party is now underway and I am excited by the prospect and humbled by the many messages of support and encouragement I have received.

However as a party we need to look at how we operate and what we look like to the outside world. One issue, in particular, now has an urgency to it which we can’t ignore. We have danced around gender imbalance at the highest levels for too long ….. and I am not prepared to wait a further five years before women are able to feature at the leadership level. Given that there were no women elected to the House of Commons and so no woman can stand for the leadership, I believe it is essential that the deputy leader is a woman.

Consequently, as leader I will immediately propose to the federal executive that we should move to elect a Deputy Leader who is not required to be a member of the House of Commons, but who will play a major role as one of the party’s leading voices and campaigners. She could be one of the former or future colleagues mentioned below; a peer, a member of a devolved chamber or the European Parliament; a leading councillor or seasoned campaigner.

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Tim Farron MP

Tim Farron MP writes… Why I’m standing for leader..to be the vigorous liberal voice Britain needs

By Tim Farron MP | Thu 14th May 2015 - 11:58 am

As I’ve written in The Independent, last week’s election results still leave me feeling numb. The Liberal Democrats are not a political machine but a human family, made up of dear friends and colleagues, striving together in a common cause. Which is why the loss of so many excellent MPs, councillors and staff is not just a political catastrophe but also a personal heartbreak.

Liberalism and liberal values are under threat from a triumphalist Tory party in hock to its right wing and from the forces of nationalism and isolationism. No one can rely on a Labour ‘opposition’ who have never got it on civil liberties, immigration, Iraq or a new politics. Liberal Democrats need to pick ourselves up and lead the fight.

This will be a tough challenge, but liberals have done it before. We came back from near oblivion in the 1950s and ‘60s to challenge the Tory–Labour stranglehold on power, building on our local roots, fighting alongside local campaigners to make life better in a myriad of little ways for individuals and their communities. As an activist and councillor and MP I’ve been part of that endeavour all my political life.

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