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Tag Archives: linda jack

So how was it for you……..the highlights and lowlights?

By Linda Jack | Fri 24th September 2010 - 8:00 pm

As I mentioned earlier, conference is always a mixture of emotions, but none more so than this year. I thought it would be fun if we could do a meme in the comments thread and answer the following questions:

The funniest moment

The saddest moment

The most embarrassing moment (OK, so I know its only me has them!)

The most challenging moment

The moment I will remember most

And please feel free to add to the list.

My answers? You’ll have to wait until the end of the day for those!

And to start with I’m tagging Helen Duffett 🙂

Posted in Conference and LDV meme | Also tagged guest editor and helen duffett | 9 Comments

Opinion: Perspective – my thoughts on the Liberal Democrat conference

By Prateek Buch | Fri 24th September 2010 - 6:39 pm

Oblivion; rebellion; split; tension. Words that the media reporting on the recent Lib Dem conference – and gosh weren’t there a lot of cameras, reporters and microphones present? – used both before and during the last few days in Liverpool – and crucially, words that were largely conspicuous by their absence inside the arena. Not a surprise given that large parts of the media, and the pubic too perhaps, is still coping with having a democratic, pluralist party at the heart of government. My word of the week, in contrast is perspective – and here’s why.

Paul Reynolds has written …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged counterfactuals and guest editor | 2 Comments

Simon Says – So what did our Deputy Leader make of Conference?

By Linda Jack | Fri 24th September 2010 - 5:36 pm

Simon Hughes has been walking an oil sodden, slippery, wobbly tightrope since he took on the role of Deputy Leader. I have to say I have been impressed at the way he has managed to rattle equally the right and left wing press while managing the balancing act with aplomb! It is a frighteningly difficult task and one that is crucial to get right. I may not always agree with him but I am hugely grateful and reassured by his being there. I think one of his undoubted attributes is to be able to listen and take back concerns, whether …

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Posted in Blogger Interviews | Also tagged guest editor, interview and simon hughes | 1 Comment

Opinion: Looking through the tea leaves of Liverpool

By Mark Littlewood | Fri 24th September 2010 - 4:50 pm

What a strange few months it’s been for the Liberal Democrats. In Bournemouth a year ago, few LibDems would have truly believed that this was to be their last annual conference in opposition.

My sense of the mood in Liverpool this year was that it matched the political and economic times we live in. Serious, but somewhat apprehensive. There seemed a lot of quiet satisfaction – although never smugness – that there were Liberal Democrats in government, but a nervousness about what the “end game” might be.

A few things truly surprised me. Support for the principle of entering Coalition with the Conservatives was close to unanimous. A straw poll at the IEA’s fringe meeting showed about 95% felt that Nick Clegg had made the right decision in those tense few days after the General Election. The national media were, of course, on the look out for any sign of coalition-fatigue, but seemed initially disappointed – and then rather impressed – about the absence of much strategic dissent.

But looking through the tea leaves of Liverpool, there are some longer term issues which the party will have to address.

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Posted in Conference and Op-eds | Also tagged coalition, free schools, guest editor, nick clegg and vince cable | 10 Comments

Opinion: The last chance saloon on diversity?

By Meral Ece | Fri 24th September 2010 - 3:24 pm

I went to conference expecting something entirely different, perhaps influenced by the daily articles and news reports, that this conference was going to be like no other. That there was much unrest, and even anger amongst the Party’s ranks. Instead I found myself amongst many Lib Dem party members and friends who were upbeat and positive.

I didn’t speak to anyone – nor as far as I can gather did the media – who was vehemently opposed to the Coalition Government. Yes, this conference was like no other. It was the largest conference we’ve ever had, and our Leader is …

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Posted in Conference and Op-eds | Also tagged diversity, emld, equalities, guest editor, lynne featherstone, nick clegg, operation black vote, simon hughes, simon woolley and vince cable | 21 Comments

Lib Dems GAIN Ipplepen, Teignbridge from Conservatives

By Helen Duffett | Fri 24th September 2010 - 2:53 pm

Congratulations to new Liberal Democrat councillor Alistair Dewhirst at Ipplepen, Teignbridge District Council.

The Liberal Democrats gained the seat with a massive 34% swing from the Tories following the death of the previous councillor.

Turnout was up too, and high for a council by-election: 58.7% compared with 52% in the main elections in 2007.

Central Devon Liberal Democrats are also reporting an increase in party membership.

The result:

Lib Dem Alistair Dewhirst …

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Posted in Council by-elections | Also tagged alistair dewhirst, guest editor, ipplepen and teignbridge | 10 Comments

Making LGBT History – An Interview with Adrian Trett

By Linda Jack | Fri 24th September 2010 - 1:38 pm

Adrian Trett is Chair of DELGA, the person responsible for the Equal Marriage motion and someone I am proud to call a dear friend. Following the success of the motion I interviewed Adrian about his feelings about conference in general and the motion in particular

Q: What was your overall impression of conference?

A: I was really pleased, I thought it was exhilarating, everyone was so enthusiastic. On the way to conference I thought there may be arguments, but I found it to be a pleasing atmosphere and was thrilled to be there.

Q: How did you feel when you left?

A: I left …

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Posted in Conference and Op-eds | Also tagged delga, gay marriage and guest editor | 4 Comments

Opinion: Nobody ever said government was easy

By John Howson | Fri 24th September 2010 - 11:59 am

I attended my first Liberal Party Conference at Blackpool in 1968, in the days when our MPs could all fit in a taxi, rather than needing a rather large bus. Work in education prevented me attending regularly again until 1998, but I have been at every autumn conference since.

For those with long memories, 1998 was the year of the community school motion when, despite an impassioned speech by Phil Willis, the leadership lost the day, just as they did with amendment 2 on Monday: more about that later.

When I arrived in Liverpool on Friday afternoon, I detected a palpable …

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Posted in Conference and Op-eds | Also tagged guest editor | 5 Comments

Opinion: Subtly different

By Paul Reynolds | Fri 24th September 2010 - 10:54 am

The Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference this year was subtly different from all others I have attended.

Being part of the Coalition of course meant a larger UK and international press contingent, and a greater diplomatic representation from around the globe. Lib Dem ministers talked of the problems of persuading their Conservative colleagues of the benefits of key Lib Dem policies and approaches, as well as the more general problems of working with the slippery inflexibilities of government administration.

However by far the more significant difference was for me something unseen, almost unconscious. It affected every conversation, every fringe meeting, and …

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Posted in Conference and Op-eds | Also tagged guest editor | Leave a comment

So how was it for you?

By Linda Jack | Fri 24th September 2010 - 9:05 am

Well fellow Lib Dems, Bloggers and Tweeps… what did you make of conference then? Having been granted the honour of being “Guest Editor” (quaking in me boots it has to be said!) I thought, given the timing, it may be an opportunity to reflect on the last week in Liverpool.

What I want to do is to try and get a feel from members across the spectrum of our party, has conference left them feeling uplifted, confused, motivated, anxious, hopeful, proud?
I hope what follows today, especially for those of you who weren’t there, will give you a bit of …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged academies, free schools, guest editor, nick harvey, social liberal forum and trident | 27 Comments

Linda Jack to guest editor Liberal Democrat Voice tomorrow

By Mark Pack | Thu 23rd September 2010 - 3:25 pm

Tomorrow we’ve got a new guest editor running the site for a day, well known Lib Dem blogger Linda Jack. She’s the second in a series of guest editors, with Mark Valladares having been the first and several more lined up over the next couple of months.

If anyone else would like to be a guest editor for the day, please drop an email to [email protected] with some details of your blogging or editing experience.

Posted in Site news | Also tagged guest editor | 1 Comment

Nick Clegg Q&A: the Lib Dem Voice live-blog

By Stephen Tall | Sun 19th September 2010 - 2:55 pm

Nick Clegg has just taken to the podium to take questions from the floor…

2.52 pm… First up is Linda Jack, who asks, “Can I still trust you with my party?”

Yes of course you can, says Nick. We’ve restored the pensions link, taken 900,000 people out of income tax, imposed a bank levy, addressed capital gains, etc. “There’s nothing fair or socially just about asking our chldren or grandchildren to pay off our debts.”

2.55 pm… Linda comes back: I don’t see enough to deal with young people or poverty or inequality in the Coalition agreement. You can share power with others, …

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Posted in Conference | Also tagged chirstine brett, nick clegg and qassim afzal | 5 Comments

Help Linda Jack defeat Nadine Dorries

By Mark Pack | Mon 19th April 2010 - 3:20 pm

Linda Jack needs at 12% swing to beat Nadine Dorries in Mid-Bedfordshire. That’s a tough target – but by no means impossible (see seats such as Hornsey & Wood Green last time), especially given the party’s poll boost in recent days. To turn the possibility into reality Linda’s campaign needs more funds to help run an even more intensive grassroots effort in the second half of the campaign:

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Posted in News | Also tagged mid-bedfordshire and nadine dorries | 6 Comments

Lib Dem Linda aims to kick Nads out of Parliament

By Stephen Tall | Tue 13th April 2010 - 8:30 pm

LDV readers may have already seen Lib Dem candidate Linda Jack‘s advertising campaign video aimed at raising funds to unseat controversial Tory MP Nadine Dorries in Mid-Bedfordshire. Launched today, Linda’s ad will appear on leading political blogs and web sites to raise funds, as well as those searching for Nadine Dorries on Google.

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Posted in General Election, Online politics and YouTube | Also tagged mid-bedfordshire and nadine dorries | 11 Comments

Lib Dem Bloggers Christmas stocking fillers … Part III

By Stephen Tall | Fri 11th December 2009 - 10:30 am

If you could choose up to three items for your Christmas stocking, what would they be? That was the question LDV posed to a group of Lib Dem bloggers. All this week we’re revealing what they told us, with all their choices added to the Amazon carousel widget featured on our home-page, referral fees from which will help support Lib Dem Voice: so get clicking and ordering. You can read Part I here and Part II here. In the final part, three more bloggers – Mark Thompson, Mark Valladares, Linda Jack and, erm, me – give …

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Posted in News | Also tagged mark thompson, mark valladares and stephen tall | 1 Comment

Daily View 2×2: 30 October 2009

By Helen Duffett | Fri 30th October 2009 - 10:54 am

2 Big Stories

Ministry of Justice plans to cut polling day costs

Thousands of polling stations would be closed and voting hours reduced under a plan to cut the cost of elections.

Other proposals include cutting staff, replacing polling cards with e-mail requests, increasing candidates’ deposits, fixed-term parliaments and reducing security at election counts.

The options, outlined in a working paper drawn up by the Ministry of Justice for the Treasury, are designed to save up to £65 million. They were condemned last night as a “threat to democracy that would save peanuts”. (Times)

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Posted in Daily View | Also tagged nadine dorries, nick griffin, stephen glenn and tony blair | 1 Comment

Policy development – mainstreaming equalities!

By Issan Ghazni | Sat 19th September 2009 - 8:30 am

If you have been reading your papers for conference, you might have noticed something new. Tucked away at the back of the policy papers is a page headed ‘Policy Equality Impact Assessment’. If you work in the public sector, you may already be familiar with these, as they have been compulsory in schools, hospitals and other public institutions for some time now. As a political party, we are not expected to complete such assessments as a matter of course, but have started to introduce them as a sign of our own commitment to the principles of diversity, equality …

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Posted in Conference and Party policy and internal matters | Also tagged debbie enver and federal policy committee | Leave a comment

Daily View 2×2: 23 July 2009

By Alex Foster | Thu 23rd July 2009 - 8:00 am

Good morning. You join us here on LDV as we wish happy birthday to Philip Seymour Hoffman and Michael Foot, and as the nation of Egypt and the Rastafarians commemorate the birth of Haile Selassie.

It’s also polling day in Norwich North. Will April Pond become the 64th Lib Dem MP? Will we make our second by-election gain in the 2005 Parliament? Find out first on twitter – as the blogosphere’s reporter on the spot Nich Starling will report, live from the Norfolk Showground.

Two big news stories

Kingsnorth tactics criticised
The Guardian reports the report into police behaviour at …

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Posted in Daily View | Also tagged april pond, david howarth, fpc, fresh start, isle of wight, kingsnorth, mark reckons, nick clegg, norwich north and wind turbines | 6 Comments

Lib Dem bloggers’ summer reading (Part II)

By Stephen Tall | Mon 20th July 2009 - 6:00 pm

To read Part I, published yesterday, click HERE.

For me, it’s the most difficult decision of the year – which books to take with me on holiday. So, I thought, what could be better than to pick the brains of my fellow Lib Dem bloggers, and ask them to select just two: one should be a political book – whether you want to re-read it, or try something new you’ve been recommended. The other should be your own choice of summer reading – the book you’re most looking forward to reading (again, could be something new or something old). Here’s what they said:

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Posted in Books | Also tagged james graham, jonathan calder and mark thompson | 5 Comments