Tag Archives: lynne featherstone

Alex Foster

LDV’s Conference fringe events #ldconf

By Alex Foster | Wed 9th September 2009 - 10:00 am

Lib Dem Voice at Conference

As ever the LDV team will be providing as full coverage as we can from the conference, including reportage, podcasts and as much as possible to make conference accessible and participatory for those not able to join us in Bournemouth.

We will also be hosting four fringe events, all of which will be recorded and podcast as mini-radio shows here on LDV. The rooms are booked and topics selected, and we can now give you full information on our confirmed speakers. The details are as follows:

…

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Stephen Tall

Revealed: the three blogs Lib Dem MPs respect

By Stephen Tall | Tue 8th September 2009 - 8:40 pm

Iain Dale has the results of a ComRes survey of 151 MPs (undertaken back in April-May this year) to find out which journalists and which bloggers they most respect. Here are the findings:

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Posted in News and Online politics | Also tagged , , and | 8 Comments
Stephen Tall

Daily View 2×2: 7 September 2009

By Stephen Tall | Mon 7th September 2009 - 9:45 am

2 Big Stories

Government’s Libya policy: confusion reigns

The mounting government confusion over its policy towards Libya continues today.

First we had the Prime Minister’s refusal to make a comment on the release of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi; then it emerged that Gordon Brown had let it be known he agreed with the Scottish executive’s decision; over the weekend Justice Secretary Jack Straw acknowledged the obvious – that government policy was strongly influenced by trade and oil.

And now it emerges that Mr Brown is stepping up British attempts to win compensation for the victims of the bombing:

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Posted in Daily View | Also tagged , , , and | 1 Comment
Alex Foster

Top MP blogs published

By Alex Foster | Tue 18th August 2009 - 3:49 pm

TotalPolitics (in association with Iain Dale) now have published their list of top MP blogs, as voted for by over 1500 readers.

In the top 30 are Lynne Featherstone, Willie Rennie, John Hemming, Steve Webb, and John Barrett.

Only one party leader features in the list, and that’s Nick Clegg.

Posted in News and Online politics | Also tagged , , , , and | 1 Comment
James Graham

Looking beyond the Lib Dem ghetto

By James Graham | Sun 16th August 2009 - 10:20 am

The Lib Dems have always selected their candidates by “one member one vote” (OMOV). It has always seemed the most logical and transparently fair system, and it is certainly better than having candidates hand-picked by an inner cabal. It still does a fairly good job at selecting candidates for the House of Commons, although as membership levels drop that is becoming less true. But it has been quite inadequate for selecting candidates for larger constituencies, particularly for the European Parliament and London Assembly.

Here’s the fundamental problem: a significant proportion of our members are concentrated in our held and target constituencies. Target seats become target seats because they have a larger pool of activists from which to draw. In turn, in order to become winning seats they have to recruit more activists. The more tightly we focus on target seats, as the Lib Dems certainly have for the past two decades, the more the gap between target seat and what we sometimes euphemistically call “development seats” widens.

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged and | 24 Comments
Mark Pack

Whether you are left or right handed shapes our judgments of good and bad, smart and stupid

By Mark Pack | Fri 14th August 2009 - 8:50 am

This from Newsweek:

Memo to restaurant owners: if there are particular dishes you want more customers to order, list them on the right side of the menu…

Simply put, we associate the side of space where we’re clumsier with bad, stupid, dishonest, unhappy and other negative qualities, finds Daniel Casasanto of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands.

In a series of five clever studies, reported Aug. 1 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, he had university students take tests probing their unconscious attitudes toward the left and right side of the world. In one, 219 students from Stanford University and the University of California, Riverside, were told that a cartoon character loves zebras but hates pandas (or vice versa).

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Posted in Op-eds | 4 Comments
Mark Pack

Even The Sun covers a Lib Dem press release today

By Mark Pack | Thu 13th August 2009 - 8:06 pm

I suspect it may in part have been because it gave them a chance to take a pop at Harriet Harman – but there’s big coverage in The Sun, and other media, today for figures collated by the Liberal Democrats about the gender pay gap in central government:

Official figures show female civil servants are paid up to A THIRD less than male colleagues.

The revelations are an embarrassment to the party’s self-styled women’s champion Harriet Harman.

She has vowed to close the gap between the sexes – and has threatened to name and shame firms who give men more.

Furious critics last night

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Posted in News | Also tagged and | 2 Comments
Mark Pack

Less than 1 in 16 rapes result in a conviction

By Mark Pack | Wed 5th August 2009 - 8:00 pm

Another part of the party’s policy paper ‘Real Women’ has been released to the media today, highlighting the shocking news that the already dreadfully low rate of conviction for rapes has fallen even further:

Fewer than one in 16 rapes reported to the police results in a conviction in court, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. Figures revealed in a Parliamentary answer show that the conviction rate has fallen from less than one in 13 in 1998.

The Liberal Democrats have today called for up to 15 more Rape Crisis Centres to be opened across the country, and for more money

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Posted in News and Party policy and internal matters | 33 Comments
Stephen Tall

LDV readers say: almost half believe anonymous job applications “an unnecessary measure”

By Stephen Tall | Thu 16th July 2009 - 10:00 am

A couple of weeks ago, Lib Dem Voice highlighted Lynne Featherstone’s campaign to make it mandatory for all written job applications to be anonymous, in order to eliminate any subconscious discrimination employers might harbour when they (eg) see a name which suggests the applicant is foreign, old, etc. LDV posed readers the simple question: Do you support the idea of job applications being made anonymous?

Here’s what you told us:

  • 31% (79 votes) – Yes, it should be made mandatory for all businesses to remove all discrimination
  • 17% (44) – Yes, but it should be voluntary not mandatory for businesses
  • 48% (124) –

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Helen Duffett

Nick Clegg at Reuters: the highlights #askclegg

By Helen Duffett | Tue 14th July 2009 - 11:51 pm

Nick Clegg received hundreds of questions yesterday during his “Ask Clegg” event with Reuters. It was an online version of the Lib Dem leader’s Town Hall meetings, where members of the public were invited to ask Nick any question they liked.

These were received in a variety of ways, including via the Reuters website, on Twitter and even from Christian Payne (aka @Documentally) in the back of a London cab:

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Helen Duffett

Nick live online now in virtual Town Hall Meeting #askclegg

By Helen Duffett | Mon 13th July 2009 - 1:18 pm

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg is taking questions live now at an online social media event at Reuters.

Watch here, but most importantly, put your questions to him!

You can do this at the Reuters website, or via Twitter – remember to include the hashtag #askclegg in your tweets so that they will be picked up and passed on.

I’m at Lib Dem HQ with Lynne Featherstone MP, chair of the Liberal Democrat Technology Board, and we’ll be passing on questions from grassroots activists gathered here.

You can also ask questions in the comments thread below – until 2pm today.

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Posted in News and Online politics | Also tagged | 1 Comment
Helen Duffett

Join Nick Clegg online for The Great Debate

By Helen Duffett | Thu 9th July 2009 - 2:31 pm

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Posted in Lib Dem TV, News, Online politics and YouTube | Also tagged , , , and | 1 Comment
Stephen Tall

NEW POLL: is it time to make job applications anonymous?

By Stephen Tall | Thu 2nd July 2009 - 10:00 am

Followers of Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone’s blog can’t have failed to notice her latest campaign – to bring in mandatory anonymous job applications “to end the subliminal discrimination that creeps in with some applications being discarded because of the names on them.” Specifically Lynne wants employers to remove names and replace them with a number on application letters/forms – otherwise “we end up with people not being discarded from the first sift of applications because their name shows they are black, female or old”. Lynne explained further:

… initial findings are of significant discrimination. And whilst it is

…

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Posted in Voice polls | Also tagged and | 20 Comments
Helen Duffett

Daily View 2×2: 29 June 2009

By Helen Duffett | Mon 29th June 2009 - 11:42 am

2 Big Stories

Gordon Brown plans to spend his way back into Number 10
From the Telegraph:

Mr Brown’s determination to boost spending on frontline services will be underlined with the launch of his much vaunted national plan for public services on Monday.

His Building Britain’s Future document includes a number of proposals which will require significant Government spending.

Peter Mandelson, however, has emphasised that the money will come from a “reprioritising of expenditure both within and between departments”:

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It may be a disappointment to you that we are not going to hold a spending review now

…

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Mark Thompson

Twitter and the rise of new media

By Mark Thompson | Sat 20th June 2009 - 1:55 pm

Something fascinating happened yesterday. I was browsing through one of the internet forums I regularly visit when I noticed someone posting that people should go to the Daily Mail poll page on their website and vote yes to the poll that asks “Should gypsies jump the queue on the NHS?” in order to mess with them.

When I got to the page and duly voted “Yes” I was astonished to see that the poll was at 93% Yes and 7% No. The forum I refer to has nowhere near enough people to make a dent in the thousands who vote in …

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Posted in News and Online politics | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , and | 8 Comments
Helen Duffett

Which party’s winning on the web?

By Helen Duffett | Fri 19th June 2009 - 9:20 am

PR Week has a piece comparing the online strategies of the UK’s three main political parties. With a nod or two towards Obama’s use of social media, the article presents a report card on each party, compiled by their panel of experts.

Each party is examined on its approach, key players, leader and the involvement of MPs and grassroots.

The Conservatives are found to have “attracted the most plaudits so far,” while Labour’s “command and control mentality” is said to be hampering their efforts.

The verdict on the Liberal Democrats is that our “overall understanding of social media is impressive” but that …

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Posted in Online politics | Also tagged , , , , , and | 3 Comments
Alex Foster

Cometh the hour, cometh PR?

By Alex Foster | Tue 26th May 2009 - 2:32 pm

It’s quiet in LDV Towers this afternoon as all the responsible editors have day job responsibilties.

We can always tell when we’re not talking about something our readers want to have their say on, because you kindly have your say on it anyway on whatever was the top post.

And today’s topic is clearly Call Me Dave’s speech on parliamentary reform, in which he sets out a series of Lib Dem policy proposals and pretends they’re new.  There’s no zealot like a recently converted zealot, but hang on a minute, Dave?  Power to the people?  Small government?  All of that is Liberalism 101, the first chapter from An Intelligent Person’s Guide to Liberalism.  We’ve long held it dear, and we simply don’t believe you when we hear it from your lips.

As Lynne Featherstone said earlier today on her blog

There is stuff that Cameron’s said which I agree with – as you would expect given that many of the ‘ideas’ he puts forward in today’s Guardian are long-standing Liberal Democrat policies! Fixed-term parliaments, reducing of the power of the executive, cutting the number of MPs, devolving power to councils and empowering individuals. Transparency and accountability – definitely. Shame Cameron has had to be dragged kicking and screaming on these. But – to be fair – at least he is going out there.

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Posted in News | Also tagged , , , , , and | 18 Comments
Helen Duffett

Lynne Featherstone asks: who should be the next Speaker?

By Helen Duffett | Fri 22nd May 2009 - 1:47 pm

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, is asking readers of her blog for their views on who the next Commons Speaker should be:

I just don’t want it to be the traditional kind of same old same old that went before. If there was ever an opportunity for change and reform – this is the start of it.

Read more at Lynne’s Parliament and Haringey Diary.

Posted in News | 3 Comments
Helen Duffett

Three “saintly” Liberal Democrat MPs #MPexpenses

By Helen Duffett | Mon 18th May 2009 - 6:16 pm

The Telegraph has canonised three Liberal Democrat MPs (for what that’s worth) because they have not made claims for second homes:

Sarah Teather’s balance sheet has a column of zeroes, as does fellow London MP Lynne Featherstone’s, here.

David Howarth, whose Cambridge constituency is a significant commuting distance from London, is also listed.

It’s worth noting that none of the Liberal Democrat MPs from London constituencies claim an allowance for a second home, but it’s still good to see the Telegraph including Lib Dems in their praise.

Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 8 Comments
Mark Pack

First reactions to the Speaker’s statement on #MPexpenses

By Mark Pack | Mon 18th May 2009 - 3:42 pm

Two Liberal Democrat MPs have twittered their views on Michael Martin’s statement:

@joswinson resisting even debating the no confidence motion is the wrong path to take, this problem won’t just go away #MPexpenses

@lfeatherstone Speaker does not get it Another mtg is not the answer #MPexpenses

What’s your view? The comments thread awaits… (and by all means all post up links to any other responses you spot).

Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 14 Comments
Mark Pack

Baby P’s death “could and should” have been stopped

By Mark Pack | Sat 2nd May 2009 - 12:33 am

The awful news about the second case of child abuse involving someone Haringey Council was meant to be protecting – with the conviction of the boyfriend of Baby P’s mother for raping a two-year old – has rather pushed to one side the publication of the second Serious Case Review into Baby P’s death.

The original Serious Case Review concluded that essentially nothing too significant was done wrong by those involved in protecting Baby P, but was rapidly discredited once its finding were publicised. This new review paints a very different picture, including the key conclusion that the death of Baby

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The curious comparison of the seven North London MPs

By Hywel Morgan | Wed 25th March 2009 - 10:51 am

In exposing the actions Tony McNulty the Mail on Sunday produced an interesting table of the claims of Additional Cost Allowances made by MPs in outer London and the South East.

It makes interesting comparision when you compare the claims of MPs in neighbouring seats. The following MPs all represent seats that are a broadly comparable distance from Westminster. Yet the amounts they claim are vastly different.

MP Constituency ACA claim in the last 5  years+ Claims London Supplement?
Sarah Teather* (LD) Brent East £0 Yes
Dawn Butler** (LAB) Brent South £37,245
Rudi Vis (LAB) Finchley and Golders Green £32,211

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Posted in Op-eds and Parliament | Also tagged , , , , , and | 2 Comments
The Voice

Lib Dems urge Tories not to join with homophobes

By The Voice | Wed 18th March 2009 - 9:39 am

Lib Dem equalities spokesperson Lynne Featherstone has written to the Tories shadow foreign affairs spokesman William Hague asking him to clarify if his party intends to join forces with a Polish party in the European parliament known for its homophobic remarks. Politics.co.uk reports:

The party in question is called the Polish Law and Justice party. The Tories are being pulled towards them after leaving their grouping in the European parliament – the centre-right European People’s party. It was the culmination of a promise David Cameron made while running to be party leader, but he must now form a grouping with at least six other parties to earn EU recognition and funding.

But Liberal Democrats and Labour warned the party could easily be thrown into the arms of non-mainstream parties, putting them on “the lunatic fringe” of European politics. Senior politicians from the Law and Justice party have made homophobic statements, as well as describing Barack Obama’s election in the US as marking “the end of white man’s civilisation”, the Liberal Democrats said.

The full text of Lynne’s letter to Mr Hague is below:

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Posted in Europe / International and News | Also tagged , and | 3 Comments
Lynne Featherstone

Opinion: Why we should be learning lessons from Howard Dean

By Lynne Featherstone | Wed 18th February 2009 - 10:08 am

Howard Dean is coming to town! Barack Obama certainly has two up on him in the Presidential election stakes – Obama got the nomination and got the Presidency – but for many interested in the question of how best to engage with the public and with active supporters in the internet age, Howard Dean is the real inspiration.

What Obama did last year was truly impressive – but impressive in quality and scale and eloquence rather than in innovation. When it came to breaking new ground in picking technologies to use and structuring a campaign around involving people rather than ordering …

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Posted in Conference and Online politics | Also tagged , and | 1 Comment
Mark Pack

Missing: one marked register

By Mark Pack | Tue 3rd February 2009 - 11:54 am

News via the Press Association:

The SNP demanded an inquiry after it emerged that a record of everyone who voted in last year’s Glenrothes by-election has gone missing.

The party had asked to see the marked registers from November’s crucial by-election – which resulted in a shock victory for Labour.

I’m not hugely surprised by this, as after the 2005 general election there were numerous complaints from people who tried to access the marked register for their constituency about the records being in a poor shape, delayed for long periods on in part missing. The rules then were that marked registers were …

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Posted in Election law and News | Also tagged , , and | 6 Comments
Lynne Featherstone

Opinion: Civil liberties in a modern context

By Lynne Featherstone | Mon 2nd February 2009 - 12:41 pm

What does an innocent person have to fear?” That’s one of the most common arguments rolled out time and time again to justify chipping away at our freedoms. If you’re innocent why should you be worried if the government can do X, knows Y or stops Z?

The counter-arguments tend to be a mix of principle and pragmatism. Principled arguments around issues such as rights that we have as humans and the restrictions there should be on what governments can do. Pragmatic arguments such as the costs (e.g. spend money on ID cards or on police?), practicalities (e.g. what odds that …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , and | 2 Comments
The Voice

More on the party’s technology plans: Lynne Featherstone interviewed

By The Voice | Mon 19th January 2009 - 5:43 pm

Lynne Featherstone has been interviewed by the Wardman Wire blog on the party’s plans for a new Technology Board, answering the questions:

1) What is the Technology Board for the Party for, and what is your remit as its Chair?

2) The Liberal Democratic Party is a federation of organisations. How does the Technology Board fit in locally and regionally?

3) How does your role compare to that played by Mark Pack?

4) What do you think needs to be done differently in the UK to Obama’s online campaign, and (briefly) why?

5) Would you list 3 specific things you would like to achieve during

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Posted in Online politics | Also tagged | 2 Comments
Stephen Tall

CommentIsLinked@LDV: Lynne Featherstone – Politics and the internet

By Stephen Tall | Fri 16th January 2009 - 6:50 pm

Over at the New Statesman, Lynne Featherstone, recently-appointed Chair of the Lib Dems’ New Technology Board, reveals her attitude to politics on the web. You can read it in full here, but here’s an excerpt:

I’m quite taken at the moment with a quote from the American writer Clay Shirky, which makes this last point in a slightly different way: “The revolution doesn’t happen when society adopts new tools. It happens when society adopts new behaviours.”

In a way, it’s an explanation of why my website and blog (finally about to get a much needed overhaul) haven’t been changed much from

…

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Posted in LibLink and Online politics | Also tagged and | 1 Comment
Alex Foster

Lib Dem MPs on Twitter

By Alex Foster | Mon 12th January 2009 - 3:40 pm

I spent at least some time this weekend mentally upbraiding Iain Dale for his paranoia in thinking that technical faults that got in the way of a David Cameron interview with Andrew Marr stemmed from Labour supporting techies pulling the plug.  Cameron had apparently insisted on being interviewed from home because the week before, Gordon Brown had been interviewed from 10 Downing Street.  Iain tells us further the Beeb were none to happy with the arrangement but Cameron insisted.

So clearly, the only rational explanation was that peeved techies forced to do OB work on a Sunday combined with Aunty’s …

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Posted in News | Also tagged , , , , , , , and | 3 Comments
The Voice

Nick Clegg’s reshuffle: how did the press pack do?

By The Voice | Fri 9th January 2009 - 9:53 am

Nick Clegg has “demoted” Steve Webb (The Independent) although he also “promoted” him (Daily Mail). Meanwhile, Chris Huhne was “stripped of some front-bench duties” (Daily Telegraph), although in fact giving those duties to David Howarth was actually just “rubber-stamping” the existing position (Daily Mail). For bonus points, whilst Lynne Featherstone is still Youth and Equalities spokesperson, that’s not the Daily Telegraph world where she has been “moved”.

Promoted, demoted; stripped, not stripped; moved, not moved. It’s all the same isn’t it?

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