Tag Archives: nick clegg

Nick Clegg’s Twitter Pic

By Mary Reid | Fri 7th February 2014 - 1:59 pm

When Nick Clegg was at LBC today he was presented with a portrait of himself painted by a 12 year old. He promised to make it his twitter picture for the weekend.

And so he did.

Wanted to say a big thanks to 12yo Andrew Smith for his brilliant painting, presented to me by @lbc973. It’ll be my picture for the weekend.

— Nick Clegg (@nick_clegg) February 7, 2014

Posted in News | Also tagged lbc radio | 4 Comments

Sneak Preview of new Party Political Broadcast: Scottish version #whyIamin

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 5th February 2014 - 2:51 pm

And here’s the Scottish version of the new broadcast, with a section featuring Willie Rennie arguing that Scotland needs to stay in the UK and the UK needs to stay in the EU.

He said in an email to members:

The European elections might be just round the corner but the Conservatives are flirting with exit from the EU. Labour won’t lift a finger to keep us in Europe and the SNP’s independence plans gamble with our EU membership and threaten jobs at home.

The message we are sending to Scots in this broadcast is clear. Only one party is protecting jobs by working to keep Scotland in Britain – and Britain in Europe. That party is the Liberal Democrats.

To secure the economic recovery and get more Scots into work we need strong Liberal Democrat voices at Holyrood, Westminster and in Brussels.

Posted in News | Also tagged eu, european elections 2014, party political broadcast and wilie rennie | Leave a comment

Spring 2014 Conference Agenda now online

By Helen Duffett | Mon 3rd February 2014 - 4:50 pm

The Conference Agenda has been finalised and is now available online.

The agenda features a variety of debates including one on a Digital Bill of Rights on Making Migration Work for Britain.

There will also be speeches by Jenny Willott MP and Danny Alexander MP. Nick Clegg will do a Leader’s Q&A on Saturday 8 March at 15:05 and you can submit concise questions (up to 25 words) on any topic up until 12:40 on 8 March at the Speakers’ Table in the auditorium or by email ([email protected]) before 17:00 on Thursday 6 March.

Every motion in the agenda is open to …

Posted in Conference | Also tagged Danny Alexander, digital bill of rights, jenny willott and making migration work | 13 Comments

Free school lunches for infants: 60% of Lib Dems back Nick Clegg’s policy

By Stephen Tall | Mon 3rd February 2014 - 8:45 am

Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 750 party members responded – thank you – and we’ve been publishing the full results.

(There were a couple of results I ran out of time to publish during the Christmas holiday period – I’m publishing them this week.)

On Saturday, I reported the results of what party members think about school structures. Yesterday, we looked at whether you thought teachers should have formal professional qualifications and if the National …

Posted in LDV Members poll | Also tagged free school meals, nick harvey and schools | Leave a comment

Emma Gilpin-Jacobs quits as Director of Communications to the DPM

By The Voice | Sun 2nd February 2014 - 10:55 am

Three months ago we reported: Emma Gilpin-Jacobs appointed as Director of Communications to the DPM.

Today we report: Emma Gilpin-Jacobs quits as Director of Communications to the DPM.

Here’s how PR Week reported the swift departure:

The former FT comms chief confirmed the Lib Dem line that she had resigned from the post due to the realisation that the position demanded more political focus than her corporate comms experience.

She told PRWeek: “I chose to leave because my strategic global, corporate-focused communications experience will be better utilised in a less day-to day-political operational role – and it’s all very amicable.”

The party

…

Posted in News | Also tagged emma gilpin-jacobs | 15 Comments

Education: 59% of Lib Dems say teachers should have formal teaching qualifications

By Stephen Tall | Sun 2nd February 2014 - 8:45 am

(There were a couple of results I ran out of time to publish during the Christmas holiday period – I’m publishing them this week.)

Yesterday I reported the results of what party members think about school structures. Today we look at your views on teachers and the curriculum…

59% of Lib Dems say teachers employed by state-funded

…

Posted in LDV Members poll | Also tagged national curriculum, schools, teachers and teaching | 15 Comments

Nick Clegg opposes banning smoking in cars with children present

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 30th January 2014 - 2:11 pm

Speaking on Call Clegg this morning, Nick Clegg said that he personally wan’t in favour of changing the law to ban smoking in cars where children are present. The question came about as a consequence of a vote in the Lords last night. MPs will now be given a free vote on whether to incorporate it into the Children and Families Bill.

Nick made it clear that he would be voting against:

Of course it’s a stupid thing to do to smoke when a child is in the back of a car but you don’t always have to have a law

…

Posted in News | Also tagged call clegg, jim hume msp, public health and smoking | 28 Comments

Nick Clegg confirms that UK will give refuge to most vulnerable Syrians

By The Voice | Tue 28th January 2014 - 10:00 pm

Nick Clegg has announced that the UK will give refuge to some of the most vulnerable citizens. No figure has been put on how many as they are focusing on need, not quotas, but it will mean that many woman and girls who face the risk of sexual violence, for example, will be able to come to this country. The Government will work with the UN High Council for Refugees to determine who is in most urgent need and they will be brought here over the next few months. They will include those most traumatised by the crisis.

The UK Government …

Posted in News | Also tagged refugees and syria | 8 Comments

“A wake-up call on mental illness”

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 28th January 2014 - 10:40 am

Sarah Chisnall is a Scottish public affairs consultant and mental health campaigner. She’s also married to Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West Mike Crockart.

On Sunday, she wrote a powerful piece for Scotland on Sunday talking about her experience of living with Bulimia and Depression and how she pledged to speak out to tackle the stigma attached to mental illness.

The stigma surrounding mental illness prevents us from speaking out to family, friends, let alone the wider world. I have always worried what friends might think and how it could affect my career or that of my husband, Mike Crockart, who is

…

Posted in News | Also tagged mental health, norman lamb, sarah chisnall and scotland on sunday | 4 Comments

Marriage tax breaks: Lib Dem members oppose Conservative plans by 62% to 22%

By Stephen Tall | Sun 26th January 2014 - 3:44 pm

(There were a couple of results I ran out of time to publish during the Christmas holiday period – I’ll be publishing them this week.)

Lib Dems oppose married couple tax-breaks by 62% to 22%

The tax break for married couples and civil partners was a Conservative election pledge that has lain dormant during Coalition. Not because of Lib …

Posted in LDV Members poll | Also tagged david cameron, free school meals, george osborne and marriage tax break | 2 Comments

Syria: Clegg continues to push for UK to take refugee responsibilities seriously

By The Voice | Sat 25th January 2014 - 10:43 am

Syria has once again returned to the headlines this week, with the warring parties in the country’s civil war beginning formal peace talks in Geneva amid allegations that the Assad regime has systematically tortured and executed about 11,000 detainees since the start of the uprising.

Nick Clegg has, The Guardian reported, been making the case for the UK to take its international responsibilities seriously and join a UN scheme to take a limited number of refugees from Syria:

A source close to the deputy PM said: “Nick Clegg has been arguing for weeks in government that Britain should consider

…

Posted in Europe / International and News | Also tagged syria | 5 Comments

Miriam Gonzalez Durantez 1 – Telegraph 0

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 22nd January 2014 - 3:55 pm

Today’s Telegraph published an article which suggested that Miriam Gonzalez Durantez was behind Nick Clegg’s decision to take a robust line with Lord Rennard last week. It seems too much to ask that they actually get her name right, referring to her as Miriam Clegg throughout. But, according to Miriam, interviewed by the BBC at an event for her Inspiring the Future organisation, they didn’t get much else right either:

I say this with a very heavy heart because this is in the Telegraph today and ever since the Telegraph was the very first newspaper who supported this campaign

…

Posted in News | Also tagged Inspiring the Future and miriam gonzalez durantez | 4 Comments

Today’s Call Clegg highlights: Mental health, Benefits Street, getting more women into politics and Rennard

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 22nd January 2014 - 2:41 pm

Call Clegg took place today because Nick is heading off to Davos. He could have easily invented some reason to get out of it but you have to respect his courage in going ahead given the furore over the past week. We’re going to start with the most important thing he talked about and work back from that

Improving mental health care for young people

He was asked about whether it was surprising that young people’s mental health was suffering when they faced low wages and not being able to find affordable housing and about mental health provision itself.

He replied:

I announced on Monday that we’re seeking to remedy,it’s actually almost a form of institutionalised cruelty, the way that if you turn 18, if you’re a child with mental health problems…you might be given good care, good help, develop important relationships with people who are giving them support and treatment in the children’s mental health system. And then, the moment they have their 18th birthday all of that falls away, and they’re suddenly having to deal with other people in different institutions, travel to different hospitals or clinics.

Posted in News | Also tagged call clegg, lord rennard and mental health | 33 Comments

Suspension of Lord Rennard

By The Voice | Mon 20th January 2014 - 2:29 pm

The Liberal Democrats have just issued this statement:

Nick Clegg made clear last week, and again this morning, that it would be inappropriate for Lord Rennard to resume the Liberal Democrat whip unless he apologises. Lord Rennard has refused to do so.

The Regional Parties Committee, which oversees disciplinary procedures under the English Party membership rules, today decided to suspend Lord Rennard’s membership of the party pending a disciplinary procedure. As such, he cannot return to the Liberal Democrat group in the House of Lords.

Lord Rennard will now be investigated for bringing the party into disrepute on the grounds of his failure

…

Posted in News and Party policy and internal matters | Also tagged alistair webster, chris rennard and regional parties committee | 30 Comments

Clegg: “Basic decency” that Rennard should apologise for distress caused

By The Voice | Mon 20th January 2014 - 9:00 am

Nick Clegg has been doing a round of media interviews this morning – the original purpose was to unveil the Coalition’s mental health strategy, but they’ve been overshadowed by the continuing row over the allegations of sexual impropriety against Lord (Chris) Rennard.

Lord Rennard has decided not to issue an apology to the women who have made complaints against him for any distress caused as recommended by Alistair Webster’s independent report. The QC issued a further statement on Sunday explaining he thought it would be no more than “common manners” for an apology to be offered.

Here’s what …

Posted in News | Also tagged alistair webster and chris rennard | 23 Comments

Julian Huppert MP: Another promise kept – Nick Clegg announces more than doubling of young offenders’ education time

By Julian Huppert | Fri 17th January 2014 - 10:05 am

If people are to be in jail, one of our priorities is to make sure that when they leave prison, they won’t come back. We realise that the best way to do this isn’t about draconian sentencing; it’s about providing people with skills. That’s why in our 2010 manifesto we said that we’d increase the number of hours prisoners spend in education and training.

Today, we’ve achieved another goal – Nick Clegg has announced that through a new system of Secure Colleges, young offenders will see the time they spend in education more than doubled.

This really matters. At any one time …

Posted in News and Op-eds | Also tagged tom mcnally and youth justice | 5 Comments

Michael Moore appointed as EU Business Adviser to Nick Clegg

By The Voice | Wed 15th January 2014 - 9:03 am

Nick Clegg has asked former Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore to be his Adviser on European business affairs. The unpaid role will see Michael working with businesses across the UK to understand the key trade, investment and regulatory issue affecting their dealings in the European Union.

He will carry out a review of the issues and report to Nick Clegg by the Summer.

Michael Moore said:

Britain’s engagement with the rest of Europe is fundamental to our future economic well-being. At this crucial moment in the development of the UK’s relationship with the EU, I am delighted to take on this

…

Posted in News | Also tagged business, eu and Michael Moore | 1 Comment

Farron: Tories are “nimby” over garden cities

By Newsmoggie | Sat 11th January 2014 - 12:08 pm

From today’s Telegraph:

A secret Whitehall report recommending that two new cities are built in southern England to combat the housing shortage is being suppressed by David Cameron, The Telegraph can disclose.

The document was drawn up after the Prime Minister gave a speech supporting the idea nearly two years ago. It was described this week by Nick Clegg, his deputy, as a “prospectus” for future developments.

Posted in News | Also tagged coalition government, garden cities, housing and tim farron | 16 Comments

LibLink: Christine Jardine: Campbell-Bannerman, School Meals Pioneer

By NewsHound | Fri 10th January 2014 - 5:19 pm

There has been some controversy about Nick Clegg’s sudden announcement last September that schoolchildren would get a hot meal every day at school for the first 3 years. Some within the Party feel that resources could be better spent. Others argue that it does make a difference, having a direct effect on children’s learning ability.

Clegg though, is not the first liberal to be associated with such a policy, as former Special Adviser Christine Jardine wrote in the Scotsman this week:

Exactly a century ago, the last Liberal government to win a majority at Westminster made their policy compulsory to ensure councils

…

Posted in News | Also tagged christine jardine, free school meals, henry campbell-bannerman and the scotsman | 2 Comments

What’s with the Nick Clegg/Ed Balls love-in?

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 8th January 2014 - 7:07 pm

This is an article I didn’t expect to be writing.

Ed Balls is not a man known for his particular liking of Liberal Democrats in general and most especially not Nick Clegg. You could generally have assumed that there was not a lot of love lost. In fact “Ed Balls’ prawn cocktail charm offensive” is a fairly standard Clegg bingo drinking game item. Both had insinuated that the other would not be welcome in any future coalition cabinet.

But strange things have been happening over the past wee while.

During the Call Clegg Christmas Special, Nick was asked how he persuaded people. …

Posted in News | Also tagged call clegg, ed balls and new statesman | 18 Comments

Willie Rennie: “In 20 years, they’ll be glad they had nursery education at an early stage because it might just change their life chances”

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 7th January 2014 - 7:50 pm

There were extraordinary scenes in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon. First of all, the Scottish Liberal Democrats didn’t even vote for their amendment, and nor did anyone else. They didn’t have to, because the Scottish Government had taken a big step to doing what they wanted.

For months, Willie Rennie has got up at virtually every First Minister’s Questions session and doggedly asked, pleaded, cajoled with Salmond to extend nursery places to 40% of 2 year olds from its current figure of 3%, just like Nick Clegg had done south of the Border. And every time, Alex Salmond replied with varying …

Posted in News | Also tagged alex salmond, childcare, holyrood, Scotland and willie rennie | 8 Comments

Telegraph: Clegg and Cameron have to intervene in “daily” Coalition rows

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 5th January 2014 - 4:32 pm

The Telegraph has a story today that is rather perplexingly filed under “news” but seems like a summary of what we knew already.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg spend a “disproportionate” amount of their time attempting to resolve rows in the Home Office and Department for Education, in particular, sources said.

Disagreements have also affected policy-making inside the Department for Energy and Climate Change, while rows between Lib Dem and Tory ministers from different departments are a frequent feature of government life, sources said.

The difference in tone between the two sources quoted is interesting. The Tory source is snarky as anything:

It’s

…

Posted in News | Also tagged coalition, david cameron, michael gove, norman baker and theresa may | 11 Comments

Opinion: 2014 – What’s next?

By Bill le Breton | Thu 2nd January 2014 - 10:32 am

Steve Richards suggests Nick Clegg, as a pluralist in the Blair tradition and as a sincere and patriotic person, will be open to an agreement with either the Tories or Labour if a balanced Parliament results in 2015.

Clegg is a pluralist, a pragmatic, a believer in good management as good politics and as such sincerely believes that Liberal Democrats in Government are beneficial to the county’s future.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged vince cable | 30 Comments

LibLink: Richard Reeves: The Clegg Factor

By NewsHound | Tue 31st December 2013 - 4:51 pm

Remember Richard Reeves, Nick Clegg’s former head of strategy? He left about 18 months ago but has written a couple of pieces in recent days, one for the Guardian and another for the Centre Forum blog. In his Guardian piece, he suggests that it’s after 2020 that the Liberal Democrats will really reap the rewards of our performance in Government. His theory is that we’ll do well enough to stay in government in 2015 and by 2020 we will have killed “the presumption of one-party government.”

At Centre Forum’s blog, he concentrates on Nick Clegg and his achievements and opportunities:

Clegg’s

…

Posted in LibLink | Also tagged centre forum, guardian and richard reeves | 52 Comments

Nick Clegg’s New Year Message

By Nick Clegg MP | Tue 31st December 2013 - 12:00 pm

Posted in News | Also tagged new year messages 2014 | 14 Comments

So, we might have Ed Balls in a Lab/Lib Dem coalition cabinet after all…

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 29th December 2013 - 2:03 pm

Interesting article in today’s Independent on Sunday quoting sources close to Nick Clegg that there will be no push for changes of personnel in Coalition negotiations after the 2015 election. This seems to me to be perfectly sensible. I always thought it was daft to demand that Gordon Brown go during the negotiations in 2010. You have to make these things about actual issues. Of course, this appears to be a pre-emptive strike to ensure that Nick Clegg’s head on a plate is not demanded by Labour.

There’s some interesting speculation on the policies up for grabs, too. Electoral reform …

Posted in News | Also tagged coalition negotiations, ed balls and general election 2015 | 89 Comments

Duncan Hames steps down as PPS to Nick Clegg and Simon Wright takes over

By The Voice | Tue 24th December 2013 - 7:16 pm

Following this afternoon’s wonderful news about the safe arrival of Andrew Lennox Marshall Hames, the Belfast Telegraph reports that his dad, Duncan Hames, has decided to step down from his position as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Nick Clegg so that he has “more time to spend with our new baby”:

Mr Hames said: “When I told Nick that I would be wanting more time to spend with our new baby, I knew he would understand.

“Now that our son, Andrew, is with us, I am stepping down as the Deputy Prime Minister’s PPS.

“I truly appreciated the opportunity to see the coalition

…

Posted in News | Also tagged duncan hames, Jo Swinson and simon wright | 1 Comment

LDVideo: Nick Clegg’s Christmas message

By The Voice | Tue 24th December 2013 - 11:45 am

Not just a talking head this year. We see pictures of Nick visiting a school and Great Ormond Street Hospital, pulling crackers and chatting with children. Someone needs to tell him not to stick his hands in his pockets after he’s done the antibacterial wash, though. Oh, we just did.

Enjoy.

Posted in News | Also tagged christmas messages 2013 and featured | Leave a comment

My grumpy Christmas

By Mary Reid | Tue 24th December 2013 - 8:54 am

I really do not like the practice adopted by most party leaders of sending out Christmas cards adorned with portraits of themselves and their families. Having caught a glimpse of the card sent by Charles and Camilla this year, it seems this is not limited to politicians, but it is certainly not widespread amongst the rest of us.

Most of us send cards that illustrate the significance of the season, drawing on religious or mid-winter symbolism. So why do politicians usurp the underlying message of peace and hope with their blatant acts of self-promotion? Even Nick Clegg’s ironic take this year, which was charming and playful – and yes, I did receive one of those through the post – was still saying ‘look at me’.

There are subtler ways of harnessing the power of the Christmas card. Many MPs invite children in local schools to submit Christmas card designs, and the winner has the pleasure of seeing their card in print and sent to hundreds, if not thousands, of local people. This gives a great message to constituents – the self-effacing MP supports local schools, likes to encourage young people, and endorses the true meaning of Christmas.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged christmas and featured | 7 Comments

LibLink: Nick Clegg: Slam the door on EU migrants and it is Britain that will get hurt

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 22nd December 2013 - 9:33 am

There are many Liberal Democrats, myself included, who feel distinctly uneasy about the changes that the Coalition has made to EU benefits changes, agreed to by Nick Clegg. My personal view is that while these changes save the country a very small amount of money, tackling a problem that doesn’t really exist, we lose a lot more by ceding ground to UKIP and the Tory right.

From Nick’s point of view, though, he feels that he’s agreed to it to make the system fairer and acceptable to British taxpayers in the current climate. He’s fine with free movement around the …

Posted in LibLink | Also tagged eu, immigration and sunday times | 41 Comments

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Tag Archives: nick clegg

59% of Lib Dems say teachers employed by state-funded

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