Tag Archives: nick clegg

Stephen Tall

Nick, Vince and Danny lead Lib Dem charge to “balance the books, find new ways to create jobs and growth”

By Stephen Tall | Sat 13th July 2013 - 12:01 am

Nick Clegg addresses Birmingham Liberal Democrats conference. Photo courtesy of the Liberal DemocratsBe warned: we’re under starter’s orders for the general election. Today, the Lib Dem leadership sets out its plans on the economy for approval by the party conference this autumn, striking a neat balance between a strong defence of the Lib Dem record in government and a recognition that much still needs to be done to get the economy growing.

The motion to be debated in Glasgow in September can be found at the foot of this post. Tabled by …

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Stephen Tall

John Kampfner: “Clegg is set to be kingmaker again in 2015”

By Stephen Tall | Fri 12th July 2013 - 4:45 pm

John Kampfner, one of the few progressive voice from the centre-left who defected from Labour to the Lib Dems in the run-up to the 2010 election and has continued to give the party a sympathetic hearing during the Coalition, writes in today’s Times about Lib Dem prospects post-2015: Clegg is set to be kingmaker again in 2015 (£).

5 points in particular are worth highlighting (ie, I agree with them):

The Lib Dems will more than likely remain a force to be reckoned with:

… the Liberal Democrats head towards 2015 knowing they can target their meagre resources on just

…

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Caron Lindsay

Call Clegg highlights – 11 July 2013: In which the osmosis isn’t working

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 11th July 2013 - 8:00 pm

MPs’ pay

Jim from Tunbridge Wells, a public sector worker was none too impressed with the idea of MPs getting a whacking pay rise. Nick agrees:

We’re trying to keep everybody together if you like and I just don’t think it helps at all in doing that by taking one very, very small but very prominent part of the public, people on the public sector payroll, MPs, and say, look you’re going to be treated completely differently to nurses, doctors, fireman, firewomen, everybody working in the public sector.  I really do think if we’re going to have an approach towards the public

…

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NewsHound

Nick Clegg announces £500 million to create jobs across England

By NewsHound | Thu 11th July 2013 - 7:00 pm

From Sky News:

More than 100 companies and projects in England are to receive cash from a £506m Government pot to boost jobs and fuel business expansion.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the successful Regional Growth Fund (RGF) bids would help secure £2.8bn of private sector investment and create or safeguard 77,000 jobs.

It is the latest round of awards made under the £2.6bn scheme designed to create sustainable employment and rebalance the economy.

And you can see where the 102 areas are on this handy map created by the party’s A Million Jobs campaign which shows the new projects and …

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Mary Reid

Nick Clegg’s offer to Ed Miliband on the political levy

By Mary Reid | Tue 9th July 2013 - 6:56 pm

Nick Clegg Q&A - Some rights reserved by Liberal DemocratsIt was Deputy Prime Minister’s Question Time today, and Nick duly stepped up to the mark.  In reply to a questions from Conservative MP, Jonathan Lord, and others, he offered the Labour Party a chance to make changes to the political levy.

At present, members of trade unions pay a political levy on their membership subscriptions, which, of course, goes to the Labour Party and helps to justify the unions’ heavy involvement in the party and their participation in leadership elections. Many members …

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The Voice

Nick Clegg’s message for Ramadan

By The Voice | Mon 8th July 2013 - 8:47 pm

The values of peace, empathy and charity are an essential part of this holy month of Ramadan and evident within the invaluable contribution of British Muslims to strengthen communities across the UK.

So said Nick Clegg in his video to mark the start of Ramadan, also available on You Tube here.

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Caron Lindsay

Farron asks Gove to put mental health on the school curriculum

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 8th July 2013 - 7:43 pm

Last Friday a new charity, providing online counselling to teenagers with mental health issues, launched in London. Mindfull, run by the team behind BeatBullying, built the service after feedback young people themselves. We’re talking about a third of our young people either self-harming or contemplating suicide because they are feeling so bad. The case stories in the report give some idea of how that feels:

Jessica was 14 when she started to feel very down. She didn’t tell anyone about the way she was feeling until she was 15, and even though she started to have suicidal thoughts it took

…

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Caron Lindsay

What has my marriage got to do with the Liberal Democrats?

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 8th July 2013 - 7:53 am

More than you would think, I guess. My long-suffering husband at least went into our union with his eyes open. If there wasn’t actually a large bird of liberty in the room at the registry office, he knew that the party would play a large part in our lives together. And even then, I think it’s played an even bigger part than he anticipated and he’s dealt with it with patience, fortitude and humour. Most of the time, anyway.

Why is this even relevant? Well, it’s a Summer of 25th anniversaries. Next month, we will have been married for 25 years. Yesterday, it was 25 years since Paddy Ashdown was elected as leader and this video was released by the Party to celebrate.

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Caron Lindsay

Call Clegg highlights 4 July 2013: #iagreewiththecheckoutgirl and tackling the Tories on marriage tax breaks

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 6th July 2013 - 1:21 pm

It’s never the major issues of the day that make the headlines from the Call Clegg show. This week, despite robust questioning on Egypt, immigration, it was all about that incident in Sainsburys where a member of staff refused to serve a customer while they were talking on their phone.

So, has he ever spoken on the phone while in a queue?

Firstly, yes I have spoken on the phone in the queue.  I kind of like to think that I probably wouldn’t do that if I was right at the top, at the sort of the front of the check in

…

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Stephen Tall

Lib Dem MP Martin Horwood socks it to the Tories over their “dramatic flip-flopping” on in/out EU referendum

By Stephen Tall | Sat 6th July 2013 - 11:15 am

martin horwoodWhile most of the country was enjoying yesterday’s sunshine, the Tory party indulged its own carnival of (to coin a phrase) banging on about Europe.

James Wharton’s private member’s bill legislating for an in/out referendum on the European Union to take place by 2017 (a pledge David Cameron has already conceded to his rebellious backbenchers, who don’t believe him) passed its second reading in the Commons by 304 votes to zero.

Only one Lib Dem MP made a speech: Cheltenham’s Martin Horwood. It’s a punchy tour de force which details …

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Posted in Europe / International, News and Parliament | Also tagged , , , and | 45 Comments
Caron Lindsay

Nick Clegg, Mick Jagger & Jennie’s meme

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 5th July 2013 - 8:36 pm

When Nick Clegg came to answer questions from the Party’s Federal Executive recently, he was in the middle of G8 talks. It seemed surreal that he was squeezing us in between the President of Mexico and IMF head Christine Lagarde.

The Telegraph tells us that our leader dined in even more illustrious company last night.

Fresh from the Rolling Stones’ amazing performance at Glastonbury, and ahead of this weekend’s Hyde Park concerts, Mick Jagger had dinner with Nick at a posh West London Italian restaurant.

If it had been Paul McCartney, my jealousy would have known no bounds. I’ve always …

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Caron Lindsay

Nick needs to talk the talk as well as walk the walk on women’s equality

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 3rd July 2013 - 1:30 pm

Some of the things Nick Clegg has championed in Government have been revolutionary for women. He’s spent years talking about shared parental leave, for example, and it’s now on the way to becoming a reality.  His interest in improving mental health and smashing the related stigma doesn’t just help women, but it does show that he’s willing to take a stand to challenge our long held assumptions. He quickly and vocally embraced equal marriage to the delight of those of us who have supported it for decades.

I know that Nick gets it on a lot of the barriers facing women …

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The Voice

Schools for profit? Not on my watch, says Nick Clegg

By The Voice | Wed 3rd July 2013 - 8:38 am

From today’s Independent:

Nick Clegg vowed today to veto any move by the Conservatives to allow academies and free schools to become profit-making businesses.

The Deputy Prime Minister intervened after The Independent revealed that Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, is considering plans to redraw the rules to allow the schools to use hedge funds and venture capitalists to raise money.

The Liberal Democrats will block any moves to change the rules before the 2015 general election.  During the election campaign, Mr Clegg’s party will claim that they acted as a brake on the Tories inside the Coalition.  “We will say we stopped

…

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Caron Lindsay

How the papers viewed Nick Clegg’s comments on MPs’ pay

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 2nd July 2013 - 10:20 am

A snapshot of some of today’s headlines on Nick Clegg’s comments on MPs’ Pay is quite revealing. To refresh your memories, yesterday he told journalists at his new monthly press conference that he wouldn’t take the proposed rise himself, that he couldn’t control what other MPs so, but:

But I think all MPs, whatever status they hold, whatever position they hold, will know from their own constituents that there are millions of people in the United Kingdom at the moment who’ve had a remorseless squeeze on their living standards for some years now and that we’re asking millions of public sector

…

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Layla Moran MP

Layla Moran writes… Child Detention still happens: Boy held at Campsfield for ‘2-3 months’

By Layla Moran MP | Mon 1st July 2013 - 8:45 am

It is my belief that in a civilized society we should protect children. That they should not be punished for the actions of their parents or grandparents and that they should be given every chance of leading a fulfilled, healthy and normal childhood. And they most certainly should not be locked up without cause because of their family’s decision either.

Celebrating the end of child detention with Citizens UK #LDConf
Photo: Helen Duffett on Flickr.

Sadly for many years, this was not only true but also prevalent. Children who were here illegally were held in immigration deportation centres for months and sometimes years, were not allowed to go to school, not allowed to develop. A child does not, in full understanding of the consequences, make the decision to enter a country illegally. It would have been the decision of their family in whatever form that may take; yet until 2011 they were punished as equals to these adults.

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Stephen Tall

Nick shows an alternative way to get a swing to the Liberals…

By Stephen Tall | Sat 29th June 2013 - 7:45 pm

File this story under one of two categories, according to taste: ‘How did we miss this at the time?’ or ‘Why are you even bothering to tell us now?’

nick clegg flowersHere at LibDemVoice we try and keep you up-to-date with all Lib Dem affairs. And speaking of affairs… according to the Daily Telegraph of 11th June (yes, I’m afraid I don’t regularly read its ‘Home > Women > Sex’ section) Nick Clegg is the most attractive of the party leaders to women on the look-out for “a bit of extracurricular” …

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Stephen Tall

Will Ed Miliband “do a John Smith” and push for an early EU in/out referendum? There are advantages, y’know…

By Stephen Tall | Sat 29th June 2013 - 12:05 pm

John Major and David CameronCould Labour be about to “do a John Smith” to the Tories over the timing of an in/out referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union?

In the 1990s, Labour wrought havoc on the fourth-term Tory government by (cynically) teaming up with the right-wing ‘Maastricht rebels’ to inflict damaging Commons defeats on their common enemy, John Major.

Could Ed Miliband try and do the same to David Cameron? That’s the hint in today’s Guardian:

Labour is considering backing an in-out referendum on Europe as early as

…

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NewsHound

LibLink | Nick Clegg: Celebrate Pride but don’t forget the countries that discriminate against LGBT people

By NewsHound | Fri 28th June 2013 - 10:55 am

lds_prideNick Clegg has an article over at PinkNews.co.uk, in which he highlights how the forthcoming same-sex marriage legislation means this weekend’s Pride in London celebrations will be a “landmark” event. However, he contrasts the strides of progress made here with continuing repression against LGBT people around the world. Here’s an excerpt:

Civil partnerships were a huge stride forward, but only the right to marry – if you choose – is real equality. This isn’t just a ‘gay issue’. It’s about the kind of society we want to be.

This year we are flying

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NewsHound

LibLink…Nick Clegg and the SunEmployment campaign

By NewsHound | Thu 27th June 2013 - 10:57 am

Nick Clegg has written a piece for the Sun about jobs and helping people finding work. They have a Sunemployment campaign which aims to match people up with jobs in their area through a series of roadshows.

Every year, the Sunemployment campaign helps thousands of people find work. The roadshows that take place in the summer offer a chance to get advice and find out about opportunities.

Since 2010, the Government has helped to create over 1.3 million jobs in the private sector, across all sorts of sectors – from science to IT, communications to manufacturing.

These are jobs that have been created

…

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Danny Alexander MP

Danny Alexander MP writes… Spending where it matters

By Danny Alexander MP | Wed 26th June 2013 - 1:25 pm

Our number one priority in Government has been to fix the economic mess we inherited from Labour. Today, we set out a Spending Round that delivers Liberal Democrat priorities on investment and improving our public services while making responsible choices to deal with the financial problems Labour left us. It demonstrates that the Liberal Democrats will remain firm in our commitment to tackling the deficit, but fair in the way we go about it.

When we entered Government in May 2010, we inherited from Labour an economy that was on the brink. We set out a plan to get our economy …

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Andy Strange

English Council, 15 June – our man in Luton reports…

By Andy Strange | Wed 26th June 2013 - 9:12 am

This is a report of the meeting of the Liberal Democrats English Council, held on Saturday at University College London.

The English Council is the governing body of the Liberal Democrats in England and meets twice a year to consider matters of importance to the English Party.

Speech from Nick Clegg

Nick Clegg at English Council - 15 June 2013The day started with a speech from the Deputy Prime Minister. Before heading off to chair meetings at the G8, Nick Clegg had stopped into University College London to give a message of optimism to …

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Posted in News and Party policy and internal matters | Also tagged and | 4 Comments
Stephen Tall

Could the Lib Dems stay in the Coalition in the event the Tories dumped David Cameron?

By Stephen Tall | Tue 25th June 2013 - 11:00 pm

As my Voice colleague Mary Reid notes, today’s Telegraph was keen to alert readers to the contingency plans drawn up by the Tories to carry on governing in the event that Nick Clegg were defenestrated as party leader.

I assume one of those contingency plans was the laughably blatant attempt by Michael Gove to try and undermine Nick Clegg last month and so distract the media from the Tories’ own ongoing internecine warfare over Europe.

Still, it should be a very exciting next couple of months for we Lib Dems if the Telegraph is to be believed …

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Mary Reid

David Cameron says “I can be Prime Minister without Nick Clegg”

By Mary Reid | Tue 25th June 2013 - 5:06 pm

David-Cameron-and-Nick-CleggThe Telegraph has the news that the Tories have drawn up plans for a minority Government, should Nick Clegg be ousted and replaced by someone who is less sympathetic to the Coalition.

Apparently, Cameron’s advisers have told him that he could stagger along to 2015 without Nick Clegg, because the Liberal Democrats would still support the key reforms to state pensions and long-term care.

What they haven’t revealed is how much of the programme would have to be ditched.  I cannot imagine a full timetable of legislation in those circumstances.

The article once …

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Nick T

Interview: Nick Clegg on the economy, welfare, Cleggism and the “superb” Kung Fu Panda films

By Nick T | Mon 24th June 2013 - 1:02 pm

CleggWe brought you a taste of the Voice’s exclusive interview with the deputy prime minister yesterday. Here is the full interview, covering the economy, welfare reform, pensions, Cleggism, our approach to the manifesto, Kung Fu Panda and Clegg’s cooking.

Nick Thornsby: What’s your take on where the economy is now, three and a bit years into the coalition?

Nick Clegg: My overall assessment is that it is healing. There are signs of confidence slowly seeping back into the sinews of the economy. Some of the latest data on consumer confidence are better …

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Caron Lindsay

Nick, we’re not a bunch of unrealistic hippies desperate for opposition, you know…..

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 23rd June 2013 - 5:15 pm

While I broadly agree with Stephen Tall that Nick Clegg’s speech to the Liberal Democrat local government conference in Manchester yesterday had much that was on the right track, I do wish Nick could frame his remarks without it looking like he’s taking a good old swipe at Liberal Democrat members and activists. Stephen says that’s how you get the journalists interested. The trouble is that some of the people who are offended by that kind of talk may be too angry to read behind the headlines – and these are exactly the people that Nick needs to help …

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Stephen Tall

Two thoughts on Clegg’s Manchester speech (2 of 2): edging towards the right narrative

By Stephen Tall | Sun 23rd June 2013 - 4:15 pm

Two parts of Nick Clegg’s Manchester speech particularly caught my eye. The first — how not to repeat our mistake on tuition fees — I’ve blogged about here. Here’s the second:

Governing has carried a cost. We have taken a hit; Our opponents try to use the fact we are in government nationally against us locally. And I cannot stress enough how proud and grateful I am for the grace and determination with which you have absorbed all of that.

But I also know that if we try and turn back the clock… Hankering for the comfort blanket

…

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Stephen Tall

Two thoughts on Clegg’s Manchester speech (1 of 2): how not to repeat the tuition fees mistake

By Stephen Tall | Sun 23rd June 2013 - 2:15 pm

Nick Clegg’s pitch to the Lib Dems’ local government conference in Manchester yesterday was given the kind of build-up that seems to be an inevitable part of leaders’ speech-making. Nick was going to ‘deliver hard truths’ to his activists, ‘issuing a warning’ that we shouldn’t return to the safety of opposition, and urging us instead ‘to embrace the future’. That’s the way you get journalists’ attention, y’see.

But the billing wasn’t so very wide-of-the-mark. Nick Clegg did in fact offer the party a stark choice. And as the vigorous comments thread on my post yesterday attests, it hasn’t been …

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Nick T

Clegg shares his concerns over legal aid plans – full transcript

By Nick T | Sun 23rd June 2013 - 12:31 pm

I spent half an hour on a train with Nick Clegg yesterday, chatting to him about a range of subjects for an interview that will run on the site later this week. After the interview I tweeted about Clegg’s interesting answer to my question to him on legal aid, and a journalist I know from the Mail on Sunday got in touch to say the paper was running a story on the subject and would be interested in seeing his answer. Here’s the Mail’s take:

A cabinet split over plans to cut legal aid deepened last night as Deputy Prime

…

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Stephen Tall

‘Red lines’ v ‘a long shopping list’: Clegg sets out plan for slimline 2015 manifesto

By Stephen Tall | Sat 22nd June 2013 - 9:55 am

Nick Clegg will be speaking today at the party’s local government conference in Manchester (Nick Thornsby will be covering it throughout the day here on LDV) and The Independent is one of the newspapers which trails what he’ll say.

Here’s my quick take on the top lines on which they’ve been pre-briefed…

The Deputy Prime Minister will take on his internal party critics by demanding a slimline manifesto at the 2015 election setting out the Lib Dems’ non-negotiable “red lines” in another coalition rather than a long shopping list of policies.

There’s been much discussion recently about ‘red lines’ in …

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Amna Ahmad

Opinion: The week after the Morrissey Report – what will you do?

By Amna Ahmad | Fri 21st June 2013 - 3:59 pm

Last week Helena Morrissey published the results of her inquiry into how the Liberal Democrats handled allegations of sexual harassment. In our 24 hour news cycle, this may already seem like old news. But it is vital for the future of women in politics that do not allow the report and its conclusions to be forgotten. The change cannot only be top down – it must also be a grassroots movement.

The Lib Dems are not the first institution to be found to have mishandled allegations of sexual harassment. It is particularly galling for party members though, as the picture …

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