Tag Archives: sheffield

Shaffaq Mohammed’s splendid defence of freedom

Shaffaq Mohammed, the Lib Dem leader of our group on Sheffield Council has criticised the a ban on the comedian Ray “Chubby Brown” performing at Sheffield City Hall.

Shaffaq says:

We live in a liberal society and people have individual freedom to choose to live the life they want and as part of that, they can choose to go watch a comedy show behind closed doors where no children are allowed.

He added:

It’s the start of a very slippery slope. Which comedian will be deemed not to be appropriate to come to Sheffield?

Would they move on to banning books and DVD’s in libraries next? Would people be banned from watching Roy Chubby Brown on Youtube next? Would they stop people from listening to rap music because clearly some of the lyrics can and are offensive?

In an interview on GB News Shaffaq says: “as a Liberal I defend people’s individual rights and individual freedom “

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 17 Comments

Winning in local elections

 

Whilst the General Election results were disappointing, we have a set of local elections in May which present our party with an opportunity – to rebuild trust with the electorate ahead of future national elections.

It will most likely be 2024 at the earliest when the next election is, assuming the Government remove the Fixed Term Parliament Act, so that gives us four years to win in local elections across the country and show the electorate that we can be trusted to represent them well at a local level.

Historically, we have done well in parliamentary constituencies where we have done well locally, a point which Paddy drove home time and time again in his speeches and books. Perhaps this is not surprising, given how hard working our councillors are. The same hard-working nature cannot be said for Labour councillors.

In places like Sheffield, we have a real chance to deny Labour a majority. In May last year, we were able to win in the South East of the City, which we have not done for a long time. As well as this, we gained seats in the North of the City too. Hopefully, we can replicate that this year and continue to make gains which will prevent Labour’s control.

By winning seats and then doing the job we have the privilege to do, we can show residents that we will not take them for granted, we will listen to them and we will help to make their lives that little bit better. Whether it be cutting bushes back so that a wheelchair user can access a path, building a partnership between the local residents and police force or pointing residents in the right direction when they have a problem with housing or council tax. We can make a difference and it is this difference which will help to build a new alliance of Lib Dem voters.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 9 Comments

An unusual piece of street furniture seen in Sheffield


Like most of us, I have spent an inordinate amount of time wandering around the streets of England and Wales. But last week in Sheffield was the first time I have seen one of these.

It is really remarkable.

Posted in Local government | 12 Comments

Another Richmond: LDV’s Joe Otten takes to the stage

Richmond is now always going to be one of these words that brings a smile to Liberal Democrats, along with words like Dunfermline, Brent Central, Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles, Newbury and Christchurch, all great by-election wins.

But there’s another reason that Richmond features on our site today. Our very own Joe Otten takes to the stage in Sheffield for the next four nights as Richmond in a production of Shakespeare’s Richard III with a difference:

In an alternate time-line the climax of the Wars of the Roses coincided with the nadir of trench warfare. The victorious Yorkist commander, the Duke of Gloucester decides that supporting her sibling’s claim to the throne is no longer good enough. She sets out to eliminate all her competition and wear the garland of the realm. However, her success awakens Lancastrian revanchism and the Earl of Richmond leads an invasion force to take back this noble isle.

As Europe commemorates 100 years since WWI The Company transplants William Shakespeare’s biggest villain to 1917. Following the lead of a number of recent high profile Shakespeare productions Richard and a number of other parts have been gender-swapped.

Any parallels with current events are entirely coincidental.

You can find out more and buy tickets here.

Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | 7 Comments

Who dares wins: we dared in Sheffield and won

Gail Smith Mosborough‘Who Dares, Wins’ was our catchphrase used by my campaign manager and Leader of the Sheffield Lib Dems Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed to motivate the many members and supporters who came to Mosborough to support my campaign to be elected as Councillor for the Mosborough Ward on Sheffield City Council. It was a stunning victory that saw us go from 4th place to 1st, increasing our vote share by a whopping 32%.

I have lived locally in Mosborough for 25 years, I’ve brought my children up here and feel passionately about the community. I have been fortunate enough to represent this area once before from 2008-2012. People remembered the hard work I put in during my time as a Councillor previously and appreciated that I knew the area. Labour, on the other hand, selected a candidate who lived 20 miles away on the opposite side of the city.

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

Lib Dems GAIN council seat from Labour in Sheffield!

Fantastic news from Sheffield tonight.

The Liberal Democrats have gained a Council seat in Mosborough ward from Labour.

Another huge increase in the vote  and all the more remarkable as it’s up from just 14% in May this year. 

Posted in News | Also tagged | 24 Comments

Nick Clegg attacks Labour council over Don Valley stadium closure

Sheffield’s Labour council have been criticised by Nick Clegg over their decision to close the Don Valley Stadium where Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill trained.

From the Sheffield Star:

I’m hugely disappointed that Labour councillors have decided Don Valley Stadium is not an asset of community value.

This short-sighted decision has denied the Save Don Valley Stadium group access to central Government grants, which would have helped them develop a business plan and move closer to their vision of running the venue at no cost to the public.

Instead of working with the community to protect facilities, we have a council determined to

Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | 32 Comments

Sheffield Labour councillor opposes own decision

Sheffield City Hall - Some rights reserved by Welcome to SheffieldAngela Smith, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge has called on Sheffield City Council not to close Stocksbridge Leisure Centre. Stocksbridge is in the remote rural north of Sheffield and local people will not have the same access to alternatives that others in Sheffield might.

So who is making the proposal to close Stocksbridge Leisure Centre? Well it turns out that the cabinet advisor for leisure on Sheffield City Council is Smith’s husband, one Cllr Steve Wilson.

Might this be a topic to discuss at home before troubling the press?

Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | 12 Comments

Opinion: Tough Choices – Yes, but local politicians must grasp opportunities as well as challenges

Sheffield Town HallI doubt that there are many councillors who are unaware of the scale of the country’s financial difficulties. Yet whatever your prescription for resuscitating the British economy, politicians of all parties agree that reducing the deficit is a crucial piece in the puzzle.

Regardless of your views on the Government’s strategy, it is clear that reductions in council budgets are a reality. The challenge for councillors is to best adjust to the new climate and mitigate the impact on the services that people care about most.

I do not believe that the way forward is to abandon all council services, leaving local government as a sole provider of social care. Rather, local government should be taking the lead in innovative ways of thinking – taking bold steps to cut waste, not just services.

Posted in Local government and Op-eds | Also tagged , and | 4 Comments

LDVideo: Nick Clegg visits Sheffield Forgemasters, launches £950m regional growth fund

Posted in Lib Dem TV and News | Also tagged , and | 7 Comments

Shaffaq Mohammed writes: From a boy in Kashmir – to Leader of Sheffield Lib Dems

On election night in Sheffield, we had a painful evening, losing hard-working local councillors and good friends. They were defeated by a protest vote against the tough decisions forced upon the Government by the financial mess they inherited from Labour.

When we entered the general election, we understood the seriousness of the financial crisis the country faced. We knew that whoever entered Government after the election faced a difficult first few years. Yet, as Liberal Democrats we took a brave decision to enter a coalition in the national interest and we must stick to our five year commitment. One thing the people of Sheffield do not want is a return to the 1980s.

I know first hand what it was like to grow up in Sheffield in the 1980s. My father, a steelworker, was made redundant by the actions of the Thatcher Government.

Posted in Op-eds | 3 Comments

Nick Clegg’s speech in Sheffield on the difference that Liberal Democrat councils are making

On Saturday, Nick Clegg delivered a speech to local party activists in Sheffield on the difference that Liberal Democrat councils across Britain are making. It’s a good speech which expands on many of the examples that we started to hear at conference in Sheffield last month about how Liberal Democrat councils are using innovative techniques to keep service and job losses to a minimum in these difficult financial times.

Here’s the speech in full:

The Liberal Democrats have a long, proud and successful history in local government.

We run some of the nation’s biggest cities and some of the most effective councils across

Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 9 Comments

What’s in the bag?

Hello from Liberal Democrat Conference in Sheffield.

Many of you will have been to party conference before. Many of you will have experienced the delights of the goody bag attendees receive. To help Liberal Democrat Voice bring you the true conference experience even if you can’t make it here yourself, Will Howells – you may remember him from such blogs as this one – has made us a quick video checking out his junk. Enjoy.

Posted in Conference and YouTube | Also tagged , , , and | 5 Comments

Clegg shows Sheffield he’s up for the fight

Nick Clegg’s visit to Sheffield yesterday included the first in a new series of town hall meetings – this one in partnership with local newspaper the Sheffield Star:

THEY say the best form of defence is attack, which is exactly what Sheffield Hallam MP and the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg decided to do by launching a new wave of meet the people sessions, here in his home city.

Mr Clegg is the first to admit he is under fire at the moment. He faces a barrage of criticism about his decision to renege on his promise not to vote for

Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | 31 Comments

Paul Scriven writes: we cannot let Labour off the hook on Council cuts

Just like all local authorities up and down the land, Sheffield is facing the biggest reduction in our budget for many years as a direct result of the reckless spending carried out by the previous Labour Government. Not quite the ‘post Soviet meltdown’ predicted by Sheffield’s Labour MPs, but a reduction none the less.

Setting the budget has not been an easy process. Colleagues and I have been agonising over what to de-prioritise and what to protect, listening to what local people tell us they value the most whilst ensuring that the vulnerable in our community are protected.

I know that …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , and | 52 Comments

Lib Dem leader of Sheffield Council wins top European honour

Paul Scriven, the Leader of Sheffield City Council, has won a Europe-wide award for the work he and his Liberal Democrat colleagues have done to put power into the hands of Sheffield people.

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe held their Leader Awards last night, “recognising the work of outstanding local and regional liberal and democrat politicians.”

Cllr Scriven received the Achievement in Local Government Award. Others up for award included local politicians from France, Croatia and Holland.

Since Paul became the Liberal Democrat Leader of the Council in 2008 Sheffield has seen a raft of new ideas to devolve …

Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 3 Comments

Sheffield slaughter? Not this week

Labour pundits were eagerly predicting the Lib Dems would be slaughtered in a Sheffield local by-election yesterday, and would simply be hoping to avoid coming last.  The reality was a little different.

Labour comfortably held on to their safe Woodhouse seat, with both them and UKIP taking votes from the Conservatives, who were pushed into fourth place, just a few votes ahead of the BNP.

The Lib Dems came a clear second place, with the party’s vote down just 0.5% on the May result, and well up on every other election in the last few years, as Labour struggled to …

Posted in Council by-elections | 32 Comments

Councillor is arrested after drugs incident

From the Sheffield Star:

A WELL-KNOWN councillor and former leader in Sheffield’s war on crime has been arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs.

Sheffield councillor Mazher Iqbal, a prominent member of the city council’s Labour shadow cabinet, was one of two men arrested in the Handsworth area on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug.

He has been released on police bail while officers carry out further investigations.

You can read the full story here.

Posted in News | Also tagged | 7 Comments

Local Solutions 2009 – Paul Scriven on the Sheffield story

This the second in our series of podcasts of recordings made at ALDC’s Local Solutions 2009 conference on Saturday in Sheffield. You can listen to Nick Clegg and Ros Scott in the first instalment.

For the second hour, the leader of Sheffield city council Cllr Paul Scriven gave delegates a detailed explanation of how the Lib Dems won Sheffield – and most importantly of all, what they did with the power once they had it. It’s an inspiring story of decentralisation and empowerment of the local citizenry and is well worth forwarding around any of your colleagues who …

Posted in Podcasts | Also tagged , and | 5 Comments

Local Solutions 2009 – Nick Clegg and Ros Scott

For four mornings this week, LDV will be bringing you audio recordings of the proceedings at ALDC’s Local Solutions conference for Lib Dem councillors. One of the features of this event is to cram in as much as possible – including training sessions clashing with plenary sessions, which means many attendees themselves may not have heard the plenary. First up this morning is Saturday’s early morning session with party leader Nick Clegg MP and party president Baroness Ros Scott.

Sheffield Local Solutions 2009

You can listen to …

Posted in Podcasts | Also tagged , , and | Leave a comment

LDV at Local Solutions 2009

LDV will be represented tomorrow at ALDC’s Local Solutions 2009 conference in Sheffield. It’ll be a first outing for the exciting new Lib Dem Voice banner.

ldvbanner

We’ll be there to help raise the profile of the site, and to ask Lib Dem councillors to write their stories up for us. We’re always on the look out to beef up our local government coverage with stories the Lib Dems at the coalface who are actually running things. Could you write a piece about an exciting Lib Dem …

Posted in Conference | Also tagged , , , and | 3 Comments

News from Sheffield and Ashfield

Two articles drop into my inbox this morning bringing news of Lib Dem administrations on two councils north of the Trent.

Firstly Sheffield where Lib Dems are celebrating a year in control of the Council, and where the local newspaper has written a long, balanced article about what has been done in that time.

So what have the Lib Dems done for Sheffield? They have certainly been busy and, at the end of the first year, have produced a list of more than 50 decisions, ranging from multi-million pound strategies to community projects.

It wasn’t long before they were deciding to refund

Posted in Local government | Also tagged , and | 2 Comments
Advert



Recent Comments

  • Roland
    @Mick Taylor - whilst what happened on Oct 7th 2023 was unacceptable, subsequent actions authorised by the Israeli government are also wholly unacceptable takin...
  • Michael BG
    Peter Msrtin, I am glad we agree that guaranteed jobs should be voluntary. I am not convinced that those of a particular age should be a priority, I would...
  • Roland
    @Michael BG “ Unemployed people need some time to look for work. Job Centres used to say that looking for a job is a full-time job.” From my experience, ...
  • Simon R
    @Michael; You seem to be making a lot of assumptions about how a guaranteed job scheme would work, which don't match anything either I or Peter have claimed. T...
  • David Sheppard
    Well said Manuela so pleased to have helped you during the election. Wonderful to have a Liberal MP in Stratford !...