Tag Archives: simon hughes

Stephen Tall

Simon Hughes the choice of 60% of party members to be new Deputy Leader – LDV survey

By Stephen Tall | Wed 2nd June 2010 - 11:00 am

Lib Dem Voice polled party members registered on our members’ forum at the weekend asking them about the contest to succeed Vince Cable as Lib Dem deputy leader. Over 460 members responded, and here’s what you told us …

LDV asked: Vince Cable stood down this week as Deputy Leader of the party. Some have suggested all members should have a vote to decide who is the party’s deputy leader. Others say that members elect the party president, and it is right MPs decide the deputy leader. What’s your view?

42% – Party members should elect the Deputy Leader
44% –

…

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Posted in LDV Members poll | Also tagged and | 14 Comments
Mark Pack

Deputy Leadership contest: how the MPs stack up

By Mark Pack | Fri 28th May 2010 - 9:32 pm

The following list of MPs backing different Deputy Leader candidates only lists those who have declared their support in public so far. If you spot any more, please do post up a comment along with the source of the information and I’ll update this post as news comes in.

Tim Farron (11)

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Helen Duffett

Simon Hughes stands for Deputy Leader as “the life and soul of our party”

By Helen Duffett | Fri 28th May 2010 - 11:00 am

Simon Hughes' Deputy Leader flyer
Simon Hughes, MP for Southwark and Old Bermondsey has announced his intention to stand for the position of Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

From his campaign flyer:

Labour have made it clear they want to rewrite history, ignoring the reality of their time in office. They claim to be the only home for progressive voters. I will not let them get away with it.

My experience representing an inner city constituency tells a different story: of too many broken promises and too many people

…

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Mark Pack

Deputy Leadership: runners, riders, rules

By Mark Pack | Thu 27th May 2010 - 6:01 pm

So far, the Deputy Leadership election looks to be shaping up as a contest between Tim Farron and Simon Hughes. Tim is the one public candidate so far and there’s plenty of chatter about other possible candidates. In particular, there is an impetus from some quarters for a female candidate to balance out the all-male Cabinet team. However, that is rather muted by both the Party President (Ros Scott) and Chair of the Parliamentary Party (Lorely Burt) posts being held by women and the combination of circumstances, such as being a minister or holding a marginal seat, which rules out …

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Tom Papworth

Opinion: Cold comfort for the Lib Dems in the dawn of the new politics

By Tom Papworth | Sat 15th May 2010 - 2:50 pm

On Thursday night we saw the dynamics of the New Politics unfold.

For the first time, advocates of the Lib-Con pact came face to face with opponents and the general public in a very public forum. On Question Time, Simon Hughes MP and Lord Heseltine defended the new government against a tirade of abuse from Lord Falconer, Mehdi Hasan and Melanie Phillips, while the audience expressed exasperation and dismay. Get used to it. This is the New Politics, and if Cameron and Clegg are to be believed, this is what we have to look forward to …

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NewsHound

LibLink: Hughes – Liberal Democrat party stronger than ever

By NewsHound | Thu 13th May 2010 - 3:22 pm

Simon Hughes has an upbeat piece in the Independent today. On the left of the party, is Simon worried at a coalition with the Conservatives? Not a bit of it.

Whatever the difficulties of leading Britain out of the recession, reducing the deficit, growing our economy and reversing our headstrong irresponsibility as stewards of our planet, our philosophy, traditions, principles and values remain rock solid. Political parties do not exist to debate or advise; they exist to implement, to deliver and to change. Thirteen years of Labour and 65 years of red/blue politics has left Britain with too few

…

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Posted in LibLink | 20 Comments
NewsHound

LibLink: Simon Hughes – The Lib Dems can keep the lights on

By NewsHound | Wed 7th April 2010 - 8:35 pm

Over at the New Statesman, Simon Hughes, the Lib Dems’ shadow secretary of state for energy and climate change, mounts a passionate defence of the party’s call for an independent inquiry into nuclear power – a call which led pro-nuclear environmental campaigner Mark Lynas to far-fetchedly claim the lights could go out in the event of a hung parliament.

First, Simon points out the need for an independent inquiry into the “justification” for nuclear power:

“Justification” is the process of assessment of the health effects of nuclear power and is a legal requirement before any new nuclear plant can operate in

…

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NewsHound

LibLink: Simon Hughes: “Like the banks, new nuclear is too big to fail”

By NewsHound | Mon 22nd March 2010 - 5:25 pm

At Comment is Free today, Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat shadow secretary of state for energy and climate change) challenges the Tories over their “incoherent” new energy policy and calls for greater investment in renewable energy:

Nuclear power has always required huge amounts of public money and David Cameron’s signal that the Tories are ready to turn on the taps of taxpayer support risks billions which we simply can’t afford. Both Labour and the Tories claim that they will not provide any public subsidy, but both know that this cannot be true when the nuclear industry that has never been

…

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NewsHound

LibLink: Simon Hughes – Being a constituency MP

By NewsHound | Wed 17th March 2010 - 8:45 pm

Over at The Guardian’s Comment Is Free website, Simon Hughes – Lib Dem MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey since 1983 – writes about his experiences as a constituency member of Parliament, and how a good and effective democracy is under-pinned by approachable MPs who deliver top-quality personal responses.

(Peter Black recently blogged a letter in the Guardian from someone whose train journey was disrupted by Simon’s assiduous work ethic).

Here’s an excerpt:

It is a seven-day, 80-hour a week job being a constituency MP. Every day by phone, letter, email or simply being stopped in the street, people ask for

…

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Stephen Tall

Daily View 2×2: 15 March 2010

By Stephen Tall | Mon 15th March 2010 - 10:15 am

Happy Monday morning, everyone, and welcome to the Ides of March edition of the Daily View. (I hope David Cameron is watching his back: the Tories don’t do loyalty).

Alongside the assasination of Julius Caesar today marks the anniversary of the first Test cricket match between England and Australia (1877); the registration of the first internet domain name, symbolics.com, 25 years ago; and the 70th birthday of Frank Dobson. O frabjous day!

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator:

…

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Stephen Tall

Daily View 2×2: 22 February 2010

By Stephen Tall | Mon 22nd February 2010 - 9:45 am

Happy Monday morning everyone. Just 213 years ago today saw the Last Invasion of Britain: look away now if you don’t want to know the result. We beat the French. The 22nd February is also the birthday of three of this country’s greatest entertainers: Kenneth Williams (1926), Bruce Forsyth (1928) and Terry Eagleton (1943).

But enough of such tarrying, and on with the main event …

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here’s are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator:

…

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NewsHound

210,000 internal Government flights in one year

By NewsHound | Sun 21st February 2010 - 6:54 pm

The BBC reports Simon Hughes’ criticism of the Government for letting the plane take the strain a little too often.

Party spokesman Simon Hughes said: Government staff should “use trains and video-conferencing more so they fly around the country less”.

“Civil servants are spending staggering amounts of taxpayers’ cash flying around the UK,” he added.

“The Civil Service Code needs to change so that environmental factors are considered when travel bookings are made.”

Government departments spent £21.8 million on over 210,000 internal flights in the year 2008-9. Well over half that total is down to the MOD, with the Department for Work …

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Sara Bedford

Daily View 2×2: 16 February 2010

By Sara Bedford | Tue 16th February 2010 - 9:35 am

Welcome to today’s numerically challenged Daily View – a bit like a Conservative policy paper.

On this day 51 years ago, Fidel Castro was sworn in as Cuban Prime Minister. Twenty five years ago Clive Ponting resigned from his post at the MoD over the Belgrano affair, despite having been acquitted of breaching the Official Secrets Act a week previously. Just five years ago, the Kyoto Protocol came into force.

Today is of course Shrove Tuesday, so get ready for pancakes tonight. But don’t rely on your opponents giving up campaigning for Lent. I’m off to spend the night setting the budget for the good residents of Three Rivers.

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NewsHound

LibLink … Simon Hughes: You Ask The Questions

By NewsHound | Tue 2nd February 2010 - 9:25 pm

Apologies, folks, we missed this one yesterday … Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem shadow secretary of state for Energy and Climate Change, was the subject of The Independent’s latest You Ask The Questions Q&A feature. Here are three of the 15 questions and Simon’s answers:

Why is your constituency still riven by inequality and lack of jobs 25 years after you became MP? TANYA AHMED, WOLVERHAMPTON

The short answer is that inequality and job creation is most influenced by the international economy, and national and regional government – and for all of my time as MP we have had Conservative and

…

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Mark Pack

Daily View 2×2: 31 January 2009, presenting RISO: The Movie

By Mark Pack | Sun 31st January 2010 - 9:00 am

It’s Sunday. It’s 9am. It’s time for RISO: The Movie, but first the news.

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here’s are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator:

Spotted any other great posts in the last day from blogs that aren’t on the aggregator? Do post up a comment sharing them with us all.

It’s nearly time for RISO: The Movie. Nearly, but not quite…

2 Big Stories

India keeps Copenhagen pledge on emission cuts

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Stephen Tall

Daily View 2×2: 21 December 2009

By Stephen Tall | Mon 21st December 2009 - 10:15 am

Morning, all, and welcome to the 355th day of the year, a date which marks the 21st anniversary of the Lockerbie bombing, and the 47th anniversary of the British decision to buy nuclear missiles from the US. Today is also, you may like to know, the birthday of Thomas Becket, Jane Fonda and Tina Brown.

2 Must-Read Blog-Posts

What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here’s are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator:


And a very Merry Christmas to you too Eurostar & BA … (Lisa Harding)

So, to the people that run and work

…

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Stephen Tall

Daily View 2×2: 7 December 2009

By Stephen Tall | Mon 7th December 2009 - 9:25 am

Welcome to the 341st day of the year, folks, a day which has witnessed in past years the births of great thinkers like Noam Chomsky and Stan Boardman.

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator:

  • Why the Conservatives have been making class an issue (James Graham)

    • … the one party still obsessed with class in this country are the Conservatives. Frankly, it would be nice if there were a bit more class consciousness within the other two main parties.

  • Four Years

    • …

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    Iain Roberts

    March with Nick and Simon

    By Iain Roberts | Wed 11th November 2009 - 1:45 pm

    Nick Clegg and Simon Hughes will be taking to the streets of London on Saturday 5th December to demand the Government got further in tackling climate change.

    As an email from Simon Hughes stiringly says:

    We are the party that has the courage to tackle climate change in Britain. We will go furthest on cutting carbon emissions. Go furthest in generating renewable energy. And go furthest in insulating homes.

    But climate change can only be tackled by global action – and that is why the Copenhagen conference is so important. It could prove to be the most important in our lifetimes.

    The march on December 5 is a chance for us to show the Government how strongly people in Britain feel. We can’t let this opportunity pass. And a strong Liberal Democrat presence on the march will send a clear message to the nation that we are the only party with the ambition and policies to reverse climate change.

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    Posted in News | Also tagged and | 2 Comments
    The Voice

    Simon Hughes on the Labour MPs “failing to match climate rhetoric with real action”

    By The Voice | Thu 22nd October 2009 - 7:15 pm

    Lib Dem Voice yesterday covered the video Simon Hughes made to highlight the Lib Dems’ opposition day motion on climate change, and the 10:10 campaign’s call for a commitment to a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010. The Lib Dems’ motion was straightforward:

    That this House believes that it is vital that the UK demonstrates political leadership at all levels in response to the climate crisis, and that this is particularly important ahead of the United Nations Climate Change summit in Copenhagen if there is to be an international agreement which will avert the worst effects of catastrophic climate change; further believes that immediate practical responses to the crisis should include a massive expansion of renewable energy and energy efficiency and a commitment for all homes in Britain to be warm homes within 10 years; acknowledges that action taken now to tackle the climate crisis will cost less than action taken in the future; notes the declared support of Labour and Conservative frontbenchers to the objective of the 10:10 campaign which calls for 10 per cent. greenhouse gas emission reductions by the end of 2010; agrees that the House will sign up to the 10:10 campaign; calls on Her Majesty’s Government and all public sector bodies now to make it their policy to achieve a 10 per cent. reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2010; and further calls on the Government to bring a delivery plan before this House by the end of 2009 on how these objectives will be achieved.

    But Labour MPs said no, rejecting the motion – you can find a full list of MPs who opposed it below – but, first, here’s what Simon Hughes had to say:

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    Helen Duffett

    Video: Simon Hughes on the Liberal Democrats’ 10:10 campaign motion

    By Helen Duffett | Wed 21st October 2009 - 3:01 pm

    The 10:10 campaign is calling for a commitment to a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010. It’s aimed at individuals, businesses, schools, politicians – in fact, everyone in the UK.

    At 4pm today, Parliament will be debating the following motion, submitted by Simon Hughes MP, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy & Climate Change Secretary:

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    Posted in News | Also tagged , , , , and | 4 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Hughes calls on Speaker Bercow to sign Westminster up to 10:10 climate change pledge

    By Stephen Tall | Sat 5th September 2009 - 7:00 pm

    The Guardian has the story:

    The 10:10 campaign to encourage Britons – and Britain – to cut carbon emissions reached the seat of governmenttoday, with a public call on the Palace of Westminster to sign up. Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat energy and climate change spokesman, wrote to John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, to ask for his support.

    The paper quotes from Simon’s letter (which I can’t find online at the party’s website):

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    Stephen Tall

    Daily View 2×2: 17 July 2009

    By Stephen Tall | Fri 17th July 2009 - 9:15 am

    2 Big Stories

    Troops need more, says Dannett

    The BBC has the interview and the story:

    The head of the UK Army has said better equipment is needed to protect troops from roadside bombs in Afghanistan. General Sir Richard Dannatt told the BBC troops “needed more” and added that he would be compiling a shopping list of what was required. … The general’s comments will be seen as careful “parting shots”. …

    In return for their service, he says more money needs to be spent on equipment for British forces in Afghanistan. Earlier this week, the general – on his last trip

    …

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    Alex Foster

    Daily View 2×2: 9 July 2009

    By Alex Foster | Thu 9th July 2009 - 7:40 am

    Happy Independence Day, Argentina! And happy birthday to Paul Merton and Tom Hanks.

    Two big stories

    Murdoch Papers hack phones
    The Guardian has the story of Murdoch titles doing dodgy things with mobile phones – and it backfiring on them to the tune of at least £1m. There are clear links to current Conservative communications chief Andy Coulson.

    There’s an awful lot of this story on the Guardian’s site – including an interview with hack victim Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes.

    I hope this story has legs. This was shoddy journalism that should have serious consequences.

    Darling’s banking reforms attacked
    The FT looks …

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    Posted in Daily View | Also tagged , , , , , , and | 4 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Simon Hughes challenges Home Secretary over McKinnon extradition

    By Stephen Tall | Tue 7th July 2009 - 11:30 am

    Yesterday’s LDV highlighted an article by Lib Dem peer Lord (Alex) Carlile, urging that alleged computer hacker Gary McKinnon not be extradited to the USA to face charges – it is feared Mr McKinnon’s health could significantly deteriorate as a result of his Asperger’s condition. Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes used the opportunity of topical questions to the Home Secretary yesterday to ask Alan Johnson direct if he would intervene to prevent Mr McKinnon’s extradition.

    Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey) (LD): Will the Home Secretary act now to deal with growing anger in my constituency and around

    …

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    Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | 1 Comment
    Stephen Tall

    Huhne: scrap ID cards and put 10,000 bobbies on the beat. Three reasons why he’s wrong

    By Stephen Tall | Tue 30th June 2009 - 9:30 pm

    Amother day, another nail in the coffin of Labour’s increeasingly half-hearted attempts to force the British people to carry ID cards and enrtust their personal details to a national government database. The BBC reports:

    Home Secretary Alan Johnson has dropped plans to make ID cards compulsory for pilots and airside workers at Manchester and London City airports. The cards were due to be trialled there – sparking trade union anger. … But Mr Johnson said the ID card scheme was still very much alive – despite Tory and Lib Dem calls to scrap it. He said the national roll-out of

    …

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

    WED: Green Lib Dems annual conference

    By Alex Foster | Fri 5th June 2009 - 10:25 pm

    News reaches the Voice of the Green Lib Dem’s annual conference, unfortunately just a little too late to promote it in time for the early registration rates:

    SESSIONS INCLUDE: “The Great Nuclear Debate”; “Greening Your Council”; “Transition Towns”; “Eco Housing”; “Green Campaigning Workshop”

    CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Simon Hughes MP; Chris Huhne MP; Heather Kidd PPC; Donnachadh McCarthy, Media Environmentalist; Lembit Opik MP

    PRICES HELD AT 2008 RATES – BOOK NOW TO ENSURE A PLACE

    Registrations received after 5th June

    GLD members £22 (for both days) £14 (single day rate)

    Non members £28 (for both days) £18 (single day rate)

    Conference fees include lunch. A separate Saturday evening

    …

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    Alex Foster

    New collection of leaflets

    By Alex Foster | Mon 11th May 2009 - 12:16 pm

    A strategically hashtagged tweet brings an interesting new site to the attention of The Voice. It is being built by people with some connection to MySociety, who are responsible for the excellent non-partisan sites intended to improve how politics works, such as WriteToThem, PublicWhip and FixMyStreet.

    The new site is intended as a repository of the leaflets that are routinely delivered by local political activists day in, day out up and down the country.  Whilst similar sites have tried to do this before – particularly for the bigger by-elections – no-one has really got a site together that works quite …

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    Posted in Online politics | Also tagged | 23 Comments
    Helen Duffett

    Successful wind farm to be nuked?

    By Helen Duffett | Tue 28th April 2009 - 2:13 pm

    A successful wind farm close to the Lake District national park is one of the sites recently approved by the Government for a new generation of nuclear power plants.
    From the Guardian:

    One of the oldest and most efficient wind farms in Britain is to be dismantled and replaced by a nuclear power station under plans drawn up by the German-owned power group RWE.

    The site at Kirksanton in Cumbria – home to the Haverigg turbines – has just been approved by the government for potential atomic newbuild in a move that has infuriated the wind power industry.

    Colin Palmer, founder of the Windcluster company, which owns part of the Haverigg wind farm, said he was horrified that such a plan could be considered at a time when Britain risks missing its green energy targets and after reassurance from ministers that nuclear and renewables were not incompatible.

    In a masterful understatement which belies the local anger and bewilderment at the lack of early consultation, Matthew Clayton of Triodos Renewables, the company which owns three turbines on the site said:

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    Posted in News | Also tagged | 15 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    NEW POLL: what’s your view on nuclear power?

    By Stephen Tall | Thu 16th April 2009 - 6:59 pm

    Yesterday the Government released a list of 11 sites in England and Wales where new nuclear power stations could be built, with the aim of having the first reactors operational within a decade.

    The Lib Dems’ shadow energy and climate change secretary Simon Hughes was unequivocal in stating his anti-nuclear position on behalf of the party, branding this new generation of nuclear power stations a “colossal mistake”:

    They are hugely expensive, dangerous and will take too long to build. There is a real danger that the Government is becoming too close to and the big energy companies.

    …

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    Posted in Voice polls | Also tagged , , , and | 27 Comments
    Stephen Tall

    Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Shirley, Simon, Chris and David

    By Stephen Tall | Wed 1st April 2009 - 1:45 pm

    The Times tells us that four senior Lib Dems will be on hand to inspect police treatment of protesters at today’s climate camp in London’s Square Mile:

    Four Liberal Democrats – Baroness Williams of Crosby, Simon Hughes, Chris Huhne and David Howarth – will act as legal observers at the climate camp to prevent violence initiated by police, rather than protesters.

    Mr Howarth, the MP for Cambridge, said that police and media were guilty of “talking up the violence”, adding: “The danger is that they are putting off peaceful protesters, and attracting the wrong sort.”

    Over at the paper’s Comment Central …

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