Tag Archives: simon hughes

The Voice

Simon Hughes in Harrogate

By The Voice | Sun 8th March 2009 - 10:21 am

Simon Hughes’s speech from yesterday morning is online to watch, and for your viewing convenience we present it here:

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Alix Mortimer

Conference: Higher education paper

By Alix Mortimer | Sat 7th March 2009 - 12:01 pm

Breaking news! The Lib Dem Voice cupboard has a WINDOW! Yes, it’s a slightly unnerving black smoked glass internal window which reflects us as well as revealing the outside world, but it’s a window!

I missed Simon Hughes’ speech this morning, which is a shame as I am extremely hopeful about his capacity to advance the environmental agenda – we’ll bring you that video as soon as we’ve established that it exists.

Listening now to the motion on the Investing in Talent, Building the Economy paper (Adult, Further and Higher Education policy paper).

I’ve missed the movement from Stephen Williams, and come …

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The Voice

And the moral of the story is…? Energy efficiency begins at home

By The Voice | Sun 15th February 2009 - 9:26 pm

From Friday’s Guardian, Lib Dems unveil plan for energy-efficient households:

Every UK home will be made energy-efficient within 10 years in a compulsory revamp of British housing stock equivalent to the “digital switchover”, the Liberal Democrats will promise today. … The party’s ambitious pledge increases pressure on the government, which will today announce its own plans to offer voluntary eco-makovers to one in four British homes. … It is estimated that carbon emissions from British homes account for a quarter of the country’s total. Under EU agreements, the government has 42 years to cut emissions by 80%. …

Announcing his party’s

…

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Alex Foster

Enough is enough

By Alex Foster | Mon 5th January 2009 - 9:22 am

Anyone from any political persuasion can list things this Government has done that annoy them.

Personally, I was annoyed enough to join millions of others on the march against the war in Iraq – now it’s time to hold them to account.

I’m not so sure how I will react if and when I get the orders from the Government to present myself at the interrogation centre in nearby Derby and hand over more personal information than is currently demanded from sex offenders.  I’m not certain I’m ready to join Simon Hughes in jail for refusing an ID card.

I’ve never …

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Posted in News and Online politics | Also tagged , , , , , , , , and | 5 Comments
Stephen Tall

Our starters for 2008 – how did we do? (Part II)

By Stephen Tall | Mon 29th December 2008 - 10:20 am

A year ago, Lib Dem Voice posed 10 questions, the answers to which we believed might shape the Lib Dem year – time to revisit them, wethinks. To read Part I dealing with Qs 1-5, click here.

6. Will Nicol Stephen’s leadership of the Scottish Lib Dems continue to bounce back?

No, it didn’t, though this was in large part due to Nicol’s decision to resign the party leadership at the beginning of July, in order to put “the health and wellbeing” of his family first. The Scottish party has had a tough time, playing third fiddle to …

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Jonathan Fryer

Jonathan Fryer’s Diary of a Euro-candidate

By Jonathan Fryer | Mon 10th November 2008 - 2:50 pm

Monday
Each autumn, I’m invited by Public Affairs International to give a briefing in London to foreign civil servants about relations between British political parties, the public and the media. A majority of the participants this afternoon are from Qatar and the UAE, which is an interesting reflection of current global realities. As their government ministers are almost all members of the ruling family, the Westminster system must seem very strange. I am left pondering what things would be like if Prince Andrew were our Minister of Defence. In the evening, I am the guest speaker at the AGM of Ealing …

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Posted in Europe / International and Op-eds | Leave a comment
Helen Duffett

Global Peace and Unity Conference: Pakistan news agency report

By Helen Duffett | Tue 28th October 2008 - 5:33 pm

From the Associated Press of Pakistan:

LONDON, Oct 27 (APP): Politicians, activists and grass-root leaders joined thousands of British Muslims to celebrate peace, in defiance of divisive smear casters. They gathered Sunday to take part in an annual jamboree to celebrate British Islam and discuss how the community can reach out to wider society in peace and solidarity.

The Global Peace and Unity conference organised by the Islam Channel took place at Excel Centre in East London despite the attempts of smear casters to dissuade leading politicians, activists and community leaders from attending.

The Muslim Council of Britain has written …

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Posted in News | 26 Comments
Alex Foster

Glenrothes update

By Alex Foster | Tue 28th October 2008 - 10:36 am

A few members of our forum have mentioned the lack of coverage of the Glenrothes by-election, and by a curious coincidence, I received an update email from the campaign manager Andrew Reeves at almost the exact same time.

I was sat in the by-election HQ in Markinch, Glenrothes on Saturday afternoon with Tavish Scott MSP, the new Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats looking at the article in the Guardian, where they have said “even the Tory and the Lib Dem could lose their deposits.”

We have had this happen once this year, in the Glasgow East by-election, let us ensure it

…

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Posted in Parliamentary by-elections | Also tagged , and | Leave a comment
Mark Pack

Labour cuts the number of days Parliament will sit to lowest figure since 1979

By Mark Pack | Fri 24th October 2008 - 11:15 am

Over the next year Parliament will sit for just 128 days, the lowest figure since 1979.

Although MPs do much valuable work when Parliament isn’t sitting (for example, Hornsey & Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone used this summer’s recess to call round on the residential care homes and sheltered housing in her constituency and last year’s to call round on the shops to find out what issues more effect them and need sorting), cutting back on the amount of time Parliament sites makes it much easier for Government to avoid scrutiny and to push through legislation without proper debate.

Simon Hughes raised …

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Posted in News and Parliament | 5 Comments
Jonathan Fryer

Jonathan Fryer’s Diary of a Euro-candidate

By Jonathan Fryer | Thu 25th September 2008 - 10:57 am

Wednesday

On the tube over to West London, I wonder how Ukraine and Slovakia have managed to have their national celebrations on the same day, and both at lunchtime. Fortunately the two embassies are close to each other, and predictably there is a lot of toing-and-froing between. I decide to do Ukraine first, having recently been in the country itself and I am not surprised to find the mood somewhat sombre. After the Russian intervention in Georgia, there are rumblings in the Crimea again and the government in Kiev is falling apart. I have earnest discussions with the diplomats there, …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 1 Comment
Joe Otten

Conference: Liberal Vision and the Free Society

By Joe Otten | Thu 18th September 2008 - 5:54 pm

Tuesday lunchtime in Old Harry’s Bar was packed to the rafters with delegates promised something better than food: a list. Don’t we just love lists? Not this time the 10 most influential fluffy bloggers, but a ranking of how liberal the 63 Liberal Democrat MPs are on the basis of Parliamentary votes and Early Day Motion (EDM) support, on issues relating to personal liberty – i.e. drinking and smoking, rather than tax and CCTV. Nobody really believes the methodology behind the list to be sound, but, hey, it’s just a bit of fun, isn’t it?

I was quite pleased to observe …

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Posted in Conference and Op-eds | Also tagged | 4 Comments
Will Howells

Final speeches from party conference

By Will Howells | Thu 18th September 2008 - 12:56 pm

A final round-up of speeches by Shadow Cabinet members from party conference in Bournemouth. First off, here’s Shadow Chancellor and Deputy Leader Vince Cable:

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Stephen Tall

Conference: Make It Happen debate… the live-blog

By Stephen Tall | Mon 15th September 2008 - 3:16 pm

Yes, it’s the day of the Big Debate on Make It Happen, the party’s policy and consultation document, and there’s keen anticipation here in the conference hall. Over 100 members have applied to speak so far, so we can expect some fiery views on both sides of the should-we-cut-the-tax-burden debate.

The party’s manifesto chief Danny Alexander has introduced Make It Happen – plenty of warm applause, including for the line that tax cuts for ordinary people are very much part of a social justice agenda. He urges conference to vote down Paul Holmes’ and Evan Harris’s amendment, arguing it will …

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Posted in Conference and Party policy and internal matters | Also tagged , , , and | 143 Comments
The Voice

Simon Hughes: why the Lib Dems will not stand against David Davis

By The Voice | Thu 12th June 2008 - 5:31 pm

This is the text of the email just sent by Lib Dem president Simon Hughes explaining the party’s decision not to contest the forthcoming Haltemprice & Howden by-election triggered by David Davis’s shock resignation:

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Posted in News and Parliamentary by-elections | Also tagged | 47 Comments
Stephen Tall

NEW POLL: should the Lib Dems stand in Haltemprice & Howden?

By Stephen Tall | Thu 12th June 2008 - 4:18 pm

By popular demand… following David Davis’s shock decision today to quit both as Tory shadow home secretary and MP for Haltemprice & Howden – and force a by-election over Labour’s 42 days detention without trial policy – Nick Clegg has announced the Lib Dems will not stand against Mr Davis at the subsequent by-election.

Nick’s decision gained the personal backing both of the party president Simon Hughes, and the party’s chief executive and by-election supreme Chris Rennard. All three have made it very clear the Lib Dems will re-contest the seat at the next general election. They have apparently discussed it …

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Posted in Parliamentary by-elections and Voice polls | Also tagged and | 30 Comments
The Voice

Stephen Kearney’s Henley campaign HQ opens

By The Voice | Mon 26th May 2008 - 7:37 pm

Over the bank holiday weekend, Simon Hughes visited Henley – site of the forthcoming Parliamentary by-election – to open the new campaign HQ for our candidate, Stephen Kearney:

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Mark Pack

Simon Hughes in Crewe and Nantwich

By Mark Pack | Tue 20th May 2008 - 5:42 pm
Posted in Lib Dem TV and Parliamentary by-elections | Also tagged | Leave a comment
The Voice

First tea for two winners

By The Voice | Mon 19th May 2008 - 1:02 pm

The Sunday Telegraph‘s Mandrake diary yesterday reported the party’s Tea for Two competition for helpers signing in at the Crewe and Nantwich by-election HQ over the next few days.

The party will get in touch with the winners once they’ve all been drawn but we can exclusively reveal the two winners randomly selected so far: Alun Griffiths from Bradford won tea for two in London with Sarah Teather, and local member Ken Veitch from Nantwich won tea with Simon Hughes.

Go and help this week and you could win tea with Chris Huhne, Lord Rennard, Vince Cable or Nick Clegg …

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Posted in News and Parliamentary by-elections | Also tagged and | 3 Comments
Andy Strange

Opinion: What’s the point of the Party President?

By Andy Strange | Thu 6th March 2008 - 7:45 am

Before I start, let me make one thing clear. This is not about Simon Hughes. It may or may not be useful to ask “What is the point of Simon Hughes?” but that is not what I am doing here.

No, I am concerned with the office and not the man. I want to question the nature of the role that the post of President of the Liberal Democrats plays within the Party. I want to know why we have a President of the Party.

Well, come on. Why do we?

Other than the Leader, it is the only post elected by an …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 7 Comments
Mark Pack

Lib Dems up the pressure on Saudi deal

By Mark Pack | Mon 18th December 2006 - 11:15 am

Liberal Democrat MPs are planning to up the pressure in Parliament over the Government’s controversial decision to drop corruption investigations around the Al Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

(As an aside – perhaps action in Parliament will flush out rather more comment from the Conservatives on this issue, who overall have stayed very, very quiet…).

UPDATE: Simon Hughes has called for action following this case, whilst you can read the views of Norman Lamb (a long time campaigner on this case) here

UPDATE 2: The Liberal Democrat petition calling for an inquiry into the dropping of the Continue reading »

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Mark Pack

Simon Hughes wants to hear from you

By Mark Pack | Sat 16th December 2006 - 10:00 am

Party President Simon Hughes is consulting members on how best to run a new pair of awards, one named after the late Patsy Calton, former MP for Cheadle, and the other after the late Harriet Smith, a star activist, organiser and Conference Revue singer.

The idea of the awards is to thank and recognise otherwise unsung party members – and having awards in the names of Patsy and Harriet will also be a fitting tribute to them both for their many contributions to the party, both tragically cut short by ill health.

You can let Simon have your views on issues like …

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Posted in News and Party policy and internal matters | Also tagged and | Leave a comment

Hughes hits out at News of the World phone-tapper

By the founding editor | Wed 29th November 2006 - 1:43 pm

Simon HughesGlenn Mulcaire is reported to be the journalist who tapped Simon Hughes‘ phone messages, leading to his high-profile “outing” during the leadership campaign of 2006.

Commenting on the opening of the ‘royal phone tapping’ trial today, Simon Hughes said:

Intercepting personal voicemail messages is a completely unacceptable breach of privacy – whether the victim is a royal prince, a politician, or someone completely out of the public eye. 

People who leave messages and those intended to receive them are all entitled to have private conversations. We live in an age where invasions of privacy are becoming more frequent. This does not make the practice any more acceptable. 

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Posted in News | Also tagged | 2 Comments
The Voice

Vote now: Should the Lib Dems next London Mayoral candidate be an MP?

By The Voice | Wed 22nd November 2006 - 2:09 pm

City HallIn 2000 Susan Kramer (not an MP at the time) was crushed by Ken Livingstone. 2004 saw Simon Hughes MP receive the same treatment.

The latest Lib Dem Voice poll asks whether the party should front one of its growing band of London area MPs (Susan Kramer, Simon Hughes, Ed Davey, Paul Burstow, Tom Brake, Lynne Featherstone, Sarah Teather, Vince Cable) or use the opportunity to promote a grass-roots campaigner / peer / councillor / random other.

Please vote, and if you feel so inclined, do give your reason in the comments box …

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Posted in London and Voice polls | Also tagged | 8 Comments
Mark Pack

Video: Simon Hughes and Lynne Featherstone on the Climate Change march

By Mark Pack | Mon 6th November 2006 - 8:07 am

In addition to the film featuring Chris Huhne, Sheila has also done a film of Saturday’s march with two of our other MPs – Simon Hughes and Lynne Featherstone:

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Voice Podcast: Climate change march

By the founding editor | Sun 5th November 2006 - 7:27 pm

Green Tax SwitchThe latest Lib Dem Voice Podcast is an account of the Grosvenor Square to Trafalgar Square march, including a group interview with Chris Huhne, Simon Hughes, Ed Davey and Jo Swinson.

If you want to skip my guff, and jump straight to the interview it’s at 4:51 in.

This is my first serious attempt at Podcasting – so please be vicious in your criticism, and tell me bluntly what’s hot and what’s not!

You can find out more about the Lib Dem Green Tax Switch at www.greentaxswitch.com

Subscribe to Podcasts …

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Posted in Podcasts | Also tagged , , and | 2 Comments

Lib Dem Voice climate march Podcast coming soon

By the founding editor | Sat 4th November 2006 - 4:57 pm

Podcast coming soon, just as soon as:

  • I fix my PC, which is the only thing that can get the audio off my minidisc recorder
  • I work out how to cover the fact that I was on one march with a bunch of Trots, while every single other Liberal Democrat was on another march. I have some script writing to do…

When the Podcast does come, it contains a nice interview with Chris Huhne, Jo Swinson, Ed Davey and Simon Hughes.

Then, given a choice between interviewing my fellow grass roots members to capture their thoughts in the cold, or retiring to …

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Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 5 Comments
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