Tag Archives: tim farron

Caron Lindsay

Farron: Cameron’s “bunch of migrants” comments diminish his office and Britain

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 29th January 2016 - 3:55 pm

On the Belfast Telegraph website, Tim Farron talks about why he feels we should offer sanctuary to the “desperate” children struggling alone through Winter in refugee camps. He also slammed David Cameron’s “bunch of migrants” comments which have had a great deal of coverage this week.

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Caron Lindsay

Farron: David Cameron “heartless and stupid” to ignore plight of child refugees in Europe

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 28th January 2016 - 9:12 am

Tim Farron has been doing the rounds on the media this morning to talk about the Government’s announcement that it will allow some child refugees into the UK. However, there are no plans to take unaccompanied children who are already in Europe. Tim has been arguing since the Summer for the Government to do more to help these children and was the first party leader to back Save the Children’s campaign for 3000 refugee children to be given sanctuary in this country so that they didn’t have to spend their lives in refugee camps, or vulnerable to exploitation. He has questioned the Prime Minister on this at every opportunity and before Christmas presented a Bill to enshrine that commitment into law. Laura Kuenssberg’s assertion in the BBC report that the announcement comes after pressure in “recent days” does not recognise Tim’s long-standing efforts.

Tim’s initial reaction to the announcement was that it didn’t go far enough as it didn’t do enough for those children who had already made it to Europe.

This is an important step, but it is far from the guarantee these desperate children need, and action must follow immediately.

Thousands of children are travelling across Europe. They are cold, alone and scared. They deserve a safe, welcoming home and I won’t stop until that’s what we’ve given them.

As a country we must pull together and offer them a home, while encouraging our European neighbours to do the same.

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The Voice

Tim Farron’s message for Holocaust Memorial Day

By The Voice | Wed 27th January 2016 - 12:43 pm

From Facebook, here is Tim’s message for Holocaust Memorial Day:

My reflections on this year's Holocaust Memorial Day. This is a day for everyone to remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, and the millions of people killed by Nazi Persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. The years theme of ‘Don’t Stand By’ highlights the choice we have in not tolerating unacceptable behaviour. It is vital that we remember and reflect upon these horrors of the past, and honour those who survived.

Posted by Tim Farron on Wednesday, 27 January 2016

Posted by Tim Farron on Wednesday, 27 January 2016

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Stephen Howse

Tim talks to a room of students – and energises the #LibDemFightback in Newcastle


By Stephen Howse | Wed 27th January 2016 - 10:25 am

Students at NUSU Tim Talks

Of all the drops in the Liberal Democrat vote in May, the drop in the 18-24 vote was harshest. From 30% of the total vote of this age group in 2010, our vote collapsed to just 5% in May. Hope springs eternal in Newcastle, though – and we were delighted to welcome our leader, Tim Farron, in hosting a ‘Talk to Tim’ event at the Newcastle University Students’ Union on Monday night.

Tim was in fine form, answering questions from the packed room of well over 100 students on issues ranging from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership to fracking and from the government’s proposed Teaching Excellence Framework for Higher Education to just what, exactly, is the point of the Liberal Democrats.

The questions were reasoned, varied and detailed. If this event was any indication, if we listen to young people and show that we genuinely care about what they have to say, we will win their respect and, in time, win back their support.

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NewsHound

LibLink: Tim Farron: Help needed for floods recovery and prevention

By NewsHound | Sun 24th January 2016 - 1:19 pm

Tim Farron has been writing in the Westmorland Gazette about what needs to be done in the short and long term to repair the damage from December’s floods and take action to prevent them in the future.

He talks about the need to repair vital infrastructure quickly:

In the short-term, there is an urgent need to restore damaged infrastructure, while in the longer term we must look at comprehensive, whole-systems approaches to flood prevention. For far too long, the government has sought to make short-term savings at the expense of long-term investment which would have helped to provide protection from the floods.

The single biggest infrastructure challenge we face is the continued closure of the A591. Although the government has finally committed to undertake in full the required repairs, this crucial route connecting the north and south of the Lake District is due to remain closed until the end of May. Local business people expect thatthis could cost the local economy up to £100million. If this happens, businesses that rely on the tourist trade will go under, and with them the jobs they supported. I am urgently pushing for a solution that will provide relief for local businesses.

In the longer term, there’s a need for a holistic approach to tackle flooding:

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Caron Lindsay

Farron says there’s “not a lot of truth” in Independent report on secret talks with Corbyn over electoral reform

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 24th January 2016 - 11:30 am

Today’s Independent has a report that there are secret talks going on between Labour and the Liberal Democrats over a joint platform for electoral reform at the next General Election.

It attributes the following to a “Lib Dem source”:

The Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru and the Greens could also be involved in the talks, the source said. If the  negotiations are successful, up to five left-of-centre parties could stand on an agreed platform of voting reform at the 2020 election – giving them a mandate to scrap Westminster’s first-past- the-post system without a referendum, so long as they are able to secure a majority in the Commons.

It certainly strikes me that if there were successful talks going on, then there would be no reports about them in the press. It also strikes me that the Labour Party is in no position to commit to any deal, given the power struggles that are going on inside it. Another report in the same paper says that there is a plot afoot to move Jeremy Corbyn’s speech to the end of Conference to prevent the final day of the event being ruined by the press finding opposition to it from within the Labour Party. Corbyn is fighting so many internal battles, that it’s impossible for him to look outward and work with others, which is a real shame. Actually, I think the sort of alliance that the Independent described on that one issue of electoral reform might not be a bad idea. You might not get a rainbow coalition to work in Government, but you could have one fighting for the Parliament the voters ask for. The Conservatives and SNP are tightening their grips on power on both sides of the border. They are very well resourced and the Tories look set to benefit from boundary changes. These of course would benefit the Tories in two way. Firstly, they benefit the Tories anyway, but   Labour would go nuclear as moderates and Corbynites scrapped over the new seats.

Tim Farron was asked about this on Pienaar’s Politics a few moments go. He said that  there was “not a lot of truth” in the report and that an alliance on electoral reform isn’t his priority at the moment. What matters is rebuilding the Liberal Democrats and effectively opposing the Tories. He said:

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Caron Lindsay

Observer: Britain “poised to open door” to refugee children

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 23rd January 2016 - 10:16 pm

For months now, there have been repeated calls for the UK to take 3000 unaccompanied child refugees who have fled the Syrian conflict.

Tim Farron has been pressing the Government to do so, going as far as tabling a Bill in Parliament. Most of the opposition parties in Parliament and its International Development Committee are in favour.

Tomorrow’s Observer suggests that action may soon be forthcoming:

Amid growing expectation that an announcement is imminent, Downing Street said ministers were looking seriously at calls from charities, led by Save the Children, for the UK to admit at least 3,000 unaccompanied young people who have arrived in Europe from countries including Syria and Afghanistan, and who are judged to be at serious risk of falling prey to people traffickers. Government sources said such a humanitarian gesture would be in addition to the 20,000 refugees the UK has already agreed to accept, mainly from camps on the borders of Syria, by 2020.

Tim Farron isn’t counting any chickens until the announcement is made, saying tonight that he wants to see firm action:

I have repeatedly called for the UK to take in 3,000 unaccompanied refugee orphans and the government must now move from ‘looking’ at the issue to actually rolling out a plan to offer these youngsters a home.

Those who have made it to European shores now face cold winters, harsh conditions and are vulnerable to traffickers and those who want to exploit them. Every moment longer the Prime Minister takes to decide leaves a child alone, without protection and without a future.

We must open our hearts to those in need and I will keep pressing at this for as long as it takes. We can and must help.

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The Voice

Farron: Don’t train people from countries with bad human rights records at Sandhurst

By The Voice | Sat 23rd January 2016 - 12:30 pm

Tim Farron has called on the Government to stop taking money from states with poor human rights records to train their military officers at the elite Sandhurst training college. He said to the Guardian:

These Sandhurst sheikhs are sitting in our military academies, learning from our best and then taking these things back to regimes that repress their population and trample all over human rights. People will look at this and think why are we selling weapons to Saudi, training Bahrainis and then sitting there while they oppress their population.

Shared military training with our allies is a fantastic resource, but it is time to stand up for the values we talk about so much – democracy and human rights. British forces provide some of the best military training in the world, but the privilege to train with our top class troops should be reserved to those foreign armed forces who share our values and our strict adherence to humanitarian law in combat. I believe we need to end to the training of overseas royals from regimes with terrible human rights records at Sandhurst.

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The Voice

‘Make the case for Europe yourself and stop hiding behind business’ – Farron

By The Voice | Fri 22nd January 2016 - 12:00 pm

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s European referendum speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said yesterday:

The Prime Minister is calling on businesses to step up and join the campaign to remain within the European Union. I call on him to step up and make the case himself and not hide behind businesses. He needs to lead, not follow.

The Liberal Democrats are the only party united in the case to remain. Together the EU has created the world’s largest free trade area, delivered peace, and continues to give the British people the opportunity to live, work and travel freely. History shows that Britain is better when it is united with Europe.

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The Voice

Farron and Brake say that those who killed Alexander Litvinenko must be held to account

By The Voice | Thu 21st January 2016 - 2:20 pm

Tim Farron and Tom Brake have reacted to this morning’s publication of the report into the nurder of Alexander Litvinenko which concluded that Andrei Lugovoi, a key ally of Vladimir Putin, and Dmitri Kovtun killed Litvinenko and that Putin probably authorised it.

Tim Farron said that those responsible must be held to account:

A UK citizen was killed on the streets of London with polonium. It was an attack on the heart of Britain, our values and our society.

I call for EU travel bans, asset freezes and coordinated action to deal with those who committed this evil assassination. I have called for a new Magnitsky Law to make sure that these people are held to account for what they did.

These assassins trampled over British sovereignty and we cannot let this go unanswered.

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NewsHound

Farron slams UK’s billion pound arms deals with Saudi Arabia

By NewsHound | Tue 19th January 2016 - 10:17 pm

The Guardian reports that human rights groups have expressed concern at a major rise in UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Last month Saferworld and Amnesty commissioned a legal opinion from Professor Philippe Sands QC and other lawyers which concluded that British arms sales to Saudi Arabia, in the context of its military intervention and bombing campaign in Yemen, were breaking national, EU and international law.

UK arms sales in the three-month period from July to September 2015 for the export category that covers missiles, rockets and bombs amounted to £1,066,216,510, the BIS documents show. They were sold under five separate licences.

You can see the official figures showing the details of the export licences here.

Tim Farron has accused David Cameron of putting profits before human rights.

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Mary Reid

Tim Farron on English language classes for Muslim women

By Mary Reid | Mon 18th January 2016 - 1:51 pm

 

David Cameron has announced a £20 million fund for English language classes for Muslim women, claiming that 22% of Muslim women in the UK do not speak English.

That figure of 22% was challenged on the BBC Today programme by Dal Babu, a former chief superintendent with the Metropolitan Police, who claims that the figure should be nearer 6%.

Help with learning English is the least the Government can do to help migrants settle down, live a full life in the UK and contribute to the local community. That is why in the Coalition the Lib Dems prevented the Government from cutting funding for English language classes.

So why limit it to Muslim women? The answer to that question is revealed in the subtext – Cameron manages to link the lack of English with extremism.

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Kevin Mahoney

Time is ripe for Church of England disestablishment

By Kevin Mahoney | Mon 18th January 2016 - 12:35 pm

 

Now that the Anglican Communion has ruled that the US Episcopalian Church will not be able to take part in its decision making for three years’ following their support for same sex marriage and their appointment of a gay bishop in 2003, it is time for us to put Church of England disestablishment back on the agenda.

Like many in the party, I had misgivings about Tim Farron’s Christian faith when he was elected leader. As a liberal Christian who campaigns for same sex marriage within church, I perceived Tim to be a conservative Christian that would be opposed to this. However, the controversy about Tim’s interview with Cathy Newman last year has rather changed my mind on this, especially when I read his May 2015 interview in Pink News. Tim called for the disestablishment of the CofE in this interview, and I think that we should make this official policy to finally dispel the view that his Christianity is a problem for his leadership. Having had a closer look at Tim Farron’s reasons for his voting record on same sex marriage, I think the problem is not that he’s a fundamentalist Christian, but that he’s a fundamentalist Liberal.

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Caron Lindsay

Farron’s response to principle of banning Trump is right in principle but…

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 17th January 2016 - 3:55 pm

Tomorrow, Parliament debates whether Donald Trump should be excluded from the UK. MPs are doing this because getting on for 600,000 people signed an official e-petition calling for him to be banned from the UK after his appalling anti-Muslim comments. We’ve talked about this on LDV before. In December, I said that he should be allowed to come here:

Much as I understand that people are repelled by his views, there is a certain irony in them responding to his ignorant call to ban a group of people with a call to ban him.

I have less than no time for the man. Hell, he called a friend of mine who had the temerity to question his plans for his golf course a “national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist”. However, I was never comfortable with the idea of “no platform” because I think that sweeping prejudice under the carpet doesn’t get rid of it. It finds oxygen from somewhere and lurks there, waiting or an opportunity to re-emerge and spread even more intensified hate. When people express views like Trump’s, they need to be challenged, satirised and shown up for the nonsense that they are.

I’d love to see the likes of Lynne Featherstone, Shirley Williams, Jo Brand, Tim Farron or his new mate Russell Howard take him down with carefully chosen words. In that way, they can also challenge similar views held by those who aren’t quite as rich and powerful as The Donald.

I didn’t, therefore, sign the petition, but Millicent Ragnhild Scott did, not because she wanted to see him banned, but because she wanted Parliament to debate what he’d said to show that we reject his poisonous ideas:

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Caron Lindsay

Liberal Democrats react to Transgender Equality Report

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 14th January 2016 - 9:23 pm

Today’s publication of the Transgender Equality Report by the Commons Women and Equality Committee should lead to some big improvements to services and better rights for transgender people. It has some useful recommendations around health services – ensuring, for example, that GPs have sufficient training in how they should treat transgender people. The Committee certainly seems to have listened to many of the concerns put to them.

Their approach to the spousal veto question was more cautious than I would have liked. They basically said that it needed more consideration but didn’t recommend doing away with it, even though they accepted that a spouse could stand in the way of a transgender person getting their legal recognition. However, if the law is changed to abolish that cumbersome process, as the Committee. This is a big step forward:

In place of the present medicalised, quasi-judicial application process, an administrative process must be developed, centred on the wishes of the individual applicant, rather than on intensive analysis by doctors and lawyers.

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The Voice

What Tim Farron hopes to achieve for women in 2016

By The Voice | Wed 13th January 2016 - 1:08 pm

Tim Farron has been doing all he can to get into a variety of media, from Have I got news for you, to Wetherspoons’ newsletter and, this week, to Stylist magazine. This issue is featuring many politicians as guest editors.

Tim was one of three politicians asked to write a letter to their idol and also to say what he wanted to achieve for women this year. This was his response to the latter:

Stylist: Farron pledge to women

 

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The Voice

Farron: We must not pull up the drawbridge because of the Cologne attacks.

By The Voice | Sun 10th January 2016 - 8:00 pm

Reports of crimes and sexual assaults in Cologne on New Year’s Eve have now topped 500.

Tim Farron has said that this incident should not lead to us pulling up the drawbridge. It’s hard to see, though, how much further we could pull up our drawbridge. It’s practically wedged shut already.

Tim said:

I condemn in the strongest possible terms the sex attacks in Cologne on New Year’s Eve.

But we also must not pander to those who say pull up the drawbridge to some of the most desperate people in the world.

The values that cause us to embrace those fleeing war are the same values that refuse to tolerate this kind of violence against women. We believe such crimes should be prosecuted with the full force of the law, regardless of whether they are refugees or not.

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NewsHound

Farron: Tories are taking the south west for granted

By NewsHound | Sat 9th January 2016 - 5:00 pm

Tim Farron has been talking to the Western Morning News and accused the new Tory MPs for the south west of taking the area for granted.

He is clear, however, that the former Lib Dem heartlands will again be a priority for the party. This is for a number of reasons – not least the region’s strong liberal heritage – but he says he is particularly concerned about the lack of local opposition. “I’ve spent the last eight months observing what Conservative MPs from the Westcountry have been doing, and they’ve been voting for universal credit…cuts in green energy investment, and the 15% cuts to Defra,” he says. “I see a pattern here of Conservative MPs not standing up for the Westcountry and taking it for granted.

“There needs to be a strong alternative in the South West and I’m determined it should be us. Our comeback is on behalf of the people of the region who deserve a voice in Westminster.”

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NewsHound

LibLink: Tim Farron: Rebuilding Cumbria in the wake of floods

By NewsHound | Sat 9th January 2016 - 8:55 am

In a column for the North West Evening Mail, Tim Farron talks about the difficulties people continue to face in the floods-hit Lake District:

Importantly we are still not sure when the A591 will be open again between Grasmere and Keswick and that is the major road priority in the county.

As you drive around you cannot help but see damage to lots of roads around the county. Cumbria County Council will be repairing potholes for months to come.

I am doing all I can to press the government to move to address these issues as quickly as possible and to find the money we need to get all the work done.

We have seen the temporary road open up by Thirlmere to get school children and any others who need to travel between Grasmere and Keswick through but this is really only a sticking plaster.

He did, however, make the point that the Lake District was still very much open for business. That made us think that it might be a good idea to go and visit there and see beautiful scenery and enjoy the wonderful restaurants and pubs there. January is always a miserable month, so a visit to somewhere pretty might be just the thing you need to cheer you up:

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Chris White

Tim Farron comments on the de-registration of the BNP as a political party

By Chris White | Fri 8th January 2016 - 7:15 pm

Tim Farron Social Liberal Forum conference Jul 19 2014 Photo by Paul Walter

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has said ‘hope always wins out’ after news that the Electoral Commission has removed the British National Party (BNP) from its register of political parties.

The decent and fair minded British public have stood up against the BNP and all they stand for – intolerance, hatred and an organisation that worked to stoke fear wherever they could.  Britain is a little better off today because of this news, but we should always be mindful that the just because the BNP have fallen off the register, they could come back.  We also still have organisations like Britain First working to fan the flames of intolerance.

Today is a victory for the thousands of people and organisations like Hope Not Hate who worked to make the case for an inclusive, welcoming and outward looking nation.

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Ruth Bright

Open letter – please reinstate the creche

By Ruth Bright | Fri 8th January 2016 - 3:41 pm

DSCF0032

Dear Tim

Yesterday you were campaigning in Faraday, my old ward in inner city Southwark. Way back in the 90s I was councillor for Faraday for eight years. Councillors’ expenses were meagre at that point and it took many thousands of pounds to win and keep that ward. My two ward colleagues and I dipped into our own pockets many a time. I can say without any shadow of a doubt that I could not have afforded to be a councillor had I had a family to provide for at that time.

When I was selected as a PPC and with a baby on the way I gave up work to combine my roles as candidate and parent. My husband reduced his hours to share childcare with me and be a mainstay of our 2005 General Election campaign. Our annual income at the time was £18,000 and we put £9,000 of our savings into paying for leaflets etc. In no way is this a personal whinge. My family’s financial sacrifice is not unusual. I knew another PPC who had remortgaged his house to pay for his campaigning.

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Caron Lindsay

Moving exams in Ramadan “sensible and inclusive” says Farron

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 7th January 2016 - 5:10 pm

Tim Farron has reacted to the needless controversy surrounding the decision by exam boards to move certain popular exams so that they take place before Ramadan with a perfectly sensible, liberal statement:

The idea that this is an attack on British values is ridiculous and depressing. Rather than seeking to divide people by their faith, we should see this sensible move as an opportunity for inclusion and understanding.

 This is a simple rescheduling of some school exams, recognising that a number of students will be observing Ramadan. As a person of faith myself I think it is entirely reasonable and decent to consider such things when planning exam dates.

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Caron Lindsay

Two Liberal Democrat interventions on Freedom of Information (and what Tim said about Alex Carlile)

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 7th January 2016 - 3:55 pm

Leading Liberal Democrats have made two recent interventions on freedom of information legislation.

Today, Alistair Carmichael called for all private contractors doing public work to also be subject to FOI requests and promised strong opposition to any attempts from the Conservatives to water down the FOI system.

The call comes amidst reports that ministers may extend FOI requests to charities. From the Press Gazette:

The Government is considering strengthening the ministerial veto on Freedom of Information disclosures but dropping other proposed changes to the act, according to a report in The Times.

It is also considering extending the act to cover charities and private sector companies which work on public sector projects, the paper reports.

The Goverment’s Independent Commission on Freedom of Information was set up to review the act last year in the wake a Supreme Court decision which over-rode a ministerial veto and ordered the disclosure of letters sent by Prince Charles to ministers.

The commission has faced a huge backlash from media groups, charities, trade unions and  civil society bodies because its consultation document suggested it was only looking at ways to reduce the “burden” which FoI places on the public sector.

Alistair Carmichael said:

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Mary Reid

Lynne Featherstone calls for cuts to solar energy to be rescinded

By Mary Reid | Wed 6th January 2016 - 5:36 pm

 

Following on from Ed Davey’s outspoken criticism of the Government’s cuts to subsidies for renewals, we hear that Lynne Featherstone has tabled a motion in the Lords calling for the cuts to the feed-in tariff subsidies for solar energy to be rescinded. These subsidies are being reduced by a huge 65% next month, which will lead to the loss of up to 18,700 jobs in the industry over the next four years.

This motion could result in another defeat in the Lords – something we have been growing used to since the notable Lib Dem campaign on tax credits.

Tim Farron is quoted in the Financial times:

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Mary Reid

Tim Farron on Labour’s meltdown

By Mary Reid | Wed 6th January 2016 - 4:35 pm

Tim Farron 5 by Paul WalterTim has just posted this comment on his Facebook page:

I despair at Labour’s meltdown. Britain needs a progressive liberal voice that can actually challenge the Conservatives and offer an alternative that understands real people’s lives.

Just this week, when a party is needed to challenge the Housing Bill, shine a light on the UK’s shady relationship with Saudi Arabia and highlight the worrying consumer credit bubble, Labour are nowhere to be seen. Labour is not that credible alternative. It is split from top to bottom.

While Britain is

…

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Newspuppy

A funny BBC captioning fail…

By Newspuppy | Tue 5th January 2016 - 7:45 pm

Since he became leader, Tim Farron has been confused with Michael Fallon and today a BBC New Channel caption labelled maverick Eurosceptic Tory MP Michael Fabricant as Tim Farron. I wonder which of them was more embarrassed by the error.

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Caron Lindsay

Paddy: Tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia “a far greater danger” than ISIL

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 4th January 2016 - 12:40 pm

Paddy Ashdown has told the Independent that the growing tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the wake of the Saudi executions carried out over the weekend is “a far greater danger” than ISIL. He said that the UK Government should be robust about calling the Saudis out for their actions:

Lord Ashdown said Saudi Arabia’s sudden mass execution of prisoners – including the prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and a number of young political protesters – may have been intended to derail the ongoing Syrian peace talks in Vienna.

These executions are deeply, deeply destabilising to the very delicate situation that exists in the Middle East and the danger of a wider Sunni and Shia conflict. The West, including the UK government, is only just realising the danger of this and its implications for long term peace in the region. It poses a far greater danger in the long term than, for example, Isil,” the former Lib Dem leader added.

The UK Government should be making it explicitly clear that it regards this act as extremely destabilising. These executions are shocking in human rights terms and reveal the real nature of the people with whom we are dealing. The UK’s stance underlines its deeply illogical position of ignoring the funding of jihadist groups, including Isil, which is coming from within Saudi Arabia.

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Caron Lindsay

Tim Farron says UK Government should challenge Saudis over executions and human rights

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 3rd January 2016 - 10:28 am

Tim Farron went on Sky News yesterday to describe the execution of 47 people in Saudi Arabia as both “morally wrong and politically foolish” and to criticise the UK Government for being too soft on the Saudis and not calling them out for their appalling human rights record.

I remember being very proud when one of the first big things Vince Cable did as acting leader back in 2007 was to boycott the state visit of the Saudi King. I was not so chuffed last year when there was a chorus of silence from Liberal Democrats when flags were flown at half mast following the death of the Saudi King.

So, it’s good to see Tim Farron slamming the Saudis for their actions and the UK Government for being too soft on them. I’m also interested that he made the point that the relationships between the two governments benefit the most powerful people in both countries but don’t do much for those who aren’t well off. Watch the whole thing here.

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The Voice

Farron blasts shelving of enquiry into banking culture

By The Voice | Sat 2nd January 2016 - 12:55 pm

We already know that the Government tried to slip out lots of bad news (including crucial evidence of the hardship caused by the Bedroom Tax) in a giant Take out the Trash day before Christmas, but the Financial Conduct Authority used Hogmanay to slip out the fact that it wasn’t going to bother with publishing a review into banking culture. Apparently it “wouldn’t help.” Try telling that to the people who suffered as a result of one of the worst crashes in history.

Tim Farron was on this one straight away and ended up getting quoted pretty widely. He said:

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Caron Lindsay

Five New Year’s resolutions for Liberal Democrats #1

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 1st January 2016 - 1:35 pm

So, it’s the morning after the New Year parties. Everyone else in my house, including the dog, is sleeping off a fun evening of Monopoly in which the two teenagers comprehensively bankrupted the adults over some seven hours. I therefore have time to suggest a few New Year’s Resolutions for Liberal Democrats to see us through 2016.

Don’t let anyone put us in the corner

I don’t know about you, but I am done with caution and contrition. Sure, we were in government for a few years and we seriously screwed a few things up. You’d think we were the only party ever to make mistakes, but we also did a lot of good things for good, liberal reasons. It was our Deputy PM who insisted that a judge-led enquiry investigate phone hacking when the Tories wanted to sweep it under the carpet. It was our Business Minister who brought in shared parental leave. It was our schools minister who gave extra money to disadvantaged kids in school. It was our Climate Change Secretary who faced down the Tories and made sure money was put into renewable energies. It was our Health Minister who started the long job of reforming appallingly poor mental health services which left many without the treatment they needed. Whatever you might think of Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander, the Tories’ recent welfare proposals show exactly what they would have stopped. It took a while for Nick Clegg to come round to the idea that Theresa May’s Snooper’s Charter was ridiculous, but once he got there he stood firm, for years. Oh, and there’s the small matter of protecting human rights legislation, too.

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    Another group for whom this does not work are those in all-electric homes including many poor tenants in blocks of flats. Their overall bills may well be high b...
  • Tom Bailey
    “according to Mark Pack’s website, party membership dropped by a third over the course of the Con – Lib Dem Coalition. “ Did anyone ask those lost memb...
  • Ruth Bright
    During the unrest in 2011 Simon Hughes made a powerful statement telling rioters to go home. It came from a place of profound respect for, and understanding of,...