The LDV Saturday Open Thread (13 Jun ‘09): what’s on your mind?

By Stephen Tall | Sat 13th June 2009 - 8:00 am

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We don’t do an LDV Daily View 2 x 2 round-up on Saturdays, so instead here’s an open thread. What stories have caught your eye? What issues are on your mind? Do you think Lib Dems are obsessing too much about electoral reform? Are you relieved Gordon Brown is secure (for the moment) as Labour leader? Do you have suggestions for the next LDV party members’ survey? Discuss away in the comments below…

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6 Comments

John Minard 13th Jun '09 - 9:42am

Yes, I am obsessing about electoral reform. Brown’s approach seems to be political reform behind closed doors and we are not doing enough to break those doors down. So how do we go about that?

And I think there is a potential over the next few years for another house price boom because of the supply problem and some of the money that’s currently being pumped into banks balance sheets to fund the next “bust” should be building quality, desirable and green social housing in quantity for rent and part-ownership and thus aid sustainable economic growth. No more property driven boom/bust cycles ever again!
So what (and where are) are the real reforms needed to save capitalism from itself? What regulation? What counter cyclical measures and balances? Are we going to still have a single lever economy – interest rates? Should the governor of the BoE be free to say – “actually PM at this point in time you need to be raising/cutting tax rates IMHO”?
Vincent 13th Jun '09 - 10:06am

To be perfectly honest I am fed up of hearing about the Labour Party and its squabbles. Go ahead and obsess about reform, it needs something to happen.

What is on my mind the most though, as ever, is the shocking decline in Christian morality (sorry guys but its what I do).
david 13th Jun '09 - 10:50am

Talking of morality, I see Guido has a good piece on Lord Rennard…
ceedee 13th Jun '09 - 1:29pm

I know we shouldn’t read too much into the Euro election results when considering the prospects for the anticipated general election but…

According to the Guardian’s council-level breakdown[1], the LibDem Euro-vote in my council area[2] was less than a third of the combined LibDem poll in the 2005 GE for the two constituencies included[3].

It’s even worse for Labour as over 80% of ‘their’ previous GE vote evaporated in the Euros!

By comparison, the combined Conservative and UKIP turnout increased by over 6%.

Anyone got any words of reassurance that previously left-of-centre voters won’t sit on their hands and allow a Tory landslide in 2010?

[1] linked from https://www.libdemvoice.org/guardian-publishes-full-list-of-euro-election-results-15327.html
[2] Bath & NE Somerset
[3] Bath (LibDem) and Wansdyke (Labour)
Joe Otten 13th Jun '09 - 5:57pm

Be fair Vincent, most Christians are still decent people. It’s only a few extremists that give them a bad name.
Elizabeth 13th Jun '09 - 7:54pm

Thanks Steven for the opportunity to write about “What’s on your mind?”

I find that the expenses thing is still bugging me in relation to Chris Rennard. I didn’t like reading the thread about his annual party and Ros Scott’s attendance, on Guido Fawkes blog.
I wish we could have a statement clarifying his actions.
The rest of the LD expenses exposed in the Telegraph seem very small beer, but if Nick Clegg wants us to be seen as a clean party we must be able to counter Fawkes’comments.
It seems to me unacceptable for a former hedge-fund speculator should be able to throw mud at us without riposte.
Elizabeth