Liberal Democrat Voice

Tories’ “obsession with selective schooling is damaging the educational chances of children” – Pugh

By News Meerkat | Thu 15th October 2015 - 3:30 pm

England is to get its first “new” grammar school for five decades after ministers allowed a grammar school to build an “annexe” in another town.

Posted in News | Tagged grammar schools and john pugh mp | 6 Comments

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Yes campaigner who said No voters were bad parents announced as SNP list candidate for Holyrood election

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 15th October 2015 - 1:55 pm

Lloyd Quinan was an SNP MSP from 1999-2003. Since then, he’s left the SNP, flirted with the Socialists and caused controversy during last year’s independence referendum when he said that No voters were bad parents. From the Huffington Post:

Lloyd Quinan, who served as a MSP between 1999 and 2003 told a meeting in North Berwick on 9 June that the Scottish people “have an opportunity to change the lives and life chances of our children for he future”.

He added: “I will be partisan about it, if you vote ‘No’ you leave them with more of the same, then you’re a bad parent.”

Quinan quit the SNP after losing his seat in the Scottish parliament and was then briefly a member of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP), before quitting that party too in 2005.

A spokesperson for Alex Salmond told The Herald: “Abuse has no place in the referendum campaign, whether from Yes or No supporters. Lloyd Quinan is not a member of the SNP – and indeed hasn’t been for over a decade.”

Note how quick the SNP were to distance themselves from him. Nothing to do with us, they said.

Except, just 14 months later, he has gained approval as a parliamentary candidate for the SNP for next year’s Holyrood elections. So, they are quite happy to put up someone in my region who thinks that I and the majority of people who voted against independence are bad parents. Ok, so he’s 9th on the list so he has virtually no chance of getting elected, but that’s not the point. It’s his acceptance into the fold so soon after he expressed those views. We can’t even put that down to local mavericks. We know that the SNP has a deeply centralising candidate approval system. Remember when they rejected Craig Murray for being too much of a free spirit? They must have known of his comments yet chose to approve him anyway.

Posted in News | Tagged holyrood elections 2016, lloyd quinan and snp | 5 Comments

Wilson Doctrine: Carmichael says Lib Dems will demand protection for journalists, lawyers & parliamentarians from state snooping

By The Voice | Thu 15th October 2015 - 12:25 pm

Liberal Democrat politicians have reacted with alarm to yesterday’s ruling on the Wilson Doctrine The Investigatory Powers Tribunal basically shrugged off Harold Wilson’s declaration in 1966 that MPs’ phones would not be intercepted without him knowing, saying that it had no basis in law.

This comes on top of two Police forces abusing their powers to try to find journalists’ sources. If an MP, or a lawyer, or a journalist is investigating the Government for doing something it shouldn’t, the idea that the Government could snoop on that investigation is alarming.

This is why Liberal Democrats from across the UK have been quick to demand appropriate protections. Home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said:

This ruling could have a chilling effect on democracy in the UK. MPs, MSPs and other elected representatives must have the ability to talk to their constituents without fear that their private communications are being routinely monitored by intelligence agencies.

It was reported earlier this year that changes in guidelines meant the Wilson Doctrine no longer applied to MSPs. Now it has been confirmed the doctrine never offered democratically-elected representatives at Holyrood any protection at all. The response of the Prime Minister to this risk to freedoms is just plain weak. We need urgent answers from the UK government.

The Liberal Democrats will be demanding journalists’ sources, legal professional privilege and protection of the communications of democratically-elected representatives are all given a strong legal basis and protection in the new Investigatory Powers Bill.

Posted in News | Tagged civil liberties, interception and wilson doctrine | 3 Comments

Tom Brake on why Liberal Democrats opposed George Osborne’s Fiscal Charter

By The Voice | Thu 15th October 2015 - 10:55 am

It’s all quite simple, really – the Liberal Democrats, unlike Labour, were not going to fall into Osborne’s trap. Here is Tom Brake’s speech from last night’s debate:

The Liberal Democrats will not support the charter tonight. Whatever the machinations in the Labour party, our reasons for opposing it are clear: the charter is just as much about fantasy economics as was Labour’s magic money tree. We remain committed to abolishing the structural deficit by 2017-18, and to seeing debt fall as a percentage of GDP in the following years. We will not, however, abandon the critical need for continued investment in infrastructure, and we will ensure that our economy remains competitive in the medium and long term. We are for sound and stable economic policy—something that sadly has been abandoned first by the official Opposition and now by the Government.

Posted in News and Parliament | Tagged economy, Parliament and tom brake | 6 Comments

Women not going to husband’s work event? Dear Telegraph, this is not a story

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 15th October 2015 - 9:31 am

There are very many reasons to criticise the Labour Party at the moment. The way they fell into George Osborne’s political trap when they should have tied him up in knots is just one. And while I’m at it, John McDonnell, if you’re going to get a bit passive aggressive with people in the Chamber, don’t immediately apologise. Either don’t do it at all, or do it with confidence. His responses to James Cleverly and Lucy Frazer show that he’s far too easy to wind up. You just can’t give that sort of ground. The lack of front bench experience is really showing here.

There is more than enough political carnage in which the right wing press can rub Labour’s nose. It really, really doesn’t need to make a story out of Jeremy Corbyn’s wife, Laura Alvarez, not going to the state banquet for the Chinese President. She has her own life. Why should she be obliged to go to her husband’s work event? It’s not the first time something like this has happened. A couple of years ago, one of the BBC team mentioned in censorious terms that Miriam Gonzalez Durantez had not been at Liberal Democrat conference all week. She’d gone back on Sunday night and only returned for Nick’s speech. Well, blow me down, she actually went to work? What a scandal! I complained to the BBC about that one and got precisely nowhere.

Posted in News | Tagged jeremy corbyn, laura alavarez and sexism | 6 Comments

Tom Brake to fast in support of Shaker Aamer

By The Voice | Thu 15th October 2015 - 8:39 am

From today, friends and family of Shaker Aamer, the last British citizen left in the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison camp, will be fasting in support of him. They will go without food for a minimum of 24 hours to highlight his plight. From the Fast for Shaker website:

On 25th September 2015, the US told the UK that Shaker Aamer, the last British resident held in the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, will be released and returned to his family in the UK after being held for nearly 14 years without charge or trial.

By US law, 30 days’ notice must be given to Congress before any prisoner can be freed from Guantánamo, and in the meantime Shaker has embarked on a hunger strike protesting constant and ongoing abuse and his fears that, in his weakened state, he won’t live to see his family again.

To show solidarity with Shaker, his lawyer Clive Stafford Smith, celebrities, MPs, Shaker’s family, campaigners and supportive members of the public are pledging to undertake a hunger strike of their own, starting on 15th October, for a minimum of 24 hours.

Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake has pledged to fast next Monday:

Posted in News | Tagged human rights, shaker aamer, tom brake and torture | 2 Comments

In video: Nick Clegg on Newsnight

By NewsHound | Wed 14th October 2015 - 7:22 pm

In case you missed it, here’s Nick Clegg talking on last night’s Newsnight about the EU referendum. When asked whether hope or fear would win the day for the In campaign, he said that the simple fact was that it was in our national interest to be part of the EU.

He also said that he regretted sitting next to David Cameron at PMQs for five years, saying it looked like we were passive rather than architects of many aspects of the government’s programme.

photo by: Liberal Democrats

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged featured, newsnight and nick clegg | 16 Comments

Jeremy Corbyn’s kinder, more caring politics in action #2: social media commentary

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 14th October 2015 - 5:35 pm

Remember Jeremy Corbyn’s kinder, more caring politics where there will be no personal abuse? He said in his Labour conference speech:

I want a kinder politics, a more caring society. Don’t let them reduce you to believing in anything less. So I say to all activists, whether Labour or not, cut out the personal attacks. The cyberbullying. And especially the misogynistic abuse online. And let’s get on with bringing values back into politics.

To be fair to Corbyn, at least he said it. However, some of his party weren’t listening.

You just need to look at the Twitter feed of Labour MP Mike Gapes to see the abuse he’s getting from Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters for not toeing the party line. Like Corbyn clearly used to do for all those years Labour was in Government. To be fair, Corbyn himself has a more realistic outlook than some of his supporters, who are shaping up to rival the cybernats.

Gapes decided to go in for a lengthy spell of troll feeding yesterday and copped a load of abuse for his pains.

In today’s Times (£), Lucy Fisher uncovers evidence of the hard left seeking to deselect moderate Labour councillors:

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged kind caring politics, labour and labour uncut | 14 Comments

Reminder: How to contribute to the Federal Policy’s Agenda 2020

By Geoff Payne | Wed 14th October 2015 - 3:55 pm

The Federal Policy Committee (FPC) is presently in the process of a major review exercise called ‘Agenda 2020’ to consider,

The challenges that the United Kingdom will face over the coming years, (economic, social, environmental, political), and, in the light of it, to prepare,
A statement of the distinctively Liberal Democrat approach and,
A map of the policy development that the FPC needs to carry out in order to achieve it.

Given what happened to the party in May, it is now more important than ever that we assert our own identity and project to the electorate what it means to be a Liberal Democrat and why the country needs Liberal Democrats.

The Agenda 2020 group (of which I am a member) has put together a paper for discussion. It was the subject of two very lively sessions at conference and now it is out for wider consultation from members of the party. We really want to hear your views.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged federal policy committee and party organisation | 3 Comments

Vote “Leave” get “Yes” free

By Michael Cooke | Wed 14th October 2015 - 2:33 pm

Generally, the status quo has the upper hand in referenda. However, in the wake of the global financial crisis and subsequent recession, the anti-incumbency trend might not just be contained to first-order elections, with voters punishing governing parties of all stripes for letting economic misery occur on their watches. It could be that this trend extends to the far more fixed and aggregate level. For example, in the Scottish Referendum, Better Together warned against Labour voters acting on this anti-incumbency impulse to end Tory rule permanently, as opposed to just temporarily at Westminster General Elections.

However, for a voter it is perfectly rational: if given the chance to either a) end something unpleasant for at least five years, with the possibility of it returning or b) end it permanently, any Rational-Choice model would dictate the latter. Many in the Scottish media laughed at a recent intervention by the UKIP Leader that he could persuade Scots to vote Leave. There have also been comparisons between the ‘Yes’ movement in Scotland in 2014 and UKIP and the wider Brexit campaign.

The English voter who was told to not vote for UKIP in May if they really wanted a referendum, and instead, vote Conservative, now has that chance to vote in that referendum.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged eu referendum and Scotland | 6 Comments

In Video: Stephen Tall’s (virtually) naked run

By The Voice | Wed 14th October 2015 - 1:43 pm

This is how you keep a pledge, however hard it might be.

He promised to run naked along Whitehall if Lib Dems were cut to 30 MPs in #ge2015. So did @stephentall deliver? https://t.co/A1kcBdVBgH

— DailySunday Politics (@daily_politics) October 14, 2015

Stephen has also done a Storify thingy of the event and the tweets he received which you can read here.

Posted in News | Tagged médecins sans frontières and stephen tall | 5 Comments

LibLink: Tim Farron: Cameron and Corbyn stance on Brexit “downright pathetic”

By NewsHound | Wed 14th October 2015 - 12:32 pm

Tim Farron has put up a stonking case for Britain to remain in the EU over on Politics Home and denounced the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition for their stance on the issue:

On my mantelpiece there is an old black and white photo. It’s of my Uncle Morris at 14, the same age as my daughter is today.
It was taken in 1934 and in six years, he was dead, shot down over Beachy Head.

A generation ago there were nuclear weapons pointed at Britain on the soil of countries that today are our partners in the EU. Now we are sitting round a table together.

If these were the only reasons for staying in the EU they would pretty much clinch it for me.

What is the European Union? I’ll tell you – it is the most successful peace process in world history.

As such events show we toy with European disunity at our peril. Being a supporter of the European Union is not always easy. Some of the institutional structures and decision-making are hard to defend – indeed in many cases I wouldn’t want to.

But the case for Europe isn’t about institutions. It’s about partnership with our neighbours. It’s about a vision of how we address the great challenges of the 21st century: economic globalisation and protectionism, resource depletion and climate change, terrorism, crime and war.

After making the case that this is no world for isolationism to be a good idea, he then criticises David Cameron for effectively putting party before country:

Posted in LibLink | Tagged david cameron, eu referendum, jeremy corbyn, politics home and tim farron | 10 Comments

Ten Lib Dem council leaders call for borrowing powers to build council houses

By NewsHound | Wed 14th October 2015 - 11:38 am

Ten Liberal Democrat council leaders, including the party’s local government spokesperson Watford Mayor Dorothy Thornhill, have written to the Guardian to call for the government to allow councils to borrow money to build council houses to deal with the “national emergency” in housing provision:

As Liberal Democrat council leaders we are outraged at the government’s short-sightedness in selling off council homes to pay for the right-to-buy extension to housing associations (PM warns councils over housing provision, 12 October). We have a vast shortage of affordable homes, which constitutes nothing short of a national emergency, and yet the government is seeking to make quick financial gains by disposing of properties that could provide much-needed homes for generations. Forcing right to buy on housing associations was the wrong policy before the election and it remains the wrong policy now. Shifting homes from one tenure to another without addressing our failure to build enough homes overall is like rearranging the deckchairs on a sinking ship.

Posted in News | Tagged housing, Local government and the guardian | 5 Comments

What they don’t tell you about TTIP

By Adam Corlett | Wed 14th October 2015 - 10:25 am

View image | gettyimages.com

Countless articles, emails and campaigns have expressed anger about TTIP. This is the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which would cover over 800 million people in the EU and US, as well as helping determine the shape of future agreements the world over. There are numerous concerns – some entirely misguided, some merely exaggerated – and from reading the literature of campaign groups like 38 Degrees it might be hard to know whether there are any benefits at all from this trade deal. So supporters of free trade need to straightforwardly spell out some of TTIP’s advantages.

In particular, lost among the scaremongering and obscure debates has been the very foundation of TTIP: an abolition of almost all the remaining import and export tariffs between the US and EU. It’s true, as both supporters and opponents of TTIP say, that tariffs are only a part of the deal: harmonising regulations (without lowering standards) is now often more important. But when the entire process is under attack, the scrapping of tariffs should not be glossed over. I hope it’s not too insulting to suggest that many of those attacking TTIP or signing petitions (not to mention those who haven’t heard of TTIP) may have no idea that it includes the scrapping of import and export tariffs.

Posted in Europe / International and Op-eds | Tagged featured, international, trade and ttip | 57 Comments

Throw out Theresa May’s Immigration Bill

By Joyce Onstad | Wed 14th October 2015 - 8:59 am

Teresa May’s Immigration Bill should be rejected by Parliament and will be opposed by Liberal Democrat MPs. This is a totally illiberal bill which deeply erodes civil rights and diminishes human liberties by giving immigration officers and the executive extreme powers. It is proposed that immigration officers get powers to enter premises, strip search and arrest, breaching the rights of legal or suspected illegal immigrants. We all know about unconscious bias and BAME people will be adversely affected, bearing the brunt of the proposed legislation. It also extends the powers of the executive in unwarranted ways and undermines the independence of courts by removing people without power of in-country appeal. It also includes electronic tagging and threatens the rights of children in detention, possibly leading to children being separated from their parents. This is unacceptable as children should be protected regardless of who their parents are. This bill could make discrimination even worse when landlords fearing prosecution do not rent homes to migrants or even to people who may appear to be migrants or have non-British names. Evidence shows that migrants and those with foreign-sounding names are already likely to be discriminated against.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged immigration bill | 30 Comments

The perils of ignoring the physical health of people with mental ill health

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 14th October 2015 - 8:20 am

I feel a bit sad this morning.

The reason for that is this story on the BBC which outlines how the physical health of people with mental ill health can be ignored as GPs assume that the reason for all their symptoms is related to their mental state. In a study of medical records over a five year period, researchers found that just a fifth of emergency admissions to hospital among patients with mental ill health were for their mental state.

In the final year, for every 1,000 people with mental health problems there were 628 emergency admissions, compared with 129 among those without – five times the rate.

Visits to A&E units were also three times higher, with more than 1,300 attendances for every 1,000 patients with mental health problems.

The researchers said many of these could have been prevented with better care.

Report author Holly Dorning said: “It is striking that people with mental ill health use so much more emergency care than those without and that so much of this isn’t directly related to their mental health needs.

“This raises serious questions about how well their other health concerns are being managed.

“It is clear that if we continue to treat mental health in isolation, we will miss essential care needs for these patients.”

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged #timetotalk mental health | 1 Comment

What do you reckon to the latest Tim Talks?

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 13th October 2015 - 9:01 pm

Have you missed Tim Farron’s regular #TimTalks videos from his leadership campaign? He did some crackers, on issues such as housing, foreign affairs and rebuilding the party

Well, someone has put him in front of a video camera and he’s been talking about the key issues in this week’s news: Labour, the fiscal mandate and how Osborne’s ruse is a trap that has well and truly snookered Corbyn’s party, housing and the EU Referendum. He also mentioned the Liberal Democrats’ audacious by-election win from the SNP in Aird and Loch Ness. Here it is in full:

So what did you think? How could he expand this idea?

Posted in News | Tagged featured and tim talks | 8 Comments

Fiscal Charter causes chaos in Parliamentary Labour Party

By Joe Otten | Tue 13th October 2015 - 5:39 pm

Tomorrow Parliament debates the Fiscal Charter, this debate being a political wheeze designed to test and expose Labour’s position on public borrowing, that appears to be working beyond George Osborne’s wildest reasonable expectations.

The charter demands

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged fiscal charter | 49 Comments

+++Breaking: Stephen Tall completes charity naked run as promised

By The Voice | Tue 13th October 2015 - 4:33 pm

Stephen Tall, formerly of this parish, has honoured the pledge he made to run naked down Whitehall if the Liberal Democrats were reduced to 24 seats.

This is what happens, kids, if you make a daft pledge on TV. You've been warned. http://t.co/r5SWfRmCCT pic.twitter.com/LYn5ob33St

— Stephen Tall (@stephentall) October 13, 2015

Posted in News | 9 Comments

Escort, Micra, Volvo, Buzz Aldrin, Prefab Sprout

By Newsmoggie | Tue 13th October 2015 - 2:53 pm

Tim Farron has spoken to the author of the Car Torque column of the Northern Echo; not so much on transport policy.

The closest we get to a revelation is that

Posted in LibLink | 2 Comments

Is the pro-EU case strengthened by the #StrongerIn campaign?

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 13th October 2015 - 1:55 pm

I have to be honest, I found yesterday’s launch of the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign deeply uninspiring. They seem to have learned none of the lessons from the Scottish Referendum. It’s not enough to win the vote. You have to win the campaign, too. Setting out a long retail list of facts and figures is not going to cut the mustard. Of course it’s important to know that our bank balances and jobs benefit from being in the EU. Of course it’s important to have former top police officers tell us that the European Arrest Warrant keeps us safer. You need the melody to engage people, though, and there was none of this. It was all bass notes. There was no celebrating of the fact that the EU has meant that our parents, our generation, our children and, we hope, generations to come are not fighting each other on European battlefields.

What was worse was the implication that this campaign was the patriotic one and that those who want to leave the EU were described as “quitters”. That is deeply unhelpful language that does nothing to engage people. I loathe the use of the word “patriotic” in politics at the best of times. It is pure poison and the way it’ll be flung around by both campaigns renders it utterly meaningless. This is all a bit deja vu because I remember being so sickened by Better Together styling itself the “patriotic” campaign that I didn’t go to its launch.

I don’t think for a moment that I am BSIE’s target audience. It really doesn’t matter what this lot do. I’m going to vote to stay in the EU even if Stuart Rose and Karren Brady spend the entire campaign re-enacting the George Galloway/Rula Lenska scene from Celebrity Big Brother. However, our opponents will be well-funded and well organised with a message that is a strong layer of populist froth on top of some deeply negative, divisive and scapegoating message, just like the Yes campaign was north of the border. It’s pretty clear that winning the campaign is important. There needs to be an air of sunshine and positivity about the pro-EU side and the many mistakes made by Better Together must not be repeated. The assumptions they made about their target audience ended up just driving people into the hands of the Yes campaign.

Posted in News | Tagged Britain Stronger in Europe, eu referendum and liberal democrats | 18 Comments

William Wallace writes…Liberal Democrats will fight for votes at 16 and balanced EU referendum rules

By Lord William Wallace | Tue 13th October 2015 - 11:55 am

The EU Referendum, Sir William Cash declared during the passage of the Bill providing for it through the Commons, is of fundamental importance to the future of this country over the next generation and more.That is why Liberal Democrats have been arguing, regardless of the broader issue of lowering the voting age, that on this occasion 16- and 17-year-olds should be allowed to vote. We agree with Eurosceptics like Bill Cash that this is a vital, long-term decision; so those that have the longest stake in the future of this country should not be denied a say.

The Bill has now passed through the Commons, and has its second reading in the Lords today. Liberal Democrats will be putting down amendments on a number of issues in addition to votes at sixteen. We support extending the franchise for the referendum to UK citizens who have been living and working elsewhere within the EU for more than 15 years, which is the current cut-off for non-resident voters. We will also be putting down an amendment to allow EU citizens who have become long-term residents within the UK to vote in the referendum; they already have the right to vote in local and European elections here, so in many cases are already on the register.

Posted in News | Tagged eu referendum, votes at 16 and william wallace | 11 Comments

David Nutt joins Liberal Democrat expert panel on drug reform

By Joe Otten | Tue 13th October 2015 - 10:51 am

The party is setting up an expert panel to look at the case for legalisation of cannabis.

I am pleased to be serving on this exciting new venture – Liberal Dems set up expert panel on cannabis legalisation http://t.co/yioIw2Pb3V

— David Nutt (@ProfDavidNutt) October 12, 2015

Norman Lamb was on Newsnight last night (4 minutes 30 seconds in, following a report at 1m50s) explaining the idea.

Posted in News | 7 Comments

London memorial for Charles Kennedy confirmed

By James Gurling | Tue 13th October 2015 - 8:55 am

Many people, particularly those who weren’t able to make it to the Glasgow University event earlier in the summer, have expressed an interest in paying their respects to Charles if a London based event were also to be held. This has now been arranged and the details are:

3.30pm, Tuesday November 3^rd, St George’s Cathedral, Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HR

The event is open to all although, as seating may be limited, attendees are asked to confirm in advance by applying at:[email protected]

Posted in News | Tagged charles kennedy | 1 Comment

Why we need to develop hard-edged campaigning

By Helen Flynn | Mon 12th October 2015 - 6:02 pm

View image | gettyimages.com

No one can deny that the Tories ran a stunning campaign to get back into power in May. It wasn’t a nice campaign. It wasn’t the kind of campaign that we would ever want to run, based – as it was – on the politics of fear and division. But, my God, it worked. We must learn from it. Not to repeat similar messages, but to replicate the style and method.

What absolutely clinched it was that the messages had a hard edge, were simple, and were delivered multiple times on a variety of platforms. You would have had to have been living underneath a stone on a far flung Hebridean island not to have picked up the messages that Tory HQ were pumping out. How much that then influenced the undecided (of which there are increasingly a large number) can now be clearly gauged by the fact that the Tories now reign unhindered for the next five years. And then they will employ a similar style of campaigning to quite possibly be in charge again. They need proper competition.

Time for us to wake up.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged eu referendum and tim farron | 30 Comments

How sad it is to see England out

By George Smid | Mon 12th October 2015 - 4:30 pm

Despite the brilliant performance against Uruguay, England is out of the World Rugby Cup.

I watched the matches, I urged them on, I wished for victory. It did not help. England is out with the rest of the home counties in:

How sad it is to see England out. How frustrated I was … and I started thinking about England and her position in the rugby world and her position in the world at large.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged eu referendum and rugby | 34 Comments

Major funding boost for ALDC

By NewsHound | Mon 12th October 2015 - 2:46 pm

We’ve just heard the excellent news that the Association of Liberal Democrats Campaigners and Councillors (ALDC) has been awarded £480,000 from the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd (JRRT) .

The funding will be over five years and will expand ALDC’s team of Development Officers. They are the people who travel around the country to help local parties.

We’ve received comments from two Tims.

Posted in News | Tagged aldc, jrrt, tim farron and tim pickstone | 1 Comment

Tom Brake writes: My trip to the Calais Jungle

By Tom Brake MP | Mon 12th October 2015 - 1:05 pm

View image | gettyimages.com

I visited the Calais Jungle a week ago, where around 4,000 people live in terribly squalid conditions. My trip was organised by staff from Lib Dem HQ, who had collected donations so we were able to distribute water, food and sanitary products.

It was a shocking experience to see the dreadful conditions people are living in. The Jungle is worse than a shanty town, with very few facilities.

There was no sign of water being provided and the people we met clutched gratefully the bottles we had transported. Shoes, clothes and dry foods were also in demand. Portable toilets are provided by aid organisations while the local authorities seem to turn a blind eye to the conditions in the camp, simply wishing it would go away. I was told the French authorities don’t provide any help apart from a Centre where mobile phones can be charged and a hot meal is available. If someone is badly injured the local hospital bandages them up.

Posted in News | Tagged afghanistan, calais, featured, iraq, refugees and syria | 17 Comments

The Leeds Yellow Book 2015: Essays on a Liberal Future for Leeds

By Michael Meadowcroft | Mon 12th October 2015 - 11:35 am

New liberal ideas for our city and region: that is what is offered in The Leeds Yellow Book 2015: Essays on a Liberal Future for Leeds.

The Leeds Yellow Book 2015 is a collection of essays by Liberal Democrats and Liberal Democrat supporters offering fresh thinking and ideas for our city on how to ensure that everyone in Leeds and the Leeds City Region, no matter how they started out can make life better for themselves, their family and their community. The essays are focussed on Leeds but can be applied to any city or region.

The Leeds Yellow Book 2015 has been drawn together and edited by Michael Meadowcroft, former Leeds Liberal MP and Honorary Alderman of the City of Leeds, Liz Bee and Ian MacFadyen.

It is available priced £8.50, including postage and packing, from Beecroft Publications, 0113 257 6232 or [email protected], or from Amazon, www.amazon.org.

It may seem brave or foolhardy to publish a book of Liberal Democrat essays at this time. It is neither. It is an act of faith in a liberal future for Europe, the United Kingdom and the great City of Leeds. To win people’s trust and confidence once more, we have to offer clear visions of how our country and our city can be governed for all the people on Liberal Democrat values, principles and policies. We have to offer fresh ideas. The Leeds Yellow Book 2015 offers fresh ideas.

Posted in News | Tagged leeds yellow book | 2 Comments

The UK and the EU have a chance to stand up for drug policy reform

By Henry Fisher | Mon 12th October 2015 - 10:04 am

View image | gettyimages.com

Nick Clegg made a big announcement on Thursday 1st October that has as yet gone unreported on LDV – he’s going on a jolly around Europe. Well no, not quite. He’s actually going on a tour of the EU to try to convince its leaders to stand together on the subject of international drug policy reform. Nothing like a challenge, eh Nick? But this is a serious issue, and at an absolutely crucial time. In April next year, the UN General Assembly will be holding a Special Session (UNGASS) to debate how to approach global drug policy over the next ten years and beyond, at a point where different parts of the world are diverging ever more rapidly on the issue of how to tackle the problems associated with drug use.

If the EU stands together united at UNGASS in calling for certain reforms to the UN conventions, and I sincerely hope Nick succeeds with his mission and it does, it has a much greater chance of making a positive impact. But what reforms can the EU agree to stand on? At one end countries like France and Sweden do not endorse any kind of change to their (relatively) strict drug laws, whereas countries like the Netherlands and Portugal have lead the way on liberal, evidence-based drug reforms for years. In the middle we have countries moving both ways too, with both Germany and Italy making noises about reforming their cannabis policies, Ireland voicing its support for drug decriminalisation and supervised injecting rooms and the the UK… well the less said about that the better. In fact, it has been noted that the EU can be seen as a near-perfect experiment for comparing the efficacy of a spectrum of subtly varied drug policies on relatively similar populations.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged cannabis, Drug Policy, drugs, european union, nick clegg and united nations | 49 Comments

Liberal Democrat Voice

In video: Nick Clegg on Newsnight

What they don’t tell you about TTIP

Tim Talks is back

Tom Brake's trip to the Calais Jungle

Tories’ “obsession with selective schooling is damaging the educational chances of children” – Pugh

Yes campaigner who said No voters were bad parents announced as SNP list candidate for Holyrood election

Wilson Doctrine: Carmichael says Lib Dems will demand protection for journalists, lawyers & parliamentarians from state snooping

Tom Brake on why Liberal Democrats opposed George Osborne’s Fiscal Charter

Women not going to husband’s work event? Dear Telegraph, this is not a story

Tom Brake to fast in support of Shaker Aamer

In video: Nick Clegg on Newsnight

Jeremy Corbyn’s kinder, more caring politics in action #2: social media commentary

Reminder: How to contribute to the Federal Policy’s Agenda 2020

Vote “Leave” get “Yes” free

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