LibDem Blogs - Archived!

As widely predicted, Conservative MP Jonathan Sayeed has been suspended from the House of Commons for two weeks. This gives us the opportunity to have another snigger at the website of The English Manner Ltd, the company that got him in trouble with the Commons authorities. Here is part of the blurb for their "Seminars on Social Graces": Etiquette is a word rarely used today. The idea of social niceties and proper protocol can seem prim and old-fashioned for the fast-paced world where we live and do business. But many otherwise intelligent and educated individuals are lost ...

The campaigning has already begun, reports Taegan Goddard's Political Wire (drawing upon a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer): Former Sen. John Edwards "is already stumping for 2008 - a mere 1,365 days away - because, apparently, a minute wasted is a minute lost. His ex-partner, John Kerry, is in the final stages of setting up a money-raising machine; Hillary Clinton is talking more about religious values; a red-state senator, Evan Bayh of Indiana, is staffing up, having hired an Ohio turnout expert; and a governor with independent wealth, Mark R. Warner of Virginia, will soon headline a political dinner ...

I have removed Big Blunkett from my list of links as it is no longer being updated. I suppose the site saw its purpose as being fulfilled when the bearded authoritarian resigned. In the last post on the blog the author urges readers to support the No2ID campaign.

This is an annual event which is actually organised by Lib Dem Youth and Students but aims to be non party partisan and attracts politicians from all parties. Was talking about women (again! but it is my job) along with Eleanor Laing (Con) and Meg Munn (Lab). One of the audience mentioned that it was nice to attend a session where the politicians spent some of the time agreeing with each other.

Have a long standing interest in this subject following an early piece of casework as the MP so decided to catch up with the new Chief Exec - Claire Severigni - now that she has had a chance to really get stuck into the role. Things are beginning to look up and targets are consistently being met - but what was really refreshing was the new spirit of openness. In the past I have been promised

I love knocking on people's doors because you never know what people will come up with but I wasn't prepared for getting told off on Saturday! The subject of Robert Kilroy Silk came up and I seem to recall groaning (as you do when it comes to RKS). Sharp retort from constituent, "You should be nice about him. God sends these people to test us" I am clearly being tested. OK, wrist duly slapped

One of the interesting exercises around the budget is the consultation with various groups affected by the budget. Friday was the Unions, Monday was the Community/Voluntary/Non-Statutory/Not for profit/Social Enterprise sector. These have been useful exercises although relatively easy this year because the budget is generally good news for everyone. One issue that arose during this was the

The Western Mail commemorates the fifth anniversary of Rhodri Morgan taking over as First Minister with a fairly cursory look at his record. They have listed 21 performance indicators adopted by his Government and measured the progress made against each. About half of the targets have been missed. I think the key point I would like to make about Rhodri's reign is that the real period of activity and accomplishment came during the Partnership Government with the Welsh Liberal Democrats. It is only now, as the end of the second year of a Labour-only Government approaches, that they are ...

Good news this morning. Charles Kennedy has launched a five-point plan for protecting Britain's civil liberties. (You can listen here to his interview on this morning's Radio 4 Today programme - he did waffle somewhat but then it was 7.50am). What is particularly good about this plan is its coherence. It is coherent both in its analysis of what is wrong and its prescription for what needs to be

After several weeks of just me and a sketchpad, everything is getting more lively in the next month or so. On Saturday I'm going to the Tate Modern with a tall, dark and handsome stranger... Ok, it's not a tall, dark and handsome stranger; it's a tall, dark-blond and freckly friend who I've known for about 5 years (although he's not exactly bad looking). I've been wanting to go and stare at twisted bits of metal purporting to say something about the intensity of human experience for several months but didn't have anyone to go with. As a result, ...

First, I'd like to share these links with anyone not on the LDYS forums. The first is hysterical, the second is mildly entertaining but mostly for the music. Yesterday, Tony Benn spoke at the Bristol Council House to a Stop the War meeting. Everyone commented on how everyone was so fired up by the cause that they'd filled an extra room with 200 people they didn't expect. However, I think many of the attendees were probably there for the reason I was - to see Tony Benn. That said, I agreed with almost everything they said about the reason ...