LibDem Blogs - Archived!

As expected all the local papers are full of election results and the he said, she said write ups.From editorials in the Camden New Journal - good to see that 2 Labour rebels Glenda Jackson & Frank Dobson both admitting that the Lib Dems ate into their votes. Frank Dobson was returned as MP for Holborn & St Pancras but Jill Frazer's amazing result -11% swing - has turned his once solid Labour seat into a marginal.The plan is now on to get more Lib Dem councillors elected at next years council elections. Putting the wheels in motion, Cllr Flick ...

Question Time last night was a real laugh. Lynne Featherstone was a guest and what a difference it made having somebody who actual smiles. All the talk about 'hoodies'. My first thought - what about me? I wear hooked clothes to keep the wind from blowing my hair. Would Bluewater security stop me from entering. Might give it a try just for a laugh and to see what happens. The star of the show had to be Boris Johnson. Political differences aside the audience loved him. What a 'twit'. He seems oblivious to ...

Next week my Liberal Democrat News column will spontaneously regenerate to become House Points again. Lessons to learn It’s post mortem time. To begin with Labour, a lot of people have got overexcited. A majority of 67 is more than comfortable by historic standards and Tony Blair is not going anywhere in a hurry. He will be around to thwart Gordon Brown a few times yet. And if Brown ever does become prime minister, many will find the experience less enjoyable than they expected. Across the Commons, the Tories cannot agree on a strategy. Should they skip a ...

I share the view of the Electoral Reform society that Labour's announced changes to the postal vote regulations are "too little too late". It would be possible to structure a system where postal ballots are distributed by post, but (for people able to walk) cast in a mixture of advance polling stations at useful locations then collated and returned by election day. Alternatively we could just take the Northern Irish option. Labour are ignoring the issue of intimidation and "undue influence". I wonder why?

For years, many feminists have been arguing that a fault with politics is that it is too rational and should be more emotional. They associate rationality and logic with masculinity and wish to relocate political discourse in a world of "feelings". Well, now they've got their way. The BBC and the Guardian both report today that Britain is in the grip of a mumps epidemic. This epidemic is a direct

A good test of one's Liberal instincts is whether one can see the threat behind something that, on the face of it, appears well-meaning. In today's E-Government Bulletin, I spotted this story: Leicestershire Pupils use Fingerprints to Pay for Lunch. Parents of children at a Leicestershire secondary school will be able to track what food their children are choosing for lunch as a side-benefit of

It now appears likely that Rhodri Morgan's lost majority in Cardiff Bay will be re-found following some very skilful mediation by the Welsh media. Yesterday Peter Law was asked if there was any chance of him rejoining the Labour Party. He replied that he might consider doing so if there was an 'amnesty' for party members who backed him. This morning Welsh Secretary, Peter Hain, told the BBC that the door back into the Labour party had not been shut to Mr Law if he votes with them in Cardiff Bay and Westminster. He added that there was no ...

Usually takes days but the new Serjeant at Arms and his staff really got a production line going and it was mostly finished within the day. We are supposed to swear in in order of "seniority". Once the Cabinet, Shadow Cabinet and Ministers have done their stuff it is all supposed to be on a "time served" basis. It is always interesting to watch ego at work on these occasions. One Blair Babe was