LibDem Blogs - Archived!

To be honest, I'm bored with the ongoing Liberal Democrat "leadership crisis". So, until someone declares against our glorious leader, I'm not going to comment any further - unless I feel like it, or there's a 'y' in the day, or something... I'm busy enough anyway, letters to write, meetings to arrange, a house to tidy, ironing and laundry to catch up with, leaflets to deliver, you name it, it

I was too quick to criticize this product: It turns out that it was not faulty at all, I had merely installed the soft-rubber gromets incorrectly which caused the delecate wave-guide to become bunged. In the end there was no need to return them, there was no fault. Sorry Shure - for now you are back [...]

So we Liberal Democrats are being invited to join the Conservatives. This means I have a choice. Do I want David Cameron or Charles Kennedy as the leader of my party? So the leadership challenger this week has finally owned up, it was David C all along, and here we were thinking it was John Hemming again. Seriously, I am starting to suspect that this weeks 'secret leaks' really were stage managed by the David C camp, easily done. I have already made up my mind where my leadership vote is to be cast.

Of course I'm referring to David Cameron's incredible pitch for Lib Dems to join the Tory Party because (cough) "we're liberals now". It absolutely beggars belief. Either: David Cameron will say anything to gain support. He doesn't mean it, of course, but by the time he gets elected it will be too late.David Cameron really has seen the light and want's to move his party in a more liberal

I have just seen David Cameron's website launched this evening, many activists, Councillors and MP's have been sent emails inviting them to view this site, http://libdems4cameron.com/I have posted a quick invitation to Liberal Conservatives to join us on our local web page http://warwick-leamington-libdems.org.uk/news/23.html. Personally I find the idea of joining the Conservatives obhorent, I simply cannot trust them nor do I have any respect for them. This whole thing stinks, it really makes me wonder whether there were any 'secret briefings' of the press this week. No one has owned up to it and if this was a supposed leadership ...

Within hours Liberal Democrat Youth and Students had their online response to Cameron’s drivelling in Hereford today… it can be found at http://www.cameron4libdems.com

The latest theory is that Menzies Campbell is in the clear. He is as innocent as Spot. Ming has not been briefing against Charles Kennedy. Other people have been doing it and promoting Ming as a caretaker leader while they get their campaigns together for next time. "Isn't Ming looking well these days?" you hear them ask. Campbell was interviewed on the Today programme this morning and, rather than answer the charge in detail, he fell back on his dignity. That is a favourite trick of his. A friend of mine asked him at a fringe meeting at a Lib ...

Today's House Points column from Liberal Democrat News. Telling tales Gather round children. Today’s story is about Tony Blair when he was a little boy no older than you. One day Tony’s father noticed his favourite tree had been cut down. “Tony,” asked his father, “do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden?” And Tony replied: “In respect of cherry trees, I do not know what the right honourable gentleman is referring to.” That’s what the prime minister told Charles Kennedy last Wednesday. Charles had asked how many American flights carrying suspects ...

Thought you might like to see this pic as well!!

Saturday 17th December 2005 - Almost at the end of our trip down under and will soon be back in the UK!! Looking forward to getting back to the cold winter and away from all this sun in Oz - not! We managed to climb the Syndey Harbour Bridge while in Sydney last week, great view from the top!!

No need to worry that I might miss the best bits of the BBC this Christmas as I'm on the iMP trial. Which has now been extended until the end of February (why does it have to end? ) So I can legally download Dr Who on Christmas day and then watch it over and over again until the new year.

"Since I first read - I mean, wrote - the White Paper...": Ruth Kelly, today, giving the game away about who really authored the Schools White Paper. The Local Government Association had invited her to meet lead members (like me) and Directors of Children's Services. It was not going to be easy. The very visible challenge this week by her predecessor, Estelle Morris, is backed by...

Yesterday the Conservative Party won the Chadsmead by-elections from Labour, however Marion Bland and the Liberal Democrats increased their share of the vote from 13.7% to 23.9%. Marion was the only candidate whose party increased their share of the vote, the Liberal Democrats were also the only party to record more votes compared to last time. Well done to Marion and her team.

This post from GHD on Politicalbetting repays attention. If you're out there GHD, we'd like to hear from you! As a new poster, but a long term watcher of this site, it is interesting to see the Conservatives on here wrestling with their beliefs to try and fit the outward appearance of ‘liberalism’ apparently being embraced by their new leader. There is an interesting shift in British politics. After years of being on the backfoot, the word ‘liberal’ is the new buzzword. And defining it has become the battleground. Cameron’s shameless attempts to steal the word for his ...

There is no doubt at all that David 'Dave' Cameron is serious about winning votes. At any rate, he'd really really like to win votes (in the way that some dogs really really want to be fed and wag their tails with abandon at the prospect of a tin of dog food being opened), which is as close to being serious as he can manage. This new website, amusingly titled Lib Dems 4 Cameron, is, however, shameless.Some highlights:My Conservative Party"My" Conservative Party? We'll move on....My Conservative Party believes passionately in green politics; is committed to decentralisation and localism; supports open ...

Just to see what the oppostion are up to I took at look at the Lib Dems 4 Cameron website. They have a map which turns all the Lib Dems seats tory blue for every part of the UK except Scotland. So at least I can sleep well tonight knowing that David Cameron isn't pursuing me to join his new Conservatives.

by Peter All the attention has been on us Lib Dems (aren't we lucky?) but Cameron has stirred up some second order problems of his own. Writing in the Times, Caroline Jackson berates Cameron for his policy of separating the EuroTories from their allies in the mainstream rightwing grouping - the EPP. She thinks Mr Cameron will miss a wonderful opportunity to attack Tony Blair on the budget and CAP reform when he deliberately forgoes the opportunity to meet leaders of the EPP and their allies at their pre-summit gatherings. He needs to get to know people like ...

Well Cameron has spoken and apparently all I have to agree with him on is a commitment to green policies, localism and deregulation and then I should fit easily into the new Tory party. I’m not convinced and neither is Simon Hughes. It will take a lot more than a change of clothes and no new policies to make the sort of waves he is urgently looking for. As Simon said: "Talking about the

Whoever thought that having a RISO was a good idea should be taken out the the barn and given both barrels! In principal the idea is sound. You artwork the leaflet - send it to the RISO and off you go. However in practise this is not how it works. In reality the process goes something like this. Turn on RISO - read error message. Refer to manual. Re-read manual 7 times, further blurring your eyes and banging your head against the wall repeatedly until the strange use of English finally makes sense. ...

It's not making us any money.

Despite the fact that the initial disgruntlement may have come from Menzies Campbell, it is now looking increasingly clear that the main player behind Charles Kennedy’s woes this weak was Mark Oaten. It turns out that I did get his “Home Affairs Team” email on Tuesday after all (via an account I rarely use these days), [...]

Bloggerheads passes on an invitation: You are cordially invited to a public carol service in Parliament Square at 6pm on Wednesday the 21st of December 2005. This inclusive service will contain both Christian and secular verse, and is expected to last no more than an hour. Candles and song sheets will be made available, with donations going to Medical Aid for Iraqi Children. Please note that if you attend this carol service, it will classify as a spontaneous demonstration (of ...

It seems that some of my earlier posts have been taken out of context. Having re-read my post I can see that I didn't make it clear. There is no leadership challenge in Southwark Lib Dems. From what I can tell in my brief time here there Nick Stanton is an excellent leader. I hope it is not from me that these rumours have spread.

A lot has been said this week about the need for Charles Kennedy to raise his game. I do not wish to comment on what has already been said, other than I feel it was very unwise, whoever it was who briefed the press earlier this week. The political climate has changed for us all in the party, an ever shifting climate. Our increased presence in Westminster, the overdue and long wait for Blair to step down and of course Cameron's honeymoon period as leader of the Conservatives. We have a Political climate where Labour and the Tories occupy ...

Over on politicalbetting.com, Stodge has written the following excellent analysis of our current situation which deserves reprinting here in full:Once again, plenty for serious LDs to reflect on in the past 24 hours or so. We can safely ignore the mischievous comments from the Tory activists on this Forum who hope and pray that the LDs will collapse since that is their only route back to power.On to more serious matters…I’ve been pondering the criticism of Kennedy, which has existed in the background ever since he became Party leader in 1999. Then he was seen as a welcome contrast to ...

There appears to a leadership crisis is the offing . Apparently David Cameron is about to launch his own brand of "modern compassionate Conservatism", including more environmentally friendly policies. How this will go down the farming, 4x4 driving and industrial supporter who make up the Tory core vote? There is talk of social justice, which is not going down well the BUPA members as this may give

Bath & North East Somerset Council has been rated a three star council by independent inspectors who say it continues to deliver high standards of service and is continuing to improve. The council has been rated as three stars (out of a possible four) against a set of central government standards referred to as 'the harder test' that were specifically designed to be far more stringent than in previous years. Cllr David Dixon said: “For Bath & North East Somerset Council to achieve a three star score is an excellent result, particularly as the assessment ...

Yet again I switch on the Today programme and the Lib Dem leadership is subject to discussion. Ming Campbell's comments are cleverly phrased but still hardly a ringing endorsement. A leader that cannot carry with him / her leading figures in the party has a limited shelf-life. Again, Ming is calling on Charles and others to raise his game, so clearly he is falling short in many people's eyes in the **parliamentary ** party In part though CK has himself to blame. He should have cracked down on those elements that have issued briefings over-reaching beyond party policy - a ...

Fantastic news this morning - from the home base of our London Region Chair, Sean Hooker - Lib Dems win High Barnet by-election from the Conservatives. I'm leaving all the details to the number crunchers and statistical bods who I expect will have a field day, given the press reports this last few days over the party leadership. Who really cares there was only a 30% turnout - A win, is a win in my book and it makes my small contribution Barnet Spires - when a church is not a church worthwhile. For us on ...

The closer we get to Christmas the less time I seem to have. There is just time therefore to note that Labour appear to have learnt one of the lessons from their Blaenau Gwent defeat earlier this year. They have selected a high profile candidate for the Assembly with local roots. Now we will see how permanent is the damage inflicted by Peter Law. Talking about comebacks, I see that Richard Hillman is to return from his watery grave to harrass the cast of Coronation Street once more. Presumably, he will wake up in the shower Bobby Ewing style. ...

Sometimes wish I was an octopus with an extra set of arms. Not sure whether my personal life gets fitted in around Lib Dem stuff or the other way round. So many emails asking if I can go here, there and everywhere or can I do this, that or the other. Everything in London is being geared up to the May 2006 local council elections, that's apart from other party commitments.Just been told the Pizza & Politics is off tonight. Was quite looking forward to it but it's good that Angela telephoned to let me know, otherwise I would have ...

Someone brought to my attention that there was a TV programme this week (apparently a repeat) about the 80s property boom: Cue Christine Hamilton [wife of Neil] for whom, according to the commentary, “principles were never an issue”. She bought her flat for £4,500 and had a buyer lined up the following week for £45,000. It’s [...]

Bish. Bash. Bosh. Just what is the point?