LibDem Blogs - Archived!

One of the questions that the media keep asking of the Liberal Democrats is what is the party’s narrative? Charles Kennedy, MPs and party members could all tell you what it is, or what parts of it are, so why do commentators think the party has yet to answer the question. It is partly because when Kennedy makes a speech setting out the party’s position, the press ignore it. They ignore it

Today's House Points column from Liberal Democrat News. Picking a fight On 27 July 1893 the debate on the committee stage of Gladstone’s second home rule bill ended. Jo Chamberlain compared Gladstone to Herod. T. P. O’Connor, the Irish Nationalist who sat for a Liverpool constituency, called Chamberlain “Judas”. The division bell rang, but arguments still smouldered in the chamber. At this point one of my political heroes entered history. J. W. “Paddy” Logan was Liberal MP for Harborough. A major railway contractor, he began as a Conservative. But when he visited Ireland he was so shocked at ...

Martin Kettle in today's Guardian is rightly critical of the deputy prime minister's recent intervention in the education debate: John Prescott should be nobody's hero for his extraordinary attack this week on the government's education plans. "If you set up a school and it becomes a good school, the great danger is that everyone wants to go there," he told the Sunday Telegraph. The great danger? What world is he living in? Certainly not the Hull of his constituents, whose schools consistently produce the worst GCSE results of any local authority in the whole of England. A few good schools ...

Been weighing and re-weighing our baggage for the flight tomorrow on my Mum & Dad's bathroom scales and finally got (just) under the limits for both of us. It's all the presents, wedding outfits and winter clothes! So now we're looking forward to a Christmas dinner with my family in a few minutes and to handing out the family Christmas presents.Last night at The Bear was fantastic!! We woke up so excited today because we realised today is the first day of the second year of our marriage. How cool is that!I announced to the receptionist at The Bear that ...

An interesting story from Yellow Peril: British Iranians protest outside Lib Dem HQ in protest at a leading party member’s attitude to the repressive, Islamist, regime in power there. A small point that Harry’s Place and KK could do well to remember: Emma Nicholson is one of the few outspoken supporters of the Iraq War in the [...]

Mark Oaten writes a diary of his week in the 19 December issue of the House Magazine: Tuesday On to lunch with Julian Glover from the Guardian in the Members' Dining Room...

“kinnockkid“: I appreciate your blog exists to slag off the Lib Dems, but resorting to slagging off spoof stories about Christmas is a little desperate isn’t it? What with Yellow Peril, Fib Dems and the possible redux of Lib Dem Watch (it was offline until a few days ago), it looks as if Labour activists are [...]

Lynne Featherstone MP has written an article on crime for the Meeting the Challenge website. Lots and lots to digest there. Early thoughts are that it is a shame she saw fit not to mention anything about drugs and prohibition, particularly given that she started the article with the maxim that “when it’s a choice [...]

Yes, merry Christmas, in Lithuanian. The big day in Lithuanian tradition is actually Christmas Eve Night, where there is a big family meal that starts when the first stars are seen shining brightly. The table is covered with hay and a white cloth laid on this. A place is laid for family members who have died. The meal is supposed to have 13 dishes, many of them fish, including a traditional grain and honey porridge. At the end of the meal everyone goes up to each other person in turn, breaks a wafer with them, hugs, and sincerely asks ...

It seems depressing to be writing about the EU so soon before Christmas. There's not an awful lot I can say about the craven surrender of Blair to the French that hasn't been covered already - no matter how unjustifiable the British rebate might be, it is far from the only matter of the EU budget that is unjustifiable. And to give it up with barely a promise in return, let alone no material benefit, is ridiculous, both from a national interest and an EU reforming point of view. Blair deserves to be roundly booed for that (although his defence ...

by Peter I've been meaning to reply to this post of James Graham for a couple of days. I´m not going to say much at present becuase, to be frank, the baby on my lap can think of better ways of spending her time than watching her father type. In any case, James and I seem to have resolved many of our differences. All I want, of course, is everything: a great airwar, proper targetting, a party that grows its core constituency and yet reaches out beoyond it. Certainly a party that has a strong profile ...

Inoffensive-looking Oxford and Eton toff appeals to Lib Dem supporters to join his fold: “My Conservative Party believes passionately in whatever you believe in, especially if lots of other people believe in it as well. We support whipping the servants, crumpets by the fire, windfarms in every garden, a glass of brandy before bed, free slippers [...]

Who is Neil Craig? Well, he’s certainly not an orthodox Lib Dem, being a climate change sceptic, pro-Nuclear and an apologist for the Serbs’ actions that lead to the NATO intervention in Kosovo. He even tiresomely has opted to describe Paddy Ashdown as a “Nazi” for backing that conflict. Craig has been thrown out [...]

I’m amazed that one week after it was reported in Lib Dem News, no-one has made any comment on the fact that Charles Kennedy’s new speechwriter is called Mickey Finn.

happy festive season Just before I go away I just wanted to wish anyone reading this a happy festive season. Whatever you do have a good one.

by Steve Travis Yesterday I had fitted a door with stained glass panel, commissioned to replace the dreadful 1970s monstrosity that had, in turn, replaced the 1912 original whose design I had copied. I think it only fair to give a plug to Lady Bay Art Glass and R W Taylor Joinery for their skill and craftsmanship, for they have created a work of art. My distaste for UPVC doors and windows (mainly on aesthetic grounds) is already documented. But in conversation with the glazier, it was pointed out that there might be an environmental reason to be ...

The petition organised by 'The Liberal' is risible in the extreme. It is a pity that the Guardian gave this miniscule circulation rag the title of 'in-house journal' which it self-evidently isn't. This irregular pretentious poetry ridden magazine has little Lib Dem orientation, with as many [largely uninteresting] articles from Labour or Tory circles as Lib Dem. It is nothing more than a poor attempt to raise profile and circulation. The collection of email addresses is a ropey tactic too. The Guardian poll saying voters want change is also probably a creation of the media. Prior to the [sadly unsacked] ...

The BBC reveal this morning that London only made it into the last round of voting to stage the 2012 Olympics because the Greek delegate pressed the wrong button: "London was ahead, but Paris and Madrid were 33-31 in the votes," said Gilady. "Let's say what we think now happened, that one member made a mistake and voted for Paris rather than Madrid. "If he had voted for Madrid it would be 32-32. We would have to have had a vote-off. "In the vote-off all the votes supporting London would ...

As it's Christmas, it's time for my latest fairy tale, following on from the 2004 and 2003 tales. Enjoy!

There has been quite a bit of debate recently about whether or not Birmingham should apply to be a Licensing Authority for a Destination Casino. The local debate is about whether there should be such a Casino at the NEC or whether it should be linked to the redevelopment of the Blues ground. The complexity is that if the City Council becomes a Licensing authority then it would only license

Ward: Walcot App.Ref: 05/03864/FUL Registered: 13 December 2005 Expiry Date: 7 February 2006 Location: 2 Belgrave ...

It's been an odd day. I started by setting off for the Indian High Commission to get my visa for the forthcoming family wedding in Mumbai. Just as I was leaving Peckham, I realised that I had left my passport at home (duh...). So I went home, collected the passport and headed for India House, at Aldwych. I get to the window, form completed, money and photographs ready, only to be told that my

I found this picture the other day and thought that my family might like to see me in best faceless bureaucrat mode. Notice how I am cunningly part-hidden by the microphone. On the far left is Baroness Sarah Ludford, a member of the European Parliament, next to her Susan Kramer, MP for Richmond Park and on my right, Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey Wood Green. In the middle is Mandy Wells, our

... the City Council is everywhere and in everything. It supplies water, light and heat. It carries us about our business and watches over our health. It builds many of our houses and educates most of our children, and every year that passes it adds to its burden. Until 1835 it could not even raise a rate. The individual parishes alone had that power, and the only rate they could levy was the Poor