LibDem Blogs - Archived!

A number of Lib Dem bloggers have been pretty beastly to Mark Oaten in the last few days. This has left some others bewildered as to what might have prompted such antagonism for a fellow Lib Dem. A lot of this suspicion can, I suspect, be traced to an infamous passage from John Harris’s book, So Now Who Do We Vote For?: Sitting in Parliamentary café, we began talking about his membership of the

It is official, George Galloway is Kitten Kong! Just call him Twinkle from now on.

This morning's Guardian has an appealing interview with the Merciless one: He recalls how he won North East Fife, once the seat of the last Liberal prime minister, Herbert Asquith, in 1987 at the third attempt - his fifth parliamentary campaign - when he was 46. "It took me 11 years to win my seat, three elections and 50,000 miles of driving. To those who might wonder if I am committed to things I would offer that. I would also say that you do not compete in top-class athletics without a hell of a lot of work, particularly if ...

Chris Huhne now has a campaign website. His launch statement begins: After the events of the last few weeks, our party needs a new start. New hope and new horizons. We have a springboard. The most MPs since 1923. Talent galore on those benches. Four times as many councillors as thirty years ago. Control of great cities like Liverpool and Newcastle. But we need to be ready for another great stride forward. To put liberalism into power. We are closer to that goal than ever. Our children will never forgive us if we fail our chance. We need to ...

Just been announced that all 4 candidates for the Lib Dem leadership will be on Any Questions later in the month. BBC radio, as ever, leads.

Like a man running for his life, Mark Oaten is not wasting any opportunity to get his message across to party members. With so little time, he has turned to technology even before his campaign has officially kicked off. Mark Oaten, presenting his case for leadership via webcast Another story I've been following - Our flamboyant MP John Hemming bows out - he was really a non-starter - fun read while it lasted. He says, I would like to ...

Here is an update on the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang story I mentioned recently. The Sheriff tried to ban Heather Ripley from driving for a year. But such is the magic of the car that he was forced to call her back and admit that he did not have the power to do so. Instead he imposed four penalty points on her licence.

Here is my House Points column from today's Liberal Democrat News. Too loyal, too long The Tory press says that we Liberal Democrat members are furious at the way Charles Kennedy was forced to stand down. I am not convinced that we are. It is becoming clear that Charles was determined to stay as leader when he was no longer able to the job to the maximum of his ability. It is also clear that he rejected every chance to leave with dignity. In those circumstances it is hard to see how things could have ended happily. Far ...

Yesterday I blogged that I felt that MPs nominating more than one candidate was bad for democracy. I received some disparaging remarks from others however in order to be balanced having been pointed to the following from Paul Keetch's website, by a comment from Angus J Huck on Quaeguam Blog!, I give the alternative viewpoint. Hereford Lib Dem MP, Paul Keetch today opened up nominations for the

I notice that Steve Guy has been keeping us updated on the web launches of the various campaigns throughout the day. Well Chris Huhne was first out of the blocks to please all us internet geeks. He launched his campaign website this morning. I know the guys at Prater Raines are fast, but he only made his mind up in the last few days. Sir Menzies Campbell made the news in Scotland earlier this

Tony Blair has famously remarked with regard to Gordon Brown that to aspire to become Prime Minister is a noble ambition. Ambition in politics is a powerful driving force. But ambition can easily turn to hubris when coupled with unfounded arrogance. I have met many people – usually student Tories, and usually men – who sincerely believe that they are a future PM. The father of a friend remarked to me a few years ago (or perhaps it was my friend retelling the observation) that it was the same when he was a student a generation ago. We’ve all met ...

He is not just insufferable, he is.... a cat!

Mark has gone for a sort of high-tech webcast approach. Some people have reported difficulties viewing but it works just fine for me.

Just got back this afternoon from Chris Huhne's launch event. He made a brilliant speech, hitting all the key notes. Assuming the media give him fair coverage tomorrow, we're set for a massive shake-up in the leadership race. A full list of Chris's backers shows a rising groundswell of momentum, including Lord Rodgers (formerly Bill Rodgers), one of the SDP's Gang of Four.

Chapter 5: Liberal Economics and Social Justice by Vince Cable That Cable advances economic liberalism can be guessed from the title. The question is whether he is weak on social liberalism. Pertinent to this are the questions of regulation and taxation. Cable rejects a simple identification of more regulation as bad and left-wing, and the converse. Regulation is justified by market failures of

Oaten has now declared his nominators. They are: Bob Russell, Mike Hancock, Paul Rowen, John Hemming, John Leech, Paul Keetch and Lembit Opik. Hancock, Rowan and Hemming are all declared “nomination tarts” who have said they will nominate anyone who asks, and while I’m quite open to be corrected, “Bingo” Bob Russell comes from a [...]

One thing about internal elections is that we get to see the campaign process as non-politicians do instead of just being the people dishing it out. Suddenly the leaflets, the sound-bites and the tricks of image presentation look just a little less brilliant than we think. Maybe some valuable lessons… if we chose to reflect. It is often the small matters rather than the big issues that swings the final vote. Irrelevant ones like the Great Hair Uproar. So many bald or close cropped heads amongst the contenders. One of our local councillors has the perfect riposte - a notice ...

With the notable exception of Louise Alexander, the Lib Dem blogosphere has stayed away from that other political beauty contest, namely, George Galloway on Big Brother. Can anybody tell me what is the official policy on MP's leave? I suppose I always imagined that MPs took their holidays during the summer recess. Many in Bethnal will have voted for Gorgeous George as a protest vote against the war in Iraq. Protest voting is always dodgy - you end up with rabid xenophobes as MEPs, for example. But if you were a resident in that constituency, ...

I now have the final results from the opinion poll on the Lib Dem Leadership Election. There were a large number of questions asked in the poll, but I particularly needed to know whether or not I should progress my candidature given that we now have a contest. A large number of people contacted me directly to support my campaign and expressed a view that they preferred me to the other potential

By Leah (posted by Robin). Please can someone explain to me the proposed causal link between a light hair colour and lack of intelligence? This seems to me to be about as strong as the link between baldness and fitness to lead ;-). And yes I do have a sense of humour but the origins of blonde jokes is something I've been really intrigued about for a very long time. Anyone know? Does it come from the days of the Anglo-Saxons? I assume it does because otherwise how would this causal link take account of those of us who are ...

Sir Menzies has given an interview to the Guardian, the article, at least the web version, is titled 'My priorities? The environment, the environment, the environment'. The article follows below, it certainly reads well to me:

I’ve been working with a small group of party activists on a number of questions to put to the leadership contenders. We’ve now agreed the list and they have been sent to all the candidates who have declared. In view of the General Election and events since, would you agree that a fundamental overhaul of [...]

I’ve not really blogged about the LibDem leadership election yet. I will do so over the coming weeks, so in advance I’m laying down my ground rules: I’m not going to start jumping up and down for anyone yet. Already too many people (MPs and bloggers) seem to have leapt on the first candidate they saw, [...]

This blog would be trading under a false description if I failed to mention Wednesday night’s BBC 1 programme ‘When Satan came to town’ about the allegations of ritual satanic abuse of children in Rochdale in the late 1980s. I watched the programme on video last night and it did make uncomfortable viewing. I remember well the air of moral panic that surrounded child abuse issues during that time. It demonstrates just how credulous intelligent, professional people can be, since the details of the allegations, repeated so many years later seemed self-evidently ludicrous. What did the most damage ...

Chris Huhne, despite having only decided to stand a couple of days ago is the first candidate to have his own website.

Duncan Hames has called a meeting for people unable to come to the morning session of Meeting the Challenge using Flock Together. Spread the word! On a related note, just a little reminder to my own Liberal Drinks on Wednesday 18 January. Turnout is looking quite good with at least one MP confirmed. [...]

Admittedly there's not much there yet...

Not coming out for Chris (not yet anyway) and will post links to other sites as I find them!

This evening I caught the last fifteen minutes of Question Time. Perhaps in those forty-five minutes Mark Oaten was sublime, commanding, charismatic and inspiring. I do not know - but I doubt it. The first thing that I noticed was the Oaten was sat to the right of Norman Tebbit as viewed head on, an unfortunate visual image. I’m sure some unpaid BBC intern had some fun with that. Oaten then looked out of his depth in the last fifteen minutes against Ed Balls, Marialla Frostrup, Matthew Paris and Tebbit - who of all people on a panel, all outclassed ...

by Peter Mark Oaten: Mark did quite well on Question Time, but is perhaps more enigma than charisma. His ambition is an advantage in my view - and has led him to question the party's approach to good effect in the past. But his launch statement was not the polished document one might have expected, and queries about invisible support, the secret seven, and the hired guns are telling against him. At this moment he seems to be trailing the pack. I have him at fourth preference (ie blank). but there's plenty of time. Simon Hughes: Simon opened ...

Chris Huhne has launched his leadership campaign this morning – the campaign website is www.chris2win.org

I’m was in a dilemma over between my head or my heart. My head was telling me to go with a candidate that would win over the nation, my heart was telling me that someone else had the expertise and experience that would set out a clear and radical Lib Dem take in the centre ground. In the head my head won out and I will be supporting Simon Hughes to succeed Charles Kennedy as leader. He has the

Mark Oaten's nominees are revealed to be: Lembit Opik, his campaign manager Paul Keetch Bob Russell John Leech Paul Rowen (also nominated Simon Hughes) Mike Hancock (offered to nominate anyone who thinks they have a chance) John Hemming (wanted to stand himself but offered to nominate people in interests of a competitive election)

Chris Huhne has been described as the "dark green horse" to enter the Lib Dem race. Certainly his credentials as someone with intellectual weight seem to be undoubted, although judgements on political skill are perhaps a little harder to make. One thing that would make it harder for me to support him, however, is his 'environmental liberalism'. I discussed this at length with Richard in the pub the other night, where he put forward the one environmentalist argument that could genuinely convince me of the need to place environmental policies at the forefront of the manifesto - because the goals ...

by Leah. I’ll allow myself one last political comment before I turn this blog entry personal because frankly I’m getting really exhausted with the whole candidate slanging match and am more than sure that non-political friends are too. They’re all doing it. We even heard on Question Time last night that Hughes accused Oaten of being one of those that sought to get Charles out which knowing they were and are still good friends is an utter outrage, as Mark said himself. Anyway the last bit of politics is that no one has yet commented on Question Time last ...

Chris Huhne formally launches his campaign and sets up a campaign website. Full list of supporters on Wikipedia. He says things like: "Of course, if we put green taxes up, other taxes can and should come down." "Liberalism has also about reforming a gargantuan centralised state...The parliament of one of the largest countries in Europe should not be discussing housing targets in Hampshire or

Chris Huhne, MP for Eastleigh and Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury has entered the Liberal Democrat Leadership Contest. Chris is the fourth, and probably final, candidate to enter the race. I welcome Chris' entry as I said before he will bring a great intellect to to contest and he says he wishes to ensure we discuss environmental issues which should prove to make the hustings even more interesting.

Momentum is building for the campaign for a Lib Dem leadership special Question Time. This morning, I’ve had numerous emails from people saying they’ve contacted the BBC about it (you can make the suggestion online simply by going here). Last night I tried texting the programme’s interactive service to get the issue aired live. [...]

What a dreadful insinuation: Via Recess Monkey

After making a comment on Liberal England its got me thinking about the leadership contenders and which footballers they are analogous to.Starting with Chris Huhne: Owen Hargreaves - has an established European career, with occasional run outs in the national side. Bit of an unknown quantity as the scouts don't see his play very often, and those who do can never agree on whether he is brilliant or a bit of a P Neville. Despite appearances plays quite a good game down the green left wing.Simon Hughes: Probably best summed up by the recent whole England team performance against NI. ...

I had a phone call from Cowley Street earlier this week: 'would I like to come to Meeting the Challenge for the afternoon only, as the morning was all booked out?'. Well I thought nothing of it and signed up for this - thinking it better than nothing. Got a couple of emails last night and now get the full picture: the leadership challengers will all be given a chance to speak to delegates in the morning! Talk about a swizz! The emails also make it clear that under no circumstances should I try to get in in ...

Alan Beddow is right and James on Quaequam Blog! is correct in his take on it. While I said earlier that this week was the wrong week for Sir Menzies to ask his second question, next week is an ideal opportunity to ask it again. If the Prime Minister tries evasion again there are any number of options as to what the follow up question can be.

by Robin. Having had some time to go through the blogs posted over the last few days I am disturbed by the debate going on with regards to the leadership contest. There seems to be a mixed quality to it. Some are opening into a frank and open debate about who they want to be leader and these are interesting and enlightening. However I am noticing that some of the arguments are getting dirty and quite frankly disgusting. I thought we where supposed to be the nice party. I agree that it is perfectly ...

In today's Grauniad: Some good stuff: "What I am in favour of is using the tax system to maximise opportunity - not to penalise initiative or aspiration. " [On David Cameron] I know liberals. I have worked with liberals. David Cameron is no liberal. [I discuss David Cameron not being a liberal here] "one of Blair's legacies will be that he has squeezed values out of politics. Along comes

To help you make up your mind (as many of my stories - thanks to the power of the LDYS forums for the links): A speech he gave to a Green Fair in Aylesbury when an MEP explaining why environmental decisions are often best taken at a European level [Thanks to Richard Huzzey for the link] A link to the initial press release on the Huhne Commission report on Public Service provision, his conference

I mentioned yesterday that I'd got 10/1 odds from William Hill at lunchtime... by the evening 8/1 were the best odds anyone would offer, putting him in third place ahead of Mark Oaten. At the time of writing, Simon Hughes has taken a lead, but the story of the day is Chris Huhne's massive progress from 300/1 to 8/1 in 24 hours. While nobody would seriously say that betting odds could be taken on their own, they have certainly been a good indicator of other elections. PoliticalBetting.com writes: In one of the most staggering political betting moves ever the ...

John Thurso MP is no longer standing... Correction - John Thurso MP was never standing but there was a spoof website 'Thurso for PM' doing the rounds. It wasn't anything to do with John Thurso MP as a person or an MP - I think the authors just felt at that point in the leadership contest that we had a glut of bald candidates and needed one with a moustache (who also happened to be a

Iain Dale recounts an hilarious yet under-reported exchange that happened on Wednesday afternoon: Oaten was on Andrew Neil’s sofa and asked by Andrew Neil to respond to the claim by an anonymous Lib Dem MP that “Mark Oaten can be summed up in four words: unlimited ambition, limited ability”, Oaten replied “That’s more than four words”. Rumours [...]

Alan Beddow is right, and Baroness Williams said the same thing on This Week: Blair must answer the question about head teachers. Menzies Campbell could do worse than to ask exactly the same question next week. If Blair refused to answer then Ming’s follow up could be devastating.

Hold the phone! Campbell to ditch high-tax policy They are likely to propose that the system be made more progressive without the higher top rate. Instead, the party may suggest higher capital gains or property taxes on the better off. It looks like a head of steam is brewing to both ditch the supertax and (my requirement) to [...]

Having seen Rosie Boycott’s moving and blisteringly honest piece about her experience as alcoholic and how she related to Kennedy’s downfall on This Week tonight (frustratingly not on the web but there’s a similar article by her in The Guardian), I’ve come to the conclusion that I overreacted in anger at the actions of the [...]

A week is a long time in politics. Especially this week. This weeks unanswered question comes from Tony Blair. In response to Sir Ming's question regarding the problem of finding head teachers for schools, Tony admitted that it was difficult to find leaders for failing organisations. I would like to know what the Government is going to do to address the problem of finding heads for all the failing schools they have been responsible for all these years. I would also like to know why after the lessons learned from the Soham enquiry this government is unable to tell ...

James at Quaequam Blog flagged up this face recognition programme. So I enter this picture from my election communication. My top similarity turned out to be a 67% match for Tony Blair. Now this shouldn't really be a shock to me as each passing year the Prime Minister reminds me more and more of my father, who everyone says I look uncannily like, down to certain ticks and gives. However, on a