LibDem Blogs - Archived!

Nick Barlow provides a full summary of last night's Radio 4 programme and a link to a recording of the whole thing. His summary is fair: Campbell started slowly and sounded at a couple of points as though he had some talking points and soundbites memorised and wanted to make sure he mentioned them all, but improved later on, especially when he was accused of being almost a Tory by someone in the audience. In contrast, Hughes started well, but then seemed to lose focus later on and seemed to not be on the surest footing on some of the ...

For those of you who are not familiar with him, here is a biography: Fred Titmus, one of cricket's great survivors, was a St Pancras-born Cockney who walked like Charlie Chaplin and wisecracked like Groucho Marx. Despite the rivalry of three other top-class offspinners in Ray Illingworth, John Mortimore and David Allen, he won 53 Test caps over 19 years and played county cricket in five decades, between 1949 and 1982. He even came back after a horrific boating accident in the West indies cost him four toes. His artistry as a slow and flighty bowler contrasted with a ...

I always feared that if Simon Hughes became leader we would wake up one day, turn on the Today programme and find that he had committed the party to something crazy. Not out of ideology, but because there is something a little unworldly about him. Think Alec Guinness in The Man in the White Suit . He was on the radio this morning for a very different reason. It is hard not to have sympathy for Simon. He was elected to Westminster at a time when it was thought impossible for a gay politician to be open about his ...

So Simon Hughes is bisexual, is he? Never would have guessed it. Next week in your Soaraway Sun: fire bad, tree...

Just found a great food blog whilst reviewing the 2006 blogs of the year. Here is a recipe I tried last weekend when I had some vegetarian friends over for lunch. Prep time: about 10 min Braising: ~45 min. Ingredients (serves 2) 12 red baby onions 2 tsp oregano, dried 2-3 tbsp olive oil 8-10 black olives fresh oregano leaves (to taste) 100-150g feta cheese, crumbled season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1 Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F). Peel onions and place them in a fireproof casserole dish or alternatively on ...

I know several people who as Conservative Party members and voters are enduring severe motion sickness as a result of David Cameron's lurching about with Conservative policy. My view has always many Conservative supporters have little fealty to traditional Conservatism but instead are saboteurs of the status quo, free-market reformists and children of the aspirational and enterprise culture for a moment in time championed by Margaret Thatcher. As David Cameron pursues a neo-Butskellite consensus in British politics such supporters will find it harder and harder to believe that what the nation needs is more of the same. In an excellent ...

There are now very worrying signs that we are at the beginning of a new phase of tension, uncertainty, and fear in the Middle East. The very real possibility is that the emerging Palestinian state has democratically decided to join Iran as an international pariah, and a nation is volunteering to join the war on terror - on the wrong side. The news that the Palestinians have taken the monumentally foolish decision to elect Hamas has been naturally met with dismay in the international community. The entirely predictable news that Iran welcomes the result – but still continues to deny ...

The Evening Standard tonight highlights the Bermondsey by-election of 1983 in the light of the Simon Hughes revelation. But I feel certain that it is wrong in saying that the Liberals described Simon as 'the straight choice' during that election campaign. 'It's a straight choice' was a standard slogan for promoting tactical voting – i.e. a straightforward choice between Party X and the Liberals. The real homophobic campaign was run by 'Real Bermondsey Labour' candidate John O'Grady, who was supported by outgoing MP Bob Mellish. Despite this Labour were more than happy to quote Mellish's endorsement of subsequent Labour candidates ...

In a shocking announcement from Tory Central this afternoon, David Cameron paraded the latest defection from the Lib-Dems. Peter Jackson a Lib-Dem voter in the Stockton on the Fosse Parish Council by-election made the surprising move earlier this morning shortly after breakfast. "I voted Lib-Dem in the by-election because all the other candidates looked too stuck up," said Peter in a press conference on the Village Green this afternoon. "Since David Cameron has stopped wearing a tie, I shall be voting Conservative from now on" he added. Sir Ming Campbell the acting leader of the Lib-Dem's said that he was ...

P6270015 Originally uploaded by nilexuk. Firstly anyone who has sex with men AND women ISN’T, strictly speaking, gay. But there’s no way he should have said what he said when he says he wasn’t gay. It’s just obvious he was setting himself up for this. And [...]

A whole load has been talked about a single line on a leaflet from the 1983 Bermondsey by-election, as ‘proof’ of Liberal Party homophobia. I’ll admit I was personally concerned by it. I'm therefore grateful to the fellow young Lib Dem who highlighted this leaflet from the notoriously un-homophobic Brecon By-Election, in which sexuality was famously not an issue. Unsuprisingly, there are numerous other examples. £100 to the first of the morally outraged conservative bloggers who can explain the other meaning of the Tory expression "stop the pink flag flying over Exeter"...

Time I made clear my support for Chris Huhne as leader, if only so that any readers can judge my bias. Each candidate has a strong case. Ming and Simon each have particular strengths that Chris must work hard to match, and there are very good reasons for voting for one or other of them. Chris also has particular strengths and for me these tip the balance in my decision. Here are three for getting on with. Firstly, his grasp of the economic issues, and the technical arguments involved in economics. This will be especially important if Brown becomes ...

by Peter (Update - let me start by saying that this is the way I see it. I hope the others will post to give their views soon enough.) I welcomed the Huhne leadership candidature, and considered voting for him. If he had stuck to the agenda announced by Lynne Featherstone, he might be even have been my first choice. But I haven't been very impressed by his tax proposals, nor by the signals sent out by his Telegraph interview at the weekend. And in the background have always been worries about his majority, and his lack ...

My overwhelming feeling was I didn't find anything out from the hour of Any Questions? that I didn't already know. Consensus broke out almost constantly and disagreement was almost entirely implicit. The audience didn't get much of a say either. All the candidates' had a compelling radio manner, although sometimes Menzies sounded like he was addressing a rally. Most of the time he had a warm

It is just as well that Labour AMs are on the ball when it comes to putting Ministers on the spot: Denise Idris Jones: I met recently with Martin Jones, who is the new acting chief executive of North West Wales NHS Trust. He told me that the scanner was on its way and should be arriving at Llandudno in April. Janet Ryder: It has been on its way for three years. Denise Idris Jones: He confirmed this date; he had made an appointment to see me, and I believe that this will happen. ...

Cameron’s Tory’s were upbeat yesterday after it was estimated that as many as one Lib Dem paper candidate had flocked to the Conservatives following Cameron’s invitation to join the party shortly before Christmas. Alan Beddow the most senior and prominent party figure and Top Ranking Lib-Dem, in the Sainsbury’s end of Warwick (between the entrance to the racecourse and the Birmingham Road) stated that the loss of Adrian Graves was obviously a serious blow to the party and the political fall out may be felt for several minutes to come. Asked if he had been tempted to take up ...

[From the Laurie Taylor column in the Times Higher Education Supplement] - Of interest to those who write Focus, or resignation speeches... University of Poppleton: BA in plagiarism studiesFollowing the increased attention being accorded to the question of plagiarism in higher education, we are pleased to announce the launch of a new degree in plagiarism studies. Following the increased attention being accorded to the question of plagiarism in higher education, we are pleased to announce the launch of a new degree in plagiarism studies.Graduates from this course may look forward to obtaining well-paid employment in many of the sectors of ...

So the Scum have found proof that Simon Hughes is less than completely straight. Count me unsurprised - it has been pretty well-known among active Liberal Democrats that he was bi since before I joined the Party in 1997. For the Scum, homosexuality is sufficient to condemn him - although fortunately this is unlikely to affect any election results, since this particular rag is trusted by the

I heard the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, on the radio this morning defending her NHS policies against whoever is criticising them at the moment. I can’t actually quite bear to listen to Ms Hewitt because whatever she is actually saying, the message that is conveyed is something like: ‘I am not only a very clever person but also a very good person. I am not sure whether you are disagreeing with me out of malice or stupidity but to make my sentiments clearI am inflecting my voice with a mixture of one part scorn to two parts ...

The Daily Telegraph was rocked to its foundations today after spectacularly losing a £150,000 libel case against George Galloway. This was the latest blow to hit the troubled broadsheet, which last year axed 90 jobs in what was widely regarded as a panic measure, yet has seen its circulation plunge as readers defect to a resurgent Times. Last year, its former owner, the disgraced foreign press

The Register has a very good article about the bringing in of a National Identity Register throught the back door. The government is using the royal perogative for issuing and revoking passports to create a database of everyone who applies for a passport, which is then sold to businesses who seek to use the passport for identification. To me this seems like a clear abuse of the royal perogative.

Read all about the latest allegations - truly shocking news. I must admit, he's kept it well concealed all these years.

‘Nothing matters much and very little matters at all’, the Tory prime minister Arthur Balfour is supposed to have said. As the only major party leader of the twentieth century to have lost three general elections and won none at all, Balfour could have done with taking life a little more seriously. But it is an aphorism that Lib Dem activists would do well to bear in mind and to help them keep their nerve. Unfortunately journalists, especially in the broadcast media, can’t get away with saying ‘This latest scandal, while no doubt embarrassing, is of no lasting importance and ...

I’m off around the country (in Nottingham as I type this, on an SQL course), so don’t expect any pithy thoughts on here until next week. Sadly no time today to talk about homophobic headlines, McDonald’s staffing practices or Doctor Who. I’m sure you can cope.

I'm waiting for something along these lines to appear in the popular prints any time soon: Ming: 'I'm Scottish.' Leading Liberal Democrat leadership contender Sir Menzies Campbell has revealed he is a Scotsman. But in an interview with a tabloid newspaper Sir Menzies, 64, an MP since 1987, said the revelation need not affect his leadership bid. His confession came after a long period of speculation that he was, in fact, from north of the border. And it follows a turbulent week for the party in which Chris Huhne, a surprise entrant into the leadership ...

Simon will doubtless have had his own reasons for pouring his heart out to Trevor Kavanagh of The Sun, a publication renowned for its enlightened approach to gay issues. This is summed up by the headline it gives today’s story: A second Limp-Dem MP confesses’ I am sure the news will have come as a massive shock to Lib Dem activists. On other pages: “‘I said Hail Marys’ – Benedict XVI’s amazing admission.”

Sky News, for their use the word "gayness".

David Walker has built an online STV poll of the leadership election. This gives a different result to the poll being conducted by Colin Ross, which is just a FPTP poll.If only the Eurovision song contest was scored by STV...

What Simon should have said: "My private life is none of your business, so fuck off."

Nothing that comes as a surprise to most of us who have been involved in the party. Surely the big yellow taxi gives away the fact that he's a Lib Dem.

The number of Campbell supporters appears to be the largest, and its still growing. And yes, my name is there.

After yesterday's nominations closed in the Liberal Democrat Leadership contest Sir Menzies Campbell has declared the most supporters. Sir. Menzies currently has 578 supporters, you can see who is supporting Sir. Menzies on his website (linked below).

My new poll has over 200 votes already and was looking like a real three way fight although Simon seems to be slipping back this morning. Cllr Dave Walker of Bridgnorth was gone one better and has an AV poll on his website too, the link is below.

Is The Sun making a "pejorative reference to an individual's .... sexual orientation" today? Do bears......? "Second limp-dem confesses": looks pretty pejorative to me, as does the Caldwell "cartoon". An email to The Scum's "Editor" is en-route. Followed by a complaint to the PCC.

Those of you who you like to vote often for the same event now have a chance to, as there are now two online polls for the Liberal Democrat leadership - an STV vote here, and a simple poll here. Political journalists in search of a poorly sourced story to fill some space might like [...]

I awoke this morning to a plethora of text messages arriving telling me the Sun newspaper's headline. Simon Hughes has come out as gay according to the paper (but if you read what he says it would actually seem he has come out as bisexual). Why did Simon deny being gay so many times in the last week?

As I said earlier this week being bisexual is no reason to exclude anyone from being a member, candidate or even leader of the Liberal Democrats. Therefore the news that Simon Hughes has ‘had both homosexual and heterosexual relationships in the past’ does not disqualify him from seeking the highest post in the party. I just wish that Simon had come cleaner about this earlier when asked the

Simon Hughes has come out... sort of. It's all a bit late, messy and not in the best political environment. Hughes said: "It is not just me. There are lots of people who have tried to keep their private lives private." It's a so sad that being an MP doesn't allow for a private life, but it doesn't. The fact that Simon was able to retain a veil of public secrecy over what was surely known by all of colleagues, opponents, and in fact anyone vaguely interested in Westminster and beyond, is some sort of achievement in itself. Curiously, he ...

Thursday 26th January 2006 - Another day another exclusive story about someone's private life. But as I wrote the other day senior elected political figures have to accept they face the glare and scrutiny of the press when they choose to stand for high office and they have to be honest when questioned about themselves however intrusive they may be. I do not care one hoot whether Simon Hughes has

And in other news, Simon Hughes gladdens my heart by doing what I was recommending to the next MP faced with a sex scandal (or potential sex scandal): “I am perfectly willing to say that I have had both homosexual and heterosexual relationships in the past... I hope that does not disqualify me from doing a good job in public life and I propose to carry on doing that with the usual enthusiasm and

Yet another 'prominent' Lib Dem says Lib Dem MPs are going to defect. This 'prominent' character "chairs the Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs forum". I've never heard of the Lib Dem foreign affairs forum. Sadly I can't find out whether I should be embarrassed by my ignorance - the lead link when you Google (boo! hiss! shame! resign!) "Lib Dem foreign affairs forum" is James Graham. So what

You can try and see how STV will work for the Lib Dem leadership election here, with a working online poll that lets you rank the candidates in order. At 2.57am, my vote means that Chris Huhne wins after Simon’s second preferences propel him above Ming. Don’t forget, dear Lib Dem Reader, if anyone asks you who [...]

I don’t really know what to add about Harold Elletson that I didn’t say before Chrimbo. My advice to the boys up top would be to kick him out before he defects; openly toying with the idea of joining another political party in the full glare of the media has got to count as [...]

Stephen Glenn poses this question: Why am I, a white, middle-class male supporting the latest initiative by the Liberal Democrats to encourage more female and ethnic minority candidates? The answer is simple… Read the rest here.

Natasha Walter writes in the Guardian today about how women appear to be vanishing from public life. A few years ago, when [Naomi] Wolf published Fire with Fire and I wrote The New Feminism, there was a sense of optimism about how women could become more equal and make freer choices in their lives. Those [...]

I have set up a Leadership Poll for the LibDem Leadership contest. This poll uses the Single Transferable Vote system. This will run during the election period & might give people a better idea of how the election is progressing. The LibDems use STV in their elections. Hopefully this poll will give a better feel for what is [...]

Muslim News reports: The next leader of the Liberal Democrats must take into account and address the lack of ethnic minority in the British parliament, according to Muslim representative Fiyaz Mughal. “The party has single handedly failed to take issue on of the most important aspects around political inclusion and democratic participation,” Mughal warned in a [...]

I’m flattered to be in Iain Dale’s 25 Political Blogs, albeit at the bottom. For my part, I have to admit to enjoying Iain’s blog. I have to say I found it quite unreadable in the run up to the General Election (Serious tip, mate: don’t be so nasty when you stand in future. [...]