LibDem Blogs - Archived!

Ming is not a policy wonk. This is a good thing. A leader needs to be able to paint on a broad canvass and leave the detail to more technocratic colleagues (of which I can think of a Huhne, sorry, a few). One of the criticisms made to me by a Treasury insider of Gordon Brown’s desire to become Prime Minister is that he has a tendency at the Treasury to concentrate on areas of personal interest at the expense of others. It would seem that some Government Departments are practically Treasury franchises, while others are given some cash ...

For one night only, Cllr Louise Alexander will be appearing with her brother Phil in an evening of Political Parodies. Transforming the Billy Joel hit into Only a Tory MP and the Brotherhood of Man's "Save All Your Kisses for me" into a WMD satire "It smells like bullshit to me". Experience the sabre-toothed Alexandrian wit aimed at all your favourite fall guys: Bush, Portillo, Alistair...

For some reason, we’ve never got round to blogging about the existence of the Campbell Campaign downloads page. If you want a copy of Ming’s manifesto, or a leaflet to hand out, or a button or banner for your site, they’re all there. Another page we’ve not blogged about is the page showing Ming’s recent parliamentary record. [...]

I've been feeling guilty over the last few days - too busy with family, work and ward issues to do any blogging. In particular, I've not had time to properly respond to those posts with titles like "1001 things I don't like about Huhne now that he's ahead of my candidate in the leadership race" and "Chris Huhne is too dull to be a Prime Minister , unlike uh, John Major or uh, Gordon

In a comment on an earlier posting, Mike Holmans mentions that Agatha Christie herself expressed the wish that the young Joan Hickson would one day play Miss Marple. You can find the full story here. Incidentally, my mother used to have a tortoiseshell cat called Miss Marple.

The following e-mail reaches us... At the spring conference in Harrogate in March, Liberal Democrats will be debating a motion from the Federal Policy Committee calling for reforms to Royal Mail and policies to save the Post Office network. The proposals for the Royal Mail include plans for shared ownership under which just over half the shares are owned by the staff and the government with the rest sold to small investors and the markets. The aim is to create a successful Royal Mail that protects services to households and allows the company the full commercial freedom to invest ...

It was a bad day for 78 year old Harry Whittington when he was shot last Saturday by Vice-President Cheney in a hunting accident. At least the poor chap is still alive, even after a consequent heart attack. There's an element of farce here. However while surfing, I stumbled across a couple of truly tragic events. Back in August, my very first post was about the little town of Galion , Ohio (pop 11341) which had massive financial problems after it's finance director had embezzled some of the town's cash. He tried to commit suicide by shooting himself ...

The Lib Dems in our little corner of Essex are fairly well split between the three candidates, although I'm pleased to say that Chris seems to have the most first preferences. I was perturbed however , by a friend who told me that he'd given first preference to Ming Campbell and second preference to Geoff Hoon.

Readers of the Guardian’s letters pages may have noticed the following letter from Liberal Democrat council leaders across the UK backing Ming Campbell: Dear Sir, We are Liberal Democrat Leaders of Councils from across the country. Despite the many obituaries written for our party over the last few weeks the stunning result in the Dunfermline by-election [...]

Suzanne Lamido has an eye witness report from the EMETF hustings. I am tempted to quote, but it is probably best that you go and read the whole thing. It is very well done. On the facts, she seems to agree with Mark Valladares. On interpretation, she differs. Mark is a Huhne supporter disappointed with his performance on this issue He wrote I expect Simon to be in favour of quotas - he has form after all (remember Blackpool?) - but to see Chris pander to this was very disappointing. Ming, on the other hand, took ...

Lord Bonkers' latest diary has been posted on his website. Rutland in winter. Earth stands hard as iron and water like a stone; this morning I distinctly heard frosty wind make moan. Snow has fallen, snow on snow – and I shouldn’t be surprised if it fell snow on snow too. All in all, the fields are white as a newly scrubbed orphan. Good God! Merciful Heavens! I count myself a pretty broad-minded fellow – I went to Uppingham – but really! What has been going on? Kennedy! Rising Star!! The Reverend Hughes??? A hastily scribbled note is brought ...

by Steve Travis The more sharp-eyed and eared amongst you may have noticed that that nice Dave Cameron is rather keen to recruit Liberal Democrats because they will help him get elected. Sorry ... I mean, of course, because they share his liberal values (no, really). He even set up a website that, rather nicely, shows all the Lib Dem held seats turning from gold to blue. Well ... that's the subtle way to say you want to send us to oblivion. Over on Conservative Home they don't hold with all thus wet shilly-shallying. They believe ...

One of my favourite satirical websites used to be Ballygobackwards, with its unique take on life in Northern Ireland. After a long dormant period, it's alive!

Nice to see that the last campaign I was responsible for at Vodafone has been recognised at the 2006 GSM Awards in Barcelona as the best mobile advertising campaign in the world. Time to open a bottle of champagne and spray it around the kitchen (or, in reality, share it with Michaela). While I’m at it, here’s [...]

Posted by Chris Glynis and I attended a briefing tonight at Redcar & Cleveland College about the proposed redevelopment of the further education college. We went expecting to see a rehash of the plans we saw last year to modernise and extend the existing buildings. Instead we were treated to a 3D concept presentation of a proposed brand new, £24m, state of the art college. Gary Groom, the new Principal, explained that it was not practical to carry out the works on the existing footprint and they propose to site the new building closer to the Locke ...

Apparently the Palace of Westminster is exempt from this draconian smoking ban. Given that the staff already went on strike because they were being treated differently, and worse, than other public servants, I think this is appalling. If it is an argument about protecting workers' health why are they any less worthy of that protection? Disgraceful. Abolish the lot of them, I say. We can do

Had butterflies in my stomach the past few days hoping that nothing would go wrong with last night's arrangements. I'm a perfectionist when in organisational mode especially when it comes to events. Needed to keep it in my head that it would turn out alright on the day. The chair, Rabi Martins is such an affable person - easy to work with following my tick box system of jobs to do or those done. So pleased to see he'd arrived before me and a big sigh of relief as the room gradually filled up - 42 people ...

...was that he lived in Wainwright country* - the beautiful and rather marginal Colne Valley. Today he is rather laid back mood, explaining how we might make progress in the North Don’t underestimate the extent to which the North feels abandoned and abused by Labour, just as it did under the Tories. Now it feels betrayed as well. I think we saw this phenomenon in Dunfermline in Scotland; I think we will see it again in the North of England. This is now our fertile ground. Any assessment of the candidates in this election has to judge how they ...

This exciting Flash game reveals just how hard shooting caged quails on a private game-shooting reserve must be. I’ve never shot a live animal, but once I began to play this game, the adrenelin rush was nothing short of incredible. How could anybody object to this truly noble sport? The concept of the game is simple [...]

By William Norton at Conservative Home: Some stalwart Tories may object to the company we will be keeping – but asylum-seekers always create resentment among their hosts. When Liberals start flooding our constituency associations like latter-day Vietnamese boat people, we will just have to establish “reception centres” for them where they can adjust to life in a civilised party. Perhaps distinguished North Devon accountants would volunteer to give them re-education lectures?Nice, really nice. Remember Cameron's Conservatives reaching out to the Liberal Democrats? All bollocks, of course, but the extent to which the Tories are still full of horse-manure is astounding. ...

Possibly unsurprisingly I have been accused of supporting Ming only because I do not like the other two candidates. Not so. My support for Ming is based on my absolute conviction that he is the best man to lead us from the perspectives of unity, purpose, and electoral facility. Much of this has been touched on elsewhere, but it is my strong belief that Ming Campbell has one selling point that elevates him: he will go down well in the North of England. The constituency in which I have lived on and off for over a decade – Colne Valley ...

From today's Daily Mirror : 2002 and the 'moderate' David Cameron votes against paid leave for Fathers. 2006 proud Dad Cameron off on two weeks paternity leave. Like I've said before judge Cameron on his actual voting record - nothing moderate or progressive to be found there !

I have been trying to find copies of one or two Neil Gunn novels, but many seem to have gone out of print. It is a real pity. I read the Silver Darlings many years ago, with more than passing interest- my own family were part of the great herring trade whose history Gunn evokes so keenly- my great-grandfather was a cooper who made barrels for the storage of the fish. It was a hard life, and my grandfather recalled meeting cousins who were very much the stereotype of the fisherfolk of the North East. Nevertheless we see the ruin ...

Goes to the all-party group on Small Shops. Who are the all-party group on small shops, you ask? The Grauniad thinks they're an influential cross-party group of MPs. But they're a group with no formal power who: [Have their] secretarial support for the group... provided by a lobbyist paid for by the Independent Retailers Confederation, which wants to curb the dominance of large supermarket

I've just been told that Cathy Priddey, a former Lewisham councillor and one of my constituents, was mugged on the way to Hither Green station. I already knew that the area has a reputation for being unsafe.  And sometimes, because an area feels unsafe, it doesn't necessarily mean that it actually is.  I, for one, regularly cut through the underpass late on a Sunday night, becked with mobile phone, DAB radio, and top-of-the-range iPod. And haven't worried too much about it, so far.  I guess when it has happens to someone you know, you really get to know the reality of crime, ...

I have already blogged on the reflecting Britian issues on the Apollo Project. I don't want to go through that again (or link to myself) but Ming's speech is up on his site. The other candidates went for a quota approach (disappointing some of their supporters). Ming took the view that - with strong leadership, one could make progress with out this "illiberal" approach. This is an extract from his speech: I support the specific goal – as a minimum – of at least 1 new black or minority ethnic MP and 40% of new MPs and 25% of ...

Posted by Glynis. This picture of Charlotte, our five years old granddaughter, was taken during an hilarious day on the Dorset Stour last summer. Charlotte had us in stitches all day long. When we visited the tackle shop to get our tickets for the Troop fishery Charlotte asked the guy why he had heavy fishing weights on top of the numerous piles of leaflets on the counter. He told her that it was because otherwise the wind would blow them all over the place. Charlotte said: "Why don't you just shut the door." We have a weekend ...

Or why I think that the smoking ban isn't liberal. Banning smoking in public places to discourage smoking is definitely not liberal. J.S. Mill said: ...the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be ...

Chris Huhne has delivered a major speech on "Civil Liberties,Restoring Freedom and Entrenching Liberty" at the leading think tank Demos this afternoon. In his speech Chris slammed the Government record on civil liberties, and called for a repeal of some anti-Terror legislation including section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Featured in the Guardian today and taken from his blog , Iain Dale’s views on ID Cards are summarised below: If I thought they would do anything meaningful to help the fight against terrorism, I'd be in favour. If I thought they would stop benefit fraud, I'd be in favour. If I thought they'd help convict more criminals I'd be in favour. But the simple truth is, they will do little if anything do any of these things. I’m always more than happy to find common cause with anyone, especially against ID ...

Speaking to the Ethnic Minority Election Task Force at a meeting at the National Liberal Club yesterday, Chris Huhne reinforced his commitment to the equalities agenda and his "Reflecting Britain" pledge.

The sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. So wrote John Stuart Mill. Now seeing as everyone seems to be espousing how truly

Much energy is being spent arguing that a smoking ban is illiberal. The basis of opposition being that it is an unwarranted restraint on personal behaviour. If smoking only harmed the smoker, this would be true. The problem is that secondary smoking turns out to be extremely dangerous. So smokers harm themselves, which is acceptable, but they also seriously harm other people, which is not. The only vague problem that I have with a ban on public smoking is that perhaps private smoking clubs could be permitted- but then obviously the staff would have to be smokers too, and anyway ...

All three leadership candidates spoke at the Ethnic Minority Election Task Force hustings at the National Liberal Club last night (14 February). Simon Hughes, Chris Huhne and Ming Campbell have included details of what they said on their respective websites. In the blogosphere, Mark Valladares has given his reaction, as have Peter Pigeon, Colin Ross and [...]

Last night the Ethnic Minority Election Task Force hustings took place at the National Liberal Club for with all three Liberal Democrat Leadership Candidates. I was not there but reports I have read on www.libdemblogs.co.uk that there was apparently a question on BME-only shortlists - just as I oppose women-only shortlists I am opposed to BME-only shortlists and indeed all artificial quotas.

Paul Rowan MP just asked Tony Blair if he would consider going into coalition with the Conservatives. I think the failure of Tony Blair to come up with a simple yes or no answer, and instead bluster and dissemble, is highly significant. UPDATE: Bloody hell! Ming was brilliant on PMQs today. About time!

I link to the debate in which I spoke for a short time (having been requested by the Speaker to keep it short). The key facts are:a) Smoking generally is going downb) The Evidence from Ireland is: - i) as a result of the ban smoking went down by an additional one off about 5% - ii) people now smoke outside pubs or at home more than they used toc) Secondary smoke is dangerous although not as dangerous as primary smoking.d) 95% of deaths attribted to secondary smoke arise from smoke in the home. The House ...

Regular readers will have gather that I’m not only in favour of the party having more women MPs, but I want to see it take positive action on the issue. What I do oppose however is positive discrimination where it is not warranted, and simplistic tokenism. What therefore am I to make of this: Mr Hughes [...]

No doubt most readers will be unaware of the fact that nicotine is quite a nice drug to use when indulging in certain other illegal drugs. That's why you see people off their tits in clubs on E or coke smoking away even when you know they're not really smokers. The stimulant, nicotine, tops up the effects of these other drugs, sustaining or boosting the high. It will be interesting to see if people take to sucking on a nicotine replacement lozenge or chewing gum instead. Maybe such oral delivery mechanisms for your chosen poison will become ...

Computer security (and security in general) is one of my interests. It is amazing how complex it can be and how poorly understood it is by those who seek to implement technological solutions. Currently there's a major conference happening in the US and this news has emerged. Basically, the RFID chips, like the ones the US government wants to put on passports, can be probed for information by a

by Peter I haven't responded to this before, but reading Mark Valladares on the Ethnic Minority Election Task Force made me think that I should. To start with the basics: we should have more women MPs and we should have ethnic minoirty MPs and we should be working to make sure this happens. We are making progress on getting more women MPs - not enough -yet the mechanisms of getting more women to put their names forward seem good to me. Having a much bigger pool of ethnic minoirty candidates should be high priority moving towards 2008 or 2009. (Brown ...

"And from now on, you'll take your orders from the Imperial Ming!" The 1938 film serial ‘Flash Gordon’s Trip To Mars’ features Emperor Ming – exiled from his native Mongo by Flash-fomented revolution in the previous serial – as deputy to the too-trusting Azura, Witch-Queen of Mars. In Chapter Twelve, ‘Ming the Merciless’, she crosses him and he exploits her hidden weakness to destroy her power. He then underhandedly inveigles her own soldiers into blowing her up, after which he takes her place. How very unlike the home life of our own dear Liberal Democrats… I’ll let you know ...

On my way back from the doctor’s this morning I passed a rack of today’s newspapers. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of what appeared to be George Galloway in a giant love heart with Sarah Teather on the front of this morning’s Sun. My head whipped round, and I uttered a very manly squeak of agony (my neck currently being in some pain). Fortunately, the party is spared its most punishing sexual revelation so far: looked at straight on, the undercover Sun reporter the hapless Mr Galloway ‘dated’ yesterday looks very little like Sarah. Phew. ...

by Gareth Epps I have finally cast my vote, which is Chris Huhne 1, Simon Hughes 2. The reasons? Chris is the heavyweight of this contest. His campaign has taken off from a late start after he was persuaded to stand (unlike others who had their campaign teams organised before Charles Kennedy's departure). He has gained tremendous momentum in just a couple of weeks. I've been impressed with the way Chris has taken on the policy debate - he has a great article in today's Guardian and has gained column inches on Iraq (the first Lib Dem to ...

A lot of nonsense has been written in the blogosphere about the smoking ban being “illiberal”. It isn’t. What it is is a perfect example of how liberalism doesn’t deal in absolutes. I make it a policy of distrusting anyone who suggests otherwise. For example, the smoking ban most definitely does pass Mill’s [...]

...who seems as appalled as I am at the relish with which our party has taken to banning a four hundred year old "pleasure": Forceful and Moderate: Smoked out.... Now, I accept the public health arguments, and I accept in particular (as a member of UNISON how could I not) the arguments about the dangers to staff. Yet still there are ways round having to illiberally ban something. Many people take on jobs that have risks to their health or personal safety. Health and Safety legislation tries to get employers to minimise those risks in most cases ...

Posted by Chris Glynis and I were at York last night for a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Yorkshire Ridings Society (YRS). We stopped on the way at the Riverside Farm on Skipton Road, a Wacky Warehouse eating place. We like these because you always get a huge helping. The soup, however was stone cold and had to go back. I had to chase all over to find a member of staff as they were rushing around the place preparing for their Valentines Night. I noticed they had sprinkled little gold hearts on some of the tables and ...

Now this is a difficult one that challenges the very roots of liberalism. I believe in not restricting the liberty of others unless it results in greater public benefits. If smokers were purely causing damage to themselves then the case for a ban would be quite weak. Even the offence caused to non-smokers by smoky rooms and smelly clothes would not be enough to justify a ban....

I have now written a third poll on the Leadership of the Liberal Democrats, after the success of the previous two. This poll is aimed at members of the Liberal Democrats to vote in after they fill in their ballot paper.

The vote in favour of a complete smoking ban in England in the House of Commons last night is a major step forward, even though its reasoning is ill-defined. The issue, as I reminded one of my parliamentary colleagues, should not be about making health choices for people, but about the health and safety of employees in their place of work. This morning's Western Mail seeks to raise the timing of the ban in Wales, suggesting that we might put it off until after the Assembly elections. There may well be politicians who would take account of such considerations. ...

Wales coach, Mike Ruddock, has quit for family reasons. If he was a politician nobody would believe him.

As the chance may not occur again, I am going to take this opportunity to quote with unreserved approval from this morning’s Torygraph leader: Last night's decision by the House of Commons to ban smoking on all licensed premises and in private members' clubs in England is perhaps the most Draconian infringement of personal liberty yet imposed by this Government, and it is depressing that so many

I've not said much here about the Liberal Democrat leadership election because I'm really aiming my blog at all the people who live locally, and not just party members. But the Lib Dem blogosphere has carried some fascinating and revealing discussions about the candidates which I have enjoyed reading. I finally sent off my voting paper yesterday after a great deal of thought. I've...

In this internet age, it is good to see that one of the old stand-bys of campaigning - the letter to the newspaper - features heavily in the leadership election. Here are 15 members of the Shadow cabinet in the Times. And here are 12 council leaders in the Guardian this morning. Regular readers will know I have been set extra geography classes. I think that this nearly covers the length and breadth of the Country. The MPs go from Land's end to John O'Groats (and indeed from the Scilly Isles to the Orkneys and Shetlands). And the Coucncil leaders ...

An interesting piece by Chris Huhne in the Guardian this morning about the creeping encroachment on our freedoms under the current Labour government. Locking up people without charge should not be an option in a modern democracy. Luckily enough MP's understand this to have defeated the notion that one can do this for 90 days. And yet Mr Blair still does not get the message and still wants to

We now have a ban on smoking in all public places (including pubs, clubs and restaurants). And I disagree... I'm not in favour of a blanket ban - I think it's illiberal. But, hey, when did this government do anything liberal. I recognise that bar staff being exposed to passive smoke is both unpleasant and dangerous. But I also believe that there should be venues where smokers can light-up. So what are the alternatives? LDYS (being semi-autonomous of the main Lib Dems) passed a policy to have 'smoking licences' like alcohol ...

I’ve been listening to Chris Cronin’s podcast called “American Dissent Radio”, a truly liberal minded dissection of American politics and current affairs. His show reminds me of Alistair Cooke, particularly because he takes great pleasure in putting today’s political scandals in the context of recent history that is all [...]

...although for me, this was my first in this special winter touring production. And so to the National Liberal Club for the Ethnic Minority Election Task Force hustings with all three candidates in attendance before an audience of about thirty people. Chris Huhne spoke first, covering a wide range of policy issues before addressing the topic of most interest to those present, how to make the