Five new polls reported tonight - and, yet again, the Lib Dem surge is holding up: Ipsos MORI for Reuters ... CON 32%(-3), LAB 28%(-2), LIB DEM 32%(+11) Harris in Metro ... CON 31%(-5), LAB 26%(-1), LIB DEM 30%(+7) YouGov in the Sun ... CON 33%(+2), LAB 27%(+1), LIB DEM 31%(-3) TNS-BRMB ... CON 34%(-2), LAB 29%(-4), LIB DEM 30%(+8) ComRes for the Independent/ITV ... CON 35%(nc), LAB 25%(-1), LIB DEM 27%(+1) Anthony Wells' UK Polling Report 'poll of polls' now shows the Lib Dems firmly in second place, ahead of Labour, and catching up the Tories: CON 33%, LAB ...
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Tomorrow's Daily Torygraph has the absolutely D-E-V-A-S-T-A-T-I-N-G story that before Nick Clegg became Lib Dem leader he received donations from donors which he declared in the MPs' register of interests in order to pay a researcher on his staff. Shock, horror etc. The story is here. It shows that three Lib Dem donors, Ian Wright, Neil Sherlock and Michael Young – all of them registered Lib Dem donors – paid £250 each per month directly into Nick's personal bank account. The figures were contained in personal bank statements submitted by Nick to the House of Commons. It was officially declared ...
Lets presume for a minute that Ken Clarke is right to say that a hung parliament would be a potential economic disaster. Lets say he's right that the country needs a party with a clear majority running the country. Which party is now positioned to provide that strong majority? Labour can be ruled out. The conservatives following the Liberal Democrat poll surge are realistically not going to become the consensus choice for change. They weren't even high enough in the polls to achieve a majority before people realised this was a three-party race. From this analysis of some YouGov polling ...
So if I am right (from what I have read in the Daily Mail/UKIP litterature and such) Immigrants come over here and take our jobs. Most of the jobs that immigrants take are low paid, low skilled jobs. Most of these jobs are the type of jobs that British people DON'T want to do. (And with higher education ...
So, what feels like an age past, but was in fact only 10 days ago, we brought you news of a David Heath action figure dreamed up by some whizzy PR firm. No doubt hoping to get a second bite at the cherry, they've hopped on the Cleggmobile to bring out a Lib Dem leader version of the publicity stunt. It gets top billing on this blog post at NOTW who then try to outdo themselves with Nick-based puns around all sorts of other party merchandise they've found. Everything from Nick Clegg sunrise sneakers to a dog vest, in case ...
On Monday I interviewed 6 Lib Dem candidates in North East constituencies which have, shall we say, better than average prospects of success. The interviews all took place at the launch of the Lib Dems' North East manifesto. They all have had good training! Everyone was short and to the point. So all 6 plus Cllr John Shipley, Leader of Newcastle City Council, are on this short film.
... properly registered donations of £250 a month from three seperate businessmen to pay for a member of staff. Sorry. Have I missed something here ? But it seems to be that the right wing pro Tory Telegraph is trying to say that something NIck Clegg offiicially declared back in 2006, was registered correctly, and went towards paying for a member of staff, is somehow wrong. The adage of throwing enough mud at a wall and hoping some of it will stick seems to be the Tory press and Tory bloggers only weapons at the moment.
Last month, I mentioned the site visit to Richmond Court and Richmond Terrace by Stagecoach Strathtay and City Council officials and myself to look into the viability of extending the 69 bus service there. I have now received good news from the City Council's Sustainable Transport Team Leader : "Stagecoach told me that they have identified a little slack in the timetable and reckon the Richmond Court extension can be accommodated without having to take out any other parts of the route. They have already done some work to retime the service and we should therfore be able to re-register ...
I've been wondering what Peter Mandelson has been doing with all this extending the hand of friendship to the Lib Dems, who they plainly despise. I think it is this: they are gambling that hyping the Clegg effect even further will pop the bubble sooner. Mandelson thinks that, if he is clever, he can make the word Clegg synonymous with media hype, with public emotionalism like there was at Princess Diana's funeral. He thinks he can make sophisticated people sneer at the whole thing and distance themselves from it, before there is a general slide back into cynicism and then, ...
This evening I had the pleasure of chairing the election of the new committee (and drawing the prize draw!) at the Blackness Area Residents' Association AGM. There was also an excellent presentation on tackling anti-social behaviour and a good debate on this thereafter. I also had the opportunity to speak with residents after the meeting.
Labour's latest election broadcast teams up Peter Davison and David Tennant to tell us everything is going to be fine in the future. I was expecting them to tell us that there's a hole in the economy the exact size of Belgium, but as they didn't I think we can all agree that this is ...
Writing on Liberal Democrat Voice, Stephen Tall is proud to announce that the Lib Dems lead the digital way - on the Web, on Twitter and on Facebook. Liberal Burblings dispels "the myth of the first debate", pointing out that the Liberal Democrats were rising in the polls before Nick's triumph last Thursday evening. "If a Lib Dem majority or minority are totally out of the question, and a formal coalition still seems pretty weird, then what other options are there?" The Futility Monster tells you. Missives from Doktorb looks at the Daily Mail's rather lame attack on the Liberal ...
Is David Cameron a bit unhappy? Mark Steel thinks so: http://is.gd/bCxKk Mark Steel: Who's run off with the inheritance? - Mark Steel, Commentators - The Independent is.gd Suddenly this election is hilarious. In David Cameron's broadcast he looked as if he was about to say:
Of some passing interest is this little factoid that Politics Home press released last night: In PoliticsHome's weekly tracker, Nick Clegg has become the most popular politician in the country Nick Clegg's approval rating in PoliticsHome's weekly tracker has risen by a massive 35 points in the week following the first leaders' debate. He has now overtaken Vince Cable to become the most popular politician in the country. Where to start with the interestingness? Most popular politician in the country? A mixed acolade at best. Yeah, he's popular, but he's still one of those awful politicians. Risen by a massive ...
Because the Wire is the closest I've ever known TV come to sheer poetry. Just watch this. It moves me. Incidentally, getting back on topic, I'm surprised no-one has done a parody of panicked Conservative staffers using Wire talk to discuss how D's been given a cap in his ass by some new mo'fo. Step on ...
On reflection, one of the most exciting set of policies, especially economic, originate from The Green party. Honestly, I think their name does not reflect the true extent of reform that they detail within their manifesto. There are some very sound policies that could help provide for a much fairer society if they were implemented. Unfortunately, their ...
A colleague at work made an intelligent remark today. He said something like: "David Cameron's problem is that Nick Clegg really is what the Tory leader has been pretending to be." I was impressed - even when he admitted that that he was reading it off Facebook. Because this seems exactly right to me. When he became Conservative leader David Cameron grasped intellectually what he had to be: modern, socially liberal, egalitarian, environmentally concerned. He grasped it intellectually, but nothing in his background or his political career before 2005 gives one any sense that this is what David Cameron is ...
Back home again after a trip to Glasgow and York. The flu seems to have left me but I feel pretty knackered. Enjoying the election campaign, for the first time really since 1974. I'll tell you the story of my involvement in that sometime in the next week or two. Speaking in Manchester on Saturday but not sure if it is a public meeting - will let you know. Open meeting for Amnesty in Swansea next Wednesday.
This playlist is rather different from my normal playlists. Normally, I try to mix up obscure tracks, new things I've only just discovered, and old classics. This time, however, this is (almost) on commission. Talking by email with Plok earlier today, he said he knew a teenager who wanted to learn more about 'sixties music', naming ...
I spend a lot of time these days oscillating between Political Betting and Polling Report. It is clear that the alleged Liberal Democrat "blip caused by the first debate" is being sustained. Particularly impressive are Clegg's net approval numbers, which Mike Smithson of Political Betting reckons has long been a very accurate predictor of the result. It is also clear that the LibDem bandwagon started rolling from the moment the media equal footing started, and particularly when the LibDems presented their manifesto. It does seem quite wrong, based on the polling evidence, to call this a "first debate bounce". It's ...
The election prediction blog has been looking at Leicestershire today. Two quotations of particular interest to Liberal Democrats: It's a shame that Peter Soulsby will surely be too busy campaigning to read this blog, which suggests he should just put up his feet and concede defeat in Leicester South. Although he remains relatively untarnished from the expenses debacle, 35% of this seat are Students and Graduates (2001 Census data). Parmjit Singh Gill, the Lib Dem PPC must tap into these to ensure victory, and that I don't end up eating some strange metaphorical hat.And: Tory incumbent MP Edward Garnier is ...
The Liberal Democrats have set out radical plans to invest extra money in schools to give every child a fair chance. We will invest an extra £2.5bn in schools through a Pupil Premium that will raise funding for the poorest pupils to private school levels. The money will be targeted at schools taking on children who need ...
It appears that the Tories are starting to feel the pressure as it is reported HERE that Nadine Dorries rather "lost it" at a public meeting in her constituency when a Lib Dem councillor had the brazen nerve to walk in to the meeting to hear what she had to say. So much for a more "open" style of politics that Dave promised.
The jury might be out on whether the 2010 general election is living up to its billing as 'The Internet Election', but the verdict on the Lib Dems' use of the web is a thumbs-up. The party website First up, www.libdems.org.uk. As today's Guardian reports: Fresh from being crowned king of TV following the first leaders' debate on ITV1 last week, Nick Clegg can also polish his digital halo after a new report found that the Liberal Democrats have the most user-friendly website. It seems that Clegg, the self-styled people's champion, presides over a website most fit for the people, ...
I thought I'd just quickly slip in a "bureaucracy gone mad" story before sloping off to bed cos I'm about to collapse in a heap. The deadline for voter registration passed yesterday so now it's too late to get a vote. In an attempt to encourage people to sign up, the Electoral Commission set up the About my Vote website to make the process very easy. All a would be voter had to do was download a form, print it off, fill it in and send it off to their council. Simples... Or at least it was until the bureaucrats ...
Over at The Guardian's Comment is Free website I have an article looking at the rightwing press's OTT reaction to the Lib Dem poll surge. Here's the headline I gave the piece: Ever wondered what the Tory press would look like in full-on panic mode? Well, now we know The Daily Mail and the Sun are – what's the polite term? – bricking it at the thought that the Lib Dem surge could result in the party making a major breakthrough in this election. Ever since Nick Clegg's victory in that debate six days ago, the right-wing press, much like ...
Over at The Guardian's Comment Is Free website, LDV Co-Editor Stephen Tall looks at the hysterical over-reaction of the rightwing press to the Lib Dems' poll surge. It has got, he argues, "the rightwing papers running scared and flinging so much mud it insults their readers' intelligence". Here's an excerpt: Ever since Nick Clegg's victory in that debate six days ago, the right-wing press, much like the Tory party, has been utterly paralysed, unsure whether to launch a full-tilt attack on the Lib Dems, or to patronise the party's surge as the teenage tantrum of an electorate which should jolly ...
On Thursday's second Leaders Debate, Cameron will no doubt make much of the fact that the LibDems are proposing to allow anyone who has been in the UK for ten years or more to stay, regardless of their immigration status. This has caused much frothing at the mouth by the usual right-wing cabal of the ...
In the rush of the last few weeks, I'd not updated the list of Lib Dem MPs with the latest Twitterer - Martin Horwood, standing for re-election in Cheltenham. He's on Twitter as @MartinChelt, bringing the number of Twittering Liberal Democrat MPs up to 33 (52%). You can follow them all on Twitter via this list.
For four years now I've steered clear of blogs and online forums. If you look at the kind of people who seem to spend their time posting at the bottom of the BBC websites, you'll perhaps share my sense that those are the places where the freaks hang out. I only started looking at this site a few days ago, but I haven't see any of that sort of thing here yet. I've always thought that this party is where the calm and sensible debate is had. It doesn't surprise me one bit that Nick Clegg did well in that ...
A Bracknell Facebook group has been setup for the Bracknell Liberal Democrats by a Richard Doyle. There is already a national Facebook group for the Liberal Democrats (with over 127,000 members) which like this Bracknell group it was not setup by Liberal Democrat members but by a interested members of the public. Phillip Lee the Conservative candidate also has a Facebook group here and Good bye Andrew Mackay here.
There is an interesting article on the guardian comment is free by David Yelland who once edited the Sun so knows what hes talking about. Its about how if the Liberal Democrats could win then the cosy arrangement of the press and our media would be shattered. Link here. As my readers know im no fan of partisan newspapers with agendas. I want true democracy with fair reporting. I prefer newspapers to only put their slants on the news in the comments columns not in their main articles. Todays link is to the Guardian Politics page.
I have spent some time getting all the details together about the policy in respect of votes for prisoners and have written the following letter to the paper. I would appreciate it now if the Labour Party stopped claiming that the Godsiff paedophile leaflet is true. Furthermore it has also been delivered in Yardley
Tom Gibson has been lending invaluable support to CentreForum in the last few days, so I thought I'd ask him what he thought of events since the Debate. Note: he's supported Labour in the past, and is now that most precious of things, a Floating Voter. For a tenner, you can have his phone number. ...
Thank you Stephen Tall for pointing out this Nick Clegg quote in his post. "I'm glad to see my top team preparing for government by developing a habit of leaving secret dossiers in the back of cabs."
If a Lib Dem majority or minority are totally out of the question, and a formal coalition still seems pretty weird, then what other options are there? Assume for a moment that the Conservatives are very close to a majority, some 5 to 10 seats. In those circumstances, they would forget the Lib Dems and try ...
Now I'm the last person to criticize other people's photographs. There are some ghastly ones of me about with all manner of foliage seemingly growing out of my head!. I like this photo of Nick and John; firstly they are smiling quiet naturally and secondly they are clearly talking to each other. These are two things that are not always true of candidate photographs. The lady on their left is Pat Sumner who feature in one of our earlier 'unsung heroine' postings. My only 'picky' criticism is that John's head is obscuring the 'Southport-the classic resort' poster. If my ward ...
Yesterday evening was entertaining – you couldn't make it up. The Conservatives and the Lib Dems often see each other while out campaigning, and I've bumped into Karen Buck a couple of times, but up to now Joanne Cash and I have missed each other on the streets of Westminster. Until last night. Our Lib Dem ...
Many of us trooped off to Haig Ave (well there were about 2000 in the crowd) to see Southport play their penultimate game of the season against Alfreton. I shall not dwell on the game. Southport can still win the league if they do better than Fleetwood in their final game. After the game we were invited for a drink and had the pleasure of meeting the great Southport striker Eric Redrobe. I had seen him outside Haig Ave the other week signing an autograph for a youngster. Eric was voted by Southport fans their greatest player. He played back ...
Yesterday I did a recording on the election for NTD TV, and had the pleasure of discussing the campaign so far with the Chair of the Chinese LibDems, Merlene Toh Emerson, who is our Parliamentary Candidate in Hammersmith & Fulham. The Chinese community in the UK is more actively involved than at previous elections, and we have three candidates of Chinese origin. TodayI had a copy letter from the consultant physician at Dulwich who ordered the full blood test I had there on March 30. Everything was normal except the haemoglobin, which had dropped from 10.3 in January to 9.7 ...
The Sun today splashes on the A-M-A-Z-I-N-G news that Nick Clegg's campaign strategists have been advising him on how to perform to the best of his abilities in the televised leaders' debates: The dossier – bizarrely titled I'm Not Here Right Now – was left in the back of a cab on Thursday at about 10.30pm, soon after the end of the first election debate. ... The dossier was written by John Sharkey, chairman of the Lib Dem election campaign team and Mr Clegg's strategic communications adviser. It includes blistering criticism of Mr Clegg's performance in rehearsals for last week's ...
Tuesday: Conservatories are in a panic, the OBVIOUS contradictions in their message are starting to show and it's tearing their campaign to pieces. The much-trailed "attack on the Liberal Democrats" has amounted to tired old right-wing lines on crime, immigration, and Europe, repudiating some of their own thinking. And now they unveil their latest poster: "Let's Cut Benefits for Those Who Refuse Work" Forget "we're all in this together", forget "the big society", forget "liberal conservatory". The country has barely recovered from the longest ever recession, and here are the same old Conservatories offering a kicking to the worst off. ...
He says in his title: 'Unemployment is always higher under Labour' Well, no. Let's look at the Claimant Count as a simple measure: My rough averages say: Conservatives since the War have averaged a claimant count of 1.56 million. The Labour party: 900 thousand. Clearly you have to interpret Iain's post differently from the obvious "unemployment under ...
I have to say, I was absolutely amazed with how the debate went last week. Although in my heart of hearts I knew Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats had a message that was fresh and different to the two parties who have held a monopoly on our government for over 60 years, in all ...
[IMG: http://www.wikio.co.uk] On Monday, Nick Clegg and Vince Cable outlined details of a plan to create new 'green jobs' out of £3bn of savings the party says it has found. plans to create jobs that last by stimulating a green, sustainable economy The Lib Dems would redirect over £3.1bn of spending to an economic stimulus plan which will create jobs that last by stimulating a green, sustainable economy and build up Britain's infrastructure. The plans include: Investing in wind energy - renovating and adapt facilities in seven North and Irish Sea ports so they can be used to build the ...
I am one of those people who go around saying 'You know what, if that Ken Clarke was Shadow Chancellor my decision to not be a Tory would be much more difficult. That Ken's alright. Knows how to cut a deficit, does Ken, and did it with a chuckle'. That sort of thing. And he is ...
This story comes to us from the London Borough of Haringey. David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham, told a hustings meeting that he has done 10,000 pieces of casework in ten years. Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, meanwhile has helped over 28,000 people in less than ten years. (As many people have made more than one piece of casework done for them, that means the rate of work is more than three times David Lammy's – and in less time and including a period before Lynne became an MP, i.e. before she got an office ...
The desperation in the Tories' ranks is now clear for all to see. Ken Clarke claims the pound is at risk if there is a hung parliament (in other words, the pound is at risk, claim the Tories, if there is no majority for them). The IMF will have to step in if Cameron is not given a majority to do whatever he wants to do. So the scare tactics are underway. What claims are coming next from the
Sarah has been working properly this week, with me being at home. Matthew is happy- most of the time, he isn't yet used to his mum leaving for work and not his dad. My parents are on Skype- eventually. Their desktop needs its microphone switching on and I'm not sure how to do it remotely. But ...
The political situation is extraordinary. For the opinion polls to move by as much as 14 points overnight in favour of one party is unprecedented. And for it to happen in favour of the Liberal Democrats is a delight It reveals just how many people would prefer not to have to vote for David Cameron as an alternative to Gordon Brown, and just how much latent support there is for our party that comes to light only when we get the rare opportunity to be treated as equals. I am revelling in having been a Clegg-for-Leader advocate from the day ...
The second Party Leaders Debate will take place tomorrow at 8pm on Sky News. Cleggy, Brown and "Call me Dave" will once again go head-to-head in a TV debate in the run up to the General Election on May 6th, this time leading on Foreign Affairs. The first half of the 90 minute Election Debate will be devoted to Foreign Affairs, with the rest on any topic. Sky are inviting questions before the debate, with more information at http://news.sky.com/skynews/Election/debatequestion. You can see the debate live anywhere that has Sky, indeed a group of us are going down our local to ...
I noticed that today this blog's story about Esther and the Lib Dem posters has been written up in 'Tim Dowling's election diary' in the Guardian. That's the first time something from this blog has reached the national media.
Sorry. Quoting Rage Against the Machine again. Becomes habit after a while. Anyhoo, I suspect that the labservatives are rubbing their hands together with glee about the prospect of tomorrow's debate. Their entitlement complex is such that I'm willing to lay down money that Cameron still hasn't read our manifesto - he has a flunky to do that sort of dirty job, doubtless - and that Brown will be carrying on agreeing with Nick like a stalker who won't take no for an answer. Both of them are pretty likely to paint us as unquestioningly europhile, and try to say ...
In the last few days the tectonic plates of British politics appear to have shifted. The slow growth of the Liberal Democrats over nearly half a century is finally exerting massive pressure on the old duopoly. A sprinkling of Nick Clegg's fairy dust may just have been enough to trigger a political earthquake. The arguments are well known. Britain has one of the largest Liberal votes in Europe but our electoral system ensures one of the lowest Liberal representations. It actively preserves the old duopoly. But the unfairness goes much further. If the current opinion polls are anywhere near correct ...
At the request of the Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden, here's an update on their forthcoming plant sales : FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE BOTANIC GARDEN Charity No. SC011808 ANNUAL PLANT SALE Saturday 8 May 10.00a.m. - 2.00p.m. If you have any named plants to donate for either the Annual or any of the monthly Trolley Sales these can be brought to the Visitor Centre the week prior to Sale marking them "Plant Sale". Or, can you help with the setting up on Friday 7th May or at the Sale on Saturday 8th May? Should you ...
I was one of five bloggers who yesterday gave their answer on Lib Dem Voice to the question, Can the surge last? Here's what I said: Lib Dem members could have been forgiven for waking up this morning, surveying the papers, and imagining they were still dreaming. Suddenly, the media cannot get enough of us, the party is surging in the polls, and the Murdoch-owned Sunday Times splashes the headline 'Nick Clegg nearly as popular as Winston Churchill' as its front-page lead. Can 'Cleggmania' last until polling day? Here are three reasons why it just might. First, the time is ...
The latest polling looks increasingly good for the Liberal Democrats, with the party now leading in two of the major polls : - Angus Reid for PoliticalBetting: LIBDEM 33%, CON 32%, LAB 23% - YouGov in The Sun: LIBDEM 34%, CON 31%, LAB 26% And don't forget ... the second Party Leaders' Debate is taking place tomorrow starting at 8pm on Sky News. Nick Clegg, Gordon Brown and David Cameron will again be going head to head in a TV debate in the run up to the General Election on May 6th, this time leading on Foreign Affairs. The first ...
Slightly more likely than my previous two scenarios is the idea that the Lib Dems might choose to enter into a formal coalition with another party, Labour or Conservative. After all, the Lib Dems have done it in Scotland with Labour, and nearly did it with the SNP too. The same was also nearly true ...
Despite the truly appalling Party Political broadcast from UKIP that Lib Dem Voice features today the party is very attractive to a certain type of voter. Many in the Tory party would agree with them far more than they do with their own party and its contorted and unconvincing attempts to describe itself as 'liberal'. I say this in the context of a little outburst on Iain Dale's diary in which he lays in to those in the Tory ranks who are beginning to argue that this would be a good election to loose. He suggests that electoral reform would-as ...
First off, let me apologise for the headline to this blog post. It's not often that I'm moved to swear in the context of political discourse, but Gordon Brown and Labour's recent antics just pushed me over the edge. So please forgive me. What's caused my gutter-mouth? There's been a lot of talk lately about the ...
At the weekend both David Cameron and Gordon Brown said more or less the same thing this election is about substance not personality. This morning Nick Clegg talked about radical reform in our schools, yesterday he talked about banking reform as well as fairness for rural Britain and on Monday he was talking about stimulating the green economy. Now I may be wrong but all I've heard from the Labservatives is how they are all about change, or that they are the progressives. Unlike Nick they haven't been putting any substance behind those claims all week. Indeed the Labservatives have ...
The opposition parties, especially the Conservatives, are likely to target us on this issue in coming days as the leaders focus on foreign affairs in the leaders' debate on Thursday. Setting aside my advice to any Tory leader to avoid reopening the European wound that still gapes in the Tory side, let me quote what the Lib Dem manifesto (page 67) says: 'We believe that it is in Britain's long-term interest to be part of the Euro. But Britain should only join when the economic conditions are right, and in the present economic situation, they are not. Britain should join ...
Kirsty Williams, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats has today criticised the Labour Prime Minister for having the gall to come to Wales promising 'jobs for the future' on the day when latest unemployment figures show an increase in Wales. The leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats also criticised the Prime Minister for taking the people of Wales for granted after having taken two weeks to come to Wales to campaign and speak to Welsh voters. Kirsty Williams said: "Gordon Brown has the gall to come to Cardiff today and promise jobs for the future when people are losing ...
We all have one thing to thank David Cameron for in this election campaign. Whilst still struggling in the polls, he's managed to settle the age old chicken/egg debate whilst out on the campaign trail. As you can clearly see from the footage yesterday the chicken came first, swiftly followed today by the egg. Well that's that one settled then. Anyone know if he asked the chicken why he crossed the road? UPDATE: Turns out it was a construction student. This begs one question in my mind: If he was surrounded by bricks, why throw an egg?
I will be on LBC from 8pm this evening as part of Petrie Hoskin's political panel. The other guests are Hopi Sen and Iain Dale. I wonder what the main topic will be... You can listen to it on 97.3 if you're in or near London or via this link online if you aren't.
This morning Tavish Scott, Alistair Carmichael and Kevin Lang launched the Scottish Liberal Democrats manifesto on a launch in Forth Ports, Leith. Elections that can really make a difference don't come along very often. But this is one of them. This May, you have an opportunity to shape the future of our country for the better. We've had 65 years of red team, blue team politics: the same parties taking turns and making the same mistakes, letting you down. They have taught people to expect little from politics, and get less. It is time for something different. It is time ...
From the Merc Rock star Brian May has launched an attack on Leicestershire County Council leader David Parsons over his support for fox hunting. The world-famous Queen guitarist called Mr Parsons a "pathetic, arrogant, jumped-up, snivelling little dweeb", and a "disgrace" to his office in a strongly-worded piece published on his website. Mr May was responding after Mr Parsons wrote to the Mercury last week, attacking the superstar's support of an anti-hunting campaign. In his original letter, Mr Parsons wrote: "I fear people in rural communities are not going to take lectures from a cosseted London rock star on how ...
Until yesterday, Havering Council was telling residents that it would reject any rolling registration applications that were not made on the council's own form – despite the fact that such rejections would be a breach of the law. In a bizarre twist, it also meant that Havering Council was telling people who had filled in an electoral registration form via the Electoral Commission's heavily advertised website, AboutMyVote.co.uk, that those applications were invalid. As one resident who used the Electoral Commission's site reported, he received a letter from the council saying, We do not accept internet forms. and warning that unless ...
A great bit of local reportage courtesy of the StroudGreen.org site which is doing video interviews with local election candidates. The first one features the three Lib Dems standing for Stroud Green: Ed Butcher, Katherine Reece and Richard Wilson:
Official statistics released today show that the number of claimants of Jobseekers Allowance in Redcar constituency increased to 7.1% of the working age population. The Lib Dem candidate for Redcar Ian Swales said: "Unemployment in Redcar constituency is over 10% and almost 4,000 people in Redcar are claiming benefits for unemployment this month - an increase of 0.8%. "Under Gordon Brown we have an unsustainable economic model based on decades of over-reliance on the City of London, while Teesside's industrial base was completely neglected. "We need total change for sustainable regional growth, and support for the manufacturing industry. Manufacturing is ...
Labour is running scared and is starting to self destruct over the possibility of an alliance with the LibDems. On one hand, Brown is calling for a progressive alliance, making promises over electoral reform and the House of Lords. However one of his front bench minsters, Ed Balls, has slammed coalition governments. It seems Ed Balls is out ...
Comparing Nick Clegg, at this stage in his career, to Churchill, is clearly rather silly, and probably not very helpful to the Liberal Democrat cause. However there is a very real sense that "the fate of the nation" depends on Clegg's performance in tomorrow's debate. If he flops, or just comes out even, there is a real danger that the Liberal Democrat bubble may burst and we shall be back to politics as before with no real change in sight. In terms of reforming and re-invigorating politics a Labour win will merely mean a referendum on AV, a second rate ...
As reported on the Banbury LibDems website, one of my first acts of this general election campaign was to sign the Royal British Legion pledge 'to do my bit' for the Armed Forces family. I was very happy to do so and to commit to finding ways to help our troops and our ex-servicemen and ...
We'll ensure the countryside is a place of opportunity, of vibrant communities in which people can afford to live and work. As we create communities that are economically and socially sustainable, we'll make sure they're environmentally sustainable too In a key speech, Nick Clegg said: Rural Britain is ready for a change. And the big change you need is at the heart of this manifesto: opportunity. That's fair for you, and releasing your potential - the potential within the rural economy - is good for us all. The skills, creativity and talent within that increasingly diverse economy has for too ...
The best leaflet correction so far; you've got to love the biro work. Phil Willis shows his moves (but just skip over 1 min 48 sec, ok?). Ben Goldacre edges close to saying "Vote Lib Dem" here and here. Esther Rantzen takes to removing Liberal Democrat posters in Luton South. Not heard the David Cameron song? Hear it here. (Hat tip: Jonathan Calder) And the prize for the worst campaign interview goes to UKIP leader, Lord Pearson (clip via Left Foot Forward): And not so fun: Labour Party disowns controversial leaflet and orders its distribution to be stopped.
The second Party Leaders Debate is taking place this Thursday starting at 8pm on Sky News. Nick Clegg, Gordon Brown and David Cameron will again be going head to head in a TV debate in the run up to the General Election on May 6th, this time leading on Foreign Affairs.
The second Party Leaders Debate is taking place this Thursday starting at 8pm on Sky News. Nick Clegg, Gordon Brown and David Cameron will again be going head to head in a TV debate in the run up to the General Election on May 6th, this time leading on Foreign Affairs.
The second Party Leaders Debate is taking place this Thursday starting at 8pm on Sky News. Nick Clegg, Gordon Brown and David Cameron will again be going head to head in a TV debate in the run up to the General Election on May 6th, this time leading on Foreign Affairs.
The second Party Leaders Debate is taking place this Thursday starting at 8pm on Sky News. Nick Clegg, Gordon Brown and David Cameron will again be going head to head in a TV debate in the run up to the General Election on May 6th, this time leading on Foreign Affairs.
"The Liberal Democrats understand that the old way of banking simply cannot continue and this is a view shared by the IMF," said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor. Commenting on the IMF's recommendations that banks and financial institutions should pay a bank levy and a further tax on profits and pay, Vince Cable said: "The IMF's report ...
Harold Wilson famously said that a week is a long time in politics. And that is certainly true in this general election. The electoral mood has shifted across the country in the direction of the Liberal Democrats, and of course Tower Hamlets is not immune to the trend. On the contrary, there was a large, ...
So what if the election result came in and it became clear that the Lib Dems had more seats than anyone else, but no majority? Slightly more likely than a Lib Dem majority, but still, it'll be a cold day in hell when that happens. It would still require a major vote share of 35-40%; unimaginable. What ...
Dan Roberts and I argued at greater length than is eventually broadcast, about whether the LibDems are introducing too much complexity into the tax system with their 10k proposal. Dan's argument was, effectively: doing this makes it a nightmare for journalists, commentators and those putting the manifesto under the spotlight, to work out whether it ...
I am delighted to read in today's Independent that Nick Clegg is as opposed to any deal with Gordon Brown's Labour Party as I am. As Nick said, a vote for the Liberal Democrats is just that, a vote for the Liberal Democrats. A separate article from Matthew Norman, which I haven't linked to as it is rather bad-tempered, interestingly points out how David Cameron has failed to present a modern agenda for change, instead focusing on old arguments like supporting First Past the Post, a system which might see him do well in terms of votes but poorly in ...
Yay! I'm ridiculously excited by this. Dirty Whoers is my favourite Who podcast by a long long way, and you should all listen to it. I feel comforted that their views on the most recent episode pretty much chimed with mine, even if they did blather on about the Labservativers and barely mention the Lib Dems in their election section. Anyway, whofans on my f-list: go subscribe!
taken from a letter to MEN's Postbag page Dear Postbag, The Evening News is quite right to highlight that one in seven Manchester children don't get into their first choice primary school. Labour's spin, courtesy to Cllr Shelia Newman, is that 93% get a place at one of the schools applied for, and that "one has to assume that parents will not be unhappy" if that happens. What nonsense! The Council's own guidance when applying for a school place recommends naming at least 3 schools, as, "If you state just one or two schools then it is more likely that ...
The choice of music while we work on one of the floors of the Engine Building is a curious one. The floor is full of tech-savvy people, well used to having their iPods, Spotify accounts and more - all of which deliver personal, individual music choices as and when wanted. Yet they also choose to have music gently playing in the background for all to hear - with the inevitable good-natured moaning about the music choices of those younger/older than you. But will all those individualised music options available, why does collective consumption still have a place - especially of ...
A supporter wrote to me the other day to say he supposed the Garston and Halewood Lib Dems didn't have the same sort of financial resources as the other parties. He's certainly right - although it isn't always the party with the most cash that wins. That did get me thinking about party finance and donations though. As parties feel the need to mount ever more expensive campaigns, the pressure to accept large donations gets greater and greater. And you can get a feeling that big donors are simply attempting to buy influence. And even if large donors are not ...
Election campaigns throw up all sorts of challenges, but one of the most pleasant and surprising this time round in many areas is the number of people offering to help. That is happening both locally and nationally, with the party's main website, www.libdems.org.uk, seeing a 300% increase in the number of offers of help on the Thursday-Sunday of the first TV debate compared to the same period a week before. Quite what you do with all these offers of help – many of which are coming in from wards and constituencies that were not in any targeting plan – is ...
"Do I think Labour delivered fairness? No. Do I think the Labour Party, in its heart, has a faith in civil liberties? No. They are clutching at straws." So says Nick Clegg this morning. If Brown thinks his party has anything to contribute to progressive politics in this country you only have to look at their regressive approach to civil liberties, their regressive tax policies when the poorest 20% now pay proportionately more tax from their income than the richest 20%, and their failure to deliver on electoral and Westminster reform some of which promises are thirteen years old and ...
As we head into the second Leaders' debate there are two interesting items on the news that shows that on some of our most controversial policies the Liberal Democrats are on the right side of the argument. First up is the IMF report, which recommends that banks and financial institutions should pay a bank levy and a further tax on profits and pay. As Vince Cable says: "The IMF's report confirms what the Liberal Democrats have long been arguing - that a banking levy should be introduced. "Many of the banks are still unwilling to acknowledge the massive debt they ...
This election is more like the plot of a political novel than the expected events of the democratic process. Gordon Brown, survivor of coup attempts and one-time superstar of Labour, is third in the polls. Tory David Cameron, once dreaming of walking into Downing St as PM, saw his lead crumble after one lacklustre tv performance. And the Lib Dems have soared in the polls after one strong tv
If it's just my dulcet tones and stuttering delivery you want to hear, go to about 9 minutes in. But Dan Roberts and Ruth Sunderland are both excellent on some clearly very topical matters. The Goldmans case is continuing to dominate the financial chatter. I think questions of justice and the financial system as a whole ...
We have basked in a warm glow of new glory for a few days now. Or at least if you get your news from TV and radio we have. The newspaper review has been a bit less enthusiastic - or downright hostile and biased, depending on your point of view. The weekend papers showed the problem we face in the next two-and-a-bit weeks. The Mail on Sunday gave us a double spread. Headlines included "Is there ANYTHING British about Lib Dem leader?". "Most would vote Orange ... but they will get Brown" and "Billionaire convicted of fraud in France laid ...
Right now I feel more positive about the lib dems than I ever have before. Not because of the polls, but for a variety of reasons, some related some not. The coverage in the media has given me much more understanding of Nick Clegg, and despite h...
There is something a bit odd in the way the Conservatives have approached this election campaign. They seem to be simultaneously saying two things that are diametrically opposed to each other. The first approach is to appear to be all-inclusive. The title of their manifesto was "Invitation to join the government of Britain". Here's a quick snippet from the introduction: "Britain will change for the better when we all elect to take part, to take responsibility - if we all come together. Collective strength will overpower our problems" Both George Osborne and David Cameron have also oft repeated the phrase ...
The latest figures for party donations are out from the Electoral Commission and already we've seen reports which simply take the numbers at face value. Of course, that's an understandable thing for the media to do: regulator publishes numbers, you report them. However, the numbers are misleading for two reasons: They are (only) for donations to parties. As I've previously pointed out, donations made direct to candidates during the election campaign period are excluded from these figures. The figures only include donations which are large enough to have to be reported to the Electoral Commission. Small donations are excluded from ...
[IMG: trident] The Lib Dems have frequently been attacked since last week's Leaders' Debate over their policy on Trident. The right wing press has gone to town, misleading the public deliberately on what the policy actually is. They have been suggesting that the Lib Dems are unilateralists, that they want rid of any nuclear deterrent, and that they would do this without ensuring the safety of Britain's borders. It plays well with certain sectors of the population (largely those already voting Tory or something more... esoteric), but it is a disingenuous representation of the party's policy which is: Rule out ...
I not worked out how you embed this delightful video. Liberals of my generation remember Adrian Slade-the Liberal member for Richmond on the old GLC. He entertained us magnificently at the Glee club year after year with his original witty ditties. I still have an old cassette tape of his 'greatest hits' which I must get on to the computer. I think it must be at least a decade since I last heard Adrian perform live but it is great news that he has released a new song for the election . Enjoy
We've organised a small number of public meetings so that questions can be asked of me, plans for Bromsgrove and Lib Dem policies. Monday 26th April, 7.30 - 9pm at Wythall, Woodrush High School, Tuesday 27th April, 7 - 9pm at St John`s Church Hall, Bromsgrove Wednesday 28th April, 7 - 9pm at The Wheel, Blackwell Sunday 2nd May, 7 ...
A Yougov poll out today show the Liberal Democrats on 34%, Conservatives on 31% and Labour on 26%. Yougov also found: "Just under half the country (49%) would vote for the Liberal Democrats if they were seen to have a reasonable chance of winning. Only 25% would vote for the Conservative party in these circumstances; a comparatively ...
One of the first things I read this morning was this tweet from Jo Swinson linking to this article in which a senior Iranian cleric pins the blame for earthquakes fairly and squarely on women dressing immodestly. This is what he said: "Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray and spread adultery in society which increases earthquakes" So, we have a major power player talking absolute rubbish to try to ensure that the forces of change don't take hold. It all goes to show why education is so important ensuring kids grow up with the skills ...
While Brown and Cameron bicker over what a vote for the Lib Dems really means, Nick Clegg should be hammering home this old message, which has been renewed courtesy of a ComRes poll. Repeating this mantra should be part of every single press conference, media event and, yes, the next two debates. It's the only ...
With people across the country turning to support the Liberal Democrats - often for the first time - new members are also flooding in. Joining the party is a great way of showing your support, boosting the party's chances in the election - and gives you a say in how the party is run and what the party's policies are. You can join the party quickly and easily online right now: www.libdems.org.uk/join_us.aspx
What do Field Marshal Lord Bramall, General Lord Ramsbotham, General Sir Hugh Beach and Major-General Patrick Cordingley have in common? Well today they have all written to The Times backing the Liberal Democrats policy on not replacing Trident, that's what. They say that the next government would threaten both front line Forces and global disarmament talks unless it considers different ways of spending the billions required to replace the fleet of submarines. They also express "deep concerns" that Trident has been omitted from the Strategic Defence Review scheduled for after the election. They argue that any review should look at ...
Speaking at yesterday's press conference, Nick Clegg said: "The allegations about Goldman Sachs are yet another reminder of how reckless and greedy the global banking industry had become. "The great tragedy is that none of that recklessness or greed has yet been stamped out of the City of London, and it is costing jobs and businesses day by day."
Vote Lib Dem and that is what you will get, says Clegg: Nick Clegg has challenged claims made by the Conservative leader David Cameron that a vote for him would keep Gordon Brown in power as all three parties began to digest the constitutional implications of the surge in support for the Liberal Democrats. Nick said: "There are lots and lots of people telling pollsters they are up for something different. Since Thursday night, this campaign has come alive. It would be both wrong in democratic principle and politically stupid for me to second guess what's going to happen during ...
Hooray for that sentiment. David Yelland writing in Monday's Guardian shows why the reaction to Nick Clegg has been so overwhelmingly positive from ordinary ...
Many knew that the TV would be good for the Lib Dems – few predicted this good! As polls stand - Populas has us 2nd 1% behind Tories New Angus Reid has us 1% ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives. Compres has us equal with Labour on 28% All these of course have error margins of around 2/3% This bounce in support is real. It has been most evident amongst young people who are sick of red/blue politics and want something differernt. The Times has stated in their poll that 39% of 18-24 year olds will vote Lib Dem. ...
I have a lot of sympathy for those who have been delighted that the skies have mysteriously been clear of planes. Except that I was in Stockholm when it happened - and had a 30-hour trip back. A mix of a train, a taxi, multiple ferries and a borrowed car: exhausting but curiously exhilarating as I got closer to home and family. I have a lot less sympathy for the need to send the Royal Navy off to rescue people from the beaches of Europe. When I got to Calais at 2.30 on Saturday morning there was a massive queue ...
In an area like South Norfolk village facilities are vital for those who do not have a car, for everyday essentials and easy access to goods and services which help communities to thrive. That's why "I'm backing the pub" campaign by the British Beer and Pub Association. See video for details.
On Sunday I tried to comment on Morecambe Town Council's discussion board on the subject of the M6 link road. My comment wasn't published. I didn't take it personally as there were no other comments. Maybe they are having teething problems, but I didn't want to waste the five minutes that I spent writing the comment so here it is... The title of the press release is 'The Town Council expresses the Public views on M6 Link Road' but the Town Council expressed its own view and 'learnt' about the opinions of others. If you want my view then take ...
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