Failure in 70 Whitehall

Bloody hell. Not sure what to think about to think of this whole e-snooping business. I understand why some might argue for Skype and other VoIP technologies to now be included under RIPA, but not bloody Liberal Democrats.

I think this whole situation stinks of the party leadership failing to listen to the grassroots before something is said. Maybe they should read twitter a bit more keenly.

I am surprised that no one in Lynne Featherstone’s or Nick Clegg’s Office realises what a massive cock up this was going to become. Regardless of whether the suggestions are actually sensible, the headline was always going to piss Lib Dems off.

Fundamentally, it seems those residing in Clegg’s Whitehall office don’t ‘get’ what might be inferred from the Government saying we need more data for surveillance and what that might be interpreted as by the grassroots.

However, in their defence, it wasn’t even a fully formed policy, but you do have to wonder why Theresa May is in the Sun and talking about what the Government wants to do. But it’s not been agreed to so how can the Government decided it wanted to do this? And so it goes on.

On Sunday, we didn’t have a Liberal Democrat MP, like Julian Huppert or Tom Brake, pounding the pro-liberty drum… we had David Davis. Why? This is something our party should be jumping on.

It has also swamped coverage of the Youth Contract. That really awesome thing we did to help young people is pretty much being ignored because we didn’t act quickly enough.

The worst thing is this is not the first time this sort of thing has happened: the EU ‘veto’ last November is a classic example. Clegg on the Friday morning: ‘seems alright, don’t it?’; on Sunday: ‘I CAN NOT BELIEVE CAMERON DID THIS.’* We have to get a grip on how the leadership talks to the rest of the party.

*may be slightly exaggerated

Nick needs to talk more directly with members – that’s why after the Queen’s Speech, he should do a Q&A like Danny did with the Budget.

More talking to key local party members about what the Government is doing and what Liberal Democrats are pushing for.

And when a leak comes through and we don’t like it, a) read the full story quickly b) come down on it like a tonne of bricks.

It is not hard.