James Arbuthnot MP: Man or Mouse?

Today is the big day – the vote on the Second Reading of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. So like a good dutiful citizen, I emailed my local MP, James Arbuthnot, about Equal Marriage. I got the following reply: What utterly depresses me is the sheer arrogance – or maybe political calculation – that […]

Lib Dem Manifesto Group

Today, David Laws has been announced as chairing the Lib Dem Manifesto Chairing Group. This is positive news. You can view all the members of the Working Group here Overall, I’m quite happy with the membership – although as Jennie Rigg notes too male & pale – but would be nice to see some who aren’t […]

What should we learn from the US Election?

The US election is nearly done. Obama reelected. More women elected to the senate & the first open gay female senator elected. Stupid republicans who made even stupider rape comments defeated. Marijuana legalised in Colorado & marriage equality brought to more. So what should we learn from the US election? 1) Do not dispute the […]

In Five Years Time…

Well, after the recent success of #clegginar, spawned from this blog, I have had another brilliant idea. In a couple of years, we’re going to be fighting one of the toughest elections ever. Defending our record in the Coalition and so on. We’ll need a campaign that is as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Our recent […]

Why the NUS & Liberal Youth must work together

This week, I have been attending NUS’ National Conference in Sheffield, on Liberal Youth’s behalf. There is, as I’m sure you’ll be aware, a lot of bad blood between the Liberal Democrats and the NUS. After some MPs breaking that pledge, strangely enough the NUS weren’t too happy with us. It has, however, given people […]

Why I’m Running for Liberal Youth Vice Chair

I’m glad to announce my candidacy for Liberal Youth Vice Chair. Firstly, I want to talk about what I have achieved over the last year working on the Liberal Youth Executive. As England Convenor, I’ve revived Liberal Youth England (LYE) by writing its constitution from scratch. It’s not perfect, but it was a starting point […]

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 […]

How Lib Dem MPs voted last night

Andrew George’s amendment: Ayes: Martin Horwood Julian Huppert John Leech John Pugh Andrew George Adrian Sanders Greg Mulholland Noes: Danny Alexander Norman Baker Alan Beith Gordon Birtwistle Tom Brake Paul Burstow Lorely Burt Vince Cable Menzies Campbel Alistair Carmichael Nick Clegg Mike Crockart Ed Davey Tim Farron Lynne Featherstone Don Foster Stephen Gilbert Duncan Hames Nick […]

How fractured are the Lib Dems?

There was much talk at this Conference about the factions that were launching – primarily Liberal Reform & Liberal Left. I don’t have much time for what Liberal Left seeks to do. It goes completely in the face of the pluralistic principles of Liberal Democrats. It’s almost as if they don’t want to see Liberal […]

The Shirley Motion: what does it actually mean?

Last June, I wrote this about what Lib Dems could achieve with our disagreement with the Tories over the NHS. Unfortunately we let Labour back into the debate. But after last weekend’s events, have we squandered another opportunity to show our liberal muscles? The leadership failed on strategy on the motion. In my opinion, they would […]