BBC Question Time: open thread 30/4/09
by Stephen Tall on April 30, 2009
Stormin’ Norman Baker, the party’s shadow transport secretary and tenacious campaigner par excellence, is the Lib Dem representative on tonight’s Question Time (BBC1 and online, 10.35 pm). He’ll be joined on the panel by Labour’s environment secretary Hilary (“I’m a (…)
David Heath on MPs' expenses
by Stephen Tall on April 30, 2009
As the BBC reports, the government has won a series of votes on the surviving parts of Gordon Brown’s proposed expenses reforms – but only after Gordon Brown’s main proposal, for a daily parliamentary attendance allowance to replace second homes (…)
The Economist on the Gurkhas: "a deserved victory for the Lib Dems and their leader Nick Clegg"
by Stephen Tall on April 30, 2009
My LDV colleague Richard Huzzey has already rounded-up the media’s praise for Nick Clegg’s campaigning role on behalf of the Ghurkas HERE – while Alex Foster highlighted bloggers’ encomia HERE – but it’s worth also noting The Economist’s pseudonymous columnist (…)
Lib Dem PPC quits over website
by Stephen Tall on April 30, 2009
Oh well, that’ll learn me. A fortnight ago, I reported in highly sceptical terms a story in the Carlisle News & Star about the involvement of Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Carlisle, Steven Tweedie, in an anonymous website “calling for (…)
Vince and Field join forces to urge Labour and Tories to tackle UK borrowing
by Stephen Tall on April 29, 2009
Cross-party alliances are the flavour of the day. Today, David Cameron backed Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg’s successful campaign to overturn Labour’s shameful treatment of the Gurkhas. Meanwhile Lib Dem deputy leader Vince Cable has won the support of senior (…)
Chris Huhne wins quote of the day
by Stephen Tall on April 29, 2009
Ahh, ID cards. Time was the Lib Dems were alone in campaigning for this new invasion of our privacy by the state to be abandoned. Then that nice Mr Cameron’s Tories decided they were, after all, probably not such a (…)
Labour's 'Big, Mad Database' – something practical you can do to stop it
by Stephen Tall on April 28, 2009
Over at the Telegraph, Ian Douglas has an important post highlighting quite how sweeping, extensive and intrusive is the Labour Government’s new consultation document, Protecting the Public in a Changing Communications Environment. (Dontcha just love the title, by the way? (…)
Taxpayers helping to fund Tories' Cornwall electioneering
by Stephen Tall on April 28, 2009
Last month Mark Prisk, Tory MP for Hertford and Stortford, got himself into hot water with the Commons authorities for breaking Parliamentary rules in relation to political campaigning. Now Mr Prisk is in trouble once again – indeed, perhaps it’s (…)
BBC Question Time: open thread 23/4/09
by Stephen Tall on April 23, 2009
Not only is the BBC’s Question Time back tonight after its Easter break (BBC1 and online, 10.35 pm GMT), but it’s back with none other than Lib Dem economic megastar Vince Cable. What more could we hope or wish for? (…)
Top of the Blogs: The Golden Dozen #113
by Stephen Tall on April 23, 2009
Welcome to the 113th of our weekly round-ups from the Lib Dem blogosphere, featuring the seven most popular stories according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (12th-18th April 2009), together with a hand-picked quintet, mostly courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise (…)