So Tim has made it to the top, Farron height I guess you could call it. So congratulations go to my ex-Newcastle University fellow student who had his first taste of Parliamentary campaigning in Hexham when I was candidate for the 1992 general election. And commiserations to Norman Lamb who came from nowhere to deny Tim the landslide victory that some predicted. Landslides are bad for politics.
Not a bad first effort. The whole 21 minutes is worth a watch, but if otherwise skip to 9 minutes in, and start there.
A shocking story from Maeve McClenaghan at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Hundreds of Westernised young men who grew up in Britain after fleeing war-torn Afghanistan as children have been forcibly returned to their home country due to what experts believe is an inhumane shortcoming in the UK asylum system. The Bureau has established that in the past six years 605 individuals who had arrived unaccompanied in the UK as asylum-seeking children were deported to Afghanistan after their temporary leave to remain ran out on turning age 18. Hundreds of others are still in Britain awaiting a similar fate. Those ...
So, the white smoke has come, and Tim Farron has won by a rather wider margin than his predecessor did eight years ago. I'm pleased that the margin is unquestionable, but also that Norman did as well as he did do. 43.5% is more than respectable, and it means that he has earned the right to be as serious a player in the future of the Party as he wishes to. Given his obvious ability, that can only be to the advantage of the liberal cause. It is interesting to see the response below the line on the various websites. ...
This sketch comes from 1979's The Secret Policeman's Ball and is the first thing I ever saw Rowan Atkinson do. Quite possibly, it is the funniest thing I have ever seen him do. I once had it in mind to write a Liberal Revue sketch using the names of Liberal Democrat MPs in a similar way. These days, sadly, there are not enough of them to make this possible.
Though I did declare my support for Tim Farron, this blog kept a low profile in the Liberal Democrat leadership election. But Liberal England may have been of help to Tim. Let's have a look at his best bits...
For the first time since Paddy Ashdown was elected in 1988, I have voted for the successful candidate in a Liberal Democrat leadership election. When the contest began I rather expected I would be voting for Norman Lamb, but in the end Tim's eloquence and background (provincial, comprehensive educated, one-parent family) called to me more. I admired Norman's work on mental health as a minister, though we should not forget the role Paul Burstow played in this field. But too many of the issues his campaign highlighted were, more than anything, chosen for the discomfort they would cause Tim. And ...
BBC News wins Headline of the Day for the one above this story: A "drunk" squirrel has caused hundreds of pounds of damage at a private members' club.The secretary of Honeybourne Railway Club said he originally thought someone had broken into the premises, near Evesham in Worcestershire. The floor was covered in beer and glasses and bottles smashed, Sam Boulter said. Mr Boulter, 62, said he then saw a squirrel "staggering around" after coming out from behind a box of crisps.
Congratulations to Tim Farron following his election as the new Leader of the Liberal Democrats. [IMG: 11738039_10153484224423270_517317381038367749_n] I voted for Tim and consider him to be an excellent choice to lead the Lib Dems. The great thing is that had Norman Lamb won he too would have been a great Leader. We really did have two excellent candidates to chose from. Well done Tim, you are now the voice of Liberalism and for the oppressed. Go and give those Tories and Red Tories hell!
Current Watership Down, by Richard Adams (a chapter a week) The Sorrows of an American, by Siri Hustvedt Kushiel's Mercy, by Jacqueline Carey Doctor Who and the Vortex Crystal by William H. Keith, Jr. Last books finished The True Deceiver, by Tove Jansson Ghost Devices, by Simon Bucher-Jones Ulysses, by James Joyce Next books City at the End of Time, by Greg Bear A Scanner Darkly, by Philip K. Dick Books acquired in last week A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien's Road to Faërie, by Verlyn Flieger
I'm standing in a very hot Islington Assembly Hall right now, awaiting the arrival of our new leader on stage. There'll be a proper blog post on this tomorrow but I just wanted to say that I'm very happy right now and very proud of everyone I've worked with in Team Tim over the past couple of months. It's the first time I've been involved in a successful party leadership campaign, and I'm still processing the fact that we got Tim elected and that I got to break the news to a lot of the team as I was the ...
Full figures: Farron 19,137, Lamb 14,760, invalid 66. Turnout 56% — Mark Pack (@markpack) July 16, 2015 Keep up with news on the Lib Dem leadership race Sign up for Liberal Democrat Newswire here, and Sign up for the Facebook event for the contest (where Norman Lamb and Tim Farron are regularly answering questions from members).
[IMG: traffic-sign-6617_640] The latest estimates are that plans by Conservative Cheshire East Council to build over 2,000 homes on green fields near Handforth Dean would see traffic on the already-congested A34 increase by a massive 25%, leading to far longer queues and far more pressure on the Kingsway/Gatley Road junction – already one of the busiest in Greater Manchester. Our former Lib Dem MP Mark Hunter consistently opposed these plans. Cheshire East appear to want to build all their new houses right on the edge of the county where they won't affect Cheshire East residents but will have a massive ...
For devotees and attendees of the regular Not The Leader's Speech event at conference, where we all meet in the pub, download the text of the leader's speech, and work out what point we would have walked out at anyway, I have some bad news: @timfarron you still going to make me sit at the front for your speech instead of going to the pub like I normally do? — Jennie Rigg (@miss_s_b) July 16, 2015 @miss_s_b yes — Tim Farron (@timfarron) July 16, 2015 Of course, if there IS a point where I would walk out of Tim's speech... ...
I would like to say a massive congratulations to Tim Farron for being elected as the new leader of The Liberal Democrats. As a passionate liberal democrat myself, I have always been passionate and shown my support for Tim to become our next leader. I believe that Tim is the right man to lead us [...]
Keith and the Lib Dem team were asked by residents to look at having vehicle-activated speed signs on Styal Road to slow down traffic. After meeting on-site with council officers, we now have a proposed scheme. Keith will be asking council officers to move ahead and consult on these proposals.
After a dignified and revealing election we now have a new Leader. Of course as most people know I voted for Tim Farron but it really would not bothered me one jot if Norman Lamb had won. What the election ... Continue reading →
After a hard fought leadership campaign Tim Farron has been elected as leader. The new leader is expected to address a rally which is being held in North London. The speech is expected be made around 7.00 pm. The Lib Dem press office reported at 4.30 "We are delighted to announce that Tim Farron has [...]
[IMG: BBC News announcement of Tim as leader] Congratulations, Tim, on being elected leader of a party that doesn't often want to be led at one of the most challenging times in its history. And here's the official tweet: We are delighted to announce that @timfarron has been elected as Leader of the Lib Dems. http://t.co/iAt5GTS9tZ pic.twitter.com/IqAZ6gr8tO — Lib Dem Press Office (@LibDemPress) July 16, 2015 Watch him make his first speech as leader at a rally in Islington here from 6:30 pm. In between preparing for his first keynote speech, Tim has found time to change his Twitter profile. ...
It's just a matter of minutes until the next leader of the Liberal Democrats is revealed. And apart from the actions of a few rogue individuals, the campaign has been clean and fair between the two great candidates. The party as a whole can be proud of the contest, particularly considering the post-election, emotional circumstances. I've made no secret of my support for Tim Farron - but regardless of who wins, there are a number of priorities.
The party is catering for all the process geeks amongst its membership well this afternoon with an explanation of exactly how the votes are being counted. The result is expected in the next hour: All of the ballot papers have been returned directly to Electoral Reform Services (the commercial arm of the Electoral Reform Society) who are running the election for us. Ahead of the count, the ERS opened all of the returned envelopes, and put the votes into batches of 100 ready for counting. The count is conducted by ERS staff as is supervised by a small team from ...
The European Union is an immense force for good. A European state could well wreck all of that. The European Union is curious thing. It's not a state but nor is it a mere international organisation like the World Health Organisation. It has a currency but doesn't collect its own taxes. Its laws override those [...]
This afternoon, the new leader of the Liberal Democrats will be announced. Spoiler: My vote was for Tim Farron. Not a lot of people know that, as I have been quiet on the matter: not just here, but also on social media where I tend to do more writing these days when I occasionally get dragged into a debate on some contentious issue or other. And, in some ways, there have been contentious elements to this election campaign. Not from the candidates, but from some of those around them. Thankfully, this has (by and large) played out in closed groups ...
No, we shouldn't. The best MPs deserve this – and more. The worst MPs deserve to be removed from office by their electorate. A move to multi-member constituencies elected by proportional representation is the best way to ensure that we have this power. And that's the real issue that needs addressing here, not just the endless moaning that too many ...
Fed up waiting for the result of the leadership election? Here's something to take your mind of it whether you're a Tim or a Norman supporter. There is a major by-election in a key marginal seat in Kingston going on today. It was caused by the death of popular Liberal Democrat Councillor Chrissie Hitchcock. Our candidate is Jon Tolley who owns a record shop and has massively high name recognition in the ward. He's clearly very well thought of. The Tories have thrown the kitchen sink at the ward and have stopped to all sorts of lows. Think this leaflet ...
Thank you to Norman Lamb​, Tim Farron​ and the people who have worked hard on both their campaigns. Despite some bumps along the way, the contest has been much better for the party than an uncontested coronation would have been – and so even those who end up being on the losing side will have contributed something important to our future. Thank you. Keep up with news on the Lib Dem leadership race Sign up for Liberal Democrat Newswire here, and Sign up for the Facebook event for the contest (where Norman Lamb and Tim Farron are regularly answering questions ...
Thu 16th
13:00
"Soggy Syriza with sandals" - thanks, Danny, for giving Osborne a stick to beat us with
I almost choked on my Earl Grey this morning when I read Danny Alexander's piece in the New Statesman in which he suggested that there was much to cheer in George Osborne's budget. I wondered if he had forgotten that May, you know, happened? The reason we lost so many seats to the Tories is, at least in part, that the people who voted for us no longer felt that we represented their values, the sorts of values that had seen us stand up for freedom and social justice. Those people turned to the Greens and Labour. Yes, of course ...
Conservative seat. Cause: Resignation. Prospective candidate: Scott Brown
Conservative seat. Cause: Resignation No Liberal Democrat candidate
Update @ 3.40 The Lib Dem press office have announced that the result will be announced at 5.00 pm. Today the leadership election result is being released. The count is understood to be underway with the result being released this afternoon, possibly around 4.00 pm. In the case of internal elections there are not normally [...]
The Liberal Democrats are in a terrible shape. Membership surge aside, they have been beaten on every front - in Westminster, Brussels, Holyrood, Cardiff and in council chambers up and down the country. Surely, after such a bruising election, the party's finances are in a terrible shape, and its ability to retain staff has been considerably impaired. There is no immediate sign in post-election polling of a "snap-back effect", where in voters suddenly begin to turn to the party, in the way several thousand new members have. In all, a deeply sorry tale. As is always the case with such ...
More comedy genius from Australia's Clarke and Dawe:
[IMG: MEP BEARDER Catherine] Catherine Bearder MEP www.bearder.eu/statement_eu_workers_rights Catherine Bearder MEP has the story on her website – see link above Proposals to scrap workers' rights as part of the UK's EU renegotiation should be 'fiercely opposed', Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder has said. "Cameron should focus on the big EU reforms that will deliver long-term growth and jobs in Europe, not transforming our country into a sweatshop Britain. "Scrapping hard-won employment rights is no way to get a better deal for the UK or get the backing of partners in the EU."
Well it seems the opinion depends on what media you read – this is what the I grew up in Maghull facebook page said:- So this was the badly advertised Maghullfest 2015 at 1.30pm today...I really do try and promote this area and show it's good points...but I felt so sorry for all the decent folk who had given up their time such as Maghull Community Radio and the charity fundraisers...I paid £3 for my family to get in...then...er...well... Tombola..watch the firemen..listen to the merseycats...give the 5 other charity stalls a bit of support..have a pee in the portaloo...then ...
Between 2010 and 2015 I was the Minister of State for Pensions and continue to take an interest in pensions issues. I tweet regularly (@stevewebb1) but occasionally 140 characters doesn't quite do justice to the wonderful world of pensions. I have therefore relaunched this blog site as an occasional location for pensions thoughts.
Yesterday in the House of Lords I called a vote to change the government's Psychoactive Substances Bill. The Conservatives and Labour refused to support the change and we lost the vote 314 votes to 95, which was a great result. So how can such a crushing defeat be good? Because we established, on the record, that neither the Tories nor Labour support a scientific, evidence-based approach to reducing the harm caused by drugs. And here's why. The Tory government, supported by Labour, is pushing through a draconian, authoritarian law that would ban any substance that changes the way you think ...
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across the country] A quick summary of Liberal Democrat committee assignments in the Houses of Parliament for the 2015-16 term. Liberal Democrat Commons Committee Members, Session 2015 - 16 Energy and Climate Change Select Committee Alistair Carmichael MP Welsh Affairs Committee Mark Williams MP Public Accounts Committee John Pugh MP House of Commons Commission Tom Brake MP Liberal [...]
[IMG: Granville Parade Parking blocking Maintenance Gangway] Despite years of reports, requests, demands and cajoling by Sandgate Parish Council to Shepway District Council to help them stop parking on Granville Parade Maintenance Gangway, this is the scene today with parking completely spanning the gangway and making simply getting down the gangway impossible for some users. When will Shepway District Council actually take action, assert ownership on the land THEY built the maintenance gangway on, ban parking on that area and enforce that parking restriction? Published and promoted by Tim Prater, 98a Sandgate High Street, Folkestone, CT20 3BYPrinted (hosted) by Prater ...
A Lib Dem amendment in the House of Lords could lead to Cornwall being one of the first parts of the UK where 16 and 17 year olds will be able to vote for local councillors. It's been a long journey since I was one of the co-founders of the Votes at 16 campaign in 2001. The Lib Dem peers proposed the amendment to the government's Cities and Devolution Bill. It was passed by 221 votes to 154 and would have the effect of allowing 16 and 17 year olds to vote in local elections. Given the time taken to ...
Thu 16th
10:06Chris Huhne talks to Robert Peston and Eddie Mair about his downfall, prison, Balzac and phlegmatism
[IMG: Huhne, Mair, Peston] BBC journalists Robert Peston and Eddie Mair have teamed up over recent weeks to make a late-night Radio 4 interview show with a difference. Each week, the presenters take it in turn to choose a guest to be interviewed by them both — but the one not choosing does not know who the guest is until the recording begins. This week's episode was the last in the series, and Eddie Mair's guest of choice was Chris Huhne, formerly the Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh and energy secretary in the coalition, who was convicted in 2013 of ...
UKIP seat. Cause:Resignation. Candidates TBC.
LD seat. Cause:Death. LD Candidate- Jon Tolley.
Labour seat. Cause:Death. LD candidate- Rob Walsh. Contact Details- Rob Walsh (rwalshwxm-libdems@yahoo.co.uk)
UPDATED DETAILS Conservative seat. Cause:Resignation. LD Candidate- Kevin Dixon. Contact Details- Jennifer Als (jals@milwood324.fsnet.co.uk)
Conservative seat. Cause:Resignation. LD Candidate- Martin Callam. Contact: James Wright (07765 252131, j.wright@norwichlibdems.org.uk)
Labour seat. Cause:Resignation. LD candidate- Anita Romer. Contact Details: Penny Reid (01670 544113 , 07923 096086, pennyreid@hotmail.co.uk)
UPDATED DETAILS Conservative seat. Cause:Resignation. LD Candidate- Judith Derbyshire
UPDATED DETAILS Labour seat. Cause:Resignation. LD candidate- Tom Dymoke. Contact: James Wright (07765 252131, j.wright@norwichlibdems.org.uk)
UPDATED DETAILS UKIP seat. Cause:Disqualification. LD Candidate- Tony Harris.
Without trade unions. we wouldn't have many of the rights we take for granted today. From parental leave to paid holidays to the right to strike, these organisations have helped build the case for better working conditions over the years. The right of workers to take action and withdraw their labour is an important one. That's not to say that unions always act sensibly. I grew up in the 1970s and was horrified by these mass meetings where people had to vote by raising their hands in front of everyone. If you didn't agree with the scary leaders, would you ...
[IMG: tim farron norman lamb squarish by paul walter] 2 months of campaigning, 25 hustings, 20,000 miles covered by the candidates to attend 100 events (according to the Guardian, anyway) — the leadership election comes to an end today, as the ballots are counted and the result is declared. The count itself will take place at the offices of Electoral Reform Services in London, attended by a select group. The result will then be posted first on the Lib Dem Twitter feed and Facebook page, hopefully sometime between 4 and 5pm. The new leader will then make his first speech ...
Anglo-Saxon economists were always sceptical. And so was much of the British establishment, though less so in the early days. But sponsors of the European dream were determined. And at first European Monetary Union defied the sceptics. But now the dreams are vanished and the only people defending the union seem to be those that have face to lose. Is it all over for the Euro? It is Greece that seems to prove the scheme's futility. The Greek government cannot repay its debts; its banking system depends on a bankrupt government for solvency and the European Central Bank (ECB) for ...
The terms of the Government's devolution deal for Cornwall - discussed behind closed doors by the council on Tuesday - can now be revealed. Cornwall may be the first rural area of the country to sign such a deal, but this is devolution-lite with key areas of the Case for Cornwall ignored. Despite a very strong argument put forward by Cornwall for a wide range of new powers and responsibilities, the government have ignored the key areas of planning, housing, much of heritage and - crucially - they have not been prepared to concede any freedoms or flexibilities for Cornwall ...
[IMG: Spaghetti] Some tweets need more than just a tweet to reply: @markpack Speaking as a constitutionalist, how much work would it be to abolish the English Party? — Alisdair Calder (@A_C_McGregor) July 15, 2015 A little bit of background first: (a) the English Party is in need of, at minimum, very major reform, and (b) the English Party's rules are about to stop working. Moreover, a common complaint is that the party's structures overall are too complicated, with the spaghetti like tangling and confusion an issue that the Morrissey report highlighted. So, how to address that? A simple out-and-out ...
Thu 16th
08:55
Daily Telegraph rails against secretly organised warning letter designed to protect establishment in...
No, not this one. Obviously. This was simply a meeting of minds with fortuitous timing: [IMG: telegraph business letter] Whereas a letter from various celebrities defending the BBC is of course a metropolitan elite liberal-left conspiracy. Glad to clear that one up.
Why I support pretty much any strike by pretty much anyone, anywhere, about anything – "If the real world sucks, we shouldn't get over it. We should fight it. That's what you do when something sucks. That's what you're meant to do." Osborne's living wage won't spare low-income families from cuts – I'm shocked – shocked, I tell you! – to discover that the Tories' new 'living wage' is anything but. Post-Youth – Tom Ewing wonders if the Budget signals the beginning of the end for the concept of 'youth' as we know it. Labour's failure – The difference between ...
Yesterday, the City Council announced the detail of Phase 2 of the changes to bin collection and recycling arrangements for the West End (and parts of the Lochee Ward). The Environment Department advises me that : "Arrangements for Phase 2 • First collections - these will start w/c Monday 9th November 2015. • Bin deliveries - these will take place during the two weeks prior to commencement (w/c 26th October & w/c 2nd November).Combined collection calendars and full service information leaflets will also be delivered during this period. • Teaser leaflets -Phase 2 residents will have received notification of the ...
Thu 16th
08:28
A judgement on the SNP's fox hunting gimmick: smart politics or Union threatening tomfoolery?
Let's examine the basic facts first. The Tories have had to withdraw a bill meant to bring fox hunting legally back to England. This is because they didn't have all the numbers needed on their own benches (something that's looking likely to happen a fair old bit this parliament), and if the SNP voted on the No side (as opposed to abstaining as they said previously they would do) then the Tories would have lost. This about face by the SNP has caused a big kerfuffle in Westminster, with various Tory and centre-right commentators lobbing all sorts of things the ...
Thu 16th
08:24
Is amending UK Government legislation in the House of Lord an abuse of the democratic process?
Today's Guardian reports on the very welcome vote in the House of Lords in which Labour and Liberal Democrat peers teamed up for the second time this week to change the cities and local government devolution bill so as to give the vote to 16 and 17 year olds in Council elections. They are also planning to stage similar changes to the EU referendum bill to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in that poll when it comes to the Lords later this year. The paper says that this vote sets the stage for a dramatic stand-off between ...
There is a new, or at least renewed, Co-op store in my town. It is the only supermarket here and it isn't exactly cheap. On the other hand, it is pretty convenient, and I find myself popping in and out in the most unsystematic way. I bank with the Co-op (not actually a co-op, because there is no legal format for a co-op bank in this country, but owned by a co-op). I carry a Co-op credit card. I'm steeped in the place. But I must admit, I have a qualm every time I go through the door of my ...
The Egg Master Hee! Also, yuck. (tags: cooking funny )
Why in the end I voted for Norman Lamb - in which @mikesmithson calls the LD leadership election for Farron ;) Reminder: two same sex people kissing are not necessarily gay. Two opposite sex people kissing might not be straight Interesting comparison of Labour & LD leadership contests by someone who is a member of neither party Jeremy Corbyn, Party Leadership Hopeful, Apologises To Students For New Labour's Tuition Fees Regime Police water cannon use rejected by home secretary - wow. Teresa has SOME sense then. Rivers of London issue 1 cover FAO @A_C_McGregor What type of drunk are you? ...
