Monday 24 September 2012

A Proud Day for the Party

Today's Liberal Democrat Conference Debate on the Economy has shown that the Party remains solidly behind the Coalition Government, the Party Leadership and Nick Clegg's continuing Leadership. Defeat of the Social Liberal Forum's Amendment 1 was overwhelming and it brought solid fighting attacks on the bankruptcy of Ed Ball's Siren calls for Plan B when already Liberal Democrats were successfully fighting for a Green Growth Strategy and Investment Programme in government along with a more practical implementation of Deficit reduction within the credible framework supported by the IMF and Global Investors. Vince Cable's witty, authoritative and masterful speech announcing a Billion Pound British Bank to help Small Businesses and Exporters was a substantial structural improvement.




The Party has come to terms with successes and failings so far in Government and is already beginning the political fightback for 2015.

Brilliant contributions from Steve Webb, Jo Swinson, Vince Cable, Tim Farron show a talented team of conviction politicians determined to put fairness at the heart of government.

Sunday 23 September 2012

Saving the Day

Liberal Democrats can take heart that for once we have been the centre of attention. In the old days when David Steel said his famous lines "Go back to your constituencies ... and prepare for government"  the other parties (and public laughed) well we have been in government for 2+ years and what we say and think matters. Admittedly we got some things (a lot wrong) and we been blamed (wrongly) for the things the Conservatives have done and compelled us to agree with , but that's Coalition Government. When Britain faced a political crisis in May 2010, I didn't see Labour or the Conservatives coming together to save the economy - did you? If Lib Dems had said we're not getting our hands dirty, and refused to talk to the other parties then we would have had a weak and indecisive minority Conservative government without mandate to do anything and the economy would have been in the toilet. Instead we have had strong (not always joined up) government but Lib Dem popularity has taken the hit.

We might be in single figures in the polls, have a leader as popular as Michael Foot but the eyes on the world are on us and we have even captured the very short attention span of the big brother 15 seconds of You Tube fame which is popular culture with Nick Clegg's "I'm Sorry Parody". Defying conventional wisdom, this week's Lib Dem Conference in Brighton will strangely renew Nick Clegg's leadership and put and end to the Right wing drift of the Party. At a fringe meeting today Labour's Policy wonk John Cruddas even praised the positive role the Lib Dems have had as a break on right wing Toryism. All the critisism of Clegg has been taken on the chin and on board. The Political fightback can begin, with Lib Dems united and determined to hold the line against an autumn of radical right "Tea Party" style Conservative attacks on Britain.




Tim Farron Party President is witty in saying that George Osborne has abandoned Plan A, since Michael Gove has marked down his grade to Plan B. It is good to see that the Party's call for a tax on the super rich is now policy and remembering that the party has already taken so many low paid people out of income tax already.

Clegg has been branded a liar (on the basis of the Tuition fee cock-up) by politicians on the Left and Right who have a long list of massive deceptions and blunders to their name, (Iraq, End to Boom and Bust, NHS Safe with us) and it is time the party rallies to his cause.
We must be determined to renew the coalition to it's dual task of reducing the budget deficit whilst stimulating economic growth and Ed Davey's speech on Tory attempts to block Lib Dem Green Growth strikes the right note. Not sure about Jo Swinson's joke about Jeremy Thorpe or Norman Baker's plan for road charges though. Nick Clegg has correctly expressed the public concern on tax evasion by the super rich while the poor are paying more and earning less. Welfare reform has started to highlight potential savings from greedy people but Lib Dems must work to protect the genuine needy in this process. Steve Webb's efforts to fix the Pension timebomb are laudable but it is the economic hear and now we need to fix, we need to win today to fix tommorrow.
Nick Clegg is safe and he will be able to build on this as a bruising but catharthic experience to reconnect with the party.
If we fight hard, then mistakes made in 5 days in May, will be put to one side. What matters now is to get growth , keep our civic rights (employment, human and safety) and relations (especially with Europe) good and deliver on the deficit reduction. If the Lib Dem left is given a proper role in this and not rail-roaded then we might even be able to forge effective inter party policy agreements with the enemy (Conservatives) for the good of the Country - stronger defences (bring back Ark Royal, Sea Harriers, HMS Brittania, Concorde) , putting Afghanistan on a sustainable security footing and boosting Britain's exports with the BRIC group. Perhaps if we can get effective tax gathering for the super-rich we can see cuts in taxes on jobs and wealth creation - eg VAT, NI, Corporation Tax, High Street Rates and Fuel Duty.




Saturday 22 September 2012

Clegg's Dunkirk

Nick Clegg is facing his personal political Dunkirk. His popularity is at Rock Bottom with the public and his party. His political mea culpa has been ridiculed and he is facing calls for his resignation.
How he now reacts will determine his future and the recovery of his party's fortunes. On the one hand he could react defensively and with pride and like Tory Whip Andrew Mitchell over "Plebgate" or Tony Blair over Iraq could continue with half an apology, arrogance and hubris. Or he like Winston Churchill after Dunkirk turn a disaster into a Political Victory.
If I were him, I would ensure that the Youtube Viral Hit "Im Sorry" was played at his entrance into the Party Conference.




 If I were him, I would take it with good humour and take ownership of the humiliation. If necessary why not travel like Lempik Opeg to the Australian Jungle to eat his "I'm a Celebrity - Jungle Humble Pie". It can only improve his popularity and it is how unpopular celebrities redeem themselves with the public, which is what he needs to do. If not (then perhaps Europe beckons?)

Does Clegg hear the Call of the Jungle?


He needs to also recognise that students want a cut in tuition fees and Labour's coming motion (reducing fees to £6000  from £9000) is a chance for him to get the Lib Dems as a party to support this and negotiate a change in government to find the money to fund this without breaking the coalition.  He is No.2 in Government and needs to starting action as Second in Command and not a "No.2".

Clegg can still show Leadership and turn blunder and humiliation into success. It's only over when it's over and the public loves an underdog - especially one they kicked, but the trick is to still smile. Not a job I would want but I'm not Vince Cable.

Thursday 20 September 2012

Things can only get better ...

The Recent falls in Unemployment pressage better times perhaps .
We all remember the D-ream song "Things can only get better" as Tony Blair beamed through the crowds into Downing Street, and of course they got worse.  For Liberal Democrats that prospect of a Progressive coalition with Blair's Labour disappeared in 1997 and reappeared briefly in 2010 when a desperate Gordon Brown clung to office. I myself preferred a Progressive, Pro-Growth coalition rather than the Anti-Growth, Austerity Coalition we ended up, however like many other Lib Dems I was seduced to the dark side by the Holy Grail of an AV referendum.

 Today's Mea Culpa from Nick Clegg is only half an apology and two years too late. He ought to say sorry for not putting opposition to tuition fees at the Top of the negotiating list (ahead of AV) for the Coalition Agreement in May 2010, not for making the pledge. A double mistake which has cost us the Student Vote, 50% of our support and saw the cause of PR put back 20 years.



We are where we are. We are at the bottom of the electoral cycle, whether we can climb out of the hole of our own making is on whether growth returns, and we can put right wrongs against students and detoxify the party image from one of blundering liars and self-serving opportunists (which we are NOT). Liberal Democrats need to point out that in the 5 days that we had in May 2010 to save the country, we succeeded in doing so but made a rushed decision which damaged our party. This mistake, though probably the most serious blunder in our Party's History was nothing compared the giant lies and errors from the Labour Government 1997-2010 ( the Iraq War, selling the Gold reserves for next to nothing, giving the Bankers a blank cheque, wasting billions, rising National Debt, budget deficit etc) and the same from the Tories (remember the 1980's?, Poll Tax, George Osborne's Budget?). By comparison the choices over Tuition Fees and AV pale by comparison but to those they affected were life changing.

Made the Mess, then Ran away


Labour's crocodile tears (especially Ed Balls) need to be exposed. They presided over the Banking Crisis, and threw trillions of pounds of taxpayers money to fix it, and having left the treasury empty ran for cover. Ed Balls could have been Chancellor now, helping to solve the problem but he ran for the Leadership instead.
Labour did leave the Coalition with a moderate recovery which George Osborne has choked off.
AV/Lord Reform Trickster


The Central economic problem is a lack of effective demand in the economy not bottlenecks in the supply side of the economy. One half of the country is too poor to spend and the other half too frightened. We need confidence - confidence that house prices will be stable, confidence that our jobs are safe and confidence that prices will not outstip our ability to keep up with the bills.

Beecroft Style Tory Supply Side Reforms will depress demand

The Radical Tory right have got it all wrong with their attempts to bash public sector workers and remove employment and safety rights for workers across the economy. We need to make it harder to sack or make people redundant. We need to put the trillions of QE money out of Bankers vaults into people's pockets to spend in local shops and businesses. The velocity of money needs speeding up by encouraging people to increase the number of buying transactions in the local economy - eg the Bristol Pound.


The Times today reported 2,000 tax exiles in Monaco costing the UK economy £1billion in lost tax revenue.  There's some money to pay the Student Tuition fees and the price the Tories have to pay now for not honouring their side of the AV and Lords Reform pledges.

The party needs to fight it's corner within government and land some blows against Labour's disgraceful record in creating the mess that we're all in.

We need a positive vision of investment and a plan for growth including perhaps billeting unemployed people with Britain's Businesses - to get them economically active and ready for work.
Growth through Investment and Consumer Spending

Thursday 13 September 2012

Lib Dems 1, Conservatives 0

With the surprise appointment of Jo Swinson to a second Ministerial Role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities to add to her reshuffle appointment of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Stateat Business Innovation and Skills we can look forwards to Jo carrying on the good offices of Lynne Featherstone who held the Equality Portfolio from 2010-12.
Jo with a foot in Business and Equality can perhaps ensure that an Conservative Beecroft proposals to reduce employment protections to British workers will not expose vulnerable employees from the threat of sacking driven by discrimination from rogue employers - such as Construction Companies not employing asians (I once worked in such a company and was told not to employ an asian member of staff - I of course protested and reminded my company chairman of the illegality of the remark) or older workers facing age discrimination or women of child bearing age facing sex discrimination.
As Vince Cable rightly pointed out - the economic case - frightened workers don't spend money.

Sunday 9 September 2012

Agenda 2013

Liberal Democrats have to show courage, unity and determination in the remaining years of this Coalition. The prime task is to stimulate economic growth by a mixture of Liberal Democrat and Conservative Policies. The Challenge is to block lunatic dogmatically driven Conservative supply side measures like the Beecroft Report. Constructive Politics between Ed Balls, Ken Clarke and Vince Cable on issue driven economics can perhaps limit the damage that doctrinaire politics from Michael Fallon and George Osborne, who are going to be rightly identified as Neo-Thatcherite Conservatives.



Key Areas for Agenda 2013

Deficit Reduction

  • Cut in Government Spending and Jobs offset by lowering taxation which stangles growth - eg National Insurance, Petroleum Tax, Small Business Corporation Tax, Working Tax Credit penalties for Self-Employment
  • Re-balancing the Economy means moving government expenditure out of the expensive South East of England and into the Regions who can provide services at a fraction of the cost. Government buildings can be sold for residential and commercial property development.
  • Sell off MOD land and keep Britain's Defence Capabilities - eg Aircraft Carriers, Independent Nuclear Deterrent
Economic Policy

  • Return control of the economy to the Treasury and give the Treasury total control of the FSA and Bank of England. 
  • Ensure that 100% of the NEETs are in a real scheme of training or employment, restructuring tuition fees so that current taxpayers earning over £100,000 who hold degrees which were funded by LEA Grants pay money to assist UK undergraduate students.
  • Uphold Health and Safety, Human Rights and Employment Rights Laws
  • Heathrow Airport - Build "Boris Island" on the Thames Estuary instead of expanding Heathrow.
  • High Speed Rail - recognise that Britain is not France or Japan and that a High Speed Rail system is too expensive and damaging for Britain. Spend money on improving Rail and Road bottlenecks in the current 5 years rather than White Elephant projects in 2020.
  • Severn Barrage - and Channel Road Tunnel - major imaginative infrastructure projects to lift construction sector and envision public.








Foreign Policy

  • Iran - A positive agenda is required whereby Iran and China and Pakistan are encouraged to take a constructive role in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan to send troops as peacekeepers/observers to promote peace and development. Ensure constructive dialogue between Iran and Israel which opposes the use of force and terrorism on either side.
  • Afghanistan - Troops out by 2015 to be replaced by a combined Iranian/Chinese Peacekeeping force with Afghanistan split into Zones of Influence.
  • Keeping Britain at the heart of Europe, uphold European Human Rights laws.


Defence and Defence of Democracy

  • Reversal of defence cuts and restoration of British Armed forces. 
  • Use Boundary Change to end "Safe Seats" in parliament which are as anti-democratic as 19th century rotten boroughs. Engineer constituencies to maximise representative proportionality and marginality.

National Pride

  • Symbolic National Projects to capitalise on National Spirit - eg New Royal Yacht Brittania , British Space Programme based in South Atlantic - eg Falklands, Ascension, St Helena, Get Concorde Flying as official Royal and Prime Ministerial Plane to promote Britain, Get Ark Royal reinstated as National Aircraft Carrier flying Harrier Jumpjets.


Friday 7 September 2012

Turning the Corner

Finally the Party has turned the corner and things are on the up. Nick Clegg has reached his low point in popularity and the economy now starts to show green shoots of genuine recovery. Conservative desparation over the Recent economic mismanagement by George Osborne highlights how much better Lib Dem Business Secretary would do in the job. The Jubilee and Olympics have effected a change in the UK. Firstly by keeping people glued to their TV Sets and out of the high street - it has depressed economic growth for almost 6 months - but the latest July manufacturing figures point to an autumn of growth and the national spirit has seen an outpouring of patriotism and celebration of all things British including tolerance and a celebration of diversity and the achievements of paralympic athletes, which has changed attitudes towards issues of disability.



2012 will be seen as the year the Coalition started to get it's act together. The Lib Dem leadership has been savaged (rightfully) by party critics but it has a real mandate to champion human rights, British Business Interests (especially in Europe) and Enviromentalism in the face of Right wing Conservatives who seem to have taken control in the Conservative side of the Coalition. True Liberal Democrats need to stand up for what is right in Government while forging links with Business and Communities to promote Exports, Growth and Jobs.

Time for hard work , determined principles and unity - which may yet bring a rightful outcome in 2015.

Tuesday 4 September 2012

The Mouse Squeaks

Finally the long overdue reshuffle is here. David Cameron has cleared out some of the dead wood, Baroness Warsi gone but Hunt and Osborne still in the Cabinet.

Osborne's toxic standing was shown in full light at the Paralympic Games Yesterday when he was booed in pantomine villan style by a crowd of 80,000.


No wonder given his low standing even amongst the Tory of the Daily Telegraph Here were our predictions in July
Job                     Incumbent      Telegraph Reader Vote to Go
                                                                              Replaced By            What actually happened

Chancellor         George Osborne       25%              Vince Cable              OSBORNE
Home Sec         Theresa May            20%               William Hague           MAY
Foreign Sec       William Hague          >1%               George Osborne      HAGUE
Defence Sec      Phillip Hammond      2%                  STAYS                   HAMMOND
Business Sec     Vince Cable             14%                 Danny Alexander    CABLE
Work & Pens    IDS                          1%                 STAYS                   IDS though tried to move him
Justice               Ken Clarke              NA                 Theresa May           GRAYLING
Climate Change Ed Davey                 >1%               Caroline Spelman      DAVEY
Health Sec        Andrew Lansley        3%                 STAYS                     HUNT !!
Education          Michael Gove           5%                 STAYS                     GOVE
Local Gov         Eric Pickles              2%                 STAYS                      PICKLES
Transport          Justine Greening        1%                 Damian Greene         MCLAUGHLIN
Environment     Caroline Spelman       1%                David Willetts            PATTERSON
International D  Andrew Mitchell        >1%              STAYS                     GREENING
Northern Ire     Owen Paterson         >1 %              STAYS                     VILLIERS
Scotland           Michael Moore         >1%               STAYS                     MOORE
Wales               Cheryl Gillan              >1%              STAYS                    JONES
Culture             Jeremy Hunt              10%               Justine Greening        MILLER
Chief Sec Trs   Danny Alexander       1%                 David Laws              ALEXANDER
Without Port    Baroness Warsi         11%                Liam Fox                  CLARKE

Thankfully - Vince Cable has remained as Business Secretary but would have done a brilliant job replacing George Osborne.
Some Liberal Democrats have been brought into lower ministerial ranks like Jo Swinson and David Laws, sadly Sarah Teather has left the government.
What is clear is that the Conservative Right is now in the assendancy with Ken Clarke out of the Cabinet Ranks for the first time since the 1970's. Chris Grayling will try to do the Human Rights Act the same hatchet job he attempted at Health and Safety.  McLaughlin has replaced the anti-heathrow Justine Greening and will now try to push another runway at Heathrow in opposition to Boris Johnson and half of West London, Bucks, Surrey, Berks.
The Assault on Middle English rights and freedoms will gather pace - prepare for the Green Belt to go and another Tory assault on employment and safety laws.
Can Vince Cable and Ken Clarke tag team Osborne and Norman Baker and Boris Johnson get a Thames Estuary London Airport.

The Coalition will run now until 2014, perhaps with Nick Clegg but more probably Vince Cable heading up the Party at 2015.

For what it's worth here is my own pick for a Lib Dem Government in 2015 (positive thinking).


Liberal Democrat Dream Team


Prime Minister                                  Nick Clegg
Deputy PM                                      Alan Beith
Chancellor of the Exchequer             Vince Cable
Foreign Secretary                            Menzies Campbell
Home Secretary                               Lorely Burt
Defence Secretary                          Lord Ashdown  
Business Secretary                          David Laws
Work and Pensions                         Steve Webb
Justice                                            Jo Swinson
Climate Change                              Chris Huhne
Health Sec                                      Dr Evan Harris
Education                                       Sarah Teather
Local Gov                                       Simon Hughes
Transport                                        Norman Baker
Environment                                    Lynne Featherstone
International D                                Julia Goldsworthy
Northern Ire                                    Lord Alderdice
Scotland                                         Charles Kennedy
Wales                                             Roger Williams
Culture                                           Julian Hippert
Chief Sec Trs                                  Danny Alexander      
Without Portfolio                             Tim Farron

Monday 3 September 2012

Cameron's Reshuffle Risk - removing the coalition lynchpin

Reshuffle fever is well under way, David Cameron has made his plans and having been labelled a mouse by his rebellious Tory mutineers is preparing to wield the axe. Never has a Prime Minister engaged in a re-shuffle with more trepidation. He claims to be ready to inject fire into the belly of the coalition. Yet his policy changes look more like a bonfire of long fought for rights and freedoms which will cause a storm of indignation in Tory and Liberal Middle England, as well as howls of protest from Trade Unions, Labour and the Professions.
Let us help Cameron for once.


  1. First -  leave the position of Liberal Democrat Cabinet and Government Ministers to Nick Clegg and say so. 
  2. Refuse all attempts by Conservative backbenchers to remove Vince Cable from Business as such an event would unlock the lynchpin holding the Liberal Democrats in the Coalition. 
  3. Listen to Liberal Democrats constructive voices and give Cable (who is able) a greater role in promoting economic growth. 
  4. Avoid clarion calls to dismantle human rights, health and safety and employment law protections to British workers who if faced with such an erosion of their rights will feel even unsafer in their jobs and less inclined to spend what money they have. 
  5. Get rid of the ministers perceived by the public to be toxic and sleazy in the government like Hunt and Warsi. - Show some metal and sack them.
  6. Build a constructive dialogue with Lib Dems about Green Growth - and helping small businesses and business start ups.
  7. Lib Dems are against Whitehall bureaucracy and red tape but believe in essential protections to safeguard individual rights against bullying councils, governments and employers.
  8. Resist the destruction of the Green Belt - such an event would unite greens, Tory shire nimbys and Liberal Democrats and lead to an embarrassing climbdown.
  9. The Central failure to deliver growth rests with your friend George Osborne - you must either sack him, or get him help (ie Cable) or move him to the Foreign Office or another high rank role.
  10. Give Nick Clegg a proper Job instead of the Heseltine/Prescott noddy role of DPM
  11. Bring more Women forward, more people from Comprehensive or Grammar School backgrounds and less public school millionaires.
  12. Harness Boris Johnson into a Government Role by making him a Peer and say Foreign Secretary.
  13. Enter into a constructive dialog with Trade Unions 
  14. Get the Super Rich to lend HMG money at 0% rather than tax their wealth.
  15. Get money into the pockets of the middle class by cutting petrol tax and increase road tax on 4x4 to fund it.
Nick Clegg will need to detoxify himself and the Liberal Democrats by undoing the damage over tuition fees by wiping student debts. Lib Dems will need to be seen by the electorate as have prevented Tory stealth nastiness and have made a positive contribution to economic growth.


Of Course - we know you will do none of this, you will stick by your friends and stick it to the Lib Dems who will be forced to bring down the government by 2013. Labour will win the election, the Lib Dems wiped out at the polls and the leadership lost to Boris Johnson. Carry on Cameron.