Category Archives: Liberal Democrats
Interview with the Gazette
Earlier this week, I was interviewed by the Colchester Gazette in my new role as group leader. Unfortunately, they didn’t put the article online, but as I own a copy of the paper, a pair of scissors and a scanner, here it is: You can click on the image to see it in a readable [...]
Leadership
As the Gazette is reporting it, it must be official – I’m the new leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Colchester Borough Council. First, the thanks – thanks to the group for backing me and selecting me as their leader, and thanks to my predecessor as group leader, Councillor Paul Smith, for the work [...]
In praise of Nick Clegg
I have been accused by some of being far too negative about our party leader to which my response has been that when he does do something right, I’ll be positive about him. Which is why it was good to see Nick Clegg unequivocally blocking the “snoopers’ charter” yesterday. The proposals were the usual Home [...]
Libellous thoughts
I’m wondering if somewhere in Nick Clegg’s office, there’s a giant Wheel Of Fortune-style spinner, with all the party’s principles, policies and promises written on it. Every so often – around once a month or so – when he gets bored, the wheel gets spun, and whatever comes up is determined as the next big [...]
We could have been anything that we wanted to be
We could’ve been anything we wanted to be But don’t it make your heart glad That we decided, a fact we take pride in We became the best at being bad If you don’t know it, it’s from Bugsy Malone, but for me it sums up a lot of my feelings about the coalition. I [...]
Thoughts on Liberal Democrat values
I was challenged a while ago by Linda Jack as part of Alex Wilcock’s Lib Dem Values series. Never being one to respond to a prompt quickly, it’s stewed in my mind for a while, but now I think I’m ready to take a stab at it. In a truly liberal way, I’m going to [...]
A shining example of the system we set out to destroy
David Steel should have been the warning. His conversion from young liberal firebrand to eager defender of the status quo in the House of Lords ought to have shown us that it’s very easy to go into power with grand intentions of reforming it, and then end up defending all the things you used to [...]
Does Clegg want to dissolve his membership and elect another?
A bit of Brecht for a Tuesday. After the uprising of the 17th of June The Secretary of the Writers’ Union Had leaflets distributed in the Stalinallee Stating that the people Had forfeited the confidence of the government And could win it back only By redoubled efforts. Would it not be easier In that case [...]
Video: Nick Clegg and Mike Thornton in Eastleigh
I went to help out in the Eastleigh by-election yesterday, and it turned out to be a day when Nick Clegg came down to campaign as well. At the end of the day, with a lot of volunteers gathered back at Lib Dem campaign HQ, Nick and our candidate, Mike Thornton, spoke to those who’d [...]
Thoughts on Chris Huhne and the Eastleigh by-election
Chris Huhne did something that was wrong and stupid, and now he has to take the punishment for it. It’s a shame that a career that promised so much has to end this way, but if he’d taken the care to actually drive sensibly in the first place, he wouldn’t be in this position. As [...]
by John Hodgman
by Drew Westen
by Ian Mortimer
by Jeff Greenfield
by Heather Peace
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