Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Annual General Meeting of the Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats due to be held tomorrow evening has been postponed to 8 December 2010. The time and venue will remain the same but on the new date. All members that have email contacts registered with the Party will have received notice by email. We are endeavouring to contact others by telephone. Continue reading NI LibDems – AGM change of date
It is rare of me to be reading the Daily Mail’s website, but the headline about the Tories putting up a candidate in the Oldham East & Saddleworth election following the ruling of the Election Court with regard to Phil Woolas. The Daily Mail seems to think that it was a ‘by-election’ that was tainted. Let’s hope that those responsible for writing headlines could actually attempt to be accurate. After all, we wouldn’t want anyone accused of telling lies now. And as for the content of the story. Well it is hardly surprising that all the parties appear to be … Continue reading Daily Mail appears to tell lies…
Well it’s taken a bit of time. But some of our proposals have finally come through… The Liberal Democrats, for their part, have even more radical proposals. They want to reduce the number of MPs by a third, getting rid of 200 constituencies and enlarging the remainder. Paddy Ashdown’s party also proposes tougher rules for MPs’ conduct, behaviour and outside sources of income, The Lib Dems also want to establish a fixed parliamentary term of four years, doing away with the government of the day’s ability to call an election at a time of its own choosing. from the BBC … Continue reading 4740 days or rather 12 years, 11 months, 23 days later
We are not quite at the end of the Presidential campaign between Tim Farron MP and Susan Kramer, therefore, I would like to pick up a couple of points from the Liberator Q&A session. In answer to the question as to whether David Penhaligon’s immortal phrase Stick it on a piece of paper and shove it through a letterbox has had its day, I wholeheartedly agree with Tim Farron’s answer: Definitely not. I use Facebook, Twitter and email newsletters to great effect in Westmorland and am doing so in this presidential campaign. Electronic campaigning is just another way of getting … Continue reading Farron v Kramer – community politics win methinks
Like many people last evening, I received an email from the leader and deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats on the subject of voter registration. Whilst I agree that we should encourage everyone that can / should be on the electoral register to be on it. I feel that I must point out that the letter as sent out has fatal flaws in it: for once again, Northern Ireland is different. The letter says… …And this is an important time of year to make that happen, as the annual canvass process is currently ongoing in council across the country. For … Continue reading Nick Clegg and Simon Hughes – get the drivel checked first
[Following the article on Lib Dem Voice, Tim Farron MP offered to write an article for this blog covering NI and Wales, here is the article – uneditied, straight from Tim’s keyboard.-Ed.] I wrote an article for Lib Dem Voice the other day about what I would do for Scotland why I hope that party members will choose me as our new President. I then thought that I need to talk about Wales and Northern Ireland too and what I can offer them and about the political challenges I see us facing together At this time especially, we need distinctive … Continue reading Exclusive: Presidential candidate, Tim Farron MP: why Lib Dems should vote for me
Just received an email from The Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, about the tuition fees debacle. In it, he says Most of you will agree that the existing system of the funding of higher education is unsustainable I do agree with him that the existing system of funding higher education is unsustainable, but might we not look at the underlying reasons for this. There are way too many students in the country, studying for far too many degrees. Some students, like perhaps Andrew Croskery, a recent graduate of QUB seem to see a … Continue reading Nick Clegg: funding of higher education unsustainable – not just the funding Nick
update: 5.50p.m., Guest Editor of Lib Dem Voice today, Caron Lindsay, says: I specifically asked both candidates to write 500 words on what they could do for Scotland so it’s not surprising that her article is specific to Scotland. Therefore it should be noted that this post was originally posted at 11.14 a.m., prior to this clarification from Caron. I am maintaining the substance of the article, however, as it reflects the articles as they were posted. In setting out her stall on Lib Dem Voice today, Lib Dem Presidential hopeful Susan Kramer MP, from Richmond, appears to have forgotten … Continue reading updated 5.50pm – Kramer forgets the Welsh – oops
I hope that all Lib Dem MPs will uphold their pledge. They must remember what our policy says: Liberal Democrats are the only party which believes university education should be free and everyone who has the ability should be able to go to university and not be put off by the cost. Continue reading Lib Dem MPs – remember your pledge – it’s OUR policy!
It is interesting to note that Sarah Teather MP, Minister of State for Children & Families is supporting the Scrap Tuition Fees campaign on her own website. I hope that she will continue to give her full support to this campaign when voting in the House of Commons on the Browne Report. Fair student finance is a campaign that has been near to my heart since I was a student at the University College of Ripon & York St John back in 1997 when I joined the Liberal Democrats during the general election campaign. As a member of LDYS I … Continue reading Coalition Government minister still supports Scrap Tuition Fees campaign
Gyronny Herald 