Category: politics

Lib Dems, politics1 Comment

NI chair ‘is for Tim’

Michael McFarland Campbell

On Saturday I attended Scottish Liberal Democrats Conference at the Vine Venue, Dunfermline with fellow NI Lib Dem Stephen Glenn where we found Stephen McFarland also from the NI local party there as well. Both candidates for President of the Liberal Democrats were also at the conference, so we all took our opportunities to speak to them. Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale was the first we spoke to. Later on I took the opportunity to question Susan Kramer, formerly MP for Richmond. I had already worked out who I was going to vote for, but speaking to Tim … Continue reading NI chair ‘is for Tim’

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Labour, LGBT, Manchester, news, StonewallLeave a comment

Quote of the Day – #moreBS

Michael McFarland Campbell

It is not a member-run organisation. It does not give the opportunity to LGBT people to come together. Guess who? Got it yet? Yup. Once again Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive of Stonewall – this time at meeting of LGBT Labour at Labour Party Conference in Manchesteras reported in Pink News. So, quite what is the point of becoming a member? LGBT Labour have managed to have a meeting and vote in favour of gay marriage – so why can’t Stonewall manage to sort this out? It is good to see that some members of HM Loyal Opposition seem to be … Continue reading Quote of the Day – #moreBS

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Blogging, Lib Dem Voice, Lib Dems1 Comment

one of the Golden Dozen

Michael McFarland Campbell

Each week Lib Dem Voice publishes a list of its “Golden Dozen”. This week, Northern Ireland takes a quarter of that dozen.

Congratulations to Stephen for being at numbers 1 and 5, I’m amazed to have come in at number 3 this week. Thanks very much to Stephen Tall.

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 188th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere … Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (19th – 25th September, 2010), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed.

Don’t forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox – just click here – ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging.

As ever, let’s start with the most popular post, and work our way down:

1. David Laws Doesn’t Want to Return to Government on Stephen’s Liberal Journal.
“It is a sad case when someone is forcibly outed and loses their va-va voom as appears to be the case with one of the sharpest minds in the Lib Dem parliamentary team.” See also 6.

2. When the going gets tough, the defectors get going on Jonathan Wallace’s blog.
“She asks that her decision be respected. Okay, we will do that but I say to you Yvonne that you must respect your former colleagues who worked so hard to get you where you are now and who you have now left.”

3. Outrage at action of liberal youth executive on Michael Carchrie Campbell’s Gyronny Herald.
Unimpressed by their endorsement of Tim Farron for President: “I am outraged by this usurpation of the members’ rights.”
Continue reading “one of the Golden Dozen”

DELGA, LGBT, Lib Dems, politics, Stonewall1 Comment

according to Stonewall 55% think same-sex couples SHOULD be allowed to get married

Michael McFarland Campbell

Sitting at home, sorting out post, sorting out what is going to be eaten for lunch, when my boyfriend was heading out to Boots’ he found some post in his pigeonhole. He, having emailed Stonewall about the Ben Summerskill affair at Lib Dem Conference during the week, appears to have promptly got a letter seeking donations to their coffers. Enclosed was a leaflet which has the wonderful statistics from an Observer/ICM Poll in September 2008 that 45% think same-sex couples should NOT be allowed to get married using my simple arithmetic learnt in primary school, I can work out that … Continue reading according to Stonewall 55% think same-sex couples SHOULD be allowed to get married

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DELGA, LGBT, Lib Dems, Liverpool, news, politics, Stonewall, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Stonewall’s key priorities – has Ben Summerskill read them?

Michael McFarland Campbell

Stonewall has made a major error in letting its Chief Executive Ben Summerskill loose at the recent Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool. His statements are now well known, but it has opened up a can of worms that Stonewall will want to shut. However, I hope that others will join me in looking at what they have said they will do Stonewall’s key priorities for 2010-2011 EDUCATION Challenging homophobia in schools and colleges and underachievement by lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils through development of the Education for All programme. Raising standards through local government, the teaching profession and young volunteers. … Continue reading Stonewall’s key priorities – has Ben Summerskill read them?

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Lib Dems, Northern Ireland life1 Comment

a black hole: who’s who in the liberal democrats…

Michael McFarland Campbell

Just been entering my details on Who’s Who in the Liberal Democrats and come across a couple of minor problems. Minor problem number 1 I am a member of the Northern Ireland local party – indeed I am currently chair. However, although I can put my constituency in (Belfast North), there is no region for me I have decided to put in “Devon & Cornwall” to show my Cornish heritage. This is, however, not very satisfactory. I believe that my fellow blogger, Stephen Glenn, may have put “Scotland”. Minor problem number 2 Although this category does not apply to me, … Continue reading a black hole: who’s who in the liberal democrats…

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Lib Dems, politics9 Comments

Outrage at action of liberal youth executive

Michael McFarland Campbell

With the Liberal Democrats Presidency up for grabs, nominations are open. Some LibDems and [one] LibDem organisations are publicly backing various proposed candidates. Whilst I have no problem with my fellow Northern Ireland Lib Dem blogger, Stephen, publicly supporting Tim Farron MP, (Westmorland and Lonsdale). And I have no problem with Tim himself: I may decide to back him myself, after all I was on a Campaigns Department training week in his constituency with Jonny Moss and John Ault. I do have a problem with a post on the Liberal Youth website. Now, I am not a member of Liberal … Continue reading Outrage at action of liberal youth executive

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Belfast, gay, LGBT, news, politics, UUP1 Comment

Tom Elliott and the UUP need to grow up

Michael McFarland Campbell

So it seems that we are not going to see the leader of the Ulster Unionists in next year’s Belfast Pride march. As reported by Pink News, Tom Elliott MLA recently said that I have indicated at party meetings that whilst some members of our party would go to gay pride marches or GAA matches, I wouldn’t go. Personally, I am not surprised at the UUP’s decision to vote in Mr Elliott as party leader. Basil McCrea his opponent has been very good at attending Belfast Pride in recent years, particularly with his colleague John McCallister. It is clear that … Continue reading Tom Elliott and the UUP need to grow up

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Labour, Lib Dems, news, politics, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Phil Woolas needs to consider his words more carefully

Michael McFarland Campbell

crossposted at Liberal Democrats in Northern Ireland That campaign was marred by the interference of outside bodies including the Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC) and others. MPAC and others campaigned in favour of the Liberal Democrat. Phil Woolas MP in email published in Saddleworth News The above quotation comes from the embattled Labour Member of Parliament for Oldham East & Saddleworth in an email as quoted by Saddleworth News. A quick question for Mr Woolas. If it is not okay for MPAC to support the Liberal Democrat candidate, why is it okay for the Trade Unions to support the Labour … Continue reading Phil Woolas needs to consider his words more carefully

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Belfast, catholic, charitable, christian, gay, news, Northern Ireland life, politics, suffering1 Comment

love between two persons… is to be treasured and respected

Michael McFarland Campbell
The word ‘love’ must never be thought of as synonymous with the word ‘sex’. Love can take many forms…love between two persons, whether of the same sex or of a different sex, is to be treasured and respected. - Dom Basil, Cardinal Hume 1923 - 1999

It’s funny what you find on the internet about yourself…

This morning when I was surfing, I found two disturbing threads on two particularly disturbing forums. One was really a repost of the other.

To quote someone hiding behind the name of “Credo”, on one of the sites

and

the full text of the posts can be found here…

and also on this site posted by someone called Seosamh here… (warning only click if you really want to – it does not make for pleasant reading) Continue reading “love between two persons… is to be treasured and respected”