Archive for chris rennard
Chris Rennard asks question in Lords over Liu Xiaobo
Yesterday Liberal Democrat Voice ran a post from (Lord) Chris Rennard about a question he had tabled regarding the Chinese Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. It’s now been asked and answered in Parliament, and here’s the transcript from Hansard: China: Liu Xiaobo Question 3.29 pm Asked By Lord Rennard To ask Her Majesty’s Government [...]
Learning the lessons of the 2010 general election
I’m currently working with Shaun Roberts on updating the old ‘how to win your ward’ ALDC publication. The publication has in fact a long heritage going back through the Liberal Party and there is an interesting indication of how the party has developed as you follow the literary thread from the old Community Politics pamphlet [...]
Weekend voting gets another push from Jenny Watson
In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, Electoral Commission chair Jenny Watson repeated the Commission’s interest in seeing a switch to weekend voting:
Flexible election schedules, including opening the polls for entire weekends, should be considered to make the system more relevant to 21st century life, she said.
These comments echo strong public support for weekend voting, [...]
Strong public support for electoral reform, weekend voting and fixed term Parliaments in new poll
The public overwhelmingly backs major changes to the way our electoral system is run according to a new poll commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust.
Just under two-thirds of people (65%) agree that, “This country should adopt a new voting system that would give parties seats in Parliament in proportion to their share of votes” [...]
Should election voting switch to weekends?
Weekend voting is being promoted by former Lib Dem Chief Executive Chris Rennard as a means of both raising turnout and preserving the tradition of having counts start promptly on the close of polls at a general election.
House of Lords reshuffle: Chris Rennard joins front-bench team
There’s been a small reshuffle of the Liberal Democrat team in the House of Lords. The most notable change is Chris Rennard joining the front bench teams for Constitutional Affairs and for Communities & Local Government.
Other changes included Sue Miller stepping down from Home Affairs, to be replaced by Sally Hamwee. Graham Tope takes over [...]
+++ Parliamentary authorities clear Lord Rennard of breaking expense rules
This just in from the Clerk of the Parliaments, the official who has been investigating a complaint against the Liberal Democrat peer and former Chief Executive Lord Rennard.
The ruling rejects allegations that Chris Rennard claimed overnight subsistence for days that he was not present and also rejects allegations that he made claims related to having [...]
The inside story of how the Lib Dem general election manifesto will be drawn up
The debates and disputes around the Liberal Democrats’ Bournemouth conference give a taste of what is likely to be a tricky process of drawing up the party’s manifesto for the next general election.
Formally, there is a three part process to that manifesto: the manifesto working group chaired by Danny Alexander will present work to the [...]
Chris Rennard's conference rally speech 2009
The former Liberal Democrat Chief Executive, Chris Rennard, gave one of the speeches at the party’s conference rally in Bournemouth earlier this month: You can also watch it on YouTube here. A related update: the House of Lords ruling clearing Chris Rennard of breaking the Parliament expense rules is up on Scribd here.
Ros Scott writes about Chris Rennard’s resignation
I first met Chris Rennard in the run-up to the 1999 European elections, when I was the number two on the East of England list. Of course I knew who he was, a campaign legend, whilst I was just starting my career in politics. Then, as now, he was a source of wise advice, exceptional [...]
