Archive for danny alexander
Nick Clegg unites with Lords in battle to alter benefit cuts
So reports tomorrow’s Observer: David Cameron has been lobbied by the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, on the need to rewrite the government’s flagship benefit reform to help children suffering as a result. Clegg proposed a series of changes to the £500-a-week cap, including exempting current claimants, in an attempt to ameliorate some of the [...]
Liberal Democrats and the budget deficit: two policies often forgotten
In the debates about what the government’s fiscal policy should be, how wise Danny Alexander is and whether or not the Liberal Democrats are sticking to what they previously believed, there are two policies from the party’s general election manifesto which are often forgotten. (In fact, I’ve not seen anyone quote them though given what [...]
The party’s back to front: why our political messaging is wrong
Hearing both Danny Alexander and Nick Clegg speak several times at local Liberal Democrat events over the summer, something not quite right about their speeches was nagging away at the back of my mind. It was not the delivery, for both have speaking styles which are excellently suited to the semi-formal audience of between 20 [...]
Was there a Clegg coup? Review of The Clegg Coup – Britain’s First Coalition Government Since Lloyd George by Jasper Gerard
Many book titles reveal little about what their book contains, either providing but a banal name for its contents or a clever, clever name which obscures rather than reveals. However, The Clegg Coup – Britain’s First Coalition Government Since Lloyd George by Jasper Gerard has a title which is revealing in two aspects. First, the [...]
Tim Farron: good speech, but wrong message
Sometimes the toughest speaking gigs for MPs is when they are talking to a friendly audience – but something interesting is happening behind them. So it was a few months ago with Julian Huppert talking to Putney Liberal Democrats. Very thoughtful speech, well received by the members and supporters present – but Julian had to [...]
What Liberal Democrat members think of different tax policies
Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 550 party members responded, and we’re currently publishing the full results. Cut income tax and VAT but raise taxes on property: that’s the message from Liberal Democrat party [...]
The significant part of Tim Farron’s speech
Tim Farron is probably the Parliamentary Party’s best funny speech maker (though I’d pay good money to see him head-to-head in a laugh off with Alistair Carmichael), so it’s not a surprise that Tim’s speech to Liberal Democrat conference caught the headlines mostly for his humour and his stress-testing of political marriage analogies to destruction. [...]
Tax: The missing ingredient from the Liberal Democrat conference agenda
There are many weighty issues on the agenda for the Liberal Democrat autumn conference in Birmingham, as well as some potentially significant debates overthe party’s medium term strategy and policy outlook. There is also, however, a curious omission: tax. The word tax is not completely absent from the agenda, but aside from a reference in one motion [...]
Could you edit The Guardian? Take a simple test
Here’s a simple test to see if you too have what it takes to edit The Guardian. a. You have an interview lined up with a Treasury minister. b. You have a journalist who happily admits they don’t understand the difference between a cyclical and structural deficit. Do you say: 1. “Pah, so what? It’s [...]
