Archive for norman baker
Liberal Democrats Conference round-up and preview: Sunday/Monday
What happened on Sunday in Birmingham at Liberal Democrat conference and what to watch out for today, Monday:
(To find out more about any of the motions I mention, or indeed the others I’ve not highlighted, see the full agenda for the Liberal Democ...
Lib Dems plan rail expansion by cutting road projects
So reports the BBC:
The Liberal Democrats have set out plans to reopen thousands of miles of railway tracks and stations.
The scheme would be funded by cutting capital spending on roads by £3bn.
Its new Rail Expansion Fund would lead to the biggest expansion of the rail network since the Victorian era, the party claims.
Motorists’ group the [...]
Follow the yellow brick road? The Liberal Democrats' general election campaign
Here is my chapter from the Total Politics Guide to the 2010 General Election, looking at the prospects for the Liberal Democrats: The 1997 general election turned out to be a once in a generation opportunity for many local Liberal Democrat campaign teams to gain a Parliamentary seat from the Conservatives. At the tail end [...]
James Purnell accused of abusing expenses rules
An ironic twist in the latest MP expenses story - this time is it James Purnell, the minister in charge of ensuring that the rest of us don’t claim too much in expenses, who is accused of claiming back more in rental costs than he actually paid out. The Sunday Express writes:
CABINET Minister James Purnell [...]
Opinion: A new challenge for people wanting to clear up public life
What do Bob Quick, Damian McBride and Den Dover MEP all have in common? They have all been caught up in a public scandal (security lapse, smears, expense claims). They all have or are being booted out (Quick has resigned, as has McBride; Dover was expelled from the Conservatives and is stepping down as an [...]
Minister tackling offshore tax havens … uses an offshore tax haven himself
As the Sunday Times reports:
LORD MYNERS, the minister in charge of the government’s assault on tax havens, has used a blind trust to conceal £250,000 of his own money in an offshore shelter.
Details of the secret holding have been obtained by The Sunday Times as G20 leaders gather in London pledging to stamp out tax [...]
Peter Mandelson vs Norman Baker
From the Daily Mirror:
Lord Mandelson yesterday was at the centre of a secrecy row after refusing to reveal his business interests.
The Business Secretary has placed all his shareholdings in a blind trust - meaning they cannot be seen by the public…
Lib Dem MP Norman Baker said: “He must know what has been put in and [...]
