Archive for paul burstow
Nick Clegg: how we’ll change unfair care system for pensioners
Monday should see the government publish details of how it will respond to the Dilnot Commission and improve the way people pay for care in their old age. It’s a policy the Liberal Democrats in government have had a very large hand in – and one which there will therefore be a bit of a [...]
Paul Burstow demonstrates how to be an effective ex-minister
During the first couple of years of this Parliament, my own travels around Liberal Democrat local parties often crossed over with those of Paul Burstow. For all the controversy over the health reforms, I was always impressed by just how often he made local party visits, happy to talk in detail and at length about [...]
Paul Burstow is new chair of the Parliamentary Party
A bit of party news today with various posts being filled. Paul Burstow has been elected chair of the Parliamentary Party, succeeding Lorely Burt who in the reshuffle became PPS to Danny Alexander. Meanwhile there have also been changes at both the Commons and Lords end to the Co-Chairs of various Liberal Democrat Party Parliamentary [...]
Well done Norman Lamb for taking suicides seriously
I’ve commented previously on how many suicides there are – and how rarely these tragedies register on the political radar. For example, from 2010 comes this: There are seven suicides for every one murder I sort of knew this statistic already, but was quite shocked when working out the actual numbers: Number of murders in [...]
Reshuffle thoughts: how does it score against my four criteria?
Ahead of the reshuffle, I posted four criteria against which the Liberal Democrat part of the shuffling should be judged. Now nearly all the details are in, how does it look? Most importantly, have people been put in jobs they’ve got a decent chance of doing well? It’s hard enough being a minister in [...]
The Politics of Coalition: How the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Government Works
Robert Hazell and Ben Yong’s work, The Politics of Coalition: How the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Government Works, is a very readable volume, written mostly in the style of an introductory politics textbook and based on extensive interviews with the participants, including at very senior levels. The book is well done, readable, comprehensive and has a few [...]
Excellent news from Paul Burstow on carers
Citywire Money reports: The ‘sandwich generation’ who are forced to look after elderly relatives as well as support children will be given a helping hand … Under government plans, carers will be given legal entitlement to services that will help support them and their families, including the right to respite holidays, help with transport and [...]
Paul Burstow outlines plans for social care reform
Earlier this evening I headed off to Alexandra Palace to go past the spectacular views and hear Paul Burstow talk about his plans for social care reform: Phew, nearly missed out on @haringeylibdems raffle tickets flic.kr/p/c8oxrf — Mark Pack (@markpack) May 30, 2012 Paul Burstow making good point that social care was Beveridge’s orphan – left [...]
Where next for the Lib Dems on NHS reform?
It is becoming a fixture on the political calendar, that as spring approaches so too does another Liberal Democrat conference debate on health. Cue headaches for Liberal Democrat party managers and nervousness among Conservatives. What will the Liberal Democrat grassroots demand? How much will Cameron and Lansley be prepared to concede in response? The procedural steps [...]
