Category Archives: Politics

Rebooting the Lib Dems with a new leadership model, innovation and radicalism

Liberal Democrats, Politics

After the grim night of 7 May 2015 Federal Executive and other colleagues must think radically as we look forward…..

1) CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE LEADERSHIP MODELS

We could learn from the Greens and SNP and have a leader (perhaps one of the women MPs that lost their seats?) that is not in the Commons.  This might also help address the chronic lack of diversity  in our team in the Commons; and provide more capacity to reach out through the media.  (This would require a caretaker leader as it would demand reform to Clause 10 of the party constitution.)

I agree with Greg Mulholland that the new leader really should have voted against tuition fees.

2) FUNDAMENTALLY REFORM THE PARTY TO REBUILD TRUST – WE NEED A ‘CLAUSE 4’ MOMENT

A new leader should develop a clear strategy for how and why the country should trust the Lib Dems again:

  • Lib Dems MPs in any future coalition should face severe party sanctions if they undermine our internal democracy; party rules should change to reflect this.  Like many party members (and certainly the wider electorate) I was clear we ran on a manifesto that was against rises in tuition fees; and we supported a coalition agreement that left us expecting all our MPs to vote against or at least abstain on tuition fee rises.
  • Develop better mechanisms to regularly hear voices from across the party; as a 2010 PPC I was only ever invited by one parliamentarian (Ed Davey) to provide round table input on policy whilst we were in Government.  It has always been a mistake in my view to create such a gulf between HQ’s treatment of candidates in ‘development seats’ versus ‘target seats’.  Development seat candidates can usually bring huge amounts of professional expertise to the table – all too often we have been a wasted resource.
  • Better support our volunteers – the allegations against Rennard (all too slowly acted upon) simply added to the trust issues.  We should take the Investors in Volunteers standard and ensure it is robustly implemented at every level of the party.
  • Open up party conference to online participation – enabling One Member One Vote (OMOV) decisions on conference motions/ resolutions and access/input by those that can’t afford to attend party conference.  I have been a Conference Rep for many years and believe we have had our time!   (Credit due to Andy Mayer’s Facebook discussion thread for prompting this addition to the list.)

3) TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP A REFRESHED POLICY PLATFORM; AND LET’S BE INNOVATIVE IN HOW WE DO IT!

We should take time to refresh our policies – and reach out beyond the membership to NGOs, business and other stakeholders as we do this.   A structured programme of inclusive conversations should be used to surface new ideas – and we should learn from innovative NGOs within The Observor’s 50 New Radicals, such as The Finance Innovation Lab.   Every household in the country should be invited to become a part of re-writing the party’s future agenda.

4) BECOME RADICAL OPPOSITION CAMPAIGNERS

Its time to stop the ridiculous politeness that permeated too much through our time in coalition with the Tories.  Lib Dems and our allies should be outside the Chilcot Inquiry offices demanding the report’s publication…. our MPs/Lords should be camped on Parliament Square facilitating campfire talks on voting reform (not sitting inside the House legitimising the status quo) ….  etc etc

5) CONSIDER CHANGE IN THE EXECUTIVE TEAM AT HQ

I have seen little over the past five years to give me confidence that Nick Clegg was getting the right advice at the right time – there needs to be collective accountability for multiple errors of judgement.  The level of change now required probably means that it is time for the senior Executive Team at party HQ to reflect on whether they have the legitimacy and energy required to deliver the fresh start and reboot the party now needs.

Andrew writes this blog post in a personal capacity.  He is former Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Brentford & Isleworth 2005 & 2010, and Group Leader on Hounslow Council (2006-10).

Time for Liberal Democrats to invoke clause 6.6 in defense of Europe and the spirit of the Coalition Agreement?

Coalition, Europe, Politics

For the first time since the General Election, and stepping back from the front line of community politics in West London where I was an active Liberal Democrat for a decade (a parliamentary candidate in 2005 and 2010), I feel compelled to speak out.

The Liberal Democrats have often allowed ourselves to be presented as mindlessly pro-European – we are not. We are pro-reform and the creation of a far more efficient, less bureaucratic EU. However neither are the Liberal Democrats isolationist – we are internationalists. Thus, the news of Cameron’s inept negotiations at the end of last week have left many of us dismayed and in the first instance speechless.

We are left particularly baffled by the flagrant betrayal of the Coalition Agreement which stated:

“The Government believes that Britain should play a leading role in an enlarged European Union, but that no further powers should be transferred to Brussels without a referendum. This approach strikes the right balance between constructive engagement with the EU to deal with the issues that affect us all, and protecting our national sovereignty.

“We will ensure that the British Government is a positive participant in the European Union, playing a strong and positive role with our partners, with the goal of ensuring that all the nations of Europe are equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century: global competitiveness, global warming and global poverty.”

There was nothing “positive” about Cameron’s engagement with European trading partners last week who are grappling with a financial crisis that is already damaging the UK economy, as well as potentially regional peace and security. As Clegg has said this morning there is a real danger the UK could end up looking “Isolated and marginalised”. Beyond this Cameron’s understanding of the views of the Liberal Democrat membership/supporter base, which he should carry with him as PM, appears to be severely deficient.

Such is the severity of this foreign policy set-back from an internationalist perspective that I wonder whether it is now time for 200 Lib Dem party members (conference representatives) to call a Special Conference of the party as clause 6.6 of our constitution allows:

“The Conference shall normally meet twice a year. Additional meetings may be summoned upon the requisition of the Federal Executive or the Federal Policy Committee or the Conference itself or 200 representatives entitled to attend the Conference.”

The Special Conference should consider two options:

1) Is Prime Minister’s action of sufficient concern that the Liberal Democrats should pull out of the Coalition; and, if not,

2) What actions Nick Clegg should be calling on the Prime Minister to take, to rebuild relations with our European trading partners – and ensure that Coalition relationships are not undermined so severely again.

As Lord Oakeshott has pointed out it was David Cameron’s job to go to Brussels and represent Britain as Prime Minister of a Coalition-led Britain, not Leader of the Conservatives.

Lib Dem / Con Coalition – Some reflections…

Coalition, Liberal Democrats, Politics
A number of people have written to me in the past few days expressing concerns about a Lib Dem/ Con coalition.
Some of you asked me to communicate on these concerns at the highest levels of the party, which I did. I share your anxieties. Political campaigning for the Lib Dems (often against the Conservatives) over the past decade has cost me personally many tens of thousands of pounds.
Some of you expressed concerns about Nick Clegg having talks with Labour at the same time as the Conservatives. I believe this was the right thing to do, to get the best possible deal for the country. I was part of the same cross-party discussions that took place after the local elections here in Hounslow (2006). All options must be explored in such circumstances.
Stephen Tall sets out the impossible choices before Nick Clegg:
In the end I think Nick went for the least worst option. Today’s press conference fills me with considerable optimism and confidence. Watch it here:
Also read the Coalition Agreement which again contains a huge amount that we can celebrate:
I do hope you will reserve your judgement a while longer and see how this new Government performs. Already, I believe, it is starting to deliver a new politics for this country.