Season's Greetings

Biscuits that look like David Cameron?

Here you go

Liberal Voice of the Year

It's getting to that time of the year when we vote on Lib Dem Voice's Liberal Voice of the Year - once they've completed the shortlist. And they've called for suggestions. I have a few...

Of course, everyone thinks it will be a shoe in for Nelson Mandela. They are probably right.  Even in his passing, he has probably done more for Liberal causes that the rest of us can achieve in a lifetime. He would be a worthy winner

But he is not my vote.

I think Time's 'Person of the Year' Pope Francis, would also be a fine choice. Who would have thought this time last year that I could even think of nominating the Pope? Although articles like this make me think again...

But anyway,  he is not my choice

I am intrigued by the President of Uruguay, who of course, has just legalised Cannabis in his country. Having read a little about him, he seems an extraordinary man. 

But he is not my choice.

An interesting and perhaps controversial choice would be Ed Miliband. No, stop spitting out your cornflakes. Either by accident of design , political slight of hand or political battering, he probably is the one person in the world who stopped the world going to war with Syria. For that alone, he would be a fine winner.

But my choice is the person who should have won it last year. Who has continued to show she is a fine liberal voice, an inspiration to the world.

My choice is Malala Yousafzai

This immigration row. Is it a Tory plot...?

George Eaton has written a post today in the Staggers pointing out that Vince cable did not compare David Cameron to Enoch Powell, and suggesting that the Tory outrage being expressed is all about getting Vince to resign/be sacked, essentially out of devilment more than anything else.

" ' I think there's a bigger picture here. We periodically get these immigration panics, I remember going back to Enoch Powell and 'rivers of blood' and all that, and if you go back a century there were panics over Jewish immigrants. The responsibility of politicians in this situation when people are getting anxious is to try to reassure them and give them facts and not panic and resort to populist measures that do harm'.

Read in context, it is clear that he was not comparing Cameron to Powell (any more than he was comparing him to 19th century anti-semites) but criticising his failure to respond effectively to the real Powells of today (Nigel Farage et al). The mention of "rivers of blood" was merely a reference to one of the defining examples of past tensions over immigration".

George makes a good case -  but I'm not so sure that's the sum of it. I think there is a bigger game afoot.

As I've written in the comments...

"Is there not a bigger game going on here? The Tories need the Lib Dems to come back in the polls and start retaking voters who have switched to Labour as a result of the Lib Dems going into government with the Tories. Staggers readers will argue that this won't happen, that voters who have switched are so angry with the Lib Dems that they will never come back, and polling backs this up to some extent - but it's the Tories only real chance of getting a majority.

For it to happen, the Tories reason, the left of the Lib Dems need to try and take control of the party from Clegg, as he is the biggest impediment to regaining voters from the left. Tim Farron is unlikely to force a leadership bid this side of the election - but Cable, if he is ever to lead the party, probably does.

So they argue, lets get Cable to resign, start stirring trouble, and wait for the European elections to panic the Lib Dems into changing leader.

Frankly, its a slightly desperate plan and isn't going to happen. But I wonder if that isn't what's in their minds anyway..."

Oh dear. It appears I am guilty of the crime of #everydaysexism

So, I wrote a piece for the NewStatesman yesterday, opining that I hoped one of the 2 women eligible to be the new Deputy leader of the Lib Dems (Tessa Munt and Lorely Burt) emerged from the pack victorious.

I was, in truth, quite pleased with it. We have a huge under representation of women in the party in the House of commons (7 out of 57 MPs and none in the cabinet) and this seemed the perfect opportunity to get a woman into a high profile position in the party - which I thought (and still think) would be a good thing.

And lots of people said nice things about the piece.

And then the ever vigilant Jennie Rigg took me to task.

 

And she wasn't the only one...

Others who has promoted my article found the same...

 

... and to be honest I can see what Jennie and others mean.

While the headline on the article is slightly misleading ( I didn't write 'The Lib Dems should elect a female deputy leader to address their women problem'), the main thrust of my article is that I hope Tessa or Lorely win because they are women. I do also happen to believe that they would both be brilliant. As of course would Julian or Duncan or Nick Harvey or any of the other men mentioned. We have a surfeit of riches.

But I didn't actually say that. and I probably should have.

So apologies. Won't happen again.

Anywhere, here's what called the stink

While the world feigns indifference at the news that there is to be a new deputy leader of the Lib Dems, following Simon Hughes's elevation into government (pretend all you like, but I know you care really), the party is buzzing with speculation about who will get the nod.

It’s a limited field – essentially Lib Dem MPs who are not part of the government– and already several names are being mooted. The right are pushing Jeremy Browne and already have a #teamjezza hashtag running. The left are pushing the activists' favourite, Julian Huppert. Everyone’s wondering if Tim Farron will have another go (and if he needs the bother). And of course there’s the endless amusement the election of Nick Harvey would provide, given it does appear Nick Clegg is not his absolute favourite person. What fun their daily catch-ups would be.

But all of those folk, and most of the other names getting mentioned in dispatches – Duncan Hames, Stephen Gilbert, Andrew George  - have one thing in common. They’re blokes.

Now, it’s easy to overstate the Lib Dems' 'women issue'. After all, we have numerous highly effective female ministers (Jo Swinson, Lynne Featherstone, Susan Kramer). We have some fantastically talented women in the party outside Westminster like Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Lib Dems or Sharon Bowles MEP, the first Liberal to chair the EU Economic and Monetary Affairs committee. And in candidates like Jane Dodds, Kelly-Marie Blundell and Layla Moran, we have accomplished women standing in winnable seats.

But the fact remains that just seven of our 57 MPs are women (two of whom are standing down in 2015) and we haven’t put a women into the cabinet since taking office. We need to find ways of raising the profile of women in the party in Westminster.

What a brilliant opportunity this is take a step in that direction – and elect one of the two eligible women MPs who could stand for the deputy leader role – Tessa Munt or Lorely Burt. Both are highly respected amongst the grassroots. Both would benefit from the boost in profile the job provides (and let’s not forget they are defending sub-1,000 majorities). And in one fair swoop, we’d have a future female leadership candidate in place. It seems a fair swap for the PPS roles they both currently fulfil.

There’ll be a lot of politics going on right now in Westminster, with soundings being taken and promises made. But I hope Tessa or Lorely grab the chance to stand. And I hope one of them wins.

David Cameron, Catherine the Great. Separated at birth?

You'll all have seen this by now. But blimey

 

and just to prove it's no fluke...

Update: Via The Spectator - turns out.... they are related!

Update 2: I see from this piece that the likeness was originally spotted by @sophie_gadd  and that she would like crediting; which is fair enough.

It's just like being Bob Woodward

Alright, not really.

But my little post asking where Nick's Little Black Book is seems to have developed a life of its own.

First, Andrew Rawnsley followed a similar theme in the Observer (entirely coincidentally I believe).

The yesterday, someone in the lobby followed up to Nick, asking the same question at the monthly press briefing (Hat tip George Eaton).

'Elsewhere during the Q&A, Clegg was asked whether he had his own "little black book" of Lib Dem policies blocked by the Tories and cited housing, border checks and banking reform as areas where they had prevented progress'. 

Then Stephen Tall was kind enough to blog about it at Lib Dem Voice

 And Now Benedict Brogan mentioned it in his daily newsletter

'He also reiterates his support for a mansion tax, suggesting that this will be in his "little black book" when the Coalition partners coordinate their divorce before May 2015.'

Many thanks to all.