#No2secretcourts; Is there hope? Not much

So it seems that we are doomed to have secret courts after all.

We still have the Third reading to go - helpfully scheduled for Thursday so it's safely out of the way before the horror of Spring Conference. I asked Twitter last night when was the last occasion a bill was defeated at third reading. A C McGregor was able to fill me in...

Here is the said bill. It's a wowser.

So here are a few posers:

1. What is the point of conference anymore. Here's a comment from LDV from Alex Marsh that I think sums up the situation rather well...

As a couple of commenters have already noted, this vote raises important questions about the relationship between Conference and the Parliamentary Party. It isn’t the first time since 2010 that Conference has very clearly voted one way and Parliamentary Party has voted the other. But in the other cases it would be possible for supporters of the parliamentary party’s position to justify this (however unconvincingly) on the basis of dealing with the deficit etc (eg on WCA and the welfare reform bill) and the compromises of coalition.

But the secret courts bill is different. It isn’t about dealing with the deficit. It isn’t in the coalition agreement. It is in conflict with core principles of the party and conference signaled clearly that it was against it. The message to the Parliamentary Party couldn’t have been more obvious. Yet it was (largely) ignored.

We all know that the Parliamentary Party is not absolutely bound by Conference votes. But there needs to be good reason for departing from party policy. Is someone going to explain what the good reason is here?

As it is, the leadership seems to be saying pretty clearly that Conference motions, the views of the membership – the principles of liberalism? – are pretty much an irrelevance to whatever they want to do.

I’m going to Brighton this week as a voting rep. But I increasingly wonder whether there is any point.

Is anyone working on a book entitled “How we killed a long established and honorable political tradition over a few months of coalition”? If not then they should be.

2. Why do our parliamentarians think anyone from the grass roots is going to turn up and campaign for them a la Eastleigh if the wishes of the party are so singularly ignored? 

3. Lord Bonkers sums it up beautifully

And finally - thanks to those MPs who did support conference policy..

Mike Crockart
Tim Farron
John Hemming
Simon Hughes
Julian Huppert
Greg Mulholland
Sarah Teather

Lord Bonkers, as ever, nails it.

#notosecretcourts

The Daily Mail letter on No to Secret Courts. #iamspartacus #iamjoshaw

Here's the 'No to Secret Courts' letter in today's Daily Mail with all the signatories by yesterday. If you'd also like to sign Dm @_joshaw on Twitter or e mail Jo at  jo@libdemsagainstsecretcourts.org.uk

No to secret courts: A letter from 116 Liberal Democrats

Dear Sir, 
We are writing to urge all MPs to do the right thing by voting against Part II of the Justice and Security Bill when it has its Report stage in the Commons today.

The Justice and Security Bill runs a coach and horses through fair trial guarantees which have been part of our country's constitution since the Civil War and which were first enshrined in the Magna Carta. The secret court measures contained in the Bill could even apply to habeas corpus proceedings.

The stakes for our country could not be higher. The "War on Terror" led to many mistakes: liberty was sacrificed in the name of security. This led directly to British agents facilitating kidnap and torture such as the cases of Binyam Mohammed and Abdul-Hakim Belhaj. For those who are victims of such crimes to be shut out of the trials of their own claims for damages runs totally contrary to any notion of justice.

As the Special Advocates reiterated last week, the case for this Bill has not been made. The Joint Committee on Human Rights reported on 28th February 2013 that the government has failed to meet its requirements to make "Closed Material Procedures" less unfair.

We call on all MPs now to act before it is too late, and they become complicit in irrevocable damage to our constitution.

This issue goes beyond party politics. However, as Liberal Democrats the protection of civil liberties is of crucial importance. We are looking to Nick Clegg to lead the Liberal Democrat MPs in opposition to the Bill. 

Opposition to Part II is what liberal democracy demands of us. Secret courts must not form any part of the legacy of a government in which Liberal Democrats have a role.

Yours faithfully, 

1. Jo Shaw, Member of Liberal Democrat Federal Executive, London 
2. Martin Tod, Member of Liberal Democrat Federal Executive, Winchester 
3. Sarah Ludford MEP 
4. David Howarth, Cambridge 
5. Lord Strasburger 
6. Professor Philippe Sands QC, Camden 
7. Sandra Gidley, Romsey 
8. Robin Meltzer, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Richmond 
9. Elaine Bagshaw, Federal Executive member, London 
10. Daisy Cooper, Federal Executive member 
11. Mark Pack, Federal Policy Committee member 
12. Gareth Epps, Federal Policy Committee, Social Liberal Forum co-chair 
13. Benjamin Mathis, Hackney 
14. Sally Hooker, Greenwich 
15. Tracy Connell, Newcastle, Regional Officer 
16. Christina Shaw, Leeds NW 
17. David Shaw, Leeds NW 
18. Matt Whayman, Runnymede and Weybridge 
19. Chris Richards, Camden 
20. John L Oakes, London N6 
21. Paula Keaveney, Liverpool, Police and Crime Commissioner candidate, Merseyside 
22. Alix Mortimer, Haringey 
23. Tom Polak - Campaigns Secretary Nottingham Liberal Youth 
24. Rob Knight, Haringey 
25. Caron Lindsay, Member of Liberal Democrat Federal Executive, Livingston 
26. Charlotte Henry, Liberal Reform, Barnet 
27. Gemma Roulston, membership secretary, LDDA 
28. Lady Ellen Dahrendorf, London NW3 
29. Ruth Edmonds, Oxford 
30. Nick Thornsby, Liberal Reform, Rochdale 
31. Geoff Hinchliffe, Shipdham 
32. Peter Lloyd, Birmingham 
33. Councillor Jonathan Bloch 
34. Mark Platt, Westminster & City of London party 
35. Tom Barney 
36. Roger Crouch, Twickenham 
37. Jennifer Liddle, Cambridgeshire 
38. Kirsten de Keyser, Camden 
39. Andrew Brown, Bristol 
40. Simon McGrath, Chair, Merton Liberal Democrats, Liberal Reform 
41. Scott Walker, Nottingham 
42. John Faulkner, Guildford 
43. Kat Dadswell, Liverpool 
44. Cllr James Baker, Calderdale Liberal Democrats.
45. Emily Fieran-Reed, Islington 
46. Cllr Alaric Rose, Cherwell District Council 
47. David Wright, Harlow 
48. Nick Barlow, Colchester 
49. Tony Miller, President, Ealing Liberal Democrats 
50. Phil Stevens Chair Liberal Democrat Disability Association 
51. Mrs Janet King, Chair, Bromsgrove Liberal Democrats 
52. Corry Cashman, Leighton Buzzard 
53. Prof. Denis Mollison, Musselburgh 
54. Cllr Richard Cheney, Lib Dem Group Leader, Stratford DC 
55. Robert Leslie, Treasurer, Banffshire & Buchan Coast Liberal Democrats 
56. Hannah Bettsworth, Edinburgh South 
57. Simon P. Hughes, Epping Forest, Social Liberal Forum 
58. Richard Broadbent, Sutton 
59. Jonathan Price, London SE24 
60. Chris Smart, Chester 
61. Fionn O'Donovan, Oxford 
62. Richard Lowe 
63. Prateek Buch 
64. Charles Scanlan, London NW8 
65. Chris Nelson, Kettering & Wellingborough 
66. Rev Simon Wilson, Broadland 
67. Peter Brooks 
68. Neville Farmer 
69. Cllr Janet Battye, Liberal Democrat Leader, Calderdale MBC 
70. Anthony Fairclough, London Region Exec & Merton Borough 
71. Jonathan Calder 
72. David Abrahams, Camden 
73. Richard Morris, Richmond and Twickenham 
74. Alex Marsh, Bristol 
75. Geoff Payne, Hertfordshire 
76. Peter Reisdorf, West Kirby 
77. Bridget Fox, Islington 
78. Paul Wild, Walsall 
79. Lisa Smart, Hazel Grove 
80. Ros Gordon, Hampshire 
81. Patrick Hadfield, Edinburgh 
82. Lancelot Casely-Hayford, Liberal Youth Campaigns Officer 
83. Reece Edmends - Liberal Youth Non-Portfolio Officer 
84. Timothy Oliver, Hull 
85. Ellis R Palmer, Secretary of the Univeristy of Birmingham Liberal Democrats 
86. Robert Pitt, Secretary, Leeds Liberal Youth 
87. Kavya Kaushik, Liberal Youth co-Chair 
88. Joe Donnelly, Chair of Durham University Liberal Democrats 
89. Kevin McNamara, President of University of Kent Liberal Democrats 
90. Sam Fisk, Liberal Youth co-Chair 
91. Jezz Palmer, Youth and Student Rep, Winchester 
92. Conor McKenzie, Harrogate, Liberal Youth International Officer 
93. Ashley Wilkes - President of Lancaster University Liberal Democrats 
94. Jonathan Lancaster, York Outer 
95. Alexander J. Harding Last, Ipswich 
96. Will Fielding, Hull and Hessle Liberal Youth Officer 
97. Harry Matthews, Sheffield 
98. Alex Barry, Norwich 
99. Stuart Wheatcroft, Chair, West Midlands Liberal Youth 
100. James Higgin, Aberdeen 
101. Emma Sandrey, Cardiff Central 
102. Samuel Barratt 
103. Cllr Mathew Hulbert, Barwell, Leicestershire 
104. Dr Maria Pretzler, Swansea & Gower 
105. Katrin McClure, East Yorks 
106. Cllr Keith Moffitt, Leader, Liberal Democrats, Camden 
107. Conor McGovern-Paul, Kingston-upon-Thames 
108. Marek Lipinski, Ealing 
109. Jacquie Bell, Dunbar, Scotland 
110. Brian James Woodcraft,Eltham, London 
111. Jean Evans, Chester 
112. Jason Lower, Tonbridge and Malling 
113. Cllr Terry Stacy, Leader, Islington Liberal Democrats 
114. Adam Bernard, Cambridge 
115. Chris Caswill, Wiltshire 
116. Ed Fordham, Camden

Am I the only person who can't hear Vince saying "I will never be leader' in today's DP Interview?

According to Mike Smithson over at Political Betting, the above video from The Daily Politics shows Vince ruling himself out of contention for the leadership of the Lib Dems

The BBC has picked out some quotes to make the same point.

And now the odds on Vince being the next leader have been removed by the bookies....

Yet I've just seen it. And for the life of me I can't hear Vince saying 'no, never'. I can hear him saying 'maybe, in the right circumstances'...

Is it just me?

Dear Lib Dem MPs; you remember all those activists who helped win Eastleigh...

Caron Lindsay has written a fantastic blogpost posing the question..... 

Will we still like Mike after Monday's secret courts vote? #no2secretcourts

which is a tough one for Mike Thornton to answer. In a nutshell, Caron says...

"The activists from all over the country who poured into Eastleigh or spent hours on phone banks at home will really, really love him, though, if he does what Conference asked and voted to get rid of unfair and illiberal secret courts.Let's get to filling his inbox. Don't write loads - we don't want to overwhelm him - but do write. His first vote could be his most important"

Now, Mike is no doubt pondering this and cursing his luck that day one on the new job has bowled this particular googly at him.

But I'd like to widen the question to all our MPs. Yes we know Julian H and Mike C have done a stalwart job in trying to water down this bill - and voted against part 2 of the bill in committee. But it's still there, and after all the heat and noise, its suddenly become our (much better but still awful) bill. As I said the other day, it's the NHS bill, all over again.

Now, the estimable Jo Shaw has made an excellent case why we should firmly turn our faces away from this bill (her latest pieces, over at Lib Dem Voice and an even better piece over on the campaign website are must reads). 

So come on Lib Dem MPs. The grass roots did you proud in Eastleigh. Monday afternoon gives you a great chance to repay the favour.

Say NO to secret courts.

UPDATE

Just saw this tweet. Says it all

The other Lib Dem by-election triumph: Berrylands

Latest in The New Statesman. Hats off to the team in Kingston once again...

In light of last night’s by-election triumph (and our political editor’s written permission to show off a little), I’d like to accept the opportunity to say that our victory demonstrates why the rumours of a Lib Dem wipeout in 2015 have been wildly exaggerated. Berrylands was exactly the sort of seat the Tories should be winning, a relatively affluent corner of the world with a strong Conservative showing in the 2010 election and the sad loss of the previous Lib Dem office holder removing the incumbency factor. It should have been a shoe-in for the Tories.

That’s right, not Eastleigh. Berrylands. Don’t get me wrong, Eastleigh is a brilliant result – and it’s a victory for the grass roots, who flooded into the area from all over the country, joined phone banks if they couldn’t make it down there, or made big financial contributions to the cause. But it’s not in itself proof of the resilience of the Lib Dems. Because the amazing Eastleigh operation can’t be repeated in 2015 – there simply aren't enough feet to put on the ground.

But the Berrylands by-election, which also took place yesterday in Surbiton, south west London, is a much better demonstration of the resilience of the Lib Dem brand. A vacant Lib Dem seat in a Lib Dem-controlled council with a Lib Dem MP, it was a true test of the incumbency effect, not least because so many party activists were in Eastleigh, that the local team will have found themselves sadly stretched.

And as one notable Lib Dem resident noted, it’s not like the other parties didn’t take the Berrylands election seriously. They threw major resources at it. 

And even in Eastleigh, the Tories were thinking of Berrylands – here’s Maria Hutchings's final written tweet last night…

The Lib Dem candidate was local, the campaign was fought on local issues. And the net result – a Lib Dem hold on 38 per cent of the vote. And the Tories cursing the rise of the UKIP vote locally. I don’t know if this rings any bells with anyone?

Eastleigh means last night was a great night for the Lib Dems. Berrylands means the Tories should take a look at the Grant Shapps target seat list, full of Lib Dem-Tory marginals – and think again.

Quote of the Day from The Telegraph

From this rather good article

Eastleigh is yet more proof of an old adage: in the event of a nuclear holocaust, all that will remain of life on earth will be cockroaches, and Lib Dem activists handing out Focus leaflets attacking the cockroaches for not being local