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Lessons from Rennard #2: the party needs to recognise three levels of...
The question of what level of proof is required for party disciplinary action has understandably attracted a lot of attention during the Chris Rennard saga. However, the focus on that risks obscuring...
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Lessons from Rennard #3: the English Party needs reform
I don’t normally like simply saying ‘here’s a problem’ or ‘something must be done’ without also giving an answer. So apologies for departure from normal service, as I’m much surer that something needs...
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Lessons from Rennard #4: who gets the party whip is a matter for the whole party
In their pre-democratic origins, British political proto-parties were collections of Parliamentarians. They had as their members whoever they wished, and if people outside Parliament didn’t like who...
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Four lessons from the party from the Chris Rennard events
To recap, four ancillary lessons I think the Liberal Democrats need to learn from are: Don’t judge Presidential candidates by their TV appeal: “voting in the current circumstances for a new President...
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Daisy Cooper: After the scandals, Lib Dems need processes that are fit for...
Liberal Democrat complaints procedure, as at January 2013. Continuing my series of guests posts from candidates for Liberal Democrat President, today it’s Daisy Cooper talking about one of her...
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The Liberal Democrat approach to campaigning: the history and debunking some...
The Journal of Liberal History‘s special edition marking the 25th anniversary of the Liberal Democrats includes a piece from myself on the party’s campaigning history. My motivation for writing it –...
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Chance Encounters: Tim Razzall doesn’t quite reveal where the Lib Dem...
#1319015 / gettyimages.com The cover of Liberal Democrat peer Tim Razzall’s memoirs features a quote from Nick Robinson, saying “After a quarter of a century as a Lib Dem power broker, Tim Razzall...
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What role would Rennard have under a new Lib Dem leader?
View image | gettyimages.com I’ve asked Tim Farron and Norman Lamb a set of five questions, most of which I’ll be covering over the weekend as the final votes are cast in the leadership contest. But...
View ArticleLib Dem peers elect Chris Rennard to Federal Executive
The Liberal Democrat group in the House of Lords has, to widespread surprise, elected former Chief Executive Chris Rennard to represent it on the party’s Federal Executive. In a contested election, he...
View ArticleGetting the reaction to Chris Rennard’s FE election wrong
The immediate reaction of some Liberal Democrat activists angered at the decision by Lib Dem peers to elect Chris Rennard as their representative on the Federal Executive has been to say ‘we should...
View ArticleLib Dem President: “I was disappointed that Chris [Rennard] put himself...
Caron Lindsay has blogged the message Lib Dem President Sal Brinton has sent to members of the Federal Executive (FE) following the decision by Liberal Democrat peers to elect Chris Rennard as their...
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Lib Dem special conference called in showdown over Chris Rennard – but will...
As I wrote earlier in the week regarding the controversy over former Chief Executive Chris Rennard’s election to the party’s Federal Executive (FE): An attempt to call a special conference is already...
View ArticleUPDATED: Chris Rennard stands down from FE
Here’s Tim Farron’s statement on the election of Chris Rennard to the Lib Dem Federal Executive (FE) by the party’s peers: As you know, Chris Rennard’s election to the Federal Executive has prompted...
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Better use of public data and software raised in the Lords
One thing my love of long-running local casework sagas (see potholes passim, for example) has taught me is how many different councils have developed – that is, paid for – their own individual IT...
View ArticleThe first bar chart? Richmond in 1979 (possibly)
One of the reasons for my love-hate attitude towards the state of modern British political science is the very limited approach taken to analysing and understanding tactical voting. There are huge...
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Chris Rennard backs move to kill off, not just delay, boundary changes
PoliticsHome reports: Labour peer Lord Hart has just tabled an amendment to the Electoral Registration Bill which would have another major impact on the timetable of the Coalition’s plans to cut seat...
View ArticleWell done Liz Barker, Andrew Phillips, Chris Rennard and Ros Scott
Continuing today’s theme of congratulations, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has picked 10 peers who “have most to contribute to debates on charity issues”, four of whom are...
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Tim Gordon scorecard, 1 year on
Last January I wrote an open letter to the party’s then new Chief Executive Tim Gordon, setting out four priorities. One year on, how are things looking? Here’s what I wrote (with introductory...
View ArticleThe Liberal Democrats, the allegations and the consequences
Here’s what I told the BBC:
View ArticleInquiries into Rennard allegations must be as public as possible
The party’s investigations into allegations against its members are traditionally internal, confidential affairs. There are good reasons for this, particularly as confidentiality can be necessary for...
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