Writing a post like this is liable to inflame some of my fellow Liberal Democrats and other friends who simply dislike Tories, but the results of Thursday’s elections to the Scottish Parliament deserve comment, not least because of the extraordinary revival of the Scottish Conservatives under their leader Ruth Davidson. I am proud and fortunate to… Continue reading Ruth Davidson – a new kind of politician, a new kind of politics
Category: UK Politics
Labour leadership: Dan Jarvis, a loss to his party and to the nation
I’m not a supporter of the Labour Party and, other than a brief flirtation in those heady days of optimism of the first Blair term of office, never have been. It is therefore surprising that I choose to comment on the forthcoming leadership election in the Labour Party. I was however moved to write by… Continue reading Labour leadership: Dan Jarvis, a loss to his party and to the nation
General Election 2015: good luck to candidates – and their constituents
With three days to go until polling day in what is likely to be the tightest and most unpredictable election in living memory, my thoughts go out to all candidates and their campaign teams as they approach the big day. They also extend to the electors, especially in highly marginal constituencies, who will have been bombarded… Continue reading General Election 2015: good luck to candidates – and their constituents
Football Governance: time for an independent commission
Speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow, I called for the establishment of an independent commission, representative of the whole game, to comprehensively review football’s governance to make it more effective, inclusive, and no longer subject to conflicting vested interests. Moving an amendment to the party’s policy on football, I focused my fire particularly on the FA… Continue reading Football Governance: time for an independent commission
Syria vote: a victory for British democracy
Last night’s vote in the House of Commons not to endorse the Government’s proposed intervention by the UK armed forces to deter any future use of chemical weapons in the Syria’s brutal civil war is – whichever side of the principal argument you are on – a victory for British democracy and our parliamentary system.… Continue reading Syria vote: a victory for British democracy
The Terrorism Act? What on earth were the Police thinking?!!
Regardless of your view on the rights and wrongs of Edward Snowden’s leaking of US intelligence data, the use by British Police yesterday of the Terrorism Act to hold the partner of a Guardian journalist connected to Mr Snowden seems inappropriate, disproportionate, and quite frankly wrong! David Miranda, the partner of columnist and journalist Glenn… Continue reading The Terrorism Act? What on earth were the Police thinking?!!
On being bisexual – my appearance on Radio 4
On Monday this week, I accepted an invitation to be interviewed by Eddie Mair on Radio 4’s PM programme (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0367mxn – minutes 46-52) to give a response to the decision of Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski to come out as bisexual. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tory-mp-daniel-kawczynski-comes-out-as-bisexual-8680343.html) I guess I was asked to appear because I, like Mr Kawczynski, am also an elected… Continue reading On being bisexual – my appearance on Radio 4
Equal marriage: why we need equal civil partnerships too
Tim Loughton MP, the sponsor of yesterday evening’s amendment to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill which would have introduced Civil Partnerships for opposite sex couples, does not have a record of supporting LGBT equality. Indeed, his motives in putting forward the amendment may not have been entirely straightforward, but that doesn’t take away from… Continue reading Equal marriage: why we need equal civil partnerships too
a judicial system for all, not just the privileged few
The Ministry of Justice is in trouble. Its finances are a mess and it is struggling to find savings across its responsibilities for the Courts & Tribunals Service, Prisons, and Probation. But unlike other departments of state, the ‘overspend’ is not due to profligacy by ministers of whatever colour nor to lack of budgetary control… Continue reading a judicial system for all, not just the privileged few
Margaret Thatcher – a working class revolutionary?
I should begin with a warning. My friends and followers of both a left and a right wing persuasion are not going to like this post. On Saturday night I watched Channel 4’s insightful documentary “Margaret: Death of a Revolutionary” where Martin Durkin presented his radical thesis: that Margaret Thatcher was a working class revolutionary,… Continue reading Margaret Thatcher – a working class revolutionary?
C. E. Lord OBE 