Vince Cable’s attack on coalition partners (video)
In the light of a resounding defeat in the local elections last weekend, as well as a clear cut rejection of their proposed new alternative voting system, the LibDems seem to be still recuperating. Business secretary Vince Cable has come out to call his party’s governing partners “ruthless, calculating and very tribal”.
In an interview to the BBC he also affirmed the LibDems continuing priority is to look at and resolve the country’s economic issues, and that the coalition will remain united. This was reinforced by Tory Home Secretary Theresa May. It is believed the Liberal Democrats are particularly riled by the way the Conservatives allowed the No to AV campaign to be carried out. Much of it was focused on personal attacks towards the LibDems and their leader Nick Clegg, who was the main public figure behind the revised voting system.
The heavy defeat in a referendum that constituted one of the major concessions allowed to Mr Cable’s party in the forming of the coalition means that the LibDems are now under pressure to step up and prove they are not in the just for cosmetic reasons. The Labour Party points out that Clegg’s party should bow their ear to calls from voters to tone down ruthless Conservative policies, such as an important reform to the NHS and overall health system, and a shake-up of the composition of the House of Lords.
Government moves on after AV vote and results
The opposing sides of the alternative vote debate in the government have declared their intention to put the matter behind it and get back to the pressing issues still facing the country today. LibDem leader Nick Clegg says his party will now continue to work for the pressing matters at hand – mending the UK economy, addressing unemployment and restoring a sense of optimism to its people. His was the strongest voice in the request for a change in the voting system as the LibDems and part of the Labour Party actively pursued a “Yes 2 AV” campaign.
In what was an unexpectedly strong polling turn out, supporters of the alternative supporters only counted up to 32.1% of the votes, while the “No 2 AV” side registered 67.9%. 19.1 million people voted in what was the country’s only second UK-wide referendum in history.
Prime Minister David Cameron, whose Tory Party was a fervent opposant of the alternative vote, described the outcome as a “clear and resounding answer” to a “straightforward question”. The PM equally underlined the importance of switching focus back to the daily matters facing his government, by continuing to work together with the Liberal Democrat partners at Westminster.
Nick Clegg denies past donation misuse
Following revelations by The Daily Telegraph that the now LibDem leader had monthly donations from three businessmen go directly into his personal bank account back in 2006, party representatives have come out to say all the money was properly accounted for, registered and used in support of Liberal Democrat expenses. The payments, said to amount to £250 per month, came from a Diageo, a KPMG and an ex-gold-mining executive respectively. They are all registered as official Lib Dem donors. Mr Clegg went on record this week by saying the funds were used to pay a member of his parliamentary staff.
In contrast, The Daily Telegraph claimed it had found documents which were pointing towards personal uses of the money, for purposes such as Mr Clegg’s mortgage, shopping and other expenditures. However, these donations were officially registered as required with the specific institutions (the Electoral Commission, the Parliamentary Register of Members Interests) at that time, said a spokesman for the Lib Dem MP. Suggesting that there was improper use of the funds is “utterly unacceptable”, the Tory representative went on to declare.
The issue of party donations is likely to be dug up again, as Nick Clegg prepares to face his main general election opponents tonight, in the second live TV debate bringing together the main party leaders. The debate will start at 20.00 BST and is hosted by Sky News.
photo: LibDemsLib Dems unhappy over compromises in passing bills
With the current Parliament term drawing to a close, due to be dissolved next Monday, the so-called “wash-up” period has caused a stir among some MPs, unsatisfied at the deals being made between the parties to pass several bills late on. Angry exchanges could be witnessed in the House of Commons this week, as laws such as the digital economy bill were rushed through the process, before being cleared by the Lords.
Liberal Democrats in particular complained about what they called the “collusion” between the two main parties to dilute a proposed reform of the House of Lords. Reforms put forward by the Lib Dems included measures for the resignation or expelling of Lords, as well as a plan to gradually phase out remaining hereditary peers in the House. David Howarth, Lib Dem justice spokesman, yesterday declared: “the process of ‘wash-up’ is now washed up“.
At the opposing end, Shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve thought there was no such “collusion”. The Conservatives made such compromises as dropping their opposition to the six-year keeping of DNA information on people not charged with any offence, announcing however they would attack this again should they win power in the election next month.
photo: davidChiefScottish Start for Liberal Democrat campaign
LibDem leader, MP Nick Clegg, was in Glasgow today to officially get his party’s general election campaign under way. As the marginal seats across the country are said to ultimately represent the determining factor in this election, Clegg has promised to drop in on as many such constituencies as possible in the month leading up to election. In Scotland, only a few hundred votes separate the Libder Democrats from the Tories in second place.
While in Glasgow, Mr Clegg called the Tories’ financial plans a ‘VAT bomb’, saying that people would be forced to pay up to £389 more in VAT every year while under a Conservative ruling. Not that the public would fare much better, under a Labour cabinet, he announced. Scottish Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott, as well as Charles Kennedy, also took part in the Scottish launch of the party’s campaign in the city. From there, Clegg was due to travel on to other constituency, with his schedule for today alone taking him on more than 1,100 miles by road or air.
photo: LiberalDemocrats
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