A great speech from Nick Clegg at the end of the Lib Dem Spring conference yesterday.
Actually it wasn't the end for quite a few delegates and MPs as they went out delivering leaflets in quite a few parts of the City for us.
So big thanks to those who helped... and sorry to those who got rained on!
It was interesting to see how the Convention Centre works. The staff were really helpful and we had a record attendance at this conference so they probably had more people to deal with than expected. In his end of conference thanks, Simon Hughes said the staff at the conference hotel - the Crowne Plaza -were the most helpful of any conference hotel he had been to - so huge praise for them too.
The party is looking at coming back to Liverpool. I hope so.
5 comments:
I have to say I liked a lot of the content of Cleggs speech.
I am particularly supportive of the idea of voters being given a by-election if MPs are found guilty of mis-conduct.
Though I would like to see it applied to councillors too, though I can't see it getting much support in Liverpool for obvious reasons !
Is this something you would be willing to champion at a local level?
I thought Clegg's speech was good too.. although I am beginning to hanker after someone actually using the lectern rather than roaming the stage!
His suggestion was that if an MP is suspended from the commons for the sort of reasons Derek Conway is, there should be a recall ballot. I took this to mean a ballot on whether to have another election -voters could vote against a recall if they thought on balance they wanted to stick with their MP and vote for a ballot if they wanted another choice. I seem to recall this is how Arnold S first got in as governor of California - a recall ballot then an election.
Would I support in at local level? Haven't ever thought about it to be honest - but I think there is a strong argument if someone is actually suspended for a period of time - although I can't remember any cases of suspensions. There have been some where people have just stopped being councillors because of a ban for however many years ( I think there was one a while back in N Yorkshire?) But in that case you would have a by election anyway and that person couldn't stand again.
An interesting one to ponder tho.
suspended for a period of time?
theres political talk if ever there was some.
Whats wrong with a simple commitment that if an elected official is fouond by the standards board or other relevant authority to have acted inappropriately, broken rules governing behaviour or have been proven to have lied to the electors regarding a matter related to their public office the voters should be consulted ?
By your weasely 'period of time' answer this wouldn't apply to Conway as he was suspeneded for about a week.
I'm sorry Paula but I detect in your answer a certain reserve based solely on the current scandals that Liverpool lib dems are embroiled in, which demonstrates exactly why people have no faith in politicians.
err. a week is a period of time surely. A day is a period of time. What I am getting at is that this works where someone is suspended for a period but then entitled to come back. It doesn't work for those thrown out completely - as has been the case with some local government elected members - as they are completely out so you have to have the by election anyway.. and actually the voters have no say about whether they want one! The lady who was chucked out in n yorks (?) was chucked out because it was felt she had gone too far in representing a constituent at some sort of a hearing over a child in care. Her constituents weren't given a chance to say yes or no.
I detect in your posting a desire to misread what I have said! Let's agree to differ.
To pm swimmer: it's not only Liverpool Lib-Dems that are involved in scandals, it also happens with Liverpool Labour members too (and very recently in Clubmoor ward). That's politics. I agree with the point of view that members should be responsible for their actions and if that means being struck off, then so be it!
Post a Comment