Tag Archives: Nick Clegg

Exclusive Paddy Ashdown Interview ‘I Am Devoted To The Liberal Democrats’

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Here is part three of our exclusive Paddy Ashdown interview. Take a look at part one and two.

That’s a good answer. In your diaries you are clear about how close you were to Labour before and after the ’97 election, and that PR was the price of coalition. Given that the Lib Dems eventually went into coalition with the Tories, with just a promise of a referendum on AV, how do you think events would have unfolded if you’d accepted a similar deal in ’97?”

I don’t know. I mean I can’t take you through the what would have happened parts of history. I suspect the circumstances would have been very different if we also had the referendum on a sensible system rather than a lesser sensible one. I don’t think you would have had the leading party in the country at the time deliberately doing what they could at the time to destroy the motion and the national newspapers at the time supporting them. That is the ‘what would have happened’ bits of history and we could all spend hours deciding how the world would be different  if Britain hadn’t won the battle of Waterloo; It’s very interesting but it doesn’t bear much relevance.

Paddy_Ashdown_3You also said in your diaries that you were worried that the party would start with Gladstone and end with Ashdown, what do you think was your greatest achievement as the Liberal Democrat Leader?

I have never ever believed that I am a good judge of my own achievements, I leave that to others to decide on what your achievements are. I was very proud to lead the Liberal Democrats for eleven years, I loved it, I am devoted to them. I was also very proud to be the International High Representative in Bosnia for the British Government.  No doubt I made mistakes in both of those jobs, probably quite a lot of them. When you have the privilege of doing jobs like that you can use it to your advantage and I quickly realised what I was good at and what I was bad at.

What do you think will happen with the Liberal Democrats in 2015?

I actually think all the polls now are wrong. I have to rely, as I always have done, on the good judgement of the british electorate, I think we have a good story to tell, we have been in government, everyone said we couldn’t do it. I think we have been more united than the Tories, tougher than the Tories, and played a really serious role in bringing our country through a crisis. If I know the British electorate at all well, when the moment comes, I think we’ll reap the dividends of that. I also think that the British electorate probably, having had the benefit of the coalition may not be very happy returning to absolute power in anybody’s hands. Also, having a coalition of some sort forces people to work together instead of spending all their time scratching each other’s eyes out. Maybe that is a much better system than what we had in the past. Those two things will help us I think.
Who Is Your Favourite Politician?

I think as someone said to me; ‘Who is my hero?’ and I said William Wilberforce who is as unlike me as you could possibly get, apart from Gladstone of course, who is the greatest Prime Minister this country has ever had both internationally and domestically, he was a man who said, “We did not march across the law of anti-slavery, we did not march towards a monument in the distance, we gathered friends like flowers along the way.” and I think he was an extraordinary politician.

Do you think we should have intervened in Syria?

No, I don’t. I’m against intervening in Syria while the opposition is so fractured and defused. Anyways, they’re being funded by extremist elements and encouraging extremist elements so, no, I thought that would lead us towards an engagement in what I think is a widening religious war. I did however think we should intervene in defense of one of the principles pillars of international law; a prohibition on the use of chemical weapons that has stood since 1926 and strained even Hitler and Stalin, and I thought that unless we were prepared to show strength to Assad, not by intervention because we wouldn’t have done, but there was a price to pay that was painful for breaking this principle of international law, then it would only have encouraged the wider spread of chemical weapons. So, no, I don’t think we should have intervened in Syria but I do think we should defend International Law and indeed one of the most important pillars of the international law that preserves some semblance of civilised behaviour in the prosecution of wars.

You testified against Slobodan Milosevic. Was that scary?

No, it wasn’t scary. It was more scary being bombarded by his troops. I mean, I testified about being in the middle of the Albanian villages when they were being bombarded by the main battle units of his army, that was much more scary.

I can understand that. You have done a lot of different things in your life. What is your favourite?

I think there is nothing I’ve done that will match my sense of pride of being a member of parliament for my own community of Yeovil. There is no thing you could ever do that matched being the representative in Westminster of the community you live in and love. So if somebody said you can have one line to put on your gravestone it would be ‘Member of Parliament for Yeovil’.

What was it like being an intelligence officer?

I was a perfectly ordinary diplomat

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Never stop learning.

Thank you Paddy.

 What do you think?

Exclusive: Paddy Ashdown On Clegg, The Tories, The Liberal Democrats & The NHS

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Part two of our Interview with Paddy Ashdown. Here he talks about politics. Part three will be up tomorrow. Let us know what you think. Part one, where he talks about writing and his books,  is here.

Do you mind if I ask you some political questions as well?

No, go on.

Would you prefer the Liberal Democrats to side with Labour at the next election?

That is a matter not for me or my preference but it is a matter for the British electorate voting in the ballot box.

Do you think Nick Clegg has been true to liberal values?

Absolutely. I think he is remarkable. I think he is…I am devoted to the man, I think he is one of the most brilliant politicians in Britain today. Hugely, publicly, under-rated. He’s got very, very good judgement. He’s got extraordinary courage and he is a liberal down to the marrow of his bones. So I think he’d undoubtedly make the best Prime Minister that you could have today.

He has a very hard job. Doesn’t he? 

It’s a thankless job. I did it for eleven years and let me tell you it is the most thankless job  because you represent the only philosophy: liberalism, that makes any sense.

He has it tough because generally people don’t seem to like the Tories

No they don’t like the Tories and I don’t like them either. I spent my life fighting them. If the public elects a coalition where the only coalition that can have a majority in the House of Commons inherently, mathematically, adds up to ourselves and the Tories do they really want people that don’t listen to them?, the public democratic view. And you better ask yourself what they like best. Do they really like the complete and utter corrupt mess this country was left in by Labour, which would have bankrupted young people for the next twenty years or do they like two parties that put aside their differences for the national interest and work together to get us out of the worst recession we have had since the 1930s and back on the path of growth. Which of these two would you prefer?

I agree with that, Labour left the country in a very big mess.

Absolutely. People have likes and dislikes in politics and what I’m interested in is doing what’s right for my country. That is what I have always been interested in and if the Liberal Democrats pay an electoral price for that, and I think they will by the way, if they did, if I was doing what I believed to be right for my country and helping it out of a crisis then I am proud of that and that’s what politics is for.

Do you think the Liberal Democrats made an error over tuition fees?

Yes, they made an error by promising it when it couldn’t be delivered. We’ve been in opposition for a hundred years, we haven’t been in government, so of course from time to time decisions which were driven to a certain extent by opportunism. I said at the time that we were making a promise that I didn’t think in the economic climate could be delivered. If we had been in government by ourselves I think we might have decided to sacrifice other things in order to deliver what we promised but we weren’t in government, we were in coalition. So, no, neither parties manifesto has been in operation. Both parties have had to make some compromises. I don’t call that anti-democratic. I call that the operation of democracy.

Do you think the NHS is being privatised?

What concerns me more than anything else isn’t who owns the NHS but how the public is served. How the citizen is served. For instance, even under the last government, under Mr Blair’s government, I had to have some health checks done and I went to a private organisation run under contract from the health service as an alternative means of delivering health services, that is; free at the point of delivery health services, and they did a wonderful job. Now I could have gone to a health service hospital, it’s all paid out of our taxes, it’s all paid by the national health service. One of those organisations was privately run, one was publicly run. It doesn’t matter who runs it. I don’t believe in private health but if there is a private provider providing to the health service under health service conditions and they can do it better for the costumer, then that is surely what you want. I mean I don’t believe the argument that says private/public is the necessary argument. I am strongly in favour of public services being offered free at the point of delivery and paid for on taxation, but who actually runs the organisation that delivers it is far less important to me than how well the citizen is served.

I agree with that. That is a question we get asked a lot but I got an MRI on my back and it was done through the NHS via a private company and they did an amazing job. Very professional, very quick.

Yes, that’s right. If you had a monopoly public service I don’t even think it would be a better public service. It needs competition. It makes people live up to the mark. I bet you there were more people abused and receiving bad service and ignorant service when the NHS was a public monopoly. I don’t believe in public monopoly. I believe in things being paid for either by taxation, free at the point of delivery but then who does that?, providing it is subject to inspection and national control is a matter of irrelevance.

 

It Used To Be No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish, Now It Is No Tories

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The election results of 2015 were shocking, but not as shocking as the reaction from the left. The level of bile and hatred has been truly shocking. I have seen signs on shops saying no Tories, signs requesting that Tories declare their political beliefs so they can be charged more, calls for Tories to be fired from their jobs. More famously the Women of World War Two memorial on Whitehall was vandalised.  by anti-Tory protesters who graffitied ‘Fuck Tory scum’ on the monument. Could there be a more disrespectful way to make a statement? I am not so sure. Although leftie darling Laurie Penny didn’t seem to have a problem with it.

My husband was sure Labour would get in and that there would be a coalition. You are wrong I said, you are forgetting about secret Tories. The truth is, tories have been openly discriminated against for years. In fact, they are one of the few people you can openly discriminate against and it is ‘okay’. The other is white working class males. (See Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class for details). There certainly is an irony there.

In 2010 I campaigned for Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith.  I campaigned for Zac because I thought he was a good, decent guy who could do good. I would have campaigned for him no matter what political party he was running for. The amount of abuse I got for campaigning for a Conservative was quite something. I lost friends and even work (I am an writer and actor. Both professions are notoriously left-wing). Even my own father commented that I was ‘no longer his daughter’. To this day we never talk about politics or my campaigning.

Social media is ablaze with comments about the destruction of the NHS (Spending actually increased under the last Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition) and comments about welfare cuts. The amount of status updates and tweets I have seen saying how anyone who voted Tory should be ashamed of themselves and are now responsible for the cuts and coming destruction is shocking. My friend Jeremy Drysdale referred to it as an ‘echo chamber’. People with the same thoughts and beliefs following other people with the same thoughts and beliefs, living in a bubble of their own political making. ‘You are an actor’. another said, which explains just how much left wing abuse and bullying I saw. But I am also friends with Conservatives so I get a more balanced view. My Conservative friends have been dignified in their silence. They are also some of the most decent, generous, caring and moral people I have ever met.

Truth is, I don’t hang my mast to any specific political party but I believe in Conservative values: small government, aspiration, working hard. What I don’t agree with is 11.3 million people being called ‘Tory scum’ just because they have a different political belief. There are even calls for a new voting system even though Labour won with less votes in 2005. Where was the protesting then? The Labour majority in 2005 was 66 with 35.2% of the vote and the Conservative majority in 2015 was 12 with 36.9% of the vote. The alternative voting system was rejected by the British Public four years ago. Now because some people did not get the outcome they want they are crying foul.

Truth is, as this excellent article by Byrony Gordon says, the left are just bad losers. You can’t abuse people with different opinions from you just because you didn’t get what you want. The truth is, both Ed Milliband and Nick Clegg were gracious in defeat. If only their followers did the same.

 What do you think?

 

 

 

New Labour Leader Will Be Chosen in September, Reports Confirm

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Labour, politics, leader, election, 2015Following one of the most controversial and tense General Elections of the 21st century, leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron finds himself at Number 10 once again after securing a total of 331 seats across the nation.

For Cameron, it was the “sweetest victory” but Friday 8th May had a far more sombre outcome for a whole host of MPs. After losing 49 seats, leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg made the heart-breaking decision to resign from the party after five years as Deputy Prime Minister.

Leader of the divisive UK Independence Party Nigel Farage lost his seat in his local constituency Thanet South, causing him to tell press he would be “taking summer off” – only for his resignation to later be revoked by the party.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon’s campaign served to highlight the flaws in the first past the post system, having gained 56 out of 59 seats but fewer votes than UKIP’s 3 million. Commentators remarked upon how 4.29 million voters are represented by 59 seats in Scotland, whereas 3 million UKIP votes were gained by just two MPs.

However, with all the drama that unfolded on election result day, without a doubt one of the biggest stories has to be the resignation of Labour leader Ed Miliband, who told followers in an emotional speech that he would “never give up” fighting for the nation. Having fought tirelessly as the main opposition to David Cameron, it came as a huge surprise and caused a social media uproar when Labour achieved just 232 seats.

Now, one week into the Conservatives’ new term, social media is already awash with speculation as to who will take over from Ed Miliband’s five-year leadership. Previously, political experts at Bookies.com had their eyes upon Chuka Umunna, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper to step up to the plate.

Now, sources have confirmed that the new Labour leader will be announced on September 12th, and it seems that Umunna is keen to press on with his campaign. The 36-year-old is a Member of Parliament for Streatham and has also held the position of Shadow Business Secretary since 2011. At nine years Miliband’s junior, with a little more than a decade’s experience in politics, Umunna will doubtless draw some cynicism compared to a man who has been a member of the Labour Party since the age of 17.

However, he has assured voters that he can turn Labour around, but warns that it will be a “five-year plan.” Speaking from Swindon for his Facebook page, Umunna said: “Some have in recent days now suggested it is a 10-year project to get the party back into power. I don’t think we should have any truck with that. I think Labour can do it in five years.

“I want to lead that effort as part of a really big Labour team getting Labour back into office, and building a fairer and more equal society. That is why we joined the Labour party in the first place.”

 

 

Plastic Bags To Cost 5p From 2015: Why It’s a Good Thing.

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It has taken a long time but there will finally be a charge for plastic bags. Plastic bags are to cost 5p in England in a bid to discourage their use. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will unveil the plan at the Liberal Democrat party conference this weekend. Scotland will charge from October 2014 and charges for single use plastic bags are already in use in Wales and Northern Ireland.

environment, effect of plastic bags on environment, plastic bags to cost money, plasric bags, wildlife,

The charges will apply to supermarkets and larger stores and the proceeds will go to charity. Watch the video below to learn why Frost thinks this is such a good thing. Plastic bags have a bad effect on the environment and can kill or hurt animals.

Here are our top 5 reasons why it is a good thing:

1: Stray bags choke and strangle wildlife around the world
2: Production of plastic bags requires millions of gallons of petroleum.
3: Less plastic bag use would significantly reduced carbon dioxide emissions.
4: In 2006, the United Nations found that each square mile of the ocean has 46,000 pieces of plastic in it. We don’t want to add to this.
5: There would be less plastic bags littered around, leaving the world a much more beautiful place. Over one trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year and 3-5% of these are recycled

What do you think?

Margaret Thatcher Dies At 87

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margaretthatcherMargaret Thatcher died today after suffering a stroke. She was 87.

The former grocers daughter was Britain’s first and only female Prime Minister. Lord Bell, her spokesman said: “It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke this morning. A further statement will be made later.”

Lady Thatcher will have a ceremonial funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral with full military honours.

Prime Minister David Cameron gave his tribute: “It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Lady Thatcher. We have lost a great leader, a great Prime Minister and a great Briton.”

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: “Margaret Thatcher was one of the defining figures in modern British politics.

“Whatever side of the political debate you stand on, no-one can deny that as prime minister she left a unique and lasting imprint on the country she served.

Liberal Democrat MP Martin Horwood tweeted: “Sad news about Baroness Thatcher. Don’t miss her policies but a towering figure in 20th c British politics, & made history UK’s 1st woman PM.”

Conservative MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston Zac Goldsmith tweeted: “There’s a reason every aspiring leader wanted to be photographed alongside Lady T. A giant, not just of the C20 but in our country’s history.”

Tom McPhail, Head of Pensions Research at Hargreaves Lansdown, said her government was responsible for the launch of Personal Pensions in July 1988 and for the scrapping of compulsory occupational pension scheme membership, in April 1988. Her political ideology emphasising individual rights and responsibilities, rather than collectivism (“there’s no such thing as society”) can still be seen today. Pension provision may be focused through the workplace but with the end of final salary pensions and the move to money purchase arrangements, the question of what people get to live on in retirement is increasingly dependent on the decisions which they take for themselves.

What are your views on Margaret Thatcher? Do you think she was a good Prime Minister? Let us know.

 

 

UNICEF famous faces join campaigners to speak up for children at Rio

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UNICEF famous faces join campaigners calling on government to speak up for children at Rio

Ewan McGregor, Rio Ferdinand, Eddie Izzard, Keira Knightley & more get involved

Ewan McGregor, Keira Knightley, Rio Ferdinand, Eddie Izzard, Keeley Hawes, Simon Reeve and Martin Bell are just some of the high profile figures who have joined UNICEF UK’s campaign calling on the government to speak up for children at this week’s Rio Earth Summit.

* McGregor, Knightley, Izzard, Hawes and Bell all filmed video messages for UNICEF UK’s Speak Up campaign.
* On 7th June, broadcaster and UNICEF supporter Simon Reeve joined young UNICEF supporters at a Rio discussion event with environment minister, Caroline Spelman.
* On 12th June Rio Ferdinand tweeted a series of comedy twitpics under the hashtag #Rio4Rio, urging his 2.8 million followers to sign UNICEF UK’s Speak Up petition.
* On 13th June, young campaigners met with Nick Clegg in Whitehall and handed him a list of the thousands of signatories who have signed the petition so far.

Rio Ferdinand, a long term UNICEF supporter, caused a Twitter stir last Tuesday when he tweeted a cryptic twitpic which read “Everyone’s asking ‘What’s happening with Rio?’” alongside a picture of him looking quizzical. Only from his later tweets – which included an image of the footballer wearing a feathered carnival head dress – did it become clear that Ferdinand was tweeting to raise awareness of UNICEF UK’s Speak Up campaign to ensure children are at the heart of the Rio Earth Summit’s agenda.

UNICEF supporters Keira Knightley, Eddie Izzard, and Keeley Hawes joined UNICEF Ambassadors Ewan McGregor and Martin Bell in recording special video messages stating that they are “speaking up for children at the Rio Earth Summit.”

Rio Ferdinand said:

“Speaking as a Rio, I know life isn’t all carnivals, beaches and playing football. At the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro global leaders will discuss the future of the planet and we want them to think about the world’s children. That’s why I’m speaking up for children with UNICEF UK and hope that everyone who follows me on Twitter will do the same.”

Simon Reeve said:

”We have to think more long-term and protect our planet for future generations. And so of course we have to get youngsters and children involved, and make them central to the debates and discussions that take place in Rio.”

Eddie Izzard said

“There is a massive opportunity for the UK government to put children at the heart of the Rio Earth summit. Children should be at the top of the summit agenda.”

Sign the Speak Up For Children petition at www.unicef.org.uk/speakup

VEUVE CLICQUOT BUSINESS WOMAN AWARD 2012 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

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Veuve Clicquot announces the shortlist for its Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award at the WIE (Women: Inspiration & Enterprise) 50 Power Breakfast at The London Stock Exchange chaired by Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, bringing together shining examples of female entrepreneurship and business success across sectors ranging from fund management to fashion and hospitality. The finalists are, in alphabetical order:

· Anya Hindmarch: Founder, Anya Hindmarch

· Helena Morrissey: CEO, Newton Investment Management

· Ruth Rogers: Chef & Owner, The River Café

Regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of female entrepreneurs and business leaders, the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award, now in its 40th year, celebrates entrepreneurial women who have made a significant contribution to business life in the UK. The Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award nomination criteria are those ideals epitomised by Madame Clicquot: Entrepreneurship, financial success, Corporate Social Responsibility and acting as a role model.

All Finalists selected by the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award judging panel demonstrated the strongest evidence of all nomination criteria. Notable achievements included Helena Morrissey’s groundbreaking 30% Club, which helps champion the issue of women on boards, Anya Hindmarch’s entrepreneurial story and global pioneering of her ‘I am not a plastic bag’ initiative which raised the issue of plastic bag usage amongst the public’s consciousness as well as the government’s agenda, and Ruth Rogers’ steady growing business, changing how we perceive, as well as cook, Italian cuisine.

Carolyn McCall, previous winner of the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award and current Panel member, noted: “The nominees for this year’s award are all great role models and have all the attributes that Veuve Clicquot looks for in its Business Woman Award. This award has played a vital role in recognising and celebrating women in business.”

Sian Westerman, MD of Rothschild and member of the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award Panel commented: “This strong shortlist, drawn from an excellent long list, exemplifies what women can achieve in business: strong entrepreneurship and leadership, combined with a desire and ability to deliver real change in society. Spanning areas key to the UK economy of fashion, finance and hospitality, they are great role models for all who aspire to succeed in business.”

The winner of the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award will be announced at a high-profile Champagne reception at The Ballroom at Claridge’s, London on the 18th of April 2012 at 6.30pm.

The Award’s 20-strong judging panel is comprised of business leaders, including Carolyn McCall, Chief Executive, easyJet, Jasmine Whitbread, CEO Save the Children, Duncan Bannatyne, Entrepreneur and Dragon, Caroline Michel, CEO, Peters, Frasers and Dunlop as well as Sian Westerman, MD, Rothschild and other key industry experts.

Christina Jesaitis, Senior Brand Manager, Veuve Clicquot said: “As we reach our 40th year of the award, social and environmental responsibility are still a key focus for our judges and this year’s finalists all represent business women that have embedded these important attributes into their organisations. The award also looks for those women that are able to act as more than just an example of a successful business woman, but rather an inspiration and mentor for future female entrepreneurs; we believe that all of our three finalists have demonstrated this quality.”

Created in 1972 as a tribute to Madame Clicquot and now operating in 27 countries, the annual Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award champions the success of business women worldwide who share the same qualities as Madame Clicquot; her enterprising spirit, her courage and the determination necessary to accomplish her aims.