European Liberals prevent restrictions on E-cigarettes

Mary Reid writes in Liberal Democrat Voice:

In the European Parliament earlier today, MEPs backed a Liberal Democrat amendment which will ensure that electronic cigarettes are available for sale on the same basis as tobacco.

The original proposal from the Commission was that e-cigs should be treated as medicines, which would have restricted sales. But the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe  (the Group to which our Liberal Democrat team belongs) argued that they had a major role to play in reducing tobacco-related deaths. The amendment did require e-cigs to meet safety standards and for advertising to be restricted.

We have received comments from two of our MEPs who have been actively involved in this issue.

Chris Davies says:

E-cigs can be a game changer in the fight against smoking.  Hundreds of former smokers have written to tell me that they have helped them give up cigarettes when nothing else worked.

They are successful because they are not medicines but products that smokers enjoy using as an alternative to cigarettes.

Every year 700,000 people in Europe die of smoking-related disease. We should not do anything that makes e-cigs harder to obtain than tobacco cigarettes.

Rebecca Taylor says:

Many smokers have already quit tobacco by switching to electronic cigarettes; today’s vote will help more of them to do so.

Tweet from LibDem electoral guru

Mark Pack @markpack

Good news: latest quarterly stats show Lib Dem membership up. 1st time that's happened outside a general election in a decade

3:28 PM - 4 Oct 2013

Vince Cable's directors' pay reforms come into effect today

Under legislation piloted by Liberal Democrat minister for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable, companies will for the first time be subject to a legally binding vote on pay policies. From today, shareholders will finally have the power to link pay of directors to their performance, instead of merely registering protests through advisory votes on remuneration reports.

More on the application of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act here.

Peter Black's Park Homes Act

Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Peter Black saw his Private Members Bill to protect mobile home residents passed into law in Cardiff yesterday.

The new law will not apply to holiday sites - only to sites where people have permanent homes.

"Under the current law there is little protection for residents from unscrupulous park homes site owners, a minority of whom may exploit their position for personal gain," Mr Black said, "Many of Wales's 96 park homes sites are run well but there is little legal help when disputes arise.

"Problems can include poor site management and vetoing or deterring legitimate sales.

"My bill will stop this unfairness. Wales will have a new system that will protect people by bringing in fair, easy-to-use processes and clear rights for both residents and site owners."

'Fit and proper'

Mr Black said there would be a "fit and proper" persons test for site owners, and a licensing system to give home owners confidence that the site they live on is effectively managed.

There is more in BBC News.

Labour on VAT

Under-occupancy penalties

This afternoon, Federal Conference in Glasgow passed the following:

Conference accepts there is under-occupancy of social housing, and all tenants, including pensioners, should be encouraged to live in homes that meet their housing needs.

Conference is concerned that the Government’s extension of Labour’s policy of reducing housing benefit entitlements for private rented sector tenants considered to have spare bedrooms to the social housing sector is discriminating against the most vulnerable in society.

Conference also believes that:
I. The majority of rural and urban areas outside large cities such as London have insufficiently large, diverse and dynamic social housing markets to make moving into a smaller property locally a viable option
II. There is lack of appreciation of the housing requirements of children and adults with disabilities and care needs
III. Insufficient funds are allocated to Discretionary Housing Payment Funds of Local Authorities to meet demand and there is insufficient support for tenants to apply and to challenge decisions
IV. In many areas it is more important to free up family homes with three or more bedrooms than two bedroom homes.
V. The implementation of policy paper 104, Decent Homes for All (2012), should be a priority for
Government.

Conference welcomes:
i) Scottish Liberal Democrats passing a motion against the policy.
ii) Actions taken by councils to mitigate the harmful effects of this policy on the most vulnerable, including reducing the dangers of eviction caused by arrears.
iii) The work of many, including voluntary organisations, in supporting those applying for discretionary payments and highlighting the injustices caused by this policy.
iv) The changes successfully demanded by Liberal Democrats in Government to protect some of the
most vulnerable, including exempting foster carers and families of members of the Armed Forces.
v) The increase in the Discretionary Housing Payment fund from £60m in 2012/13 to £155m in 2013/14
vi) The success of the Liberal Democrats in Government in securing an additional £35m fund to help claimants affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy who need extra support - this funding consists of £5m for rural areas with very isolated communities, £10m for all local authorities and £20m as a bidding fund for local authorities who can demonstrate that they have or are developing a robust policy to distribute discretionary housing payments and who have an additional need for funding achieved by Liberal Democrats in Government.

Conference calls for further action by Government, including:
1. An immediate evaluation of the impact of the policy, establishing the extent to which larger homes are freed up, money saved, costs of implementation, the impact on vulnerable tenants, and the impact on the private rented sector.
2. A redrafting of clear housing needs guidelines in association with those representing vulnerable groups including the disabled, elderly and children that are responsive to local circumstances.
3. Acceptance that some Councils and Housing Associations have calculated rent by reference to bed spaces (not bedrooms) as some rooms can and should only house one person: this should be reflected in the DWP calculation of housing benefit.
4. A review of the amount allocated to Local Authorities for the Discretionary Housing Payment Fund and guidelines on the use of these funds and appeal processes.
5. The development of practical strategies to encourage pensioners to downsize where a single person or couple lives in a three or more bedroom home.
6. In the context of new guidelines an assessment of the current and future demand for social housing and the use of this at local level to facilitate planning to get the right homes in the right place.
7. Until any new guidelines are in place:
a) No withdrawal of housing benefit to those who are on the waiting list for social housing which fits the current guidelines within their local area.
b) No reduction in housing benefit from their projected housing need for those who, for a period of less than six months, temporarily have a smaller housing need due to a change in their circumstances, but whose need will predictably return to a higher level (e.g. whose children will pass the age limits for separate rooms within that period).


[as amended]

Autumn Conference

Federal Conference begins in Glasgow tomorrow. There will be coverage on BBC-Parliament, and on Liberal Democrat Voice which will provide background information and comment.

Peter Black AM will represent Swansea and the South Wales West region at conference.

Spare Room Subsidy

Mike German clears some of the myths on Liberal Democrat Voice:

Like many people reading the front page of the Guardian this morning, I was worried by the headline on the pronouncements by the UN special rapporteur on the removal of the spare room subsidy. But it is important to look behind the headline to see that these comments were based on a very brief visit from this adviser, who did not have the time for a detailed discussion with the Department for Work and Pensions to understand the policy. 

If she had done she would have been able to understand that this policy brings the rules for the social housing sector into line with those which Labour already introduced for private rented accommodation. Perhaps then she may have recognised that the policy is designed to tackle long council waiting lists and help those families stuck in overcrowded one bedroom flats – to find somewhere decent to live.

Most importantly, the rapporteur ignored the achievements of the Lib Dems in the coalition in arguing for extra Discretionary Housing Payments to ensure vulnerable people do not have to face extra costs. Because everyone’s situation is so different it is right that we have given local councils control over how this funding is best spent. We have also successfully argued for exemptions for groups such as foster carers. Finally, we have ensured that local authorities in particular need, can bid for extra funding over the course of this year. I will also be making sure that the Coalition sticks to its promise of monitoring the impact of this policy carefully over the coming months.

Sarah Teather MP to stand down at next general election

This is the text released to her constituents by the Brent (Greater London) constituency office:

In just over a week's time, I shall reach the tenth anniversary of my election to Parliament in the Brent East by-election. I took some time off this summer and found myself reflecting a great deal on the last ten years.

It has been an enormous privilege to serve as an MP in Brent. Indeed, for me personally, so much of the last decade has been both rich and surprising. I am not sure that I would ever have expected to be elected so young, and I certainly never expected that I would have had the opportunity to serve in Government.

The greatest privilege of my work both as a constituency MP and as a Minister has been the gift of being able to share in the private joys and struggles of so many people's lives - many different from one another and very different from my own. I shall always be inspired by the profound courage and dignity I have witnessed in people I have worked with, often in the face of the most extraordinary difficulties.

Of all my parliamentary work, the campaign I remain most proud of is the campaign to get my constituent released from Guantanamo Bay. I shall always count the moment my constituent walked back in through his own front door and picked up his five year-old daughter for the first time in her life as one of the most precious of my life.

In Government, the moment I count as my proudest is the one where I listened to Nick Clegg announce our intention to end the routine detention of children in the immigration system - something I worked hard to deliver, in what, at times, felt an almost insurmountable battle with the Home Office. I feel humbled too to have been able to play my part in delivering the pupil premium to schools and to extend free early education to two year olds, and perhaps the work dearest to my heart, that of reforming the system of support for children with special educational needs.

There have been so many rewards to this work -- too many to list here. But having taken the summer to reflect on the future, I feel now that at the General Election, the right time will be right for me to step aside. I wanted to explain why I have decided not to seek re-election in 2015.

I first joined the party almost exactly twenty years ago, during fresher's week at university. It was then -- and still is now - absolutely inconceivable that I could ever join any other political party. As with most party members, there have always been a few issues where I have disagreed with party policy. But over the last three years, what has been difficult is that policy has moved in some of the issues that ground my own personal sense of political vocation - that of working with and serving the most vulnerable members of society. I have disagreed with both Government and official party lines on a whole range of welfare and immigration policies, and those differences have been getting larger rather than smaller. Disagreements with the party on other areas of policy I have always felt could be managed, but these things are just core to my own sense of calling to politics. I have tried hard to balance my own desire to truthfully fight for what I believe on these issues with the very real loyalty and friendship I feel to party colleagues, but that has created intense pressure, and at times left me very tired. I don't think it is sustainable for me personally to continue to try and do that in the long term.

I want to reassure people in Brent that I shall continue to work very hard to represent them over the next 18 months until the next General Election. My constituency office will remain open five days a week, just as it has always been. I shall be out campaigning for the local elections with my local LibDem team over the forthcoming months and will campaign to get my Liberal Democrat successor elected to Parliament in the General Election. In Parliament I shall continue with my work as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees and will carry on making the case for a fair and humane immigration system as Parliament considers a new immigration bill in the coming months.

I hope that I have been able to support and represent the people of Brent well as their MP, but I feel rich beyond measure to have been able to do this work here. I shall always count myself indebted to those who gave me this opportunity to serve - to the thousands of constituents who voted for me and to the many Liberal Democrat supporters and members who campaigned and walked the streets for me over three elections. I hope that, over the last 10 years, I have at least gone some way in repaying the faith that so many have shown in me.

LibDem Eastleigh promotes green growth

Keith House, leader of Liberal-Democrat-controlled Eastleigh Borough Council, writes of his council's commitment to green policies: "The evidence is that the market alone will not deliver change. It could need a nudge but, more likely, it requires a strong prod with financial inducement.

"Take energy. Eastleigh’s approach is to use policy to promote change. Hence the unusual practice of not charging planning application fees for renewable energy schemes."

Now there's an idea for councils in the Swansea Bay area.

Newly appointed peer will work for elected upper chamber

Former North Wales assembly member Christine Humphreys became the latest Welsh Lib Dem to be admitted last week. She told Vaughan Roderick on Sunday Supplement on BBC Radio Wales that she was delighted but still looked forward to the day when there would be a reformed House of Lords, which she didn't want to be named the House of Lords.

France strikes a small blow against global warming

Chris Davies, Liberal Democrat MEP, writes:

Readers of these NOTES may know of my long running battle to get Daimler, manufacturers of £70,000 Mercedes cars, to apply the EU law that I helped shape requiring car companies to start using air conditioning refrigerants in their new models with a global warming potential (gwp) less than 150 more than CO2.  At present most cars have refrigerants with a horrendous gwp 1.430 greater than CO2.

I hope the torrent of parliamentary questions (PQs) I have tabled, and exchanges I have had with European Commission officials, have encouraged them to enforce the law as firmly as they can, but I also know that the legal process is painfully slow - especially when a member state (Germany) is claiming that there are 'scientific' reasons for their objections.

But now the French have cut the Gordian knot.  While our UK (Tory) minister has decided to leave it all up to Brussels, the French have stepped in and simply banned the registration of new Mercedes vehicles.  So in France you can buy one of the non-compliant vehicles but you can't drive it on French roads.

Daimler sell 29,000 of the relevant cars in France each year so they have gone ballistic!  I thought the French government or the European Commission might bow to arm twisting by Germany, but last week the Commission came out with a declaration that in effect said that France was within its rights.

Vive la France!

Changes at Unlock Democracy

In a farewell email. Peter Facey has announced that he is moving to Australia. His current deputy, Alexandra Runswick will be taking over.

US trade deal

Chris Davies MEP writes:

The hard bit is yet to come

Last week agreement was reached to open negotiations with the aim of securing an EU - USA trade deal. Commanding one third of the world's entire trade it could bring important job-creating benefits to both sides of the pond. But the difficulty will be in agreeing common standards. For example:

Having introduced tough vehicle emissions standards for every car sold in the EU, will we now have to relax these to allow the import of US-made cars that don't meet them?

Will we have to accept the import of meat containing growth hormones - a standard practice in the USA but banned in the EU?

And what about the safety of the tens of thousands of chemicals used in every aspect of production? The EU has a regime that requires every manufacturer to demonstrate that their product will cause no harm when properly used. Are we to relax these standards and put human health and the environment at risk?

I imagine there are going to be some stormy debates ahead. Of course, it could be that the USA will simply sign up to our generally higher standards. And, then again, pigs could fly.

Council tax benefit mess

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-22608298

Liberal Democrat committee member Eluned Parrott accused Welsh Labour ministers of being "far more interested in a having a spat with the UK government than it was in actually helping the people of Wales".  

She added: "Rather than getting on with the job in hand, the then local government minister chose to enter into a game of tit for tat and point scoring with Westminster.  "He continually blamed the UK government for not producing figures he said he needed, but on closer examination we found that not only was this problem not encountered in Scotland and England, but the minister himself admitted that what happens in England was of 'little significance' to him."

Liberal Democrat achievements in government

Pre-conference events

Welsh Liberal Democrats hold their Spring Conference this weekend 20th & 21st April. On Friday, Cardiff Liberal Democrats will hold a pre-conference fund-raiser curry night at the Haveli restaurant on City Road at 8 pm.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will be opening Conference, with speeches later on in the weekend also come from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander and Welsh Liberal Democrat party Leader Kirsty Williams.

Fewer obstacles for disabled candidates

Last year, Lynne Featherstone MP* launched the Access to Elected Office Strategy to provide additional support for disabled people seeking elected office. The Strategy is designed to level the playing field for potential disabled candidates and tackle the currently low levels of disabled people in political life. The Liberal Democrat HQ diversity team forms part of the stakeholder group for this initiative.  As part of this strategy, the Government has:

• Set up a new fund to help disabled people who plan to stand for elections with the extra disability-related costs. The fund will be open for applications until March 2014. It will help disabled candidates meet the additional costs they may face compared to a non-disabled person in standing for election, such as extra transport costs or sign language interpreters. Go to www.access-to-elected-office-fund.org.uk for more details.

• Provided new training and development opportunities for people who are interesed in a political career; including launching an introductory online training course and paid internships on the Speaker's Parliamentary Placement scheme. Go on www.access-to-elected-office-training.org.uk for more details on the online training.      
  Go to www.socialmobility.org.uk/speakers-parliamentary-placements-scheme for more details on the Parliamentary Placement Scheme, which is open for applications until 30 July 2012.

• Produced new online guidance on reasonable adjustments to help political parties meet their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
  Go to http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/public-political-equality/disabled-access-guidance/ to access the guidance  

Please visit www.homeoffice.gov.uk/access-elected-office for more information about the strategy.

* Lynne is the Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green. She was Minister for Equalities at the Home Office until her translation to Overseas Development last September.

When will Labour give up the millionaire bandwagon?

Keep up-to-date with 2013 Spring Conference

On Lib Dem Voice: Reportage | Live Twitter Stream | Contribute
On the official party website: Conference home

There is no live coverage on BBC-Parliament.

Neath Port Talbot among unhealthiest boroughs in England and Wales

Analysis of the 2011 census figures has revealed that of the ten local authority areas with the lowest levels of good health, five are in Wales and that Neath Port Talbot is one of these five.

Local Liberal Democrats say that this is a scandal. One sadly has to accept that where a person is born often dictates how healthy that person’s life will be, but more than 13 years of Labour rule in London and Wales has resulted in a more unequal society with a widening gap between the rich and poor. The disproportionate appearance of Welsh local authority figures in this dismal table points to failure by the people in Cardiff responsible for the nation's health since devolution.

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams has affirmed: “The Welsh Liberal Democrats believe that reducing health inequalities is a matter of fairness and social justice. We will continue to hold this failing Welsh Labour Government to account; for too long the people in South Wales have been allowed to be left behind.”

Peter Black AM's advice surgeries

Assembly Member for South Wales West Peter Black will hold advice surgeries in Port Talbot and Maesteg on Friday 1st February. Between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. he will be in Maesteg Library, and from 3.30 until 4.30 p.m. in Port Talbot library.

No appointment is necessary.

New Year honours

Congratulations to Welsh Liberal Democrats who appear in the New Year’s Honours list:

• Roger Williams, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire and founder member of the former Social Democratic Party: CBE
• Rodney Berman, former leader of Cardiff council: OBE

There were also OBEs for Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, and Andrew Wiseman, one of the party's legal eagles, specialising in environmental law.

Fiona Hall, MEP for the North East and leader of Liberal Democrat MEPs, and Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Leader on the London Assembly, are awarded MBEs.

Welsh LibDems win battle on regioanl pay

The Chancellor announced in his Autumn Statement that the Government no longer intends to expand regional and local pay – a policy that would have had a detrimental effect on Wales.

Kirsty Williams commented, “I am delighted that the Liberal Democrats have put a brake on George Osborne’s plans for regional or local pay. Yes, we need to rebalance the economy, but regional or local pay isn’t the answer.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have always believed that moves towards regional or local pay would further ingrain regional inequalities. That is why we took our campaign against regional pay to our Party Conference, which not only secured our party’s position on the matter, but also gave our Ministers in Government a clear direction. I am immensely proud that the Welsh Lib Dems played such a key part in this campaign.”

Those Labour tax claims in perspective

Kirsty wins another award

In a ceremony shown on TV last night, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Kirsty Williams was presented with the Welsh Politician of the Year award.

Labour holds Neath South ward

Labour's Andrew Jenkins won the by-election in the Neath South ward left vacant by the death of Mal Gunter. (pdf of the declaration here) We congratulate him and trust that he will serve the residents well.

Liberal Democrat candidate Charlotte Cross polled 130 votes to Labour's 399, a creditable performance for a first-time candidate in a campaign where we were not able to put out as much literature as we had hoped and in a ward which we had not previously contested since the county borough came into being.

Welsh NHS is a laughing-stock in Westminster

An £82m contingency fund to help struggling health boards with their finances has been announced by Health Minister Lesley Griffiths. But Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams said: "The minister is predictably denying that this is a bailout."

Griffiths had "plugged a hole in the NHS’ finances by raiding its capital budget. I struggle to see how this can be described as anything other than a bailout."

Kirsty added: “The basic fact is that this Welsh Labour Government has completely mismanaged our health service and has left the finances of the NHS in complete ruins. Simply rejigging money around is not going to solve all of the problems in our NHS.”

Conservative health ministers and David Cameron find the financial cuts in the Welsh NHS an all too convenient comparison with what is happening in England. For all the botched reorganisation in England, it cannot be denied that more cash is being put into the NHS there.

Yesterday's reply (column 860) by the Prime Minister to Ed Miliband was typical: "People do not have to look at manifestos for a contrast; they can look at what Labour is doing in Wales. The Labour party is in charge in Wales, and it has cut the NHS in Wales by 8%. As a result, waiting times are up, waiting lists are down, quality is down. That is what you get with Labour and the NHS."

Lack of care

Ann Clwyd, MP for Cynon Valley, felt that she had to take her distress over the treatment of her dying husband in a Welsh hospital to the national stage by asking a question of the Prime Minister yesterday. David Cameron was too diplomatic to point out the brutal truth which Karen Roberts has not shrunk from.

Frank Little

Wales gets £227m capital windfall

BBC-Wales reports that under the coalition government's autumn statement, £227 million extra capital funding, which pays for spending on buildings and infrastructure, is coming to Wales as its share of a squeeze on UK government departments.

Coalition government takes more low-paid workers out of tax

http://www.fairertax.org/_xxx_tac_cut_announced_for_ordinary_workers

Neath South polling day Thursday 6th December

Vote Charlotte Cross, Welsh Liberal Democrat, for a fresh voice on Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

What did Nick Clegg refuse to do?

Children's services still not safe

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has welcomed the decision by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales to invoke the use of the Serious Concern Protocol for Children's Social Services in Neath Port Talbot.

Peter Black was reacting to an inspection report that was published today by CSSIW that concluded that "the service lacks direction and staff need clear guidance and support to promote consistent levels of good practice." The Inspectorate states that the "high turnover of staff has continued to have an adverse impact on the performance and continuity of service delivery to children and their families. [An improvement plan] has not resulted in clear direction for staff nor the improvements in practice which were identified in the last inspection as being necessary."

"Overall caseloads are too high, a significant number of new social workers have little experience of practice, there is a continuing dependence on agency workers, there is a high turnover of staff and stress related sickness absence. This is the third report of its type in two years," said Mr. Black, "And yet Inspectors still have serious concerns about the operation of this department and its effectiveness in protecting children

" I share those concerns, having had a number of issues brought to me by concerned parents and teachers over the same period.  What is clear is that committed and hard-working front line staff are being swamped with unmanageable caseloads, and are not receiving the support and guidance that they need. In these circumstances there is a real danger that a child could slip though the safety net. That is an unacceptable risk, so it is absolutely right that the level of intervention by CSSIW is stepped up to try and turn the service around."

Welsh LibDems welcome greater devolution proposals

The Commission chaired by Paul Silk published its report today. The report recommends empowering Welsh Government by giving it tax-raising powers.

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams said: "We have been arguing for greater devolution for over a century. This is the latest step in our long campaign for a federal UK. It will strengthen Wales and help make a real difference to the lives of people across the country."

Peter Black backs independent for PCC

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has given his backing to Independent candidate, Mike Baker in Thursday’s election for a Police and Crime Commissioner for the South Wales area. Mr. Black met Mr. Baker today at the remembrance march in Bridgend and was impressed with both his experience and commitment to the role.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats are not contesting this election because we believe that the Police should be above party politics,” said Mr. Black. “My vote inevitably will therefore go to one of the independent candidates.

 “Mike Baker is a retired Police Officer, having served across the South Wales Police area for 30 years. He is currently working as a civil and criminal solicitor within the South Wales area. As such he has experience on both sides of the fence, being familiar with the system as well as the demands put on a modern police force.

 “It seems to me that the Police Commissioner role was designed with people like Mike Baker in mind, an independently minded individual, who knows what is needed to ensure that front line policing gets the resources and support it needs. I will be giving my vote to Mike Baker on Thursday and I urge others to do so as well.”

Neath Liberal Democrats select by-election candidate

Local Liberal Democrats have chosen Charlotte Cross to contest the 6th December by-election in Neath South. 

Deputy chairman of Aberavon and Neath Liberal Democrats, Mathew McCarthy, said:

 'I'm extremely pleased Charlotte is standing for the Liberal Democrats in Neath South. She is local, young, and determined to make a difference in her community. Charlotte finally offers a real alternative to Labour who for too long have taken the people of Neath South for granted'

Mobile Home Bill to be introduced in the Senedd

On 25th October Peter Black formally launched his Mobile Homes Bill at a Consumer Focus Wales event in Llandrindod Wells. 

On Wednesday he will be introducing it into the Welsh Assembly.

The Bill is intended to modernise the licensing regime for park homes across Wales - giving local authorities the powers to award and monitor licenses and to ensure site owners pass a fit and proper persons test.

The Bill also offers protection to mobile home residents wishing to sell their homes without prior agreement with site owners. It can be viewed here.

LibDems want to reform the EU

Because we believe in the EU, we want to tackle its inflated spending, its protectionist Common Agricultural Policy and unfair Common Fisheries Policy - among other things. As Stephen Tall writes:

 the Lib Dems have always championed a reformed EU. An EU which is more responsive to democratic opinion. An EU which liberalises the free movement of people and trade while tackling the problems we share, such as environmental pollution and crime.

Frank Little

Trident: defence secretary's speech in Scotland changes nothing

John Leech MP explains here.

The ambulance service in South Wales

First Minister's Questions, about 15 minutes in.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/wales/newsid_.stm

Welsh Government control of grant aid "weak" says report

The long-awaited Wales Audit Office report (pdf here) into the AWEMA scandal has concluded that the "management and coordination of grant funding to AWEMA ... has often been weak". Its criticism is milder than that of an earlier report, but it provides useful background information including a timeline. This may not be the end of the matter. BBC Wales states that a file is with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Peter Black AM has responded: “The negligence that has been exposed in this report highlights something that most of us knew already – that Labour can’t be trusted to act responsibly with the public’s money.

“Time and time again allegations about Awema were raised with the Welsh Labour Government, but still it failed to put things right.

“It is nothing short of disgraceful that an organisation as badly run as Awema was allowed to continue receiving millions of pounds of public money, while this Welsh Government sat back and did nothing. 

“For months the Welsh Labour Government has hidden behind the investigation into this report, using it as a reason not to comment. In spite of intense public and media interest, the Government thought that it had the right to wriggle out of being held to account. It is now time for Ministers to explain themselves. The people of Wales deserve to know why it was considered appropriate for Awema to receive over £7m of public funds.”

LibDem AM leads fight against bad park home site owners

There are fair site owners who do not take advantage of park home residents, but too many are unscrupulous, as this BBC report shows.

South Wales West AM Liberal Democrat Peter Black is fighting for park home residents in Wales. His private members' bill, aimed at reforming the civil legislation surrounding mobile home sites, is due to go before the assembly later this month.

Labour catching up with what Liberal Democrats are doing in government

Things Labour are proposing as if they're new that @LibDemsare already doing in govt, No 1: Setting up a business bank.

Things Labour are proposing as if they're new that @LibDemsare already doing in govt, No 2: Boosting the number of apprenticeships.

Things Labour are proposing as if they're new that @LibDemsare already doing in govt, No 3: Separating retail and investment banking.

Things Labour are proposing as if they're new that @LibDemsare already doing in govt, No 4: Boosting house building.

We are still no wiser about Welsh Government performance, says LibDem AM

The 2011/12 National Survey for Wales found strong satisfaction levels with health and education in Wales, according to Wales Online.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Eluned Parrott said it would be a “justifiable aim” for the Welsh Government to learn about the success of policies. But she added: “However, I am deeply suspicious that this survey is too vague and unfocused to give any indication that could help steer the Welsh Government in any meaningful way. “When using a ‘1 to 10 scale’ on questionnaires, most organisations will expect to hit at least a 7 out of 10 for quality of service – unless they have significant problems.”

Liberal Democrat conference asked to reaffirm industrial democracy

Luke Hildyard writes in Liberal Democrat Voice:

While Labour and the Tories debate how to reinvigorate their annual party conference programme, the Liberal Democrats democratic policymaking structure means that debates at their conference remain engaging and relevant. And with the party now in Government, the journey from the Conference floor to the statute book is rather more direct than has previously been the case. This means that over the next few weeks, the Lib Dem gathering in Brighton is the most likely place for progressive yet plausible policy ideas to get a hearing.

The Social Liberal Forum’s motion 106 on employee ownership, to be debated on Monday 24th September from 09:05-11:05, is a particularly good example. The motion calls for a number of radical measures relating to the stewardship of large companies (greater than 250 employees) including: 
 • The right for employees of listed companies to request 5% of company shares
 • A role for employee representatives in major corporate decisions, including conditions of employment; Director’s pay; and the strategic direction of the company
 • The right for companies to implement German-style two-tier board structures, with a supervisory board (including a shareholder’s representative) and a management board (including a worker’s representative). 

It is exciting to think that these kind of policies could shortly be adopted by a governing party. They would go some way to ensuring that more of the profits from businesses go back to the people who generated them, in the communities they were generated. They would also help to combat inequality and out-of-control executive pay by empowering and incentivising ordinary workers, rather than resorting to punitive taxation.

Furthermore, employee ownership makes economic sense. Research from Centre Forum found that businesses with some degree of employee ownership were more productive and more resilient than their competitors. The Employee Ownership Index of companies with more than 10% employee share ownership has outperformed the FTSE All Shares Index by an average of 11% pa since 1992.

Intuitively, it makes sense that businesses that involve their workforce in decision-making processes will also take greater responsibility for their social and environmental impact. Current business models are entrenching inequality and failing to create jobs. With an annual income of £4.86 million, the average FTSE 100 CEO currently earns 185 times the national average We have recently witnessed major scandals in the banking, media and pharmaceuticals industries. So there is an urgent need for a new way of doing business with the needs of the community at its heart. Employee ownership might go some way towards this – workers representatives on boards would bring a different perspective to strategic decisions on areas like executive pay packages, for example, or environmental pollution affecting the community in which they live.

‘Business ethics’ is the theme of the High Pay Centre’s party conference programme this year, and we are hosting an event in Brighton in conjunction with the SLF on Monday 24th September at 8pm, with speakers including Lord Oakeshott and former Gregg’s CEO Sir Mike Darrington, on the evening after the debate on motion 106. Hopefully our discussion will encompass a set of radical new Liberal Democrat policies on employee engagement. 

 ‘The Independent View‘ is a slot on Lib Dem Voice which allows those from beyond the party to contribute to debates we believe are of interest to LDV’s readers. Luke Hildyard is the Head of Research at the High Pay Centre.

Coverage of Liberal Democrat Brighton conference

There is a live relay by BBC-Parliament. Huffington Post, Liberal Democrat Voice, Mark Pack and various other outlets will provide video clips and/or commentary

Liberals win Dutch legislative elections

The elections in The Netherlands have been marked by a victory for the liberals of VVD and of D66. In his victory speech to an ecstatic audience VVD leader Prime Minister Mark Rutte triumphantly said that “[we] obtained the best result in history, and again have become the largest party in The Netherlands.” D66 leader Alexander Pechtold MP claimed “the fifth victory in a row”, saying that “in the bizarre duel between left and right, D66 managed to grow nonetheless”. Together the liberal forces now hold more than one third of the entire political spectrum. LI President Hans van Baalen MEP has called the election result a “great achievement for the Dutch liberals”. He said: “The populists of Geert Wilders had to accept a heavy defeat. Its anti-international and anti-European campaign did not appeal to the electorate. Wilders and his party are sidelined”. LI President expressed confidence that “PM Mark Rutte will be able to build a strong centre coalition, in which both liberal parties take part.”

[Thanks to Liberal International newsletter for this]

Welsh Liberal Democrats support supermarket ombudsman

A NEW "supermarket ombudsman" for the UK is being backed by the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

The party said it sympathised with dairy farmers after some processors said they planned to reduce what they pay for milk by 2p per litre. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams, AM, said, "The creation of this new supermarket ombudsman is great news for farmers. "I'm pleased the UK government has made a start, but this can only be the beginning."

Aberavon & Neath Liberal Democrats welcome GWR electrification

The Department for Transport this morning announced a "landmark decision to take electric rail beyond Cardiff to Swansea, completing the full electrification of the Great Western Main Line out of London Paddington at a total cost of more than £600m, and electrifying the Welsh Valley lines, including Ebbw Vale, Maesteg and the Vale of Glamorgan. These will give two-thirds of the Welsh population access to new fleets of electric trains helping to generate Welsh jobs and growth by slashing journey times and boosting passenger and freight capacity."

Local Liberal Democrats welcomed the boost which the decision will give to confidence in businesses in the Neath Port Talbot area, as well much-needed construction work.

Olympic washout for Wales

An opinion poll has found that the London 2012 Olympics are of no benefit to Wales.

Eluned Parrott, Welsh Liberal Democrat spokeswoman on business, said: “These results do not come as a surprise to me. The Welsh Labour Government’s childish attitude in engaging with the Coalition Government in Westminster meant that many Welsh businesses that could have won lucrative contracts from the 2012 Olympics lost out.

“In the months and years running up to the 2012 Games, the Scottish and Northern Irish Governments were busy engaging with the UK Government and the London Organising Committee. Instead, in Wales, the Labour Government hadn’t even written to the body responsible for rewarding the £6bn worth of contracts to make representations on behalf of Welsh businesses.

“It is no wonder that the people of Wales don’t necessarily feel engaged with the Olympics because this Welsh Labour Government hadn’t seen the opportunities that the 2012 Games could have brought to Wales.

“For those companies who have managed to win contracts, I am of course delighted and hope that they are able to use the kudos of the Olympics to raise the profile of their business. It is just sad that those companies are few and far between.”

State of the NHS in Wales

The status quo of NHS finances has been branded “unaffordable” as the organisation faces major short-term challenges in managing its budget, a finance watchdog has warned.

Next week, Wales' health minister will face a no-confidence vote in the Welsh assembly in a row about a report into reforming hospital services. Opposition parties united to table a joint motion and called on Labour's Lesley Griffiths to resign.

Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said: “This was not a decision we came to lightly. It is a serious step when the three party leaders of Wales come together and state that we have no confidence in the Health Minister’s ability to run our NHS. We are effectively calling for her to resign and she and the First Minister should seriously consider what we are proposing.”

Labour's approach to evidence-based policy

First, form the policy, then find the evidence, it seems.

The Save Withybush Hospital campaign has a good summary of the methodology of the Longley Report here: http://www.zen142533.zen.co.uk/SWATcontd/longleyreport.html

Now the "smoking gun" in the form of emails between Professor Longley and Lesley Griffiths' health ministry has been found.

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams said: "These email exchanges clearly contradict the health minister's statements that this case for change report was an 'independent assessment' and that it was 'impartial, based solely on the evidence'. "This is an appalling insult to the many people in Wales who are rightfully concerned about the impending NHS reorganisation. How can we now have confidence in the Welsh Labour government's reorganisation process when they sex-up documents to suit their own needs?"

It is easy to draw the conclusion that having found that the truly independent McKinsey recommendations were not to their liking, Labour found a more amenable expert closer to home.

Frank Little

Votes at 16

The Welsh government is in favour of lowering the voting age to 16, a debate in the Welsh assembly has been told. Liberal Democrat AM Aled Roberts - one of the four members who tabled the original motion - said that while the issue had been part of Lib Dem party policy at UK level for some time, it had also been raised in Wales several times by young people he had met at sessions in schools. "As a country we are willing to see our young people join the armed forces at the age of 16, have children and get married and yet we seem to think that youngsters are not mature enough to vote at that age," he said. "Although I accept that this is currently a matter for the UK Parliament, I believe that the fact that the motion attracts cross-party support is an important indicator of opinion within the National Assembly."

First Minister's unilateral support for Trident "an affront to democracy"

The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats,Kirsty Williams, claims she's been forced to submit a Freedom of Information request on Trident, after the First Minister repeatedly refused to answer questions put to him publicly in the chamber and in written form on the issue of nuclear subs in Wales.


The questions follow from the First Minister, Carwyn Jones, saying last month that he would welcome nuclear submarines to Milford Haven if they were ever to leave their current base at Faslane in Scotland.

Welsh Government gets poor deal on Enterprise Zones

Commenting on today’s statement on Enterprise Zones by Edwina Hart, Shadow Business Minister Eluned Parrott said:

“ The Minister has yet again been unwilling or unable to answer simple questions about her interaction with Westminster over the funding available to our Enterprise Zones. Progress towards establishing those zones – and actually getting real people into real jobs – has been painfully slow here in Wales by comparison with England and Scotland, and now we see the reason why.

“While Assembly Members were being told that negotiations were ongoing with the UK Treasury as early as January, the Minister’s request for cash for our Enterprise Zones was apparently made just 9 days before the UK Government ‘s budget on 12 March.

“The Minister wants AMs to join with her to seek an 'early, positive response' in her liaison with Westminster, but to get an early, positive response she should have made an early positive request to the UK Government in the first place. She has singularly failed to do so.

“By going down to the wire, the Welsh Labour Government have failed to get the best deal for Wales – in stark contrast to the success of the Scottish Government. By being quick to act, professional and timely in its own negotiations with Westminster, the Scottish Government have stood up for the people of Scotland in a way that the Welsh Government can only dream of. The contrast is frankly shaming, and yet again, Wales risks being left behind.

“Edwina Hart has given no specific or substantive answers in the past and has again refused to answer direct questions today. I will be writing to the Minister with these important questions and asking for an early, positive response from her on this occasion.”

[First published here.]

AM expresses concern over health boards deficit

The BBC reports that six of Wales' seven local health boards are predicting a combined deficit of around £230m this financial year. Abertawe Bro Morgannwg said it was unable to provide a figure, but it should be noted that Dragon's Eye has revealed that services at Neath Port Talbot hospital are to "reconfigured".

Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black said: "I am seriously concerned about the state of LHBs finances for this new financial year.

"If four LHBs failed to balance their books last year after cutting services and making huge savings, the challenge is going to be even harder this financial year and I am worried that patient care and safety will suffer."

Local Government white paper is a missed opportunity

Commenting on the launch of the Welsh government’s White Paper on Local Democracy, the Welsh Liberal Democrats Shadow Minister for Local Government and Communities Peter Black AM said,

“This represents a complete failure of the Labour party to acknowledge the real problems that face local democracy in Wales. In the local elections a few weeks ago, we saw too many uncontested elections and turn out that was far too low, yet one of the proposals the government has put forward to change the name of the body that draws up election boundaries. This is not the radical thinking that Welsh communities need.

“The Scottish experience was that a proportional electoral system using fair voting meant no more uncontested elections, a wider choice of candidates for voters and higher turnout. Any attempt to reform local democracy without making this essential change is, frankly, a waste of time.

“Likewise, without implementing elections to National parks or devolving many more powers to local authorities so that they can deliver for their areas, we will never breathe life back into our local democracies.

“I will be tabling amendments to the bill to ensure these matters are considered.”

Another dictionary redefinition from Labour

In March this year, the Labour First Minister, Carwyn Jones, announced that hundreds of jobs would be coming to Cardiff. It has since emerged that these are not new jobs. Labour excused their misleading statement on the grounds that it was "a matter of semantics".

Welsh Liberal Democrat AM Eluned Parrott said: "Only a Labour government as incompetent as this one can think the issue of literally hundreds of extra jobs is merely 'semantics'".

Disgrace of second homes discount

In a period of financial austerity, Labour-controlled Neath Port Talbot county gives a 25% discount on their council tax to second home owners in the county borough. Neighbouring authorities Carmarthenshire, Bridgend and Swansea charge the full rate.

At the same time the council has imposed charges on its citizens' enjoyment. For instance, it now costs £1 per car to enter the Gnoll Country Park. On top of this, they are taxing Skewen's annual Family Funday from 2013 onwards by insisting on street trading or street collection licence payments for each of the stalls, which have been free before. The future of the Funday is in doubt because of this mean-minded move.

Aberavon and Neath Liberal Democrats say: stop subsidising the wealthy and let the hard-working ordinary people have their fun!

Coalition makes Post Office and Royal Mail viable

Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb, Minister in the Department for Business, writes in Liberal Democrat Voice:

Royal Mail and the Post Office are two of our most recognisable and most trusted brands. For hundreds of years the post office has been at the heart of our communities – with a value that goes beyond mere economics to the social and the symbolic. Royal Mail, meanwhile, is a service that covers every part of the country and reaches every part of society. The public, quite rightly, is fiercely protective of both institutions.

Sadly previous governments left them both in a mess. Labour opened up the postal market, thereby exposing Royal Mail to the full force of competition. Ludicrously, however, the Regulator tied the company’s hands at the same time, preventing it from competing on an even footing. The widely recognised problem of ‘downstream access’ pricing, which allowed competitors to use Royal Mail for the final (most expensive) mile of delivery at a low charge for the service is a prime example.

It is now the Liberal Democrats in Government who are getting Royal Mail and the Post Office back on their feet and, as minister for postal affairs, I am continuing the work started by Ed Davey.

Royal Mail

Firstly, following the Postal Services Act that Ed took through Parliament last year we have separated Royal Mail from the Post Office to allow a vibrant future for each. The Act made provision for the sale of Royal Mail with a minimum 10% employee ownership, and the injection of capital it desperately needs to safeguard the universal postal service.

Secondly, we have freed the company of a huge deficit by taking on its pensions liabilities. This is good news for postmen and women – as demonstrated by the warm welcome the news received from the Communication Workers Union.

Thirdly, we have provided stronger protections for the universal service obligation which we have now enshrined in law. Ofcom, as the regulator, has a duty to protect that service. The rise in stamp prices from 46p to 60p for first class, and from 36p to 50p for second class (with concessions for vulnerable customers next Christmas), should be seen in this context. Stamp prices in this country have been remarkably low compared to the rest ofEurope; meanwhile, letter volumes have continued to decline as we all use email more and more. Our primary objective is to protect the universal service obligation, but in order to do so we have to allow Royal Mail the means to be commercially viable.

The Post Office

Firstly, we have committed that the Post Office is not for sale, and that there will be no further programme of post office closures. This is a vital vote of confidence for both the network and those who depend upon it.

Secondly, we are investing £1.34billion in modernising the network. This funding was secured at the spending review, and will see significant improvements at around 6,000 branches. The money comes with the critical condition that the Post Office continues to meet current access criteria that see 93% of the population live within a mile of their nearest branch.

Thirdly, we are looking at how government – both local and national – can work with the Post Office to our mutual advantage. By making the Post Office a genuine ‘front office of government’ we can save money for government and local councils, bring more customers into the post office, and make access to government and council services more convenient for people. Councillor Richard Kemp is working with Post Office Ltd to develop these ideas and twenty five councils are developing pilots which could help guide other councils. I encourage Lib Dem councillors and activists to look at whether it could benefit their area.

There is huge potential for the future of Royal Mail and the Post Office. The rise of the internet means the market has changed dramatically. It presents both threats and opportunities – parcel business is rising significantly as people increasingly buy and sell over the internet. A universal postal service and a post office network that stretches the length and breadth of the country will always have a vital role to play. We should be proud that Liberal Democrats in Government are now the ones responsible for securing their future. The steps we are taking will ensure that the Post Office and Royal Mail are still here, still trusted and instantly recognisable in years to come.