Welcome to the October Lib Dem Newswire, now being sent from its new home and hence from a new email address. If you have not yet done so, please do add this new address to your contacts/address book as that helps tell the spam filter gods that you want to see these emails.
I have taken the opportunity to tweak the layout and although I’ve tested it, there’s always a risk that there is some combination1 that has a hitch. So do please let me know how this email appears for you:
One bit of fun too, as this new platform makes adding audio files much easier. I asked Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence tool to make a short podcast of two people discussing, and explaining, the Liberal Democrat constitution and related documents.
Here’s what it managed:
It’s scarily good, isn’t it?
If you know our constitution and other rules well, and in particular the practical power dynamics that come from them,2 you can see how the podcast struggles to understand the relative importance of different elements that have the same structural form. For example, because structurally all Articles in the Federal Constitution are equal, Gemini struggles to understand their relative importance. Even so, pretty good.
Finally, before we get stuck into this edition, congratulations to our councillors newly elected since last time, along with their agents: Alan Watt, John Edmondson, Anwar Malik, Adrees Latif, Charlie Parkinson, George Percival, Jonathan Oxley, Tim Bloomer, Gareth Lewis, Rachel Bresnahan, Huma Khan, Dave Hough, Susan Craig, James Rixon, Jacob Flear, Tom Padden and Brendan Roberts.
Happy reading,
Mark
P.S. If you haven’t had a chance to read the previous edition of Lib Dem Newswire it is online here: Constructive opposition. And if you’re not a yet subscriber you can sign up to get future editions direct to yourself:
Putting our plans in place for this Parliament
Here’s my latest report for Liberal Democrat members and supporters. These reports also appear on the party website.
The benefit of more MPs, part 1
Who gets to present a Private Members’ Bill in the House of Commons with enough debating time to have a decent chance of passing is all down to luck. There is a literal ballot of MPs to see who gets to go first, who second and so on… All luck - except each party makes its own luck, because the more MPs it has, the more of its MPs can enter the ballot and the better the chances of some of your team coming up high in the ballot.
So it was both luck and election winning leaflets festooned with bar charts that meant two Lib Dem MPs came out very high up in the ballot for Private Members’ Bills in the House of Commons.
We now know what they are going to use their slots for. Max Wilkinson, who came second, is going to promote solar power. Roz Savage, who came third, is also promoting an environmental measure by reviving the Climate and Nature Bill.
The two other Lib Dems in the top twenty are Danny Chambers, with an animal welfare bill, and Wendy Chamberlain, previously successful with her Carer’s Leave Act, with a bill to lift the limits on fundraising through charity lotteries.
Good luck to them all.
The benefit of more MPs, part 2
Whatever the timing, it would always have been welcome news that the government is commissioning an independent review into the scandal of draconian penalties imposed on carers for innocent errors in benefit claims.
But it is no coincidence that it came the day before the Liberal Democrat instigated debate on this very topic in Parliament.
How many such opportunities we get - whether it is opposition day debates, questions at Prime Minister’s Questions or similar - is very closely and formulaically linked to how many MPs we have.
More MPs, more opportunities.
Budget and strategy
Our November Board will, hopefully, put the finishing touches to the Federal Party’s budget for 2025. Consolidating our huge general election gains is a new and very welcome challenge. But our priorities are not just about holding what we already have. In addition to supporting our MPs’ incumbency efforts, we also need to support our campaigning on a broader basis, repeating our success from the last Parliament of seeing each round of devolved and local elections as a major objective too. Alongside that, we need to retain and grow a high quality staff team, while also continuing to develop our membership and improve our diversity so that we have strong foundations for future success.
All of which makes for quite a challenge to squeeze within our financial resources, still significantly less than either Conservatives or Labour have. So particular thanks are due to both our financial staff at HQ and to the members of the Federal Finance and Resources Committee (FFRC) who prepare a budget to recommend to the Board.
The priorities going into our budget will also be further developed as part of our work on a new party strategy for this Parliament. Those strategy ideas will also be based on the work of our General Election Review, chaired by Tim Farron, which is on course to report by the end of the year. More details about its work and how to contribute your views to it are on the party website.
In praise of targeting, post-election
You might think that targeting is all about maximising the number of seats when the election results are declared, and then it is over. But there is an important part of targeting which comes after polling day: returning the campaign favours.
It has been great to repeatedly cross paths with our MPs when helping in council by-elections since general election polling day. I think we would have all understood if our new MPs in particular had concentrated just on getting their new Parliamentary teams up and running, getting to grips with their new roles - and catching up with a bit of family time too.
But they have also been repeatedly hitting the campaign trail, returning the help they received in the general election by making return trips to help other places with their council by-elections. Thank you to them all.
Developing our LGBT+ policies
Writing on the party website, our equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine says:
Social justice is at the heart of everything we believe in as Liberal Democrats.
Not just social justice for some, but for everyone.
That is why we work so hard to ensure that we can deliver positive change for our often victimised and vulnerable LGBT+ community … But sadly there is still more to do…
I will be producing a spokesperson’s paper, in my capacity as Women and Equalities Spokesperson, to outline what steps we need to take to make this a reality.
I am consulting widely - both across the party, and with external groups and experts, and consulting fellow MPs, and spokespeople who cover crucial issues such as Health and Social Care, Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs.
You can read more and take part in her consultation survey here. The closing date is 1 November.
Black History Month
The party’s website also has a message from Christine Jardine to mark Black History Month: “It feels particularly timely given this year’s theme of ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, which encourages us to challenge how we perceive history and the world around us. We owe an enormous amount to the Black British community for their contributions to our society - not least the Windrush generation’s key role in building the NHS.”
Congratulations to…
At the recent ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) Congress, Sal Brinton was successfully re-elected as a Vice President of ALDE.
Volunteers needed
The party is currently recruiting volunteers to be Adjudicators in our independent complaints system. Details of the role and how to apply by 25 November are on the party website.
Do you have questions on any of this report, or other Lib Dem matters? Then please drop me a line on president@libdems.org.uk. Do also get in touch if you would like to invite me to do a Zoom call with your local party or party body.
Podcast: Do “Winning Here” posters and bar charts really work?
Election campaigns often put significant effort into persuading voters that their candidate(s) could win. But does such campaigning really change people’s expectations of who might win? And even if it people’s views do change, does being seen as a more likely winner help you win the election?
Or in other words, are all those “winning here” posters and bar charts worth it?
The latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts welcomes back to the show Justin Fisher to discuss just that, courtesy of new research from himself and two colleagues.
Take a listen to our discussion on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or on the web.
🎧Find all the episodes of Never Mind The Bar Charts here.
📟 Sign up for a dedicated email notification each time a new episode appears here.
What really happened in the general election?
You can keep up with the evolving answers to that with my new email list, reviewing each book about the general election as it comes out. The series starts with Taken As Red:
The social care black hole: Lib Dems in the news
Health and social care
"Council budgets are creaking under the weight of this social care black hole," says Vikki Slade. (More here.)
Wes Streeting yet to meet pledge to hold cross-party talks on social care crisis - and the Lib Dems are not happy about that.
People avoid calling 999 because they fear the ambulance will take too long to arrive.
GP care analysis casts doubt on Labour pledge to ‘bring back the family doctor’.
Environment and water industry
Water companies raise bonuses to £9.1m despite record sewage discharges.
Sarah Green calls for special designation for precious chalk streams.
Europe
Ed Davey challenges Keir Starmer at PMQs over fixing our broken relationship with Europe.
Housing
Lib Dem Council: we want to build houses. Government: Nah, you can't.
Record high numbers living in temporary accommodation.
Other issues
Liberal Democrats call for sanctions on ministers inciting violence in the Middle East.
Two-child benefit cap is key factor in child poverty in Wales, says Jane Dodds.
"Thousands of victims left without the justice they deserve every single day, thanks to years of Conservative incompetence and neglect," says Lisa Smart.
Will Forster has called for the UK government to discuss the return of Sara Sharif's siblings from Pakistan.
People news
Two Lib Dem councillors have been shortlisted in the Cllr Awards 2024: Clare Apel (Lifetime Legend) and Julia Neden-Watts (Innovator of the Year). Good luck both!
Alex Cole-Hamilton has paid tribute to former Lib Dem staff Neil Mackinnon following his sudden death.
Harvey Jones is the new chair of the Young Liberals, with all their internal election results now out.
ALDC’s elections have also been concluded, and Heather Kidd is the new Chair of ALDC.
Congratulations to Gemma and David Chadwick on their new baby boy.
📲 You can get updates like the above in real time through my WhatsApp updates 2-3 times a week. Sign up details here.
How campaigning by members changed in 2024
In case you missed them first time, here is a selection of posts from my websites and newsletters since last time:
Canvassing up, social media down: changes in campaigning by Lib Dem members.
What do people think was the biggest success of the Conservatives?
Claims of dodgy campaigning by Monster Raving Loony Party candidate.
What the polls are saying
Votes
Leaders
Issues
In other polling news…
Council by-elections round-up
After a quiet patch, council by-elections have very much picked up again. The overall picture brings two pieces of good news and one warning for the Liberal Democrats.
The first part of the good news is a steady increase in candidate numbers. The second part of the good news is the frequency of good results in areas outside the party’s held and target Parliamentary3 seats, not only some impressive wins but also some promising vote share increases too. The warning is that where the foot has come off the campaigning accelerator pedal,4 the Conservatives can still win even in our areas of strength.
Turning to the details of the results, they included an impressive gain in Scotland, a near miss in Scotland, a win from third off Labour, a hold with 85% of the vote and a gain in a Lib Dem MP’s constituency.
The by-elections since the previous edition bring the net seat changes since the last May local elections to Conservative +14, Green +5, SNP +3, Reform +1, Lib Dem -2, Independent/others -4, Labour -17.
In other changes, a councillor has joined the party in Bromsgrove, making the Lib Dems the largest opposition party, and a former Labour councillor is teaming up with the Lib Dem in Dudley. However, councillors have left the Lib Dems in Dacorum.
Can you help?
Liberal Democrat Newswire is provided for free but isn’t free to run. Thank you so much to all the kind readers who donate to help cover its costs. It's quick and easy to sign up for a small regular donation with your debit card using GoCardless:
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And finally…
Ed Davey is not impressed by Wes Streeting rejecting a suggestion that the Secretary of State be fired out of a cannon to raise money for the NHS.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, why not forward it to a friend or share it online:
Thank you and best wishes,
Mark
Hello to my long-running Amstrad E-mailer reader. Do let me know if you are still using it!
Sure, a new member on their first day in the party can register for Federal Conference and, under the party’s rules, have one vote in a key policy debate, just the same as the one vote the party leader gets. In that sense they are both equally influential on the debate. But in practice, a wise leader has plenty of other ways of influencing the debate other than their one vote.
To be more precise, Westminster Parliament, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd held and target seats.
Often for understandable reasons, such as people needing a rest after the general election.