Expenses scandal: The 100-day plan

By Ian Dunt Nick Clegg has outlined a 100-day plan to reform parliament in the wake of the expenses scandal. The Liberal Democrat leader said MPs should not go on holiday until the situation is resolved. “Let us bar the gates of Westminster and stop MPs leaving for their summer holidays until this crisis has […]

Lib Dem leader calls on Speaker to stand down

By politics.co.uk staff The leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg has called on the Speaker of the House of Commons to resign. Michael Martin has come under increasing pressure in recent days, in part due to his outburst when questioned by MPs over the recent expenses scandal. Speaking on Sunday, Mr Clegg said the […]

Clegg: These are not normal times

By Ian Dunt Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has written an unprecedented letter to David Cameron and Gordon Brown, telling them “these are not normal times”. The purpose of the letter is convince the two leaders to sign up to Sir Christopher Kelly’s recommendations on expenses before they have even seen them. Mr Clegg argued […]

Lib Dems in the spotlight

By politics.co.uk staff Britain’s third party has finally come under the expenses spotlight, with the Telegraph citing seemingly excessive claims by former leader Sir Menzies Campbell. Sir Menzies spent £10,000 redecorating his flat with a top designer, including claims for cushions and a flat-screen television. Among other items of expenditure, he is understood to have […]

Clegg: Tories make your family less safe

By Ian Dunt Nick Clegg has launched the Liberal Democrat’s European election campaign with a call for voters to reject the Conservatives, who will make “your family less safe”. “Labour is finished,” he said. “He [Gordon Brown] can’t even make friends with his own Cabinet colleagues. “And the Conservatives? The Conservatives want to pull the […]

Lib Dem surge following expenses scandal

By politics.co.uk staff The Liberal Democrats have surged ahead in the opinion polls off the back of damaging expenses revelations against the two main parties. A Populus poll for the Times this morning – conducted between Friday and Sunday – shows a sharp drop in support for Labour and the Conservatives, with the Liberal Democrats […]

Ashdown claims senior Labour figures could defect

Former Liberal Democrats leader Paddy Ashdown has claimed key Labour party figures have signalled they would defect to the Liberal Democrats if the party becomes too left wing. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Lord Ashdown told the paper that Labour MPs were concerned by the party’s shift towards the left in the wake […]

Lib Dems unveil income tax help

By politics.co.uk staff The Liberal Democrats have unveiled their plans to help cut income tax bills for low and middle income groups. The party is promising to raise the income tax personal allowance to £10,000 by closing tax loopholes exploited by big businesses and the wealthy. This should cut income tax by £700 for low […]

Clegg visits Google to discuss privacy

By politics.co.uk staff Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg will visit Google today to discuss issues around privacy and cyber-bullying. The visit comes as support grows in parliament for a Lib Dem early day motion (EDM) raising concerns about the privacy implications of Google’s new Latitiude software, which allows users to track the location of friends […]

Clegg: There is nothing left

Labour is a spent match that has presided over a decade of rising inequality, led to an economy in tatters and seen British residents tortured with the knowledge of their own government, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has said. In his closing speech to the party’s spring conference, Mr Clegg accuses the government of running […]