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The Independent View: Political inequality threatens constitutional holy cows
It is time to put some holy constitutional cows out to pasture. The traditional liberal reform agenda remains necessary, but it is no longer enough to reanimate our democracy. Too many of its solutions...
View ArticleTim Farron’s speech to the IPPR: Liberalism: an optimistic confidence in the...
Both Liberal Democrat leadership candidates are giving speeches to the IPPR think tank over the next few days. Here is Tim Farron’s in full. IPPR has always been one of the leading think tanks on the...
View ArticleIn full: Norman Lamb’s speech to the IPPR: Liberalism needs to be history’s...
Both leadership candidates have given speeches to the Institute of Public Policy Research recently. We covered Tim Farron’s last week. Here is Norman Lamb’s. I want to thank the IPPR for inviting me to...
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Tim Farron’s full speech on the economy: the radical gems that weren’t in the...
In days of yore, 6 months ago, if the Liberal Democrat leader made a keynote speech on the economy, the journos would be there in force. While there was a bit of coverage on the Guardian and BBC, it...
View ArticleFarron: We must not let racists hijack the referendum result
As the Cabinet gathers rather awkwardly at Chequers to discuss the implementation of Brexit, Tim Farron makes a keynote speech to the Institute of Public Policy Research in Manchester this morning. It...
View ArticleLabour leaning think-tank IPPR backs Osborne on ‘granny tax’
George Osborne has received support from an unexpected source: the Labour leaning think tank, the IPPR. In an article entitled “Why Osborne’s ‘granny tax’ makes sense“, Senior Research Fellow at the...
View ArticleThe True Cost of Energy: why Ed Davey must act
A poll out yesterday showed that action to address high energy bills is now the top priority for voters, so Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey has a political interest in new research on the...
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Housing: the IPPR’s answer
Over the last week I’ve highlighted how the Britain’s love of home ownership is not based on any evidence that high home ownership brings economic success (if anything, the opposite is true), that the...
View ArticleIndependent View: Housing Benefit reform needs liberal principle of localism
The Prime Minister’s recent suggestion that young people under the age of 25 might be barred from receiving Housing Benefit has re-ignited the debate about welfare reform. Talk of a further ‘benefits...
View ArticleIndependent View: What now for housing policy?
As the coalition approaches the halfway point of the Parliament, Liberal Democrats are in search of policies that demonstrate their distinctive contribution to government – especially on the crucial...
View ArticleIndependent View: two cheers for Vince
Landlords and punters across the country should be raising a glass to Vince Cable today after he announced new rules for pub companies (or pubcos) which will help local publicans in these difficult...
View ArticleWhat would a liberal, progressive migration policy for the UK look like?
As the next election begins to loom into view, the issue of immigration continues to pose a challenge for liberal progressives of all political persuasions. A new report published today by the...
View ArticleThe Independent View: Clegg should champion ‘everyday integration’
Nick Clegg’s speech later today will remind us of how crucial an effective immigration policy is to Britain. One of the areas that has been the least developed by previous governments, as well as the...
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The Independent View: Early years reform – should Clegg take another stand?
With a childcare announcement expected imminently, early years is shaping up to be both a key battleground for the next election and a major coalition split. All agree on wanting to bring down prices...
View ArticleThe Independent View: Is the Coalition is doing enough to help Britain’s...
The Chancellor looks set to announce a new tax break for married couples in next month’s Autumn Statement, while universal credit continues its slow and increasingly painful roll out. Both are heralded...
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Time for Nick Clegg to ditch the “Great Britain not Little England” line
“Great Britain not little England” – it was a line Nick Clegg used in his recent Spring conference speech, setting up the new political dividing lines between those who are optimistic, outward-looking,...
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The Independent View: Lessons for Clegg – we need to be more innovative on...
Last week, Nick Clegg gave a speech at the launch of the Cityfathers, a network of working dads based in the Square Mile and Canary Wharf. In it, he focused in particular on changes to parental leave...
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Ed Miliband’s speech: tricky message, poor timing
I’ve quite a lot of time for Ed Miliband. Politics needs intelligent, thoughtful folk with their hearts in the right place. I respect, for example, that he held out last year against the superficially...
View ArticleDecentralisation decade – Nick Clegg responds
Last Friday Nick Clegg was speaking about devolution at an event organisation by the Institute for Public Policy Research. It marked the launch of their publication entitled ‘Decentralisation decade: A...
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The Independent View: Political inequality threatens constitutional holy cows
It is time to put some holy constitutional cows out to pasture. The traditional liberal reform agenda remains necessary, but it is no longer enough to reanimate our democracy. Too many of its solutions...
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