Cross post from Lib Dem Voice: How the West can be Won

This post, like it seems all of them these days, was first published on Lib Dem Voice, here.

In May, eight “Metro Mayors” will be elected across England. Whilst the precise details vary between authority areas, each mayor will inherit a city deal providing them with money and powers over infrastructure development in an area covering multiple local authorities.

Given the generally urban nature of most of the areas it is anticipated that Labour will win many of these. (Although given recent results in Sunderland and Rotherham such old certainties no longer feel quite so axiomatic.) In the “West of England” area, though, we anticipate the fight will be between us and the Tories.

The area covered by the new mayor will be Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset. The latter two authorities have a mixture of urban and rural areas, contrasting with the sprawling metropolis* that is Bristol. As things stand, the Tories control South Glos and BaNES whilst Labour is in power in Bristol. In parliamentary terms, the Tories hold six seats to Labour’s three in the region.

As we’ve seen with results in Witney, Richmond Park and Sleaford, though, the results in 2015 are looking increasingly anomalous, particularly against the backdrop of Brexit (and Labour’s response to it.) Looking further back then and the picture was different: in 2010, Labour held two seats at Westminster, whilst we held three and the Tories held four. At council level, the Lib Dems were the administration in Bristol in 2010, and have historically been strong in both South Glos and Bath, where we took control in 2011.

The Supplemental Vote system means that there are two key tasks: first, ensure people know that the contest is between us and Tories. For those in Bristol, it may be strange thinking in these terms, where the battle lines have historically been drawn differently. Second, gain sufficient second preference votes to overhaul the Conservative candidate.

There is, of course, no magic bullet in doing this but we have three key weapons: our candidate, our members, and our renewed energy.

Our candidate is Stephen Williams, whose credentials for the position are vastly superior to any of the other candidates. He is a former Councillor, Lib Dem group leader, MP and coalition Minister. He knows the city of Bristol inside out, as well as much of the rest of the area, and his experience of both local government and the workings of Whitehall will be invaluable.

Over the past two years, our membership in Bristol has more than doubled, just as it’s increased across the country. With these new members come fresh ideas, and a rejuvenating enthusiasm. The result of the General Election, Brexit and Trump have motivated new members to take action, and this has helped energise those of us who are longer in the tooth.

Online and offline, there is a real enthusiasm for action within the party. This is one of the main drivers for our success in council by election after council by election all across the country. Week after week, we demonstrate that we can take seats from all comers. The West of England Metro Mayor presents a high profile opportunity to underline that point.

We can give the Tories a bloody nose, challenge May’s pursuit of a hard and harmful Brexit, and remind them that despite the result in 2015 they cannot take the West Country for granted. We are up for the fight, and up for delivering a famous victory.

You can follow and support Stephen’s campaign via his Facebook page and you can follow him on Twitter. Members and supporters can also join an online virtual HQ. Finally, you can donate here.

*some poetic licence may have been employed here.

Pomp, Circumstance and Humble Addresses...

Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament

 

As much as I am a republican, I do like a bit of Pomp and Circumstance - and few occasions have as much of either as the State Opening of Parliament when, for a few minutes each year, the Palace of Westminster pays host to Her Majesty the Queen.

 

After a horse-drawn procession from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament - and a few minutes donning the full Royal Regalia - she enters the House of Lords to address both members of both houses. She then reads out a short speech which outlines the Government's legislative programme for the coming year.

 

After the Queen departs, parliament returns to normal with MPs returning to the Commons to debate the speech... but not before two of their number give an "Humble Address" - a vote of thanks to Her Majesty and a semi-serious look at the issues raised (or omitted) in the Speech.

 

This year, one of those on whom that honour fell was Bristol West's Stephen Williams MP - and you can read my summary of his address over on the Bristol Lib Dem's website.

 

Andrew

Votes for All... (well, from 16 anyway...)

Can you remember the first time you voted? 

The trip to the local school, library, church or scout hall. Nervously standing in line for with your polling card, waiting for your name to be checked and the ballot issued. Going into the age-old wooden booths and marking your cross with a pencil on the end of a string (and not before reading and re-reading the instructions at the top of the paper). Folding the paper, and posting it in the box. Leaving the station with a sense of - of what? Satisfaction and elation? Relief? Achievement?... A sense of maturity and engagement with civic society.

If you are anything like me, you will still love this part of the democratic process. Even though the done thing amongst political activists is to vote by post (as this ensures more time for campaigning), I really don't want to give up the positive action of going to the polling station and casting my vote in person. The one time I did use a postal vote, I found the process less symbolic. (Ironically, it was the one time I voted for a winning candidate in a Parliamentary election!)

Can you remember what age you were for that first General Election? Did you just reply "18" automatically , or did you stop to work it out? The chances are, you were around 20-21 the first time you had a vote in a general election, if not older. If I hadn't been sent a polling card for the April 1992 election (when I was 17), I'd have been 22 and a half the first time I voted in General Election.

Now I'm a politically interested person so I was never going to not use my franchise. But there are many who have no interest in politics - especially once they have left school and moved into a real world where idealism gives way to cynicism. And that's fine, to a point - we can't all be politically nerdy - but engagement is to be preferred to apathy; and this could be engendered in school if pupils thought they could vote in real elections and not just mock exercises.

Tomorrow, Bristol West's Liberal Democrat MP, Stephen Williams will move a resolution in the House of Commons on reducing the voting age to 16;  a move he has blogged about here. (There has also been a Private Members Bill introduced in the Lords by Lib Dem peer Lord Tyler.)

Extending the franchise to 16 year old's could help build a culture of involvement as school pupils engaging with the issues in school. Combined with the rise in the school leaving age to 18, and fixed parliamentary terms of 5 years, around half of those eligible to vote for the first time will be at school, with the rest having relatively recently left. Giving them a chance to vote for real is surely preferable to letting them move into the rest of their lives and confining school political exercises to yearbooks and memory.

16 year old's a quite old enough to examine he issues and think through the implications of policies. There are quite capable of interpreting media messages and understanding political philosophies. What they may lack - or lose when they leave school and it's structured environment - is the impetus to look into the options and exercise their vote.

There are those who say this is a cynical Liberal ploy aimed at garnering the votes of the (small-l) liberal young. There are others who cast doubt on the maturity of young men and woman and their ability to make reasoned judgements on the merits of candidates and Parties. There are those who say that a list including the ability to have sex legally, marry, join the army, work full time & pay the corresponding taxes and do a host of other things that minors can't shouldn't be extended to include the democratic franchise.

As a rule, these and other arguments against votes at sixteen are weak, at best. On the flip-side, granting votes at sixteen could entrench involvement in civic society in a new generation; carrying involvement in school democracy and mock elections to the Ballot Box, Westminster and beyond.

Andrew

The end of the affair... falling out of love with Starbucks

Reader, dear reader, I am heartbroken. Once upon a time, I was in love. Now, no more. The objection of my affection has featured on these pages before. Back in March last year they were wowing me with their enthusiasm and theatricality.

Oh, I knew that their coffee wasn't the best - but I was in love with an idea. A contrived Americana on every corner. Years ago, at the height of my habit, in one store I used to frequent, they would be making my drink before I'd even got to the till. More recently, I enjoyed a weekly treat from Apple's iTunes - an App, or Book, or Song. They called me by name, they even made my previous drink of choice (a Double Tall Caramel Macchiato) into the standard Tall Caramel Macchiato. I felt, well, special...

My cousin and wife may have worked for Costa, the independent café I visited every morning (£2.20 for Latte and Croissant) may make better coffee, but there was still a soft spot in my affections for... No, I can't even bear to say the name.

You see, dear reader, a month or so ago, news broke that my love had managed to arrange their affairs in such a way as to pay minimal tax. Now, there is nothing wrong with arranging your tax affairs so you don't pay more than you need to, or should do. But when you contrive your arrangements in such a way as to pay next to nothing - well, it crosses a line. A subjective, moral line perhaps, but a line none the less.

Despite appearances to the contrary, it now seems they declared losses in the UK in 14 of the past 15 years. A 15 year period of constant and rapid expansion - it seems odd, does it not, to keep flogging a dead horse for so long. Perhaps a shop on the next corner will be the one which makes us profitable...

Of course, all that time, they've reported to shareholders that the UK is profitable and promoted their UK head to a post in their home market. Indeed, they promoted their UK head, Cliff Burrows, to be president of their US business. Talk about reward for failure...

They've tried to win me back. The day after I discovered their dirty little secret, I received a voucher for a free latte (part of the regular reward programme). They've tried to explain themselves here and here. But, dear reader, it's all too little, too late. How can I ever trust them again?

And, like every break up, we need to work out whose stuff is whose. They had £10.40 of mine* - I'll be damned if they're keeping that. I don't think I have anything of theirs. Turns out, I was always the honest one in our relationship.

Now they're trying to make things up HM Revenue and Customs. Seeking to re-negotiate what they will pay tax on - volunteering not to offset the royalties paid to their EMEA Headquarters in the Netherlands against Corporation Tax. How very big of them...

But now, today, comes news that Starbucks are to seek to change the terms and conditions of their employees. They may be giving with one hand, but it looks like the other is ready to take away from their "Partners".

I'm not a fan of "Big is Evil" type arguments, I'm not normally a fan of consumer boycotts either, I know that Amazon, Google, Apple and IKEA (amongst others, and all of whom I have relationships with, such a tart as am I) all have similar practices, but it's time to draw the line. 

Starbucks is, it seems, one of the worst offenders - it's time to take a stand. 

You can sign a Lib Dem sponsored petition here and stop patronising them. Perhaps then they will stop taking us all for a ride.

Andrew

*I've got special dispensation from Stephen Williams MP - the Lib Dem leading the charge against Starbucks - to use up the funds on my card. A Venti Gingerbread Latte and Mince Pie were much enjoyed last week; if you see me with another, that is my excuse...