Caron Lindsay: Nick Clegg, you can’t go on about diversity and continue to pass over women

What a rubbish week this has been. Nothing has been as bad for me as the passage of the Welfare Reform Bill, a true nadir in the life of this Government, but it’s not good to see one of your own people have to resign from the Cabinet.

Whatever you think of Chris Huhne, and to be honest, I was never his biggest fan for all sorts of reasons, anyone else facing the same charges in any other job would not be sacked until after the Court case. Unfortunately for him, if he’d stayed in post, every time he tried to do something, the media would bring the impending trial up and he’d be completely paralysed. The principle of innocent until proven guilty is an important one and it’s getting lost in all of this. (more…)

Caron Lindsay: PM Cameron praises Chris Huhne’s passion and distinction as he accepts resignation and Clegg offers a way back

The letters between Chris Huhne and David Cameron on Huhne’s resignation as Energy and Climate Change secretary have been published on the Number 10 website:

Caron Lindsay: Chris Huhne protests innocence as he confirms resignation from Cabinet

Caron Lindsay: Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce to be charged with perverting the course of justice

admin: The Blood is The Life 03-02-2012

• The Sonic Lipstick Sarah-Jane Smith fandom newsletter hangs up it’s collective keyboard
  
  
  (tags: doctorwho )
• Mark Thompson: Is Lib Dem MP gender balance problem exacerbated by FPTP?
  
  Mark is very good at taking a point that is already well known and finding and collating the evidence to back it up. He’s a Lib Dem Fact Check if you like. Here, he gives us the maths and shows his working to prove that actually, Lib Dem gender balance is better than both the other two main parties, and unlike them, we’ve never stooped to quotas. (more…)

Mary Honeyball: European Parliament makes strong progress on outlawing counterfeiting

The Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) between the European Union,  Australia,  Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerlandand the USA has been the focus of much attention over the past few weeks.

I have received a number of emails and have been regularly “tweeted” on the issue. Since it is a matter of concern, I have decided to post the following, which I hope will address the points which have been raised. (more…)

Caron Lindsay: In which Mark Pack cheers me up with news of Liberal Democrat achievements

I think you should be aware, before I start that no chocolate has been sent my way as an enticement to write this article. Unfortunately.

I have been a bit maudlin’ today after the passage of the Welfare Reform Bill with all its nasties still intact so I kind of needed something to cheer  me up. (more…)

Caron Lindsay: Irony of the day – the SNP and Greener Scotland

Well, I needed something to make me laugh today.

admin: Meme via various folks

1. Make a list of 5 things you can see without getting up.
Roxy’s eyebrows
Vincent Price on the telly
Also Jane Asher, looking shocked
A Mathmos lava lamp
A pair of Tardises

2. What color is your hair?
Faded dyed red

3. What did you want to be as a child?
A barrister. Or a rock star. (more…)

Caron Lindsay: The day after the Welfare Reform Bill

Well, I feel kind of hung over emotionally today.

It was deeply unpleasant for me to watch the Welfare Reform Bill clear the Commons yesterday, especially as the Government had decided to re-classify it as a financial bill so that the Lords couldn’t interfere with it any more.

It was more in sadness than anger that I watched our MPs defy the clear will of the party set out at Conference in September, and vote for a one year time limit for contributory Employment and Support Allowance. These are good people and I can’t imagine that they would have enthusiastically trooped through the Aye lobby. But I’m not here to set out the case for their defence. That has to be up to them. (more…)