Posts Tagged ‘Liberal Democrat’
Clegg on VAT
Posted by: Gav in Gavin Ayling's blog on June 26th, 2010
I enjoyed Nick Clegg’s efforts on BBC News the other day. He was trying to defend the government’s 20% VAT proposal, increasing it from today’s 17.5%. And, of course, he did very well.
But the truth he couldn’t say, was that the VAT increase would not have been his choice. It cannot be right, in my opinion, to raise sales taxes that affect everyone, when there are income taxes that could be amended to affect only those able to pay. From a personal point of view, a local income tax in place of Council Tax, set at a level that would raise just a little more money from the well-off and taking about the same from those in the worst situations, would have been a fairer way.
But Clegg, if he doesn’t support the VAT increase, cannot say so. He has to compromise on some things much as the Conservatives have compromised.
The government’s doing a good job — I just hope it does as many of the good things that it can, before the next elections when, unless electoral reform is carried out, the old parties will regain power.
Update on Eastbrook
Posted by: Gav in Gavin Ayling's blog on June 6th, 2010
I am currently organising a location in which to run regular surgeries in the ward. In the meantime, as some of you already have, please write to me using the address and phone number on the Adur website, or email me using the email address on the ‘About Me’ tab above.
I hope you’ve been enjoying the beautiful weather as I have!
A Perfect Coalition
Posted by: Gav in Gavin Ayling's blog on May 12th, 2010
The coalition agreement on the Liberal Democrat website is a masterpiece.
For a Liberal Democrat, it delivers key, sensible and important policies including those on taxation, pensions, civil liberties, electoral reform (including an elected, proportional, House of Lords, fixed term parliaments and alternative vote and the West Lothian question) and, most amazingly, the environment (go Chris Huhne!)
For Conservatives, on the left of the party, it delivers policies that they may well have sympathised with and ensures that fairness is central to the way the country runs.
I cannot overstate how pleased I am with the agreement (which is a short and very readable document) and I am excited about how this will continue.
This is all national politics, however. Locally, I shall fight the ruling Adur Conservatives hard — we need to move on from this tired administration and improve the service that our excellent and loyal officers are asked to provide.
Labservative
Posted by: Gav in Gavin Ayling's blog on April 10th, 2010
I find the ‘Labservative’ thing that the Lib Dems are doing a little geeky. The truth is, the Conservatives and Labour are both offering the same with some tinkering around the edges, but the suggestion that they are a single hegemony by merging their names just sounds silly.
The Conservatives are claiming that a vote for my old party would be a vote for change, but the more George Osborn says, the less credible he sounds. His policy on taxing the banks regardless of what other countries do should be evidence enough of this.
It is time for a change in the UK and the only way a change can be brought about is if a party whose ideas are genuinely different, is elected. It may seem like a faint dream, but each one of you can do what you can:
Just vote for the Liberal Democrat candidate!
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Civil Liberties in today’s news
Posted by: Gav in Gavin Ayling's blog on January 12th, 2010
Today’s BBC news was interesting for anyone interested in the freedom of humans from oppression by their so-called democratic governments.
Innocent men who were held for over two years without trial and tortured, Shafiq Rasul and Rahud Ahmed, were able to meet one of their former guards after he contacted them to apologise on Facebook.
The next story was about the European Court on Human Rights’ decision that ruled illegal the Stop and Search powers used in a draconian manner by some police forces (sorry ‘services’ — another 1984-ism). For a while people who look like they have Asian ancestry may be safe when taking photos in London’s tourist hotspots.
But unfortunately, it’s not all good news. A trial has begun without a jury for no reason other than that the police have lost so much authority that they are no longer able to keep safe twelve individuals to the extent that they can be trusted — at least that’s the state’s excuse. The sooner this ‘trial’ is stopped, the better. An innocent group of men (as they are until the completion of a valid trial by their peers) should not have to trust a judge with their liberty.
Two bits of good news — one piece of bad. Not a bad score by most counts. Vote Liberal Democrat and perhaps we can have even more good news from May onwards!
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Conservatives’ attempted smear
Posted by: Gav in Gavin Ayling's blog on December 4th, 2009
I was called by the Argus this afternoon unfortunately while I was at work in my day-job so sadly I was not able to speak to their reporter in time for it to be certain that my response will be included in a story that will be published shortly.
I am extremely disappointed that the Conservative leadership have decided to take this path as I had every expectation that we would be able to work together in the future for the betterment of Adur District in a friendly way. In fact, in my letter to the Leader of the Council I made it quite clear that my reasons for leaving were not in any way a reflection on the Conservatives as individuals. The following is an extract:
I have had my differences, since 2006 when I was elected, with a few people in the party locally, but none of these differences are the cause, or even contributed to my change of heart.
I have found it an extraordinary culture shock, actually, since joining the Council as there’s a lot more ‘politics’ than I have experienced in the real world. At my usual place of work the vast majority do not gossip or insult their colleagues behind each others’ backs and if there’s a problem that needs resolving, people tend to have a chat with the appropriate person. Not so in local politics it seems!
The friendly chap who answered the phone at The Argus read me the Conservative press release and in the absence of an opportunity to respond in the paper, I have drafted the following response:
The Conservative press release suggests that I was deselected as a Conservative Councillor and rather than choosing to leave the party I was compelled by the potential of losing my seat to seek alternatives. I would like to make it quite clear that I have had no interaction whatsoever with the Conservative Party locally in relation to seeking to defend my seat as a Conservative. At around the same time as I decided to switch parties, for idealogical reasons, I also spoke to a Conservative colleague who had expressed an interest in representing the Buckingham Ward and told her that she would have my personal support (she’s a very likeable person as well as being a great Councillor and a hard-worker).
I will be the first to admit that I have not put the hours into being a Councillor that some of my retired colleagues have been able to, but I believe I have represented my constituents’ interests well where I could, and I have provided valuable input to meetings that I have attended.
One of the comments in the press release attempts to associate the amount of allowance that I have claimed to the number of meetings I have attended. This is extraordinarily spurious and should never be the way these numbers are used. It is simplistic in the extreme to suggest that the amount of allowance a Councillor ‘deserves’ should be related to how many meetings they have attended. I did miss a few meetings this year but I have responded promptly and in a helpful manner to my constituents’ requests for information, assistance and advice.
The constituents of Buckingham are fortunate to have Councillor Kennard represent them and she does work very hard for them — I hadn’t previously chosen to shout about the number of people I have helped — I think it is more appropriate to respond to the question and move on!
Since the representatives on each committee were decided earlier this year, I have only been a member of the Constitution and Audit Committee aside from Full Council meetings. This has reduced, significantly the opportunities that I have to be present at Council. This allocation of committees is carried out by the very ‘inner circle’ that was criticised in the press release announcing Carl English’s decision to represent the more reasoned, Liberal Democrat party.
Earlier in my term, however, and before the Cabinet system was adopted, I was welcomed onto the Policy & Strategy Committee for the very reason that I was able to apply intelligence and calm consideration to complex issues at Council. I was vice chair on the Housing and Central Services committee I believe for those same reasons.
So I find it shocking that the Conservatives would now suggest that they would not have chosen to retain these, sadly rare, qualities in one of their own. I believe, if the party wants to be judged on the record of its Councillors (again, according to the Press Release), it should look carefully at some of the people that have passed their supposedly stringent criteria. There are a few highly competent Councillors in the Conservative ranks at Adur and I could name them if I didn’t think that that would be rude. This reliance on a few, though, is not good for the health of Adur Council and reflects strongly on their new criteria given some of the people that I understand have been reselected.
I have requested an opportunity to speak at the next Full Council meeting on 8 December and I would encourage members of the public who are interested, to come along. The meeting starts at 7pm at the Civic Centre on Ham Road (Google Map) and if you enter the main entrance, a friendly person will let you know where the public seating area is.
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Reason number 2
Posted by: Gav in Gavin Ayling's blog on November 28th, 2009
Throughout this blog I have described myself as a ‘liberal Conservative’.
Now however, I have no need to describe my political ideology in couched terms — I was previously a ‘liberal Conservative’ and now I am just a liberal. I have always believed that where appropriate, the government should avoid interaction with peoples’ lives and I used to think the result would be a society of people who take responsibility for their actions and who genuinely work as hard as they can to improve their own life and that of those around them they care most deeply about.
I have since grown-up, however, and I now realise that there’s often a back-story. Bad people were not made bad by molly-coddling of the state, and not because they were born that way (in most cases) but because they have had a bad experience of life so far.
Where previously I limited ‘appropriate’ interference by the state to collecting minimal taxes and funding the police force, I now see a role for the state in providing a framework in which good people can live and in which people who don’t have the same life chances as everyone else are treated with compassion and provided with assistance. Where the Conservatives would have compassion provided by charities, I would have that compassion provided by the most appropriate body in any given situation.
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Peter Willows assaulted by the State
Posted by: Gav in Gavin Ayling's blog on December 13th, 2006
It is depressing that I have to use the same caveats every time I comment on this story, but it is safer to do so:
1. I do not agree with what Peter Willows, Brighton & Hove City Councillor for Hangleton Ward said in May
2. I think Peter Willows should be replaced by the Conservative Party’s selectors before the next election and that, were he not, he should be voted out
But how can it be right (it isn’t, just so you know), that a statement of his opinion which he even moved to deny, has caused him to be convicted of a public order offence (BBC News, Pink News)?
In general society you should be allowed to say absolutely whatever you like whether it would be polite to or not. But as a politician it is even more important. I don’t want to vote for someone who it turns out has thoughts that they’re not allowed to express. This is supposed to be a liberal and free country!
But what is worse. What really makes the vomit return to your throat, is that the Liberal Democrats in Brighton (those that claim to support the freedoms we hold so dear) called for, and celebrated, a guilty verdict. Isn’t it the case, then, that the Liberal Democrats only stand up for ne’er do wells and minorities?
I hope Pink News will forgive me for quoting them here:
Jay Nemes and Johnny Core are two Brighton based gay men, they gave the disgraced councillor £40 towards his court costs after the verdict.
Mr Nemes told The Argus: “Freedom of speech in England ended on December 12, 2006.
Damn right.
I said before that the facism against freedom of speech tempts me to say something illegal as a protest… The trouble is there’s nothing I think that’s illegal… yet.
I hope Paul Elgood and Warren Morgan lose their seats.
