Time for a (Lib Dem) presidential election...

It's that time again - when nominations are sought for the post of Lib Dem party president - the most important elected post in the 'voluntary' party.

The elections for the job have, sadly, usually ended up being won by a 'professional' Parliamentarian - sometimes as a stepping stone to the leadership.

The current incumbent - Tim Farron - is widely respected and the expectation is he will be returned unopposed.  But he shouldn't and Gareth Epps makes the strong case for both an election and the return of a non-Parliamentarian to the job.

Justice at last for Hillsborough families?

Today's long awaited release of the Hillsborough files and apology from David Cameron is hopefully the beginning of the end of a long road for the families of the 96 fans who died.   It is clear the police and emergency services engaged in a process of backside covering - including influencing the inquests.

It is hard to see anything other than criminal charges for those involved.

Nick Clegg first demanded the release of the documents over a year ago and I pondered later that their release may have only happened as a result of the more open style of government resulting from coalition - making it easier for the public to influence political leaders.

If so, let's hope it continues with a more open attitude by public officials across government in future - whoever is in power.

Congratulations Andy Murray!

It was worth the wait...

Rail news exposes Branson's bluster

Rail News has published a well researched comparison of the two leading bids for west coast rail services. 

It makes it clear that much of the bearded one's publicity about his loss is bluster and hyperbole...

Friday favourite 75

Just finished reading 'the Complaints' - the first non-Rebus Rankin crime novel.  It features a dodgy cop called Billy Giles.  So by some very circuitous logic today's Friday favourite is Tribe of Toffs 'John Kettley is a weatherman' which features the only reference (that I know of) to 'Billy Giles' in pop music...

 

The song - something of a novelty in its day - actually stands up quite well.

Laws' return is old politics

The return of David Laws to ministerial office is a bad move by Nick Clegg and the Lib Dem leadership.  It is a triumph of hope over political reality and demonstrates (sadly once again) the naive political judgement of Clegg.

Here's just some of the images posted on the web over the last few days on the issue:

Whatever the merits of Laws (and his reasons for not telling the truth about his expenses) - he is severely damaged goods.  His return to government is just another reminder that the Lib Dems say one thing in opposition and do the opposite in government. 

It also demostrates that all the hopes that were invested in Clegg in the spring of 2010 that he was a new kind of politician with a new way of doing things were simply wishful thinking.

It's not as if Laws undoubted talents couldn't have been used in an unpaid way - as DPM Clegg surely has powers to appoint almost anyone he wants as an unpaid 'enforcer'.  There has been no explanation of why he had to come back on to the ministerial payrole to do the job - or what his job actually involves outside of the Education ministry.

If this is Clegg's answer to the increasing number of open critics within the party then he is in more trouble than he and his team cares to admit. 

Reshuffle reflections

With the dust settled on the cabinet reshuffle it is clear that the 'refreshed' cabinet makes two policy changes more likely.  Firstly, the Tories are in the process of u-turning on a third Heathrow runway and the moving of Justine Greening makes this much easier.  The sacking of Lib Dem Nick Harvey - leaving defence a Tory only department - will surely mean stopping a replacement for trident becomes almost impossible.

What these two policy issues show, however, is a fundamental failing in the way the coalition operates.  In normal circumstances the Lib Dems would surely be campaigning on these issues and using the opportunity of motions in the Commons to flush out supporters of both propositions - on Tory and Labour benches.

But the coaltion agreement doesn't allow the party to do so - it is for House of Commons business purposes effectively a single party. 

In council chambers up and down the country where two or more parties share administration normal competitive politics isn't put on hold between coalition partners.  Council meetings are used to expose weaknesses in opponents stances and promote distinctive positions of individual parties. 

A similar change in the rules of engagement for the coalition parties is now desperately needed - moving a few indentikit politicians between portfolios doesn't address the need for a more flexible working arrangement between the Lib Dems and the Tories.

Interesting US presidential election fact of the day...

The last time the Republicans won the presidency without a Bush or a Nixon on the ticket was 1928.

Friday favourite 74

This week it is Old Reekie's finest stonemason, blues artist and jobbing actor - Tam White.  One of his claims to fame is to be the first person to sing live on Top of the Pops.  He also attended Darroch secondary - better known in my day as James Gillespies Annexe.  Here he is performing live in his home town in the year before his untimely death in 2010.

 

Clegg supporters' circle the wagons

Matthew Oakeshott's sensible advice in the Grauniad that the Lib Dems should look at 'strategy and management' in trying to turn round their dire poll ratings has been seized on as a call for a new leader.  Cable loyalist Oakeshott may well have intended it to be so, but it shouldn't be the case.

Sadly, the reaction from Clegg's spin doctors and advisors - wheeling out Paddy Ashdown, Simon Hughes and Tim Farron in his support - made Oakeshott's case for him.

It goes without saying that a change of strategy is needed.  The constant relaunches of Clegg and policy flip flops, forced 'differentiation' with the Tories and kite flying have all the hallmarks of the dying days of the Brown administration.

It's this PR led search for publicity that has so called 'cut-through' - getting into people's non-short term memories - that is the problem - not the solution.  'Alarm clock Britain' may well have delighted the youthful PR types who make up the bulk of Clegg's advisers as it had 'cut through' - but it only did so because it was ugly, ludicrous and confirmed everything a now sceptical audience thought about Clegg's political naievity.

Successful political campaigns aren't built on a day's or a week's or even a month's media coverage - they are built over time on consistent values and messaging.  Clegg's problem is that in trying to turn his image around he is constantly shifting further and further away from the things that made him attractive to people in the spring of 2010.

So Oakeshott is right - those who advise Clegg have failed to understand the basic necessities of political campaign management.  They have no strategy for government and seemingly no idea how to turn things around.

As they say in the wonderful world of Scottish football - Clegg's 'coat is on a shoogly peg'.  But in my view he clearly has the talent and ability to turn it around.  The question however is does he have the political nouce to understand that spin and PR are part of the problem and the political kahunas to do something about it?