Latest news with #LibDems
New Statesman
a day ago
- Politics
- New Statesman
The Lib Dems' stealthy advance
Photo byFor the Liberal Democrats the summer recess is usually a political opportunity. A pause in House of Commons business gives smaller parties a chance to command attention (as the Lib Dems traditionally do by calling for parliament to be recalled over issues small and large). This year, though, they have no shortage of rivals: Reform, the mid-leadership election Greens, and a new left party. 'We are frustrated that a lot of the media are, once again, turning themselves into a Nigel Farage news wire,' says a Liberal Democrat source. Ed Davey recently met the BBC director-general, Tim Davie, in parliament to complain about the broadcaster's coverage of Reform, which leads the opinion polls but has four MPs to the Lib Dems' 72 (making them the largest third party since 1923). 'You cover the tittle-tattle around Reform – you don't look at their policies,' Davey declared during a subsequent appearance on the BBC, accusing the broadcaster of giving Farage 'an easy ride' and calling for it 'to raise its game'. The Lib Dems, who were delighted with the attention the interview attracted, say that this marks the beginning of a more 'forthright' approach. But they insist that they will not change their strategy in a bid to compete with more populist rivals. The party still bears the scars of the 2019 general election when its call for the cancellation of Brexit saw just 11 Lib Dem MPs returned and leader Jo Swinson lose her seat. As such, Davey is taking a more patient approach. You could call it the tortoise strategy. Rather than racing to reverse Brexit, Davey is demanding a new customs union with the EU by 2030 as part of a slow return to membership. 'Europe is an area where we can pressure Labour to be more ambitious and make hay at the next general election,' says one aide. Unlike in the Blair years, when the Lib Dems championed a 50p income tax rate and the abolition of university tuition fees, the party is wary of outflanking Labour from the left. Its new base is the formerly Conservative 'Blue Wall' and 26 of its 30 notional target seats are Tory-held. But the party believes it has established key points of differentiation with Labour. Davey used the final PMQs of the term to focus on Gaza, calling for the government to sanction Benjamin Netanyahu (an issue the Lib Dems say is attracting Conservative voters as well as Labour ones) and has positioned himself as the leading champion of social-care reform. Over the summer, the party's education spokesperson Munira Wilson has called for a cap on the profits of special needs schools, one of the issues the party expects to dominate this autumn. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Largely unnoticed, the Lib Dems have made further advances since last July. Outside of elections, the party's ratings often fade – partly due to reduced media coverage – but it is currently polling at 13-15 per cent and has won over more Labour voters than any of its rivals. 'We were the surprise of the night in 2024 and we think we can be the surprise of the night at the next general election,' declares an aide. As populist hares seek to race ahead, the tortoise continues its slow march. Related
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Why SNP may want Ian Blackford to stand as MSP in 2026
Mr Blackford has been largely out of the public eye since he stood down from his Westminster seat of Ross, Skye and Lochaber at last year's general election. The Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency ceased to exist at the last election following boundary changes. The successor seat of Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire was won by the Lib Dems's Angus MacDonald with the SNP Drew Hendry coming second. Mr Blackford was first elected to Westminster in May 2015 - the post 2014 independence referendum election - when the SNP won an astonishing 56 of Scotland's 59 seats. READ MORE: A former SNP national treasurer, he became the SNP Westminster leader after Angus Robertson lost his seat at the 2017 snap general election. Amid the Westminster votes on EU withdrawal and then the Partygate saga, Mr Blackford quickly locked horns with the then Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Commons chamber. He also became known for his love of a stunt after he was expelled from the chamber in 2018 by a flustered John Bercow, the former Speaker, after refusing to sit down in a protest over the failure to debate what he called a Brexit 'power grab' from Scotland which prompted a mass walkout from colleagues. Mr Johnson, in turn, liked to rile Mr Blackford, deliberately and repeatedly misnaming the SNP as the Scottish Nationalist Party (not as it is correctly the Scottish National Party) poking fun at his weight and mocking his claim to be 'a humble crofter'. Of course, Mr Blackford was anything but 'just a humble crofter", although he does have a croft. For most of his working life before becoming an MP he enjoyed a lucrative career as an investment banker. During his career in high finance for a time he ran Deutsche Bank's equity operations in Scotland and the Netherlands. Following 20 years in the financial industry, he left to do independent consultancy work, forming an investor relations company called First Seer in 2002. But despite his robust efforts in the Brexit turmoil to hold a series of Tory Prime Ministers to account – Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss - Mr Blackford had a turbulent time with his own MPs. His handling of sexual harassment claims made against the SNP MP Patrick Grady by a young staffer was widely criticised after a leaked recording showed him urging colleagues to support Mr Grady while failing to mention his victim. Amid brewing discontent and arguments among his MPs - including Joanna Cherry and Mhairi Black who were at opposite sides of the debate over gender self-declaration - he was ousted from his role as SNP leader in the Commons in December 2022 in an internal power struggle and replaced by Stephen Flynn. The two men later denied an acrimony and with a photograph posted on social media of them happily having a drink together on a Westminster terrace. Mr Blackford is reportedly considering whether to stand now for Holyrood following the shock announcement by the Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes on Monday that she will not stand for re-election in May next year. It is easy to see why senior figures in the SNP may want him in Holyrood. While he has never been in government, he has considerable parliamentary and campaigning experience. He is also someone who is very loyal to the legacy of Nicola Sturgeon and to the current First Minister John Swinney. It was rumoured that Mr Blackford was one of the central figures in the SNP who encouraged Mr Swinney to put himself forward for party leader following the resignation of Humza Yousaf. There is also an issue that the SNP benches will be losing many of its senior MSPs and ministers. Ms Forbes is the latest to announce her exit, but she follows in the footsteps of Ms Sturgeon, Mr Yousaf, finance secretary Shona Robison, as well as fellow cabinet members Fiona Hyslop and Mairi Gougeon. A number of ministers are also standing down including Richard Lochhead and Graeme Dey. With so many experienced politicians leaving it would be easy to see why the SNP may want to recruit more senior figures into Holyrood. If Mr Blackford does decide to stand, and voters elect him, it is likely he would be a contender for a top job in the Cabinet - maybe even finance secretary. And he may well have a sizeable group of former MPs by his side as he sits in Holyrood - including of course his usurper Mr Flynn.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
YouTube ads should be monitored like traditional media, say Lib Dems
YouTube adverts should be vetted in the same way as traditional media to protect consumers against scams and harmful content, according to the Lib Dems. The party said adverts on the video streaming service should be screened for 'harmful and misleading content' and brought under the regulation of media watchdog Ofcom. Culture spokesman Max Wilkinson MP told the BBC the social media platform was operating under a 'lighter touch' advertising regime. 'Regulations need to catch up with the reality of how people are watching content and unscrupulous advertisers must not be allowed to use loopholes to exploit people,' he said. 'We cannot allow a two-tier system where traditional broadcasters face robust scrutiny, while a digital giant like YouTube is allowed to mark its own homework.' Industry bodies Radio Central and Clearcast currently pre-approve most ads before they go to air. YouTube advertising is not subject to the same type of pre-clearance checks. YouTube is now the second most-watched media service in the UK, behind the BBC and ahead of ITV, according to an annual Ofcom report. Overall, people spent an average of four hours and 30 minutes a day watching TV and video content at home in 2024, with broadcast TV still making up 56% of in-home viewing, the regulator said. 'It's time for the regulator to treat YouTube adverts much more like TV and radio adverts, to protect UK consumers from misleading or harmful content. The government needs to act now,' Mr Wilkinson said. A spokesman for the Advertising Standards Authority, which monitors adverts on TV, radio and online, todl the BBC the cases highlighted by the Lib Dems came under Ofcom's reach under the Online Safety Act, but it would support their work and 'continue to play a disruptor role by reporting them and working with platforms to have them removed'. According to Ofcom, people spent 39 minutes a day on YouTube in 2024, with 16 minutes of this on the household's TV set. Younger adults aged 16 to 34 are driving the trend, watching 18 minutes of YouTube a day on TV, while one in five children aged four to 15 (20%) head straight to the app as soon as they turn the set on. Even those aged over 55 have almost doubled the time they spend watching YouTube on their TVs compared with the previous year – up from six minutes a day in January 2023 to 11 minutes in December. YouTube's soaring popularity comes as the platform's content has evolved, with half of its top-trending videos now more closely resembling traditional TV, including long-form interviews and game shows, Ofcom said. Ofcom has been approached for comment.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
YouTube ads should be monitored like traditional media, say Lib Dems
YouTube adverts should be vetted in the same way as traditional media to protect consumers against scams and harmful content, according to the Lib Dems. The party said adverts on the video streaming service should be screened for 'harmful and misleading content' and brought under the regulation of media watchdog Ofcom. Culture spokesman Max Wilkinson MP told the BBC the social media platform was operating under a 'lighter touch' advertising regime. 'Regulations need to catch up with the reality of how people are watching content and unscrupulous advertisers must not be allowed to use loopholes to exploit people,' he said. 'We cannot allow a two-tier system where traditional broadcasters face robust scrutiny, while a digital giant like YouTube is allowed to mark its own homework.' Industry bodies Radio Central and Clearcast currently pre-approve most ads before they go to air. YouTube advertising is not subject to the same type of pre-clearance checks. YouTube is now the second most-watched media service in the UK, behind the BBC and ahead of ITV, according to an annual Ofcom report. Overall, people spent an average of four hours and 30 minutes a day watching TV and video content at home in 2024, with broadcast TV still making up 56% of in-home viewing, the regulator said. 'It's time for the regulator to treat YouTube adverts much more like TV and radio adverts, to protect UK consumers from misleading or harmful content. The government needs to act now,' Mr Wilkinson said. A spokesman for the Advertising Standards Authority, which monitors adverts on TV, radio and online, todl the BBC the cases highlighted by the Lib Dems came under Ofcom's reach under the Online Safety Act, but it would support their work and 'continue to play a disruptor role by reporting them and working with platforms to have them removed'. According to Ofcom, people spent 39 minutes a day on YouTube in 2024, with 16 minutes of this on the household's TV set. Younger adults aged 16 to 34 are driving the trend, watching 18 minutes of YouTube a day on TV, while one in five children aged four to 15 (20%) head straight to the app as soon as they turn the set on. Even those aged over 55 have almost doubled the time they spend watching YouTube on their TVs compared with the previous year – up from six minutes a day in January 2023 to 11 minutes in December. YouTube's soaring popularity comes as the platform's content has evolved, with half of its top-trending videos now more closely resembling traditional TV, including long-form interviews and game shows, Ofcom said. Ofcom has been approached for comment.
Evening Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Evening Standard
YouTube ads should be monitored like traditional media, say Lib Dems
A spokesman for the Advertising Standards Authority, which monitors adverts on TV, radio and online, todl the BBC the cases highlighted by the Lib Dems came under Ofcom's reach under the Online Safety Act, but it would support their work and 'continue to play a disruptor role by reporting them and working with platforms to have them removed'.
