Blogged elsewhere: Secretary of State opposes marriage equality

"Together" for the national interest?

Maybe the Northern Ireland Secretary, Owen Paterson, has spent too much time in the presence of First Minister Peter Robinson and his DUP cohorts. Or maybe he was one of those very conservative Conservatives that David Cameron could foist upon Northern Ireland without upsetting the apple cart too much. Whatever the reason Mr. Paterson has become the first cabinet minister to speak out against the cabinet commitment to equal marriage.

In a letter to a constituent in his North Shropshire seat he wrote:

 "Having considered this matter carefully, I am afraid I have come to the decision not to support gay marriage." 

Read the full post on LGBT+ Lib Dems Northern Ireland

LDV Weekend Meme: fantasy liberal cabinet

Oh dear one of the chores of being in the preceeding week's Lib Dem Voice Golden Dozen is actually being singled out and named to partake in the LDV Weekend Meme*. But it is an intersting one set by Stephen Tall a fantasy Lib Dem-Liberal-SDP Cabinet. A cabinet of all our talents alive or dead.

Roy Jenkins – Prime Minister
Vincent Cable – Chancellor of the Exchequer
William Gladstone – Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Nick Clegg – Home Secretary
Menzie Campbell – Justice
William Beveridge – Work & Pensions
Jo Grimmond – Health
Shirley Williams – Education
Chris Huhne – Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Lynne Featherstone – Energy and Climate Change
David Lloyd George - President of the Board of Trade
Bill Rodgers – Transport
Winston Churchill – Defence
Paddy Ashdown – International Development
David Penhaligon – Communities and Local Government
David Steel – Constitutional Affairs
Clement Freud – Culture, Media and Sport
John Pardoe – Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Russell Johnston - Europe

I've added in couple of posts that LDV didn't include, Trade and Europe.

*As. opposed to being including in the catch all 'All Lib Dem Bloggers'

Brown's Last Ditch Roll of The Dice

Gordon Brown despite having on paper a Parliamentary majority is considering a deal to bring prominent Liberal Democrats into Cabinet in a 'game-changing move. However, his game must be well a truly up if he is again reconsidering this step.

When he first took over from Tony Blair the Prime Minister approached various senior Lib Dems in the Commons and Lords to take some role in his new administration. He was rebuffed from all sides. Now in his desperation of what he may be facing on Thursday in the European elections he is considering it again.

However, following Nick Clegg's comments from Thursday any such deal at this time will only be temporary. Gordon is trying to strike a deal with the party that is looking for reform of Parliament before going to a General Election because the other party is calling for one now. So Gordon if you want a deal with the Lib Dems it looks like you will setting forth a 100 day legislative timetable along the Clegg lines and facing your parties future in the Autumn at the earliest opportunity thereafter.

Those are the only conditions that the Lib Dems at this stage will possibly agree to work with Labour. Yeah in the meantime we may lend you Vince to help Alistair out over the economy, but most of the time we'll be pushing through the Third Reform Act(s) so that the people have more say, that their Parliament is more transparent and fair, and that they can take action if ever Parliament or Parliamentarians sink so low again.

This time Gordon we are playing hardball, we won't be pussyfooted around like the eventual empty promises of Blair following the Cook-Maclennan talks. We want those changes plus more now. All or nothing and we can't guarantee you survival even if you do.

Scolari, Fabiani, Watt, Maxwell: Out, Out, Out, Out

On the back of big Phil's removal from Stamford Bridge and while the former heads of the RBS and HBoS were making their apologies Alex has welded his sgian dubh, I would have said Claymore if any of the Cabinet had been effected. Indeed Scottish Tory deputy leader Murdo Fraser did say that Salmond should have taken an axe to his cabinet, rather than 'knifing a few junior ministers'.

Culture minister Linda Fabiani, schools minister Maureen Watt and housing and sports minister Stewart Maxwell all lost their junior ministerial roles in Salmond's first reshuffle. The sport portfolio has been added to public Health Minister Shona Robinson's brief. Mike Russell has moved to Culture while his environment brief has been taken up by Roseanna Cunningham. Also arriving is Alex Neil as a revamped communities and housing minister. With Keith Brown stepping up to assist Fiona Hyslop as the new education minister for schools and skills.

As Mike Rumbles, Lib Dem chief whip put it:

"I'm delighted that Alex Neil's ultra loyalty has finally been rewarded. The lesson of this reshuffle is that slavish adoration of the first minister pays dividends."

Labour health spokesperson Cathy Jamieson said the reason for Maxwell's demise was plain:

"The number of new homes being built in our two biggest cities is falling off the edge of a cliff.

"The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations reports that its members are being forced to reduce their ambitions and shelve badly needed developments because of funding cuts by the SNP government."

So the high noon of the short sgian dubhs is over. Buried under a heap of Scottish Banking news. Does it show that in culture, education, housing and sports that the SNP are failing to deliver?Certainly the team that had been responsible must have been. Shockingly do they really think that Environment has been a success with Maxwell's move to Culture? Or have they failed there to and are just shifting out the dross?

Mili Flight Ban

Looks like Gordon has been rearranging stones on the beach in preparation for reshuffle and following on from yesterday's calls for the Foreign Secretary to be sacked David Miliband has be ordered to cancel a trip to India.



Oh dear, it looks like the young buck has indeed been caught too much in the headlights while the boss is away. If he is being told to stay while a reshuffle is pencilled in it can only mean one thing he is moving elsewhere or out. David will be packing for his summer hols to Minorca tomorrow, surely not a boozy fortnight with the lads, not sure whether he should be packing his suitcase or boxing up the contents of his office at the FCO.

There are three possible solutions for Gordon. He can either kick Miliband out of the cabinet altogether, however as I said yesterday this makes him a martyr and a stalking horse and tougher to control. Alternatively he can demote him to a more junior office. However, young David clearly has talent to me in one of the big three jobs so young and so relatively early in his political career and may been seen as a waste of talent. Alternatively the First Lord or the Treasury may well move him up to the roll of Chancellor of the Exchequer after all he can keep tight reins and sharp eyes on him, just as Tony had done on Gordon for 10 years.

Move Over Darling

I was about to write goodbye Darling as the first news I read was that Douglas Alexander had taken over the Transport and Scottish brief from Alistair Darling in the reshuffle today. But I've since found that the Edinburgh South West MP has Become the new Trade and Industry Secretary.

Other Scots on the move:

John Reid is new Home Secretary
Des Browne replaces him as Defence Secretary

Ian McCartney has been replaced as Party Chairman by Hazel Blears