Recommended reading for Lib Dem Councillors and local campaigners in the last week.
Obviously the main news of the last seven days was the Comprehensive Spending Review, and its impact and aftermath. For background this was our members’ background briefing on the day after the CSR (ALDC members only).
The day after CSR, the Guardian featured this interview with the Deputy Prime Minister: Nick Clegg interview: “This is a thoughtful plan over four years”. Also from the Guardian: George Osborne has bloodied hands, but the voters are on his side.
The Daily Mail has a different perspective on some of the more Lib Dem aspects of the CSR: Liberal Democrats back biggest spending cut in history… with a few bribes to sugar the pill.
On the local government side, these are from the Municipal Journal: Local Government faces toughest settlementCouncils Consider Alternatives as PFI Waste Credits PulledCost Shunting Fears rise with £6 Billion Black Hole (on NHS costs being shifted to local government)National Infrastructure Plan Announced
On a different subject, an interesting piece for people interested in using short videos in their campaigns on Lib Dem Voice: Making short political videos: three top tips.
Finally, despite the CSR, a few times I’ve seen a non-Lib Dem in the last couple of days, it’s something else they want to ask me about – is it true Nick Clegg smokes?….. Here’s Nick’s Desert Island Discs to listen again!
Tim Pickstone
tim.pickstone@aldc.org