Businessmen act to diffuse policy confusion

STOP PRESS: On Thursday I posted two ad banners that have been devised by a group of businessmen opposed to the thought of a hung parliament or a Lib/Lab coalition government. I can now reveal that the group has gone public under the name Policy Diffusion.

Check out their webpage HERE.

Update on Sunday, May 2, 2010 by Simon Clark

Guido features another Policy Diffusion banner HERE. And Iain Dale includes PD in his Daley (Half) Dozen HERE.

Update on Sunday, May 2, 2010 by Simon Clark

Lib Dem supporters are apparently planning a series of flashmobs on Monday, including one in Trafalgar Square.

The plan:
15:00 - Wear yellow, but cover it. Arrive at the square.
15:05 - One person will shout “I agree with Nick!” REALLY LOUD and tear off their jacket to reveal their yellow clothing. Another person will join in. And another and another, until we are all chanting “I agree with Nick!”
Balloons will be handed out for you to blow up afterwards and stickers should be available.
15:25 - Crowd disperses, taking any litter with it so as not to give the tabloids something to moan about.

Full details on Facebook HERE. Desperate stuff.

H/T Liberal Vision

Top of the class

The fringe meeting we organised with Liberal Vision in Bournemouth was a great success - standing room only. Packed into Old Harry's Bar in the Highcliff Hotel, the majority of the audience demonstrated that real liberals do exist within the Liberal Democrats. They just need some encouragement - and events like this.

Speakers were Malcolm Bruce MP (who voted for the smoking ban), Gavin Webb (Lib Dem councillor suspended by the party earlier this year because of his pro-libertarian views), Dr Richard Wellings (deputy editorial director of the Institute of Economic Affairs who worked on the IEA book Prohibitions), and Mark Littlewood (chairman of Liberal Vision and Lib Dem head of media 2004-2007).

Mark took the opportunity to announce the results of a Liberal Vision survey to find the most liberal Lib Dem MPs on lifestyle issues. Based on eleven recent Early Day Motions and nine parliamentary votes (the latter on the specific subjects of smoking, drinking and gambling), the top ten liberals were:

1. Lembit Opik
2. David Laws
3. Paul Keetch
4. David Howarth
5. John Barrett
6. Jeremy Browne
7. Julia Goldsworthy
8. John Hemming
9. Tom Brake
10. Sir Menzies Campbell

Charles Kennedy came 11th, Nick Clegg 15th.

Bottom of the class were:

61. Vincent Cable
62. Mike Hancock
63. John Leech

According to Mark, "Liberal Vision believes that adults should be allowed to make their own lifestyle choices, even if these decisions cause them serious harm. The other two parties take a controlling, patronising and interfering approach on these issues. We hope to persuade the Liberal Democrats to adopt a more philosophicaly coherent and, indeed, liberal approach in these areas."

Report HERE.