Ming Campbell commenting on recent events said: "You may have read in the newspapers about how Gordon Brown spoke to me earlier this week about offering ministerial jobs to Liberal Democrat members of the House of Lords."
Gordon Brown wanted to appoint Liberal Democrat peers to his ministerial team, it has emerged. The Prime Minister-in-waiting offered former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown the post of Northern Ireland Secretary, and wanted to appoint other Lib Dem peers to non-cabinet roles, but Menzies Campbell and Lord Ashdown rejected the proposal. Lord Ashdown told the BBC, "I told him [Brown] that I could not conceivably consider such a position unless my leader told me that he thought it was a good idea and even if he did, I didn't." This comes just two months after Menzies Campbell rejected overtures from David Cameron about putting forward a joint Lib Dem - Tory candidate for London mayor. There is debate in the papers and political blogs about whether this was a genuine attempt by Brown to form a 'government of all the talents' (there are rumours he has approached Tories and non-party figures too) or simply a cheap gesture to look open and pluralist that he knew would be rejected. Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis said on
The Preliminary Agenda for the party's autumn Brighton conference is now available on the party website at www.libdems.org.uk/conference
Bedford Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to save weekly rubbish collections in Bedford Borough. This comes in the face of the County Council's push to see a common system of fortnightly collections introduced across the whole of Bedfordshire.
The Tories are pledging to hand day-to-day control of the NHS to an independent board, as part of reforms aimed at making it more autonomous. They say the board should allocate billions of pounds to primary care trusts across England, and oversee the commissioning of services. Ministers would appoint board members, set objectives and hold it to account.
Shepway Lib Dems have been amongst the first to assist in a key Kent County Council by-election in Maidstone, caused by the sad death last month of County Councillor Margaret Featherstone. The by-election for the Maidstone North East Division will be held on 12 July.
