Lib Dem President Sal Brinton interviewed in the New Statesman

Baroness Brinton

“Congratulations, damn it!” This is the note Sal Brinton’s father, Tim, the former Conservative MP for Gravesham, sent with a bunch of flowers to his daughter when she was first elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor in 1993.

“Engagement in politics is more important than having rows in the family over what you believe in,” Brinton chuckles after telling me this story. “I think that’s the one thing we agreed on!”

And there has been plenty more in the Lib Dem peer’s career to congratulate her on. Following her work in floor management at the BBC having studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama, Brinton has long been an influential figure in liberal politics. She reached the House of Lords in February 2011, and has recently been elected party president. She replaced Tim Farron MP in this role at the beginning of the year, defeating two other candidates and winning 10,188 votes in the final result.

Farron – the media-friendly imp popular with the left flank of his party – treated the role as a mouthpiece for the Lib Dem party faithful, often straying off-message to the delight of many of his fellow Lib Dem MPs frustrated and constrained by coalition with the Tories.

The full interview is here

 

Letter of the Lords – 26 January 2015

This week’s newsletter on the work of the Liberal Democrat group in the House of Lords

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To subscribe to this email please contact davidm.shaw@parliament.uk

 

Letter of the Lords – 8 December 2014

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Sal Brinton elected as new Liberal Democrat Party President

Baroness Brinton

Baroness Sal Brinton has been elected as the new Liberal Democrat Party President.

Sal said:

“I am honoured to have been elected President by the members of the Liberal Democrats. Over recent months I have met thousands of Lib Dem members, all of whom agree on three things.

“Firstly, the Liberal Democrats need to be able to show the public the positive and beneficial things that we have done for people whilst in government, much of which would not have happened with a single party Conservative majority government.

“Secondly, the party is the only liberal and tolerant party around, and politics today needs that voice to be heard. Thirdly, our party processes and constitution are overdue for reform. This must be a priority after May 2015.

“My role will be to represent the members, and make the changes that they want happen. My first priority will be to move the renowned campaign fighting ability of the Lib Dems into top gear, so that we win more seats in both Westminster and in councils across the UK in the General and Local Elections next year”

Congratulating Sal, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said:

“I am delighted that Sal Brinton has been elected as the next Liberal Democrat Party President. Sal has a fantastic record as a campaigner in Cambridgeshire and Watford and as an influential member in the House of Lords.

“She has led the way in promoting diversity in the Liberal Democrats through the Leadership programme and brings decades of political experience to the role. She will be a powerful advocate for grassroots activists in what will be a crucial election year and I look forward to working with her.”

Outgoing President Tim Farron added:

“I want to congratulate Sal on winning this election and becoming the next President of our party. Sal has helped and supported me throughout the last few years. She has the skills, experience and temperament that is needed to steer our party through the next stage. She is a wonderful parliamentarian, friend and will be a fantastic president for our party.

“I want to commiserate with Daisy and Liz. They have both run campaigns which have done the party proud.”

Results

1^st Round

Sal BRINTON: 7865
Daisy COOPER: 4530
Liz LYNNE: 4389
Spoilt Ballots: 25

Liz Lynne is eliminated in the first round

2^nd Round

Sal BRINTON: 10,188
Daisy COOPER: 6,138
Ballots not transferred or spoilt: 458

Total Ballots Cast: 16,809
Overall Turnout: 38.9%

Sal Brinton: Ukip’s hypocrisy on tackling serious child abuse issue is breath-taking (via Lib Dem Voice)

Baroness Brinton

Today in the House of Lords, Baroness Joan Walmsley and the Lib Dems secured an agreement from the Government on the Serious Crime Bill, for a major consultation on introducing rules on mandatory reporting of child abuse.

At our recent Federal Conference in Glasgow, Liberal Democrats passed new Party policy in support of requiring those who work with children and vulnerable adults to be required by law to report to the authorities if they have any suspicion that abuse is taking place. However, despite debates on this and other amendments concerning child abuse being debates, Ukip members of the House of Lords failed again to participate in this work.

Ukip’s hypocrisy is breath-taking. They issue a photograph of a girl with the headline ‘There are 1400 reasons why you should not trust Labour again’ in Rotherham, but their record on tackling serious child abuse issue is disgraceful.

The only record of Lord Pearson of Rannoch (the former Leader of UKIP & their leader in the Lords) asking a question on child abuse is on 13 October this year, after the Police and Crime Commissioner by-election was called.(Link here.) He has been in the House of Lords since 1990. Even this question is focused entirely on the Ukip obsession with Muslims, ignoring the fact that child abuse happens in all areas of the country and is not exclusive to any culture, community, race or religion.

And, once again, when we discussed child abuse in the Lords today, no Ukip peers were present.

Full article here

Lib Dems welcome revenge porn amendment

Baroness Grender

Lib Dems in the House of Lords have welcomed today’s Government amendment to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill that criminalises the sharing of revenge porn.

The revision, which makes it an offense to publish a private sexual image of another identifiable person without their consent, was tabled by Lord Faulks, Minister of State for Civil Justice and Legal Policy.

The amendment was tabled following a meeting between Lord Faulks and Lib Dem Peers Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames, Baroness Grender, Baroness Brinton & Baroness Barker.

The proposal follows a hard fought campaign by the Lib Dems including Julian Huppert MP, who previously highlighted the issue in the commons and campaigned for a change in the law.

The amendment is expected to be debated on 22 October 2014, during the report stage of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.

Revenge Porn Campaigner Hannah Thompson said: “I am so pleased that after campaigning for so long the Government is now listening.

“I was turned away by the police. I would not want anyone else to go through what I did, I hope that now victims can feel that they can be, as they should always have been, protected by the police.“

Julian Huppert MP said: “I am glad to see the Government has accepted the case we Lib Dems made and have brought forward an amendment to ban revenge porn. It is a great success for all of us and will help to protect victims of this heinous crime.

 “I hope that peers will ensure this much-needed change in the law happens.”

Baroness Grender said: “We have made great progress on this issue and I am pleased to see that the Government is now doing the right thing. It is now vital that we work in Parliament to make these changes law.”

Letter of the Lords – 13 October 2014

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Lib Dem Peers lead the fight against revenge porn

Julian Huppert MP

Baroness Grender

Lib Dems in the House of Lords have moved one step closer to criminalising the sharing of revenge porn following the tabling of a new amendment to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.

The revision, which makes it an offense to publish a private sexual image of another identifiable person without their consent, focuses specifically on the distress caused to the victims.

The amendment was tabled by Lib Dem Peers Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames, Baroness Grender, Baroness Brinton & Baroness Barker.

The proposal follows a hard fought campaign by Lib Dem MP, Julian Huppert, who has previously highlighted the issue in the commons and campaigned for a change in the law.

The amendment is expected to be debated on 22 October 2014, during the report stage of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.

Revenge Porn Campaigner Hannah Thompson said: “It made me really ill to see that my ex-boyfriend had published pictures of me online.

“I remember thinking at the time that this must be illegal. When I found out it wasn’t I started my campaign to ban revenge porn but I never thought anyone would listen to me. I was so pleased when the Lib Dems picked it up in the House of Commons. The law needs to be changed and I am glad to see that we have a real chance to make this happen.”

Julian Huppert MP said: “I have campaigned vigorously to make a criminal sanction available when people share indecent images in the knowledge that consent would not have been given.

“Without these measures more people will unfairly suffer at the hands of malicious former partners.”

Baroness Grender said: “It is vital that we act in the House of Lords to criminalise revenge porn and protect that victims of this heinous practise. Ultimately this isn’t about the sexual nature of the images but about the embarrassment and shame felt by those that have their privacy breached in this way.

“I am grateful for the work my Lib Dem colleague Julian Huppert MP has been doing in the Commons to both raise awareness of this issue and lead the fight for it to be criminalised.

“I must also congratulate Hannah Thompson who was brave enough to get in touch and ask Julian and I to change the law.”  

Letter of the Lords – 25 July 2014

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Letter of the Lords – 21 July 2014

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