Liberal Democrat Voice
{{Short description|Political blog}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Liberal Democrat Voice
| favicon =
| logo = File:Liberal Democrat Voice Logo.jpg
| screenshot =
| caption = Liberal Democrat Voice Official Logo
| url = http://www.libdemvoice.org/
| type = Blog
| language = English
| founded = 8 September 2006
| registration = Optional for forums
| founder = Rob Fenwick
| editor = Caron Lindsay
| launch_date = 8 September 2006
| current_status = Active
| revenue =
}}
Liberal Democrat Voice (also known as "Lib Dem Voice") is a political blog. The site claims to be read by over 50,000 individual visitors per month[http://www.libdemvoice.org/the-liberal-democrat-voice-team Lib Dem Voice website statistics] specialising in British Liberal politics.
Robin Fenwick created the site on Friday 8 September 2006.{{Cite news|last=Fenwick|first=Rob|date=8 September 2006|title=Presidential polling|work=Liberal Democrat Voice|url=https://www.libdemvoice.org/presidential-polling-23.html|access-date=31 March 2021}} Since July 2007,{{Cite web|date=2013-04-27|title=The best 2p anyone ever spent in the Liberal Democrats|url=https://www.markpack.org.uk/40823/the-best-2p-anyone-ever-spent-in-the-liberal-democrats/|access-date=2021-03-31|website=Mark Pack|language=en-GB}} it has been run by a collective of Liberal Democrat members, activists and bloggers.[http://www.libdemvoice.org/the-liberal-democrat-voice-team The Liberal Democrat Voice Team]{{Primary source inline|date=October 2018}}
The site aims to present views from a range of people and perspectives on the Liberal Democrats.{{Cite web|date=2012-04-12|title=Lib-Dem activists vent their anger by quitting the party|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/libdem-activists-vent-their-anger-by-quitting-the-party-6545528.html|access-date=2021-03-18|website=www.standard.co.uk|language=en}} The editorial line is neutral on matters of debate within the party and party selections and elections.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}
The site conducts regular surveys of Liberal Democrat members,[http://www.libdemvoice.org/category/ldv-members-poll Lib Dem Voice Members Polls]{{Primary source inline|date=October 2018}} which serve as a respectable bellwether of party opinion: mainstream UK press such as The Independent cite these, most notably over the issue of Vince Cable being the preferred candidate to succeed Nick Clegg as party leader.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/vince-cable-emerges-as-lib-dems-favourite-ndash-and-candidate-to-succeed-nick-clegg-2366781.html Vince Cable emerges as the Lib Dems favourite candidate to succeed Nick Clegg] For example, in a 2011 survey, Vince Cable was also voted Lib Dem minister of the year.[http://www.libdemvoice.org/exclusive-party-members-vote-vince-cable-lib-dem-minister-of-the-year-26347.html Exclusive: Party members vote Vince Cable Lib Dem minister of the year]{{Primary source inline|date=October 2018}}
The site is rated as the top Liberal Democrat blog by Total Politics for 2011[http://www.totalpolitics.com/blog/258407/top-100-lib-dem-blogs-2011.thtml Total Politics Top 100 Lib Dem Blogs 2011] and has been consistently rated by Wikio as the 5th most influential political blog in the UK.{{cite web|url=http://www.wikio.co.uk/blogs/top/politics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321210550/http://www.wikio.co.uk/blogs/top/politics|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-03-21|title=Top Blogs - Politics - May 2011|publisher=Wikio|date=2011-02-16}}
Features
Contributors to Liberal Democrat Voice include Senior Liberal Democrats such as Charles Kennedy,{{Cite news|date=2006-09-20|title=Lib Dem conference at-a-glance|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/5361730.stm|access-date=2021-03-18}} John Pugh,{{Cite web|date=2014-06-01|title=Ashdown calls for Lib Dem unity after 'plot of deep malice'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/01/lord-ashdown-calls-for-lib-dem-unity-after-attempted-coup|access-date=2021-03-18|website=The Guardian|language=en}} Danny Alexander,{{Cite web|title=Claim Tories tried to steal LibDem tax plan|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13127284.claim-tories-tried-to-steal-libdem-tax-plan/|access-date=2021-03-18|website=HeraldScotland|language=en}} Tim Farron,{{Cite news|last=Farron|first=Tim|title=List of articles by Tim Farron|work=Liberal Democrat Voice|url=https://www.libdemvoice.org/author/tim-farron|access-date=27 March 2021}} Sal Brinton,{{Cite news|last=Brinton|first=Sal|title=Sal Brinton article archive|work=Liberal Democrat Voice|url=https://www.libdemvoice.org/author/sal-brinton|access-date=27 March 2021}} Caroline Pidgeon,{{Cite news|last=Pidgeon|first=Caroline|title=Author Archives: Caroline Pidgeon|work=Liberal Democrat Voice|url=https://www.libdemvoice.org/author/caroline-pidgeon|access-date=27 March 2021}} Ed Davey,{{Cite news|last=Davey|first=Edward|title=Author Archives: Ed Davey|work=Liberal Democrat Voice|url=https://www.libdemvoice.org/author/ed-davey-mp|access-date=27 March 2021}} Brian Paddick,{{Cite news|last=Paddick|first=Brian|title=Author Archives: Brian Paddick|work=Liberal Democrat Voice|url=https://www.libdemvoice.org/author/brian-paddick|access-date=27 March 2021}} Jenny Willott{{Cite news|last=Willott|first=Jenny|title=Author Archives: Jenny Willott|work=Liberal Democrat Voice|url=https://www.libdemvoice.org/author/jenny-willott-mp|access-date=27 March 2021}} and Mark Pack{{Cite web|date=2009-09-09|title=We count on election night {{!}} Jonathan Isaby|url=http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/sep/09/general-election-politics|access-date=2021-03-31|website=The Guardian|language=en}}{{Cite web |title=BBC One - The Politics Show East, The Politics Show East |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00b3dwf |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}} as well as new and long serving members of the party.
The site also features regular polls of Lib Dem members showing where they agree and where they disagree with party policy.
As well as being a blog which is open to any contributor the site also contains a Liberal Democrat party members-only forum which members use as a place for debate and discussion.{{Cite web|title=Members Forum|url=https://forum.libdemvoice.org/|access-date=27 March 2021}}
Editor
Lib Dem Voice's current editor is Lib Dem commentator Caron Lindsay.{{Cite news|last=Editor|first=Lindsay McIntoshScottish Political|title=Lib Dems bridge gender gap|newspaper=The Times |language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/lib-dems-bridge-gender-gap-vf5r0wgxn|access-date=2021-03-18|issn=0140-0460}}{{Cite news|date=2015-09-18|title=Lib Dem conference: What to expect|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-34292650|access-date=2021-03-18}}{{Cite web|title=Why the Lib Dems are being branded 'Yellow Tories'|url=https://www.theweek.co.uk/103955/why-the-lib-dems-are-being-branded-yellow-tories|access-date=2021-03-18|website=The Week UK|language=en}} She is supported by a team of day editors (Mark Valladares, Alan Muhammed, and Mary Reid), contributing editors (Joe Otten, Alex Foster, Sara Bedford and Nick Thornsby), and a technical editor, Ryan Cullen.{{Cite web|title=The Liberal Democrat Voice team|url=https://www.libdemvoice.org/the-liberal-democrat-voice-team}}
Former editors include Stephen Tall, Lib Dem Party President Mark Pack and founder Rob Fenwick.{{Cite news|title=Reviewing Clegg and Lib Dem year|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-24080262|access-date=2021-03-18}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://www.libdemvoice.org/ Liberal Democrat Voice website]
- [https://twitter.com/libdemvoice/ Liberal Democrat Voice Twitter feed]
- [http://www.facebook.com/LibDemVoice/ Liberal Democrat Voice Facebook page]
Category:British political blogs
Category:Liberal Democrat (UK) factions
Category:Liberalism in the United Kingdom
Category:Organisations associated with the Liberal Democrats (UK)