After the Lib Dems were ridiculed for their proposed new tax on jewellery, they’ve come up with another daft idea to be debated at their spring conference at the weekend.
They are proposing to formulate a new Constitution which has ‘endorsement from the people and enshrinement beyond the level of an Act of Parliament’ - whatever that means.
The policy paper calls for ‘a constitutional convention at least 50 per cent composed of members of the public who will be required to sit five to six years to consider all the issues’.
Following their proposed tax on personal items such as jewelery, the Lib Dems are now proposing to formulate a new ConstitutionCondemning a gang of poor souls to discuss obscure constitutional questions for six years may sound like heaven to the average sandal-shod Lib Dem activist. But it’s the kind of commitment anyone with half an ounce of sense will run a mile from.
A totally random selection of the public could also mean convicted criminals are called to serve. Nor do the Lib Dems aim to do this on the cheap.
Their plan envisages one referendum to approve the process, and a second afterwards to approve the new draft Constitution. If the cost of the Alternative Vote referendum two years ago is anything to go by, this would be £150 million (£75m a referendum) squandered on yet another Lib Dem minority obsession.
Chris Huhne is probably one of the only Lib Dems known for being speedyThe document also asks if there are international precedents the UK could follow. Across the Atlantic, the 1787 Convention which was assembled to draft the U.S. Constitution took a mere four months - but then the Lib Dems aren’t known for being speedy, except Chris Huhne of course.
Two keynote speakers at the International Women’s Day conference on Friday are Nick Clegg and Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem women’s minister, who was told all about the allegations of sexual harassment by Lord Rennard. The theme of their speeches? ‘Meaningful gender equality’. Arnold Schwarzenegger: An unlikely energy efficiency star Arnie breezes in — by video linkArnold Schwarzenegger was the unlikely star of the London launch last month of the UK’s Energy Efficiency Mission.
The Hollywood star filmed a video message saying he couldn’t attend in person. ‘I can’t be in two places at the same time. I’m not really the Terminator, I only play it.’ Labour MP Luciana Berger tried to spoil the Hollywood-style party by asking how much it cost to hire Arnie.
Climate Change Minister Greg Barker replied: ‘Filming and casting of the video was done at no cost to the department or UK taxpayer.’ No wonder Barker’s been nicknamed ‘Spielberg’ by Tory colleagues.
In an interview last week, David Cameron hinted at a peerage for the redoubtable Ann Widdecombe. ‘She’s a very accomplished Conservative and I’m sure she’s got a lot left to give in terms of public service,’ he said. In fact, a list of up to 50 new peers is announced this month and Widders isn’t on it — though he has found room for the 40-year-old Martha Lane-Fox, who was precisely 14 when Ann became an MP.Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls attended a fundraising dinner organised by the Fabian Society, the Left-wing and pro-Labour think tank.
More from Andrew Pierce... Shameless, bungling - the tax boss who's sullied the civil service 28/05/13 'Disgrace' of the Tories too busy to care 12/05/13 Will Gove go nuclear over CND class war? 05/05/13 ANDREW PIERCE: Nigel Evans denied his sexuality until his mother died 05/05/13 Why ARE so many Tories turning to UKIP? 01/05/13 Who deleted expenses diary of Mr Pooter? 28/04/13 BoJo and JoJo: How Boris and his younger brother Jo (or 'Johnson Minimus') have a sibling rivalry to eclipse even the Milibands 25/04/13 Revealed: the funeral plot to bury Dave 21/04/13 Harman the hypocrite's snub to Mrs T 14/04/13 VIEW FULL ARCHIVEIt was a typical down-to-earth socialist event: the venue was the exclusive Trio restaurant by the London Eye on the Thames; tickets started at £40 a head; a table of six could be booked for £220; and the whole event kicked off with a champagne reception before a ‘wonderful evening of entertainment and networking’.
Oh, and the best raffle prize of the lot: a lasagne prepared by the dainty hand of Ed Balls.
Quote of the week: Lord Prescott, on hearing that Calamity Clegg has 15 special advisers at a cost to the taxpayer of £1 million a year, said: ‘Why does Nick Clegg need 15 when I managed with two when I was Deputy Prime Minister? Even Jesus Christ capped it at 12.’Daftest quote of the week: Sarah Newton, the Tory deputy chairman, said: ‘It is good for the Coalition that the Coalition was able to retain the Eastleigh seat.'
Brokering a better imageDoes the new Lib Dem MP for Eastleigh, Mike Thornton, have an identity crisis? On the campaign trail and on his website — eastleighlibdems.org.uk/mike — he describes his occupation as ‘business and development manager’. But at Eastleigh town hall, where he is a councillor, he lists on the register of interests ‘independent mortgage adviser with contract to Simply Finance Group, Drivers Wharf, Southampton’. Self-employed mortgage broker doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as business manager, does it?
