Our letter to the Times

Just to let you know that the following letter has been published in today’s issue of the Times.  A big thank you to the 171 Liberal Democrats who responded so quickly to our request for signatures:

Sir, Your leading article (Nov 19) expressed your paper’s opposition to the Government’s plans for “secret courts”. We, as members of the Liberal Democrats, agree.

On Monday Lord Pannick, QC, described the Justice and Security Bill’s proposals as “unfair, unnecessary and unbalanced”. The issue at stake — open and equal justice — could hardly be more serious. We believe the proposals are neither liberal nor democratic, and, for us, go right to the heart of what it means to support liberal democracy.

We urge all peers to vote for the amendment supported by Lord Dubs, Lord Strasburger and Baroness Kennedy which deletes clause 6 of the Bill. If clause 6 is deleted, secret courts will not blight our civil courts and our international standing for decades to come. It will also mean that Liberal Democrats across the country can continue to assert, as our constitution states, that our party “exists to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society”.

Should the Bill pass with secret courts included, the damage to our justice system and our country will be incalculable.

Jo Shaw (Federal Executive member, Parliamentary Candidate 2010, Holborn & St Pancras)
Cllr Martin Tod (Federal Executive member, Parliamentary Candidate 2010, Winchester)
Ali Goldsworthy, Cardiff (Deputy Chair, Federal Executive)
Caroline Pidgeon (GLA member)
Dr Mark Pack, Islington
Ed Fordham, (Parliamentary Candidate 2010, Hampstead and Kilburn)
Euan Cameron, Islington
Nick Barlow
Dawn Barnes, OxWAB
Iain Rubie Dale
Anthony Fairclough, Merton
Martin Shapland
Phil Culmer, Lincoln
Karen Culmer, Lincoln
Tom Snowdon, Amber Valley
Shas Sheehan, Wimbledon
Jacquie Bell, Dunbar
Alisdair Calder McGregor, Nottingham
Philip Mynott, Brentwood
Nigel Jones
Allan Bullion
Gareth Epps, Reading
Simon McDougall
Geoffrey Newman
Sally Fitzharris
Mark Blackburn, Westminster
Helen Flynn
Steve Goddard (Parliamentary Candidate Oxford East 2010)
Dinti Batstone, Oxfordshire
Bridget Fox (Parliamentary Candidate 2010, Islington South & Finsbury)
Paul Zukowskyj (Parliamentary Candidate 2010, Welwyn Hatfield)
Sue Doughty, Former MP for Guildford
Roman Znajek, Cambridge
Cllr Greg Stone, Newcastle
Mark Williams
Mike Ward
Jennifer Liddle, Cambridgeshire
Cllr Paula Keaveney, PCC Candidate, Merseyside, 2010 Parliamentary Candidate, Garston & Halewood
Timothy Oliver
Louise Shaw, Stockport
Mark Platt, London SW1
Cllr Chris Caswill (Member, Wiltshire Police Authority)
Chris Richards, Camden
The Hon. Mrs. Susan Baring OBE, Westminster
Sally Sampson
George Roussopoulos, Hindhead
Adrian Trett, Chair, LGBT Plus
Geoff Hinchcliffe, Norfolk
Lady Ellen Dahrendorf, NW3
Hannah Bettsworth, Aberdeen Donside
Brian Robson, Sunderland
Carl Nichols, Sutton
Gareth Loveridge, West Bromwich and Warley
Cllr Diane Packham
Darren Sanders, Portsmouth
Dr Susan Juned, Alcester
Dolores Phelan, Greenfield, NE Wales
Simon McGrath, Merton
Stephanie Eaton
Caron Lindsay, Livingston
Theo Butt Philip, Parliamentary Candidate 2010, Bridgwater and West Somerset
Cllr Lyn Barton, Colchester
John Richardson, Newark
Cllr Susan Knight, Burgess Hill
Virginia Morck, London
Cllr Chris Lucas, Three Rivers District Council
Cllr John Bryant, West Hampstead
John Halliday, Hon Alderman of South Norfolk
Bob Owen, Sherborne
Andrew Toye, East Devon
John Oakes
Steve Raison, Bolsover
Tom Littleford, Evesham
Scott Collins, South Northamptonshire
Michael Clements, Bangor
Robert Leslie, Rosehearty
Nick Thornsby, Rochdale
James Hackett, Chair of Rhondda Cynon Taff Welsh Liberal Democrats
Lisa Smart, Stockport
Corry Cashman, Leighton Buzzard
Paul Evans, London
Joan Read, Alresford
Cllr Vera Head, Amersham
Richard Broadbent, Sutton
William Hobhouse, Rochdale
Aubrey Williams
Tom Barney, Lancaster
Gordon King
Cllr Alan Rice, Group Leader, Worthing Liberal Democrats
Kirsten de Keyser, Camden
Simon Hebditch, Dulwich & West Norwood
Steve Walsh, Budleigh Salterton
Robin Meltzer, Richmond upon Thames
Sadie Smith, Great Barr, Birmingham
George Potter, Guildford
Kat Dadswell, Liverpool Wavertree
Euan Davidson, Tweeddale, Lauderdale and Midlothian South
Simon P Hughes, Epping Forest
Becky Brown, Winchester
Callum Leslie, Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath
Sophie Bridger, Glasgow
Brenda Smith, New Forest
Nic Rattle, Bath
Christina Shaw, Leeds NW
Kathryn Sturgeon, Camden
Naomi Smith, Westminster
Aimery de Malet, London
Phil Stevens, Islington
Elizabeth Jewkes, Chester
Zack Polanski, Camden
Dr Maria Pretzler, Swansea
Munira Wilson
Evelyn Knowles
Emma Sandrey, Cardiff Central
Alan Muhammed
Mike Falchikov
Linda Miller, Richmond
Philip Thompson, Aldershot
Dave Gibson, Lewes
James Hartley, Banbury
Jean Evans, Chair, Chester Liberal Democrats
Dave G Fawcett, Chair, Gateshead Liberal Democrats
Virginia Gay
Richard Cheney, Shipston on Stour
Cllr Julia Fletcher, Lewisham
Conor McGovern-Paul, Kingston
Salim Mamdani
Matt Lake, Walthamstow
Janet King, Bromsgrove
Andrew Brown
Cllr Jonathan Bloch, Haringey
Hugh Waterfield, Glasgow
Bob Shekyls
Dave Eastham, Chepstow
Dr Ian Magrath, Chistlehurst
Geoffrey Bennetts
Mo Saqib
Michael Wilson
Dr Evan Harris, former MP for Oxford West and Abingdon
Adam Carew
Sandy Walkington, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, St Albans
Martin Lury
Susan Gaszczak
Michael Mullaney
Nick Perry, Parliamentary Candidate Hastings 2010
Margaret Phelps
Margaret Rowley, Mid-Worcestershire Parliamentary Candidate, 2010
Joe Naitta
Richard Grayson, Parliamentary Candidate, Hemel Hempstead 2010
Martin Pierce, Cambridge
Mark Chapman, Parliamentary Candidate, Spelthorne, 2010
Adrian Collett
Peter Riesdorf, West Kirkby
James Blanchard, Parliamentary Candidate, Huddersfield 2010
Aqila Choudhry, Leeds North East
Andrew Falconer, Runnymede & Weybridge
Neil Christian, Chester
Cllr Jon Ball, Ealing
Cllr Jerry Evans, Moseley
Fiona White, Guildford
Natasha Chapman, Lincoln
Kevin White, Liverpool Wavertree
Gemma Roulston, Reigate
Ruth Edmonds, Oxford
Andrew Page, Inverclyde
Glyn Ley, Torbay
Jason Lower, Tonbridge
Lev Eakins, Brighton & Hove
Cllr Mike Powell. Pontypridd
Nigel Quinton, Parliamentary Candidate, Hitchin & Harpenden 2010
Paul Brighton
Sue Farrant, Parliamentary Candidate, West Dorset 2010
Judith Bunting, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Newbury

Apologies for any typos, mistitlings or any other mistakes.  Please let us know if you need anything changed.  The following people also signed up after the letter was sent:

Howard Keal, North Yorkshire
Dan Sear, Guildford
Lucy Care, Parliamentary Candidate, Derby North 2010
Philip Eades, Parliamentary Candidate, Poole 2010
Farooq Qureshi


November  21: And these have been added since the original post:

Ed Long
Chris Millington, Harlow
Peter McClure, Cottingham
Cllr Alaric Rose, Kidlington
Keith W Richardson
David White, Hull
Jane Robins, Warminster
Dr David Luckraft, Brough
Maureen de Beer, Harrow
Dr Clive Sneddon, St Andrews
Rob Heale, Brighton
Jill Hope, Parliamentary Candidate, Corby
Cllr Greg Foxsmith
Paul Wild, Walsall
Ian Lumsden
Greg Judge
Stephen Clarke, Tower Hamlets
Charlotte Henry
Philip Latham

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

11 Responses to Our letter to the Times

  1. Jo Shaw says:

    Also:

    Ed Long
    Chris Millington, Harlow
    Peter McClure, Cottingham
    Cllr Alaric Rose, Kidlington
    Keith W Richardson
    David White, Hull
    Jane Robins, Warminster
    Dr David Luckraft, Brough
    Maureen de Beer, Harrow
    Dr Clive Sneddon, St Andrews
    Rob Heale, Brighton
    Jill Hope, Parliamentary Candidate, Corby
    Howard Keal, Norton

  2. Pingback: 172 Liberal Democrats write to the Times to oppose secret courts

  3. Cllr Greg Foxsmith says:

    And please add me to list!
    Greg Foxsmith

  4. Jo Shaw says:

    There’s more on the FB page too I think.

  5. Greg Judge says:

    Add me too! I signed the petition but somehow missed this letter :s

  6. Jo Shaw says:

    And if she isn’t there already, Charlotte Henry should be added.

  7. Philip Latham says:

    My name must have got lost in cyberspace!

Comments are closed.