Lib Dem Voice launch Liberal Voice of the Year Poll

Lib Dem Voice launched their annual Liberal Voice of the Year poll. The poll celebrates significant liberal voices who are not Lib Dems. This years shortlist is:

• Mohamed Bouazizi
• Kenneth Clarke
• Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Nick Davies and the Guardian
• Hugh Grant and the Hacked Off Campaign
• Mark Littlewood
• President Barack Obama
• The Occupy Movement
• Ai Wei Wei

Now, I want to be very clear before I start that I am really not having a go at the LDV team, many of whom I consider very good friends. However, I do think this list is not only poor, but doesn’t in fact feature that many liberals.

It is frankly embarrassing that The Occupy Movement should be included, as indeed it is that Hugh Grant and Hacked Off feature. Occupy really does not have liberal aims, and hacked off is surrounded by the strong whiff of opportunistic self serving, despite their more laudable aims. I am also really not sure what personally qualifies Hugh Grant as a liberal.

Nick Davies and the Guardian are pretty close to the line too. The Guardian’s editorial line is hardly supportive of the more liberal aims of this government, and while it was right that News of the World wrongdoing was doggedly investigated by Davies, I am not sure that one mainstream media company trying to damage its rival meets the criteria for such list.

That said, I am delighted to see Ai Wei Wei, Hilary Clinton and Ken Clarke have been shortlisted, all of whom, in their own way, are slowly but surely influencing policy in a liberal direction around the world. I also am a bit of an Obama fan girl.

My vote however, has gone to free market freedom fighter Mark Littlewood.