Benjamin Ramm

Benjamin Ramm FRSA (born 12 June 1982) is a commentator on liberal politics, and former editor of The Liberal magazine. Ramm contributes to Sky News and BBC television & radio on the role of the Liberal Democrats in the UK coalition government.

In December 2005, as editor of The Liberal, Ramm organised a "Kennedy Must Go" campaign to unseat the then party leader, Charles Kennedy.[1] He was similarly outspoken about Kennedy's successor, Sir Menzies Campbell, publicly branding his leadership "lethargic".[2]

Since the formation of the UK coalition government in 2010, Ramm has argued that the party's influence in government is minor, and provides cover – as "the cloak that hides the dagger"[3] – for policies that damage liberalism. He has criticised the coalition on spending cuts,[4][5] the reforms to the NHS,[6] civil liberties,[7] the rise in VAT,[8] and the increase in tuition fees.[9]

Ramm is a Research Fellow at Gladstone's Library.[10] In May 2011, he published the pamphlet Citizens: A Manifesto, featuring endorsements from Naomi Wolf, Philip Pullman, Ariel Dorfman and Peter Tatchell.

References

  1. ↑ BBC News website (30 December 2006). "Kennedy hits back over quit call". BBC News. Retrieved June 2012. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  2. ↑ Daily Telegraph (2 March 2007). "'Lethargic' Sir Menzies faces more attacks". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 2012. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  3. ↑ Stevenson, Alex (9 December 2010). "Tuition fee rebels slash coalition majority". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Barker, Alex (17 September 2010). "Clegg aims to bring activists into the fold". Financial Times. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  5. ↑ Morris, Nigel (21 October 2010). "Lib Dems made sure cuts were fair, Clegg tells party members". The Independent. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  6. ↑ Press Association (10 March 2012). "NHS Reforms - Liberal Democrat Spring Conference Vote Bid Fails". The Huffington Post UK. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  7. ↑ Mulholland, Hélène (2 April 2012). "Plans for greater email and web monitoring powers spark privacy fears". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  8. ↑ "Mixed reactions to Budget from grassroots Lib Dems". BBC News. 22 June 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  9. ↑ Grice, Andrew (10 December 2010). "Victory – but at what price?". The Independent. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  10. ↑ "Gladstone's Library: Who's Who". Retrieved 10 September 2012.

External links

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