By Jeremy Browne MP

A common misconception is that the Liberal Democrats are in the government solely to make the case for constitutional reform and civil liberties, while everything else comes from the Conservatives. This analysis is deeply flawed, but it helps to explain why some political observers, who know little about the Lib Dems beyond the most lazy caricature, fail to understand what actually drives the government forward.

By Meera Ghani

For the past few weeks, I have been preoccupied with the debate around the French ban on the burqa, opposing it quite vehemently and vocally. The ban on veils in Belgium last year sparked my interest in the debate. On April 11, in protest of the French ban, I changed my profile picture on Facebook (as you do these days to register your protest) to Mona Lisa in a niqab, making her mysterious smile ever more mysterious. What was most revealing, and in a way shocking, was the reactions from many of my Muslim friends on my stance and the articles I posted.