Posted July 16, 20159 yr PREDICTION: two pages in total this year (I take schadenfreude where I can get it these days)
July 16, 20159 yr bit early for that yet. I'm sure they'll have policies the Labour party can borrow again... :P
July 16, 20159 yr I can actually see a mini-revival for them in the South West, although the Guardianistas are off-limits for the foreseeable future.
July 16, 20159 yr They are barely even the 4th party of British politics these days. In 10 months time they'll be demoted one rung further to the 5th party of Scottish politics behind the Greens. They have a long way back from this wipe out, I honestly don't think they'll be the same force they were ever again. I can think of 10 seats they won't be getting back as a direct result of entering into the coalition, never mind what they did while they were in it.
July 16, 20159 yr If there's a minor split in the Labour Party after the leadership election, then we might see a few Labourites either joining the Lib Dems, or end up "doing a Gang of Four" and starting a new party before merging with the Lib Dems. Very unlikely, but you never know.
July 17, 20159 yr Tim Farron is the right man to start again and I think people will soon start to realise that the coalition was somewhat good-tempered compared to the Tories on their own. Just don't expect any branch of the media to sing their praises - but no change there.
July 17, 20159 yr Tim Farron is the right man to start again and I think people will soon start to realise that the coalition was somewhat good-tempered compared to the Tories on their own. Just don't expect any branch of the media to sing their praises - but no change there. I think people will begin to give them a little more respect for that, but I'm not sure it will translate into votes anywhere other than their old SW heartlands where they came a solid second this time. It'll take another generation before they can recover fully, if at all.
July 17, 20159 yr How many seats do any of you think they'll get in 2020? Go on have a guess. Mo need for another thread really. I'll say 12, picking up those few extra in the SW.
July 17, 20159 yr nothing in politics is predictable and forever, it only takes one good man or woman to lead and inspire - or the reverse. There was a time when there was no Labour Party and there was a Liberal Party. In Scotland there is the SNP and the anti-SNP which is currently split. They have a popular leader (the SNP) and 5 years ago they didn't so much. Every party has a sell-by date, it's in the nature of democracy and voter grumpiness. No-one lives forever. Predicting seats for the Libdems in the next parliament? More than they currently have...
July 19, 20159 yr Oh, for God's sake BBC (and others), yes, you can be the leader of the Liberal Democrats and a Christian. The greatest leader that the Liberal Democrats ever had and ever will have, Charles Kennedy, was a devout Catholic, for heaven's sake. You'd think there's some people who won't be happy until all Christian MPs have someone ringing a bell, shouting "unclean" every time they're about to speak. Sorry, that piece has riled me up a bit more than I expected.
July 19, 20159 yr Author Of course you can be a Christian and a leader. I'm not really especially comfortable with an evangelical being leader though. Fair play to him that he recognises liberalism is about not shoving your views on others, but I'm not really sure how compatible that is with evangelicism anyway.
July 19, 20159 yr Of course you can be a Christian and a leader. I'm not really especially comfortable with an evangelical being leader though. Fair play to him that he recognises liberalism is about not shoving your views on others, but I'm not really sure how compatible that is with evangelicism anyway. I wouldn't describe him as an evangelical - he's a member of the CofE, a church where even a belief in God is optional. (Unless of course, he personally describes himself as evangelical)
July 20, 20159 yr How many seats do any of you think they'll get in 2020? Go on have a guess. Mo need for another thread really. I'll say 12, picking up those few extra in the SW. Don't expect the SNP bubble to last forever up here - wouldn't be surprised if the Lib Dems win a few back in the North of Scotland. Obviously not if Danny Alexander stands though.
July 3, 20168 yr Thought it time to resurrect this given they are the only english party doing anything constructive about brexit right now, along with the snp... http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/j...MP=share_btn_tw
July 3, 20168 yr Thought it time to resurrect this given they are the only english party doing anything constructive about brexit right now, along with the snp... http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/j...MP=share_btn_tw No surprise really, like others said a year ago, the Lib Dems will rise again. Doing something about the EU gets people to see them again, and as 48% of the country were pro-EU it certainly doesn't harm their PR at all. They raise a good point because it's true.
July 3, 20168 yr Author The main problem they've got is that Tim Farron's too useless to get them any reliable coverage. Like a crap local vicar.
July 3, 20168 yr No surprise really, like others said a year ago, the Lib Dems will rise again. Doing something about the EU gets people to see them again, and as 48% of the country were pro-EU it certainly doesn't harm their PR at all. They raise a good point because it's true. Agreed. When they announced shortly after the result that they would remain committed to EU membership, I thought it was a bold move, but one that might work. Focussing on EU nationals currently living here is all part of the same strategy. It can't even be dismissed as opportunism, because it is totally consistent with Lib Dem (and predecessor parties) policy for as long as I can remember.
July 3, 20168 yr The main problem they've got is that Tim Farron's too useless to get them any reliable coverage. Like a crap local vicar. He can't force the television news programmes to cover his speeches or force current affairs programmes to include a Lib Dem on their panel. The party's status as the fourth largest in the HoC means that he only rarely gets to speak at PMQs, so that is another potential means of getting coverage gone. The broadcast media has never liked having to give coverage to a third party; now they are trying to go back to the days when they didn't need to bother.
July 3, 20168 yr The main problem they've got is that Tim Farron's too useless to get them any reliable coverage. Like a crap local vicar. Ha. As opposed to a shambling rambling oap or a cold hearted dominatrix. I'll take the vicar ta :P
July 3, 20168 yr Author He can't force the television news programmes to cover his speeches or force current affairs programmes to include a Lib Dem on their panel. The party's status as the fourth largest in the HoC means that he only rarely gets to speak at PMQs, so that is another potential means of getting coverage gone. The broadcast media has never liked having to give coverage to a third party; now they are trying to go back to the days when they didn't need to bother. He can't force them to, which is why he needs to get creative - that's leadership.
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