LDs have gone from 11 to 19 MPs this year with just 1 by-election. That's twice the gain made at the 2017 GE (from 8 to 12).

 

Interestingly, Cambridgeshire South looks very likely to swing to Liberal Democrat anyway so this will be a savvy move.

'The Independents' now only have 2 MPs left - Gavin Shuker and John Woodcock - as most of their initial members have now joined the Lib Dems.

 

The five Change UK MPs are holding strong for now, despite all certain to lose their seats soon. Some (Mike Gapes, Joan Ryan) will be incompatible with the Lib Dems due to their hawkish foreign policy views. I imagine their time in parliament during the Iraq war will have made relations with the Lib Dems sour.

Edited October 7, 20195 yr by Harve

I'm enjoying all the #debateher promo *.*

I don't trust the Fib-Dems an inch. Swinson says she'd never work with Corbyn but bet you anything she would if i meant she could be Deputy PM with a ministerial Jag.

I don't trust the Fib-Dems an inch. Swinson says she'd never work with Corbyn but bet you anything she would if i meant she could be Deputy PM with a ministerial Jag.

 

They would work with a more moderate leader, but not under Corbyn. Likewise I don't think Corbyn would work with the Lib Dems.

 

It's taken them a long time to rid the stigma of what happened 8-9 years ago, they would be foolish to repeat the same mistakes.

They would work with a more moderate leader, but not under Corbyn. Likewise I don't think Corbyn would work with the Lib Dems.

 

It's taken them a long time to rid the stigma of what happened 8-9 years ago, they would be foolish to repeat the same mistakes.

 

 

So do you think they'd refuse to work with Corbyn if he had just a few more seats than Boris? Would they rather let Boris back than go with Corbyn. Can't see him stepping down just to please them.

Edited November 2, 20195 yr by Freddie Kruger

They would work with a more moderate leader, but not under Corbyn. Likewise I don't think Corbyn would work with the Lib Dems.

 

It's taken them a long time to rid the stigma of what happened 8-9 years ago, they would be foolish to repeat the same mistakes.

 

Maybe they'd offer a deal like the DUP did for the Tories - a 'no screwing you over', oh wait... :rolleyes:

You do realise the Lib Dems have said, we'd work with any lesder but not Milliband, Brown, and now Corbyn? They always day it. What they mean is they eant to work with other neolibetals, i.e Tories.

So do you think they'd refuse to work with Corbyn if he had just a few more seats than Boris? Would they rather let Boris back than go with Corbyn. Can't see him stepping down just to please them.

 

I suspect they would prop up a Labour government if it meant getting a new leader, but I don't think Corbyn would agree to that. There is a lot of bad blood between both sides right now, let's not forget that a lot of MPs have deflected to the Lib Dems from Labour for example who were prominent criticisers of Corbyn..

And even more former Tories who are critics of Johnson. The Lib Dems really can't work with the Tories, I have no worries on that front while the primary topic of discussion is Brexit, if they were stupid enough to agree and take their position away from Remain it would wipe them out for good.

 

Far more likely that they do end up propping up a Corbyn government for a time, if they are needed when the cards fall, but it would only be a temporary agreement.

There isn't a chance the current Lib Dems would ever work with the current Tories - they're too far apart. 2010 was different as the Tories under DC were more centre. And I suspect the Lib Dems will make sure not to repeat the mistakes of the past and avoid a coalition at all costs and opt for confidence and supply if we're talking about propping up a Labour government. Even then, I think they'd only do this if Corbyn agreed to step down for a more Remain friendly leader like Keir Starmer or Emily Thornberry.

 

Having said that, I think a Labour / SNP coalition would be the most likely combination if we end up with Labour and the Tories both short and not far apart.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1199490/G...crat-poll-polls

 

Jo Swinson humiliated as Sophy Ridge unveils hugely 'misleading' Liberal Democrat poll

 

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT Leader Jo Swinson was left red-faced after Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge displayed a poll from the party’s campaign literature.

 

****************************

 

This doesn't surprise me at all - they're always doing this sort of thing in Cheltenham.

There isn't a chance the current Lib Dems would ever work with the current Tories - they're too far apart. 2010 was different as the Tories under DC were more centre. And I suspect the Lib Dems will make sure not to repeat the mistakes of the past and avoid a coalition at all costs and opt for confidence and supply if we're talking about propping up a Labour government. Even then, I think they'd only do this if Corbyn agreed to step down for a more Remain friendly leader like Keir Starmer or Emily Thornberry.

 

Having said that, I think a Labour / SNP coalition would be the most likely combination if we end up with Labour and the Tories both short and not far apart.

 

 

Corbyn won't want to stand down if they have most seats and he can become PM. Would you? He may go with the SNP as you say or try and run a minority government if they're just a few seats short and then call another election next spring after Brexit's no longer a hot all-consuming topic.

Edited November 4, 20195 yr by Freddie Kruger

Corbyn won't want to stand down if they have most seats and he can become PM. Would you? He may go with the SNP as you say or try and run a minority government if they're just a few seats short and then call another election next spring after Brexit's no longer a hot all-consuming topic.

 

He could *call* for a GE, but he wouldn't have the numbers to *force* one... :P

 

He could *call* for a GE, but he wouldn't have the numbers to *force* one... :P

 

 

No you're right there.

No you're right there.

 

And if he *did* have the numbers, he wouldn't *need* to call one! :P

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1199490/G...crat-poll-polls

 

Jo Swinson humiliated as Sophy Ridge unveils hugely 'misleading' Liberal Democrat poll

 

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT Leader Jo Swinson was left red-faced after Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge displayed a poll from the party’s campaign literature.

 

****************************

 

This doesn't surprise me at all - they're always doing this sort of thing in Cheltenham.

 

And Lib Dem polls is a meme, I think that's fairly common knowledge if you've ever lived in a seat where Lib Dems are prominent. It's dishonest tactics, I don't like it, but an effective strategy to keep them in the conversation, they're constantly doing work against the mainstream 'who do you want to be Prime Minister' vote to even get people to vote for them. Stats aside, it will force the voters to think on a constituency level and that benefits LDs.

 

This is definitely one of their more egregious examples though, at least based on 2017 data. Argument to be made that in a rural seat like NE Somerset where it's safe Con that with the right framing, enough Con voters can be converted to Lib, and enough Lab voters convinced to vote Lib also to allow a Lib victory while the numbers would just be never there for Labour.

In addition, that particular little possibility is why I'm having such trouble deciding my vote as in my constituency the numbers are rather similar to NE Somerset but with slightly stronger Lib + Lab, slightly weaker Con.

In a surprising move (at least for someone like me who doesn't have much insight into the inner dealings of the Lib Dems), Stephen Lloyd has resigned the party whip in order to vote for Theresa May's Brexit deal.

 

 

I'm not sure why he has resigned the Whip. After all, plenty of Tory MPs are expected to vote against the party without resigning the Whip.

 

His original pledge was a little odd although I suspect he felt it was the only way to win the seat back. I wonder how bad the deal would have needed to be for him to decide that he could safely backtrack.

In an interesting development, Stephen Lloyd has been accepted back into the Lib Dem fold. He will be contesting Eastbourne on the Lib Dem promise to revoke Article 50. He feels he has fulfilled his 2017 pledge to support a deal and can now move on.

In an interesting development, Stephen Lloyd has been accepted back into the Lib Dem fold. He will be contesting Eastbourne on the Lib Dem promise to revoke Article 50. He feels he has fulfilled his 2017 pledge to support a deal and can now move on.

 

Doesn't Eastbourne have a lot of (usually-Brexit-supporting) older people though?