midnight_rendezvous
Well-known member
Of course the Lib Dems weren’t entirely at fault for the coalition... they did however enable ruinous Tory austerity. Jo Swinson’s voting record shows as much.
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[Politics] By election result
- Thread starter drew
- Start date
Of course the Lib Dems weren’t entirely at fault for the coalition... they did however enable ruinous Tory austerity. Jo Swinson’s voting record shows as much.
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 30,590
For starters they have the only female main party leader - a young, hard working mother who will appeal to many.
They also have policies that are easily acceptable to the Labour masses, a number of which stand to the left of Blair's New Labour.
I agree Bollocks to Brexit is their main attraction but if you think they're a one trick pony you may be in for a surprise.
Bob!
Coffee Buyer
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,138
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 30,590
You think it wouldn't have happened anyway? Better to get some good stuff than nothing at all, i.e. delay on EU Referendum, massive hikes in tax-free Personal Allowance and Pupil Premium.
JC Footy Genius
Bringer of TRUTH
- Jun 9, 2015
- 10,568
Or Farage knows helping Boris retain a seat the Tories were expected to lose is likely to see even more Brexit party voters heading back to the Conservative party. By splitting the vote leading to a Tory loss Farage/ the Brexit party are showing they are still a big threat and could do serious damage to the Tories at the next GE.
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 30,590
In simple terms if Farage wants Brexit then last night's result doesn't advance that cause, and in a GE you can see that outcome being replicated. In order to improve chances of Brexit Boris needs to do a deal with Farage, but both men are vain so that probably won't happen.
midnight_rendezvous
Well-known member
Her and her ilk still voted for; the Bedroom Tax, rip-off tuition fees, disability benefit cuts, welfare benefit cuts, cuts to youth employment funding, voting against the mansion tax and voted against the fracking ban. She put her own personal enrichment and career prospects above the welfare of the nation. She had an absolutely golden opportunity as Employment Minister to stand up for British workers by resigning from her post in protest, but she chose not to for the benefit of her own career prospects.
Greg Bobkin
Silver Seagull
- May 22, 2012
- 14,859
What's the point of an extension? Just bin the whole thing off now! That's what Johnson is going to do any way (IMO) – he's not SERIOUSLY going to leave without a deal – because it's absolute madness and his ego couldn't cope with the backlash. He's going to go back to Europe, fail to get any movement on May's proposals, throw his toys out of the pram and then blame the EU for not being able to leave. As a result he'll revoke A50 we'll stay put.
Two Professors
Two Mad Professors
If nothing else,the voting showed how irrelevant Labour have become.They need to get rid of Corbyn now,or get him to declare for Brexit.If not they will get wiped out at a GE,and if they come out for Remain it will nicely split the pro Evil Empire vote.
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 30,590
That's your opinion. When the two main parties can't command a majority then the largest will normally seek a coalition with a willing partner, and the junior partner will have to toe the line on the lion's share of policy whilst extracting what they can along the way. This is what happened for a full 5 year parliament at the end of which the UK was stronger than at the start.
Yet you talk as if it was something the Lib Dems were happy to do. The reality is different and it is a shame Labour ruled out the option of a coalition quickly after the 2010 result, leaving the Lib Dems with nowhere else to go.
JC Footy Genius
Bringer of TRUTH
- Jun 9, 2015
- 10,568
Farage wields influence (stops Boris backsliding on Brexit promises) and puts pressure on the Tories by not doing any deals but you are right the next GE will be crunch time for both men. Some sort of agreement will be probably be needed for the Tories to have a realistic chance of forming a majority government.
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 35,315
same old nonsense from MPs, saying they might do anything except an outright vote on revoking Article 50.
midnight_rendezvous
Well-known member
The Lib-Dems made the awful mistake of going into the coalition negotiations from a weak debating position (we've got fewer seats than you so we'll agree to most of your terms) instead of taking a strong debating stance (you need us more than we need you) and drawing a number of red lines.
Had the Liberal Democrats held out on these red line issues, the Tories would have either have had to agree and we'd be looking at a completely different political landscape right now, or they would have had to refuse and opt to work as a weak minority government (which would also have been good for the Lib-Dems and good for the progressive agenda).
It's obvious that the progressive agenda would have benefited if the red lines had been agreed to, but even if they hadn't and the Tories had opted for minority rule (under some kind of confidence and supply deal with the Lib-Dems), the Lib-Dems could have gleefully shot down every rotten and unpopular piece of Tory legislation (such as Caroline Spelman's attempt to sell off our public forests) until the next election was called.
The Lib-Dem narrative at the next election (whenever it would have been called) would have been a very strong one indeed, meaning they could conceivably have significantly increased their share of the vote at the next election rather than getting almost completely wiped out as they did in 2015.
If the Lib-Dems hadn't been so strategically inept, the Tories wouldn't have been able to spend the that five years laying the groundwork for what was to come next, and it's by no means certain that they would even have been in power at all. Imagine if the Lib-Dems and Labour had called a vote of no confidence in the Tory government when the economy was flatlining as a result of harsh ideological austerity in 2012 (around the time George Osborne was being booed at the Paralympics). Anyone who imagines that the Tories would have won a majority government at that point must be living in a fantasy world.
D
Deleted member 22389
Guest
Just bin it off, **** democracy.
Albumen
Don't wait for me!
It's been 3 years. Now we know the choices. New vote, simple.
D
Deleted member 22389
Guest
It will never ever be right.
Greg Bobkin
Silver Seagull
- May 22, 2012
- 14,859
If it can't be done in a way that won't do detrimental damage to the country then yeah, I think it makes sense to reverse the decision of an advisory, albeit democratic, referendum.
D
Deleted member 22389
Guest
How about we leave first, respect democracy. If after 5 years it's true what they say, have another referendum to join as full members of the EU.
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
Stupid comment of the year award winner
pasty
A different kind of pasty
"Stupid comment of the year award winner" is a much more worthy winner.