11 July 2007

Lib Dems in Meltdown Under Ming?

Like I said here, the Lib Dems should have gone for Chris Huhne as leader. The disastrous ineffectual Menzies Campbell was only ever going to drive their support down in the polls. The Lib Dems have dropped from 23% at the general election to 15% in the latest polls. In Brighton and Hove they were virtually wiped out in May, losing over a third of their vote. Unless saved by the Alternative Vote they could lose over 20 seats to the Tories at the next general election...
Their strategy at the last general election was short-termist. It was a big mistake to concentrate on Labour urban heartlands and position themselves (in the voter's mind - if not in reality) to the left of Labour. The cost of boasting they are a national party, is a weakening of their appeal in the Tory south where they are most vulnerable. They lost seats to the Tories and this is from the party they have had the most success against. They now risk losing dozens of seats in the south to a resurgent Tories, just to earn a poor second to Labour in lots of seats in the north - seats they have no chance of winning.

They have belatedly realised their mistake and now talk of income tax cuts. But this highlights the real problem the Lib Dems have always had - no clear ideology or direction. All the supporters they have won on the left are now feeling cheated and their potential support on the right does not believe what they say - who can blame them?

Ming spent 36 hours milling over Brown's cabinet offers - a decision he then claimed was an instant decision about a 'matter of principle'. If nothing else this was poor leadership and media management, at worse it was incompetence and massive indecision - something the Lib Dems are famous for (along with their notorious duplicity at the local level).

Blair understood how close Labour and the Lib Dems are in policy and perceived ideology in a lot of voter's minds. This is why he wanted a merger - he was only defeated by tribal instincts in both parties - that old unthinking chestnut that holds back reality.

The latest tax offerings from the Tories show them retreating to their core voters once again - offering tax cuts to well off married couples. This shows that the Tories are still there to be finished off by a decent third party. Unfortunately once again, the Lib Dems are not up to the task.

9 comments:

  1. And we all thought it was New Labour who were wiped out in May.

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  2. We didn't lose a third of our vote like the Lib Dems did. The Lib Dems only had to defend 3 seats and they couldn't even do that!

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  3. And go on tell us how many seats you lost...

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  4. Yes, it was a bad result for Labour, but it was even worse for the Lib Dems who couldn't even defend 3 miserly seats in 2 wards. You lost votes hand over fist, right across the city when, with Labour doing badly you needed to do well. It was a disaster for you. You are pretty much finished in Brighton and Hove and you know it. In the next general election you will finish a poor fourth as the squeeze will be on - the Greens will take Paul and David's seats next time in the locals as well.

    Labour in contrast, had 23 seats to defend in 10 wards. We managed to defend 13 seats across 7 wards. You have a handful of members and a dwindling number of voters and you will soon have no seats. The Lib Dems are finished. Bye Bye.

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  5. I think its bye bye to Labour - the worst result in three decades, and you think thats good!

    No use trying to hide it - you are the loser (as you like to say about your labour mates).

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  6. It is quite funny that a party that has dropped to just 2 seats is saying a party with 13 seats is finished, don't you think?

    Of course this was a bad result for Labour, I wouldn't say any different - but there won't be any Lib Dems next time so bye bye.

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  7. I would not be so fucking smug you new labour %^&*!
    For counting error read new labour planted several dirtbags in opportunistic positions SO THEY COULD FUCKING CHEAT.
    What scum they are!

    Counting error almost gave Labour Scottish election victory


    politics.guardian.co.uk/scotland/story/0,,2107132,00.html

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  8. hello kevin, anon? Now, now, don't be so touchy - I know the truth about the local Lib Dems hurts!

    As for the counting thing in Scotland - there is allegation that votes were miscounted in error - thats all. There will a report out in August about the voting errors. For the record I agree with you that e-voting is dodgy.

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  9. "As for the counting thing in Scotland - there is allegation that votes were miscounted in error - thats all"


    As for the counting thing...?
    Oh youre deliberately trying to make voting FRAUD sound like isn't important. How new labour communist of you!
    Miscounted in error? Ha! ha! ha! ha! Of course they were! Not!

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