Where do the Liberal Democrats go from here?

It’s hard to avoid the kicking the Liberal Democrats once again received in the Local Elections last week. Lots of hard working Liberal Democrat councillors sadly lost their jobs. Many in Labour and UKIP are rejoicing and predicting (hoping) that the Liberal Democrats will be all but wiped out in the 2015 General Election.

Since switching from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats last week I have been asked to explain why I feel jumping to a sinking ship is a good idea. So here we go…

@Quinn64 Defecting TO the LibDems in the current climate is so counter-cyclical that it almost constitutes a kind of heroism!

— Daniel Hannan (@DanHannanMEP) May 7, 2012

Firstly, it is silly to assume that the Liberal Democrats are a sinking ship. Anti-Government sentiment is a regular occurrence, this types of voting patterns are nothing new, nor were they exclusive to the Liberal Democrats. I firmly believe that in 2015 the Liberal Democrats will increase the number of seats they have in the House of Commons. David Laws succinctly summarises why in the Financial Times.

“The coalition still has the potential to be one of the great reforming governments of the postwar era. The changes we are making in education, welfare and pensions are radical and right. The country will judge us over our full term and not on the basis of a turbulent few weeks of “here today, gone tomorrow” headlines. But after five years, we must show we have made the right decisions on the economy and got Britain back on track. That must be the coalition’s overriding obsession in the year ahead.” ~ David Laws

As I mentioned in my last post the Liberal Democrats have a LOT to shout about come 2015. Policies such as reducing the tax burden for the poorest in society. Increasing pensions by inflation, earnings or 2.5% (dependent on which is the highest). The £2.5bn Pupil Premium. Ensured that costly and illiberal ID cards were scrapped. Today in the Queen’s Speech their policy to break up the retail and investment arms of banks was announced. If you want more then head to: http://www.whatthehellhavethelibdemsdone.com/ which shows the huge number of pre-election promises the Liberal Democrats have ALREADY met.

These policies are Liberal Democrat policies, inevitably the Conservatives will attempt to hijack them and call them “Coalition policies” but Liberal Democrat politicians and door-steppers must stress that these were Liberal Democrat policies.

The Liberal Democrats haven’t had the same type of ministerial experience that Labour and the Conservatives have had and we must seek to build on that. We have some fantastic politicians waiting in the wings for some real big positions. Obviously I’m a huge fan of David Laws, but there is also Jeremy Browne who is a similar, classic liberal who is one to watch. I am of course new to the Party and not as well educated about the beliefs of each MP – but this I look forward to finding out more about my new Party.

Come 2015 I hotly anticipate another round of Clegg-mania when he finally gets a chance to really stand up for the Liberal Democrats successes in this Government. When the electorate are given a chance to distinguish between Liberal Democrat and Coalition policy, I fully expect the Liberal Democrats to come out on top.

6 Comments

tommy5d

May 9, 2012 — 12:43 pm

I, unfortunately, don’t think we’ll gain seats in 2015… I do support what the party is doing though.

Personally, for me, the media are extremely anti-Lib Dem. Regardless of what we do it is crucified from all sides and the people, at the end of the day, listen to the papers/news or to others who listen to them.

Morgan Griffith-David

May 9, 2012 — 1:30 pm

I’m looking forward to the TV Debates again. While Cleggmania didn’t pan out in terms of votes, I think that if Clegg comes out, all-guns-blazing, it could help re-assure some of our 2010 voters that we’re not simply Tories (nothing personal) and have a distinctive voice – it would also help dispel the idea of our policies being Coalition successes.

Clegg is a far better debater than Miliband or Cameron… especially Miliband… and I’m really hoping this comes through in 2015.

karl freyr
May 28, 2012 — 4:17 pm

Reply

Clegg is seen as a hate figure and getting a new leader is necessary to achieve a more sucessful result in the next election, someone who can dismiss Clegg’s actions as mistakes – like “new” lib dems but a lot of people are disullisioned with Labour and will not vote. we need to give them an viable alternative

Kevin McNamara (@WoollyMindedLib)

May 9, 2012 — 5:11 pm

i admire your optimism but i do think it’d take nothing short of a miracle to GAIN seats in 2015! that doesn’t mean i won’t be fighting for that outcome and i’m glad you’re on-board.

Mark Ryan-Daly

May 10, 2012 — 1:03 am

Ever the optimist!

I am extremely hopeful for 2015, and indeed the local elections we have here in 2014. It was sad to see four Lib Dem seats lost in Gateshead, some by small margins. Yet, we held on in one ward beating Labour and managed to take another off them entirely with a big increase in our vote. This gave me hope that all is not lost. In the seat where we held on, it has been Lib Dem since the mid-1990s, and Labour never have a good footing there really.

We have to stick to our guns, and at a local level show how we make a change, how we are a good force. Let’s not have a one party Council which would be bad for democracy. Sadly, this may mean some local parties distance themselves somewhat from the national party and the Coalition – which might not be a bad thing.

Chris Wallace (@CJWallace91)

May 10, 2012 — 2:33 pm

I take issue with much of this, and think the belief the Lib Dems will gain seats is blindingly optimistic on your part. However, the one thing I really must take issue with is one line:

“Come 2015 I hotly anticipate another round of Clegg-mania”

Let me explain why that won’t happen.

In 2010 the Clegg bounce was a result of him reaching out and connecting with voters right across the political spectrum as somehow being different from the other party leaders.

I was and remain firmly Labour, but even I toyed with the idea that Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats were close to my political ideals. His promise of ending the traditional practices of broken promises and reforming politics were very powerful indeed. But to get the kind of Clegg mania that led to the infamous ‘I agree with Nick’ debate, he had to have the respect of both sides of the political divide.

Right now, Nick Clegg’s name is met with a visceral hatred by the majority of the left, and quite a number of those on the right. In 2010 it would have hurt neither Brown nor Cameron to enter a coalition with Clegg, whilst right now a colaition with Nick Clegg would be completely unthinkable were Ed Miliband to lead the largest party but not reach a majority.

His value laid in representing a new kind of politics, but since coming to power he has broken more promises more spectacularly than any politician I can remember. A lot of politicians make u-turns, few go to the trouble of going back on an explicit pledge like he did with tuition fees. He gained votes on the back of a policy he then proceeded to make a mockery of. That is unforgivable.

The argument that coalition politics necessitates compromise is also shown to be nonsense by his broken promise on the NHS. The coalition promised no top-down reorganisation of the NHS, yet proceeded to initiate the largest top down reorganisation since the inception of the NHS in 1948. This was after the coalition was formed and agreed, there was no need for compromise, voting against the bill was supported by the coalition agreement. Yet he didn’t, which gives the measure of the man. He’s a coward.

Those on the right may still feel that Clegg is not a monster, but to the left, he is toxic.

It is not unthinkable that Labour would seek a coalition with the Lib Dems come the next election, much as I may dislike it. What is unthinkable is that any coalition would be possible whilst Clegg remained leader.

0 Pingbacks

tommy5d
May 9, 2012 — 12:43 pm


I, unfortunately, don’t think we’ll gain seats in 2015… I do support what the party is doing though.

Personally, for me, the media are extremely anti-Lib Dem. Regardless of what we do it is crucified from all sides and the people, at the end of the day, listen to the papers/news or to others who listen to them.
Morgan Griffith-David
May 9, 2012 — 1:30 pm


I’m looking forward to the TV Debates again. While Cleggmania didn’t pan out in terms of votes, I think that if Clegg comes out, all-guns-blazing, it could help re-assure some of our 2010 voters that we’re not simply Tories (nothing personal) and have a distinctive voice – it would also help dispel the idea of our policies being Coalition successes.

Clegg is a far better debater than Miliband or Cameron… especially Miliband… and I’m really hoping this comes through in 2015.
- karl freyr
  May 28, 2012 — 4:17 pm
  
  
  Clegg is seen as a hate figure and getting a new leader is necessary to achieve a more sucessful result in the next election, someone who can dismiss Clegg’s actions as mistakes – like “new” lib dems but a lot of people are disullisioned with Labour and will not vote. we need to give them an viable alternative
Kevin McNamara (@WoollyMindedLib)
May 9, 2012 — 5:11 pm


i admire your optimism but i do think it’d take nothing short of a miracle to GAIN seats in 2015! that doesn’t mean i won’t be fighting for that outcome and i’m glad you’re on-board.
Mark Ryan-Daly
May 10, 2012 — 1:03 am


Ever the optimist!

I am extremely hopeful for 2015, and indeed the local elections we have here in 2014. It was sad to see four Lib Dem seats lost in Gateshead, some by small margins. Yet, we held on in one ward beating Labour and managed to take another off them entirely with a big increase in our vote. This gave me hope that all is not lost. In the seat where we held on, it has been Lib Dem since the mid-1990s, and Labour never have a good footing there really.

We have to stick to our guns, and at a local level show how we make a change, how we are a good force. Let’s not have a one party Council which would be bad for democracy. Sadly, this may mean some local parties distance themselves somewhat from the national party and the Coalition – which might not be a bad thing.
Chris Wallace (@CJWallace91)
May 10, 2012 — 2:33 pm


I take issue with much of this, and think the belief the Lib Dems will gain seats is blindingly optimistic on your part. However, the one thing I really must take issue with is one line:

“Come 2015 I hotly anticipate another round of Clegg-mania”

Let me explain why that won’t happen.

In 2010 the Clegg bounce was a result of him reaching out and connecting with voters right across the political spectrum as somehow being different from the other party leaders.

I was and remain firmly Labour, but even I toyed with the idea that Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats were close to my political ideals. His promise of ending the traditional practices of broken promises and reforming politics were very powerful indeed. But to get the kind of Clegg mania that led to the infamous ‘I agree with Nick’ debate, he had to have the respect of both sides of the political divide.

Right now, Nick Clegg’s name is met with a visceral hatred by the majority of the left, and quite a number of those on the right. In 2010 it would have hurt neither Brown nor Cameron to enter a coalition with Clegg, whilst right now a colaition with Nick Clegg would be completely unthinkable were Ed Miliband to lead the largest party but not reach a majority.

His value laid in representing a new kind of politics, but since coming to power he has broken more promises more spectacularly than any politician I can remember. A lot of politicians make u-turns, few go to the trouble of going back on an explicit pledge like he did with tuition fees. He gained votes on the back of a policy he then proceeded to make a mockery of. That is unforgivable.

The argument that coalition politics necessitates compromise is also shown to be nonsense by his broken promise on the NHS. The coalition promised no top-down reorganisation of the NHS, yet proceeded to initiate the largest top down reorganisation since the inception of the NHS in 1948. This was after the coalition was formed and agreed, there was no need for compromise, voting against the bill was supported by the coalition agreement. Yet he didn’t, which gives the measure of the man. He’s a coward.

Those on the right may still feel that Clegg is not a monster, but to the left, he is toxic.

It is not unthinkable that Labour would seek a coalition with the Lib Dems come the next election, much as I may dislike it. What is unthinkable is that any coalition would be possible whilst Clegg remained leader.

Thoughts of a 23 year old Liberal…