The Labour MPs they've taken on are all pro-war. Some of the Tory MPs are very illiberal. By treating parliament as a game of musical chairs rather than a house of representatives, and with their incoherent referendum stance, they're throwing away their democratic credentials. They're much further to the right than they were under Kennedy, not much further right economically than they were under Clegg, but less liberal socially, and a good deal more incoherent. The only thing that's giving them any shape right now is their extreme position on Brexit.My feeling, very much subject to reading a new manifesto, is they are pretty much where they have always been. It is the other two parties have moved hugely; the Tories are now UKIP or worse and Labour are back where they were in the unelectable wilderness of the 1980s but with added English nationalism in some areas.
I’d put the LDs as a whole just a wafer-thin mint to the left of Blair’s Labour, i.e. very similar economically, but without the authoritarianism, the war-mongering etc.
Some in the party might disagree with you Tony. https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/l...by-her-own-party-members-over-tory-defectors/I’d put the LDs as a whole just a wafer-thin mint to the left of Blair’s Labour, i.e. very similar economically, but without the authoritarianism, the war-mongering etc.
Councillor Catherine Finnecy shouted out from her seat in the hall that the East Dunbartonshire MP was supporting a “Ukip policy” – a reference to Dr Lee’s tabled amendment to the Immigration Bill in 2014 that would have seen immigrants tested for “prescribed pathogens”, including HIV, before getting permission to enter the UK.
Speaking to the PA news agency afterwards, Ms Finnecy called the decision to allow the former Tory minister to join the party “a massive f**k-up”.
“She stood up there defending a Ukip policy and claimed it was liberal,” said the Chelmsford representative.
“That is against all the advice from the relevant NGOs, including [HIV charity] Terrence Higgins Trust.
“Jo and Alistair [Carmichael, chief whip] have been defending it to everyone but it is highly offensive.”
She didn't get the memo: Lee's homophobia is actually "very nuanced", according to Swinson.Some in the party might disagree with you Tony. https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/l...by-her-own-party-members-over-tory-defectors/
Yes, Swinson’s is a voting record any right wing Tory would be proud of. New members like the pro austerity, anti poor Sam Gyimah and the homophobic Phillip Lee can only indicate a willingness of the LD leadership to take the party to the right.Jo Swinson's voting record is pretty shabby so what do her fellow members expect. I am beginning to think that her election to the top of the Lib Dems may end up being very damaging for the party.
They are a centre party and as such should weight the interests of the rich and poor reasonably equally. The traditional conservatives tended to give more weight to the interests of the rich and the traditional labour party more weight to the interests of the poor and so a bit of friction should be expected from traditional labour or conservative supporters.Anyone else get the feeling that the Lib Dems are rapidly sliding to the Dark Side?
Labour are pushing economic reform that's both radical and realistic, but sadly have steered clear of the constitutional stuff so far. I think pressure's mounting on them to address long-standing problems here.Considering:
1. a lot of people voted against the establishment by voting leave
2. the establishment then went on to show how bad it really is via its handling of brexit
it is disappointing that none of them are pushing for serious political reform. Apart from brexit, it is business as usual for all of them.
The only thing that's giving them any shape right now is their extreme position on Brexit.
Clegg and the Orange Book liberals all but killed the LDs as a social-democratic party. Swinson seems hell-bent on hammering the final nails into the coffin.
I doubt there will be a formal coalition, but I would put money on the LDs entering into an alliance with the Conservatives, rather than Labour, in the event of a hung parliament.
Charles Kennedy must be spinning in his grave.
Well it is the constitutional stuff that brexit has exposed. But not a whisper from any of them...Labour are pushing economic reform that's both radical and realistic, but sadly have steered clear of the constitutional stuff so far. I think pressure's mounting on them to address long-standing problems here.