Sunday, March 04, 2007

Lib Dems Announce Suicide!

I know there are some in the Liberal Democrats who are in favor of euthanasia, but I though that was only in the case of terminal illness, yet it seems that there are clear signals that if there is a hung parliament after the next general election, then the Liberal Democrats could well form a coalition with Labour.

The BBC has this here.

It seems that Menzies Campbell wants to bash David Cameron and the Conservative party, whilst making overtures to Gordon Brown.

There is a problem with this. Whilst I can see it as an attractive way of squeezing Labour votes in Conservative/Liberal Democrat marginals, it assumes, wrongly that all people who vote Liberal Democrat are Liberal Democrats, who will hang around whilst Ming reaches out to Gordon. They won't. Any party's voters are a broad coalition, normally more centrist can conservative with a small c than the party they are voting for.

Much Liberal Democrat support comes from disaffected Conservative voters put off by the perceived harshness of the Thatcher years, and squabbling of the major years. Cameron is attracting those back, slowly at first. If there is any danger of a Lib Lab pact, then I expect them to come back in their droves.

What is more there is the question that will be in voters minds, why vote Liberal Democrat if you are going to get a Labour government? Why not vote Labour instead?

lastly why would anyone want to get into bed with a corpse of a government? As I said in this post, Labour clearly has the stench of death about it.

The policy of keeping very quiet on the coalition question. Breaking that silence was a mistake.

It should be noted however that some senior Liberal Democrats are looking to down play the story and the BBC has edited it's story from the original. Maybe it's senior source went off message. However if the daily newspapers pick it up next week, and some will, then the damage will have been done. Next May's locals will be interesting indeed!

There is also more comment on politicalbetting.com here.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would strongly suggest Ming the Merciless gets hold of a copy of Andrew Rawnsley's 'Servants of the People', as he clearly hasn't read [or if he has he obviously hasn't learnt] about the stitch-up of Paddy Ashdown by Tony Blair.

As they say on the football 'It's deja vu all over again' - Shocking..

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

I don't pretend to understand all this, viewing it from abroad, but I think you are right in that not everybody who votes Lib-Dem is a Lib-Dem - far from it! I myself have voted for them twice in protest, but had I really thought the Tories would have got in in Cardiff South, I would not have done so. Your blog is always interesting.

Benedict White said...

Anonymous, I agree. That said I think it will be the kiss of death for them, so that is alright by me!

Welshcakes, Yes, but the question is would you have voted Liberal Democrat if they were going to form a coalition with Labour? I suspect not, you would have voted Conservative, and that will be Mings problem!

Many thanks for the kind words about the blog!

Anonymous said...

This is not a 'first offence'. He talked about coalitions and what was necessary to support Brown to the Times last week.

His mind seems set in the Edinburgh mould.

Anonymous said...

"I would strongly suggest Ming the Merciless gets hold of a copy of Andrew Rawnsley's 'Servants of the People'"
Anon, funnily enough I am reading that very book at the moment and it does make me wonder what on earth the Libdem leadership were up to this weekend?!!

Benedict White said...

Witan, Many thanks, and also thanks for those links last night.

ChrisD, is the book any good?

Anonymous said...

Benedict, it is worth reading. Funnily enough I think that with the present political landscape it is even more compelling.

Benedict White said...

ChrisD, many thanks I will look it up.

Anonymous said...

Benedict, have you got your copy of "servants of the people" yet?
As I said in my previous post "Funnily enough I think that with the present political landscape it is even more compelling."
The chapter on the Bernie Ecclestone affair is very interesting, especially in light of this post from Guido today!
http://www.order-order.com/2007/03/milan-fashion-news.html

Benedict White said...

chatterbox, No I haven't yet, but I will do.

Yes I did see that Guido piece.

What a sleazy party!