Lib Dem party's roots abandoned by their leaders

[David Johnson]

"Can someone tell me who I can vote for in the next elections who won't either be Tories (Lab, Libs, Cons it seems) racists (BNP), paranoid fringe-nutters/racists-light (UKIP) or otherwise too small in the wider context to make much of an impact given current voting systems etc (pretty much everyone else)?".

I would be the first to state that there was a lot of disappointing stuff that came out of Blairism. The Labour party relied far too much on the growth of the financial services industry, didnt do enough to support manufacturing industry. got carried away with endless unproductive "measurement" of performance and made a disastrous error with regard to Iraq.

Having said that, there are significant differences between the Labour party and the Tories as this budget has shown and which the forthcoming spending cuts in the autumn of between 25 and 40% in various departments will reinforce.

THe Lib Dems have dumped more of their policies and beliefs than any other party in history in return for a 1 in 2 (almost) ratio between MPs and government jobs.

For me the choice is still Labour but with the obvious reservations that they are not left enough. But still preferable to the Tories, the Lib Dems and the fruitcake alternatives like UKIP and the BNP. It would be no bad thing if the Labour party got back as the largest party but dependent on say, the Green party and Plaid Cymru for a coalition.

Cheers
D

[belfast_birty]

LibDems are fence sitters.When their arses hurt,they move to another fence.
In their case ''power currupts,absolute power corrupts absolutely''

[alicia_fan_uk]

Sam, why 2 months? Why do I get off so lightly!?...

alicia_fan_uk

[alicia_fan_uk]

David,

I wasn't suggesting that I personally believe there isn't anything between Labour and the Tories; my comment was led from the assertion in bristolian's post.

In my view, whilst the gap has narrowed in the last decade or so in terms of respective positions on the political spectrum, there is certainly still a difference between Lab and Con ideology. As you say, the recent budget illustrates this quite acutely.

alicia_fan_uk

[David Johnson]

"I wasn't suggesting that I personally believe there isn't anything between Labour and the Tories; my comment was led from the assertion in bristolian's post."

Ooops! Apologies.

Cheers
D

[bristolian]

I just mean it is hard to trust the instincts of that cabale, it just doesn't say to me progressive.

LDs always benefited from a kind of amorphous quality- they used to position themselves as one thing in the North West for example, and then as the natural alternative to the Tories in the South.

For me, I was always puzzled as to what Liberalism is/was? Allied to that the jettisoning of what were key manifesto principles, revealing what exactly?

[RoddersUK]

The Lib fucking Dems need abandoning fucking period!!