Rhetorical question of course - but from the BBC
Lib Dems pledge to cancel Brexit if they win general election
The Liberal Democrats have pledged to cancel Brexit if they come to power at the next general election.
Members voted for the new policy at their party conference in Bournemouth by an overwhelming majority.
Previously, the party has backed another referendum or "People's Vote", saying they would campaign to Remain.
After the vote, their leader Jo Swinson, said: "We will do all we can to fight for our place in Europe, and to stop Brexit altogether."
The Liberal Democrats have pledged to cancel Brexit if they come to power at the next general election.
Members voted for the new policy at their party conference in Bournemouth by an overwhelming majority.
Previously, the party has backed another referendum or "People's Vote", saying they would campaign to Remain.
After the vote, their leader Jo Swinson, said: "We will do all we can to fight for our place in Europe, and to stop Brexit altogether."
Of course the Lib Dems know they won't win the next general election so as usual they are in a position to promise anything. A liberal democracy for example. Yet anyone with even the most
rudimentary observation skills will know that the Liberal Democrats are not
liberal and are not too hot on democracy. Maybe one shouldn’t complain because
the Labour party isn’t interested in those who labour for a living.
liberal
adjective
respecting and allowing many different types of beliefs or behaviour
democrat
noun
a person who believes in democracy
a person who believes in democracy
Seems clear enough to me. I wonder why they have such difficulties with it?
4 comments:
I'm not sure about the argument that their policies are based on their belief that they are unelectable. Why bother? It seems to me to be more of an attempt to hoover up most of the Brexit voters, knowing that Corbyn will struggle to present a coherent position and is more mistrusted. At least, our FPTP system guarantees them more seats as a result.
The danger comes from being seen as unprincipled, and also because the party will then contain more disparate opinions and quarrelsome personalities than it can successfully manage.
My favourite term for them is the Notnots.
The Lib Dems’ Unique Selling Proposition was that they were the nice, reasonable people - so unlike those beastly,ever-squabbling Labour and Tories. Untainted by participation in national government, they were also people of principle. But then they went into coalition and ditched their commitment on university fees - which ensured their electoral eclipse. But people have short memories. Few now remember the stirring, principled commitment to democracy of the late Paddy Ashdown
“ I will forgive no one who does not respect the sovereign voice of the British people once it has spoken. Whether it is a majority of 1 per cent or 20 per cent, when the British people have spoken, you do what they command. Either you believe in democracy or you don’t”.
That, of course, was before the referendum result was known!
Today we have a Supreme Court hearing of the case against Boris Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament. One of those joining the Europhiles in the action is Sir John Major, who himself prorogued Parliament for 3 weeks in 1997 to avoid an embarrassing debate on
The “ Cash for Questions” scandal - just ahead of the general election. So hypocrisy is not a monopoly of the Lib Dem’s.
It should be noted that Major lost that election by a huge majority and the Conservatives did not regain a modest majority again until 2015 - the one Mrs May threw away in 2017, taking her eye off the Brexit ball just after she had started the clock ticking on the Article 50 process.
Sam - do you mean "hoover up most of the Remain voters"? If so you are probably right and if so it all looks very unpredictable. As you say the danger comes from being seen as unprincipled yet their unambiguous stance makes them seem exactly that. Interesting times.
Edward - good summary. I don't really understand the Lib Dems because as you say their USP was that they were the nice, reasonable people which surely isn't difficult to stick with. Maybe nice reasonable people get nowhere in politics but it would be useful to find out.
Sorry, yes - remainers! Yesterday was a long day!
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