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Liberal Conspiracy: Lib Dems Must Attack Tories
Most of this post by Lib Dem lefty Andrew Hickey at Liberal Conspiracy makes pretty good sense.
As things stand the Lib Dems are about to get taken to the cleaners by the Tories in a good many apparently safe constituencies. They probably stand to lose between a half and two-thirds of their seats. Calamity Clegg encapsulated! And, although Hickey says otherwise, the golden shower could well lose Lab-Lib marginals too. As everyone of good sense tries to avoid a Tory government and either way to keep the majority small.
One man who understands that his days as an MP are almost certainly numbered is John "Hospital Hoax" Leech who has immediately tweaked his rhetoric to attack their Tory lords and ladyships. He even claims he is "angered" by them. Grrrrr, John, grrrrr grrrrr. Don't hold back.
The Lordly skirmish appears to around the famously financially frivolous third party trying, quite rightly, to get a firm date for restoration of the earnings link for pensions. Meanwhile both the possible parties of government, understandably, try to avoid being pinned down to a deadline date. They, after all, will have to find the money in uncertain times.
Restoration of the Earnings Link has been Labour Party policy since 2000 and was finally included in the Queen's Speech of 2006. In fact it was Manchester Labour comrade Sarah Cotterill, whose address will be in Withington Constituency following boundary changes, who made the seconder's speech at Labour Party conference, Rodney Bickerstaffe - now a stalwart of the National Pensioners Convention - having proposed it.
The existing commitment from Labour is to restoration within the next parliament. I'm not quite sure where the Tories stand on this? Or anything else apart from seeing to it that the rich get richer quicker with inherited wealth and unearned income boosted.
Finally it must be said that Mr Hickey has promised to LEAVE HIS PARTY should they take doing business with the Tories any further than they already have done. Perhaps Mr Leech and the Manchester Lib Dem rabble would like to make the same promise?
6 comments:
So what would be your advice to a Labour voter in one of those Southern Lib Dem/Conservative marginals at the next election?
That's not an easy question. You know that.
If there is the prospect of keeping the Tories out only by voting Lib Dem then they should consider that, particularly if a Billy Bragg vote swap deal is available in a twinned Labour-Tory constituency. Or vote Labour and try to build an anti-Tory vote for Labour. Possibly overtaking the Lib Dems and looking forward to 2014/2015.
It will depend on the constituency and the numbers.
I certainly would not be cheerleading for any Tory to beat even the worst of the Lib Dem tribe.
I've never voted tactically myself. Never been in that position. But until I was 16 I lived in High Wycombe where, at that time, we had the right-wing chair of the 1922 committee Sir John Hall as our MP and the Liberals were I think in second place. I think it's possible that my tribally Labour parents might have dabbled there.
The numbers are already known and most of the candidates are already in place in these marginal constituencies.
In which seats would you advocate that Labour supporters vote Lib Dem?
I am not making a study of it for your benefit. I simply don't have time. Particularly if you won't let on who you are. Which is cowardly.
Are candidates really in place? Who is to stand for the Lib Dems and indeed the newly revived Tories in Manchester Gorton? Which, apart from saving Leech's wretched neck, must be LD priority in my area. In fact I know it is as they're not coy about it.
I am pointing at the sticky place the Lib Dems are now in nationally thanks to Calamity Clegg cuddling up to Tories. Which is what Lib Dem member Mr Hickey is also doing.
No need for you to make a study of it. I give you a hand. Let's take Hazel Grove constituency.
The prediction is that if the last election had been fought on the new boundaries, Andrew Stunnell of the Liberal Democrats would have had a majority of about 2.5%. The Labour Party would have received 8% of the total votes - nowhere near enough to win at this or the next half dozen elections but easily enough to make the difference.
The Conservative PPC is the resplendently named Annesley Abercorn - a "senior researcher for the Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP."
Who would you advise that Labour supporters vote for at the next election?
I also note with interest that you have placed Manchester Withington in the 'vulnerable to Lib Dem' category. I shall pass that on to those who need to know.
Would you prefer one on sport?
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