Farron celebrates by-election result

Osem · 09-12-2016, 11:18

Another 'strong' performance from the Lib Dems according to their delusional leader who clearly views being as unpopular as Labour a success:

Quote:

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said his party's "strong result" showed they were "back as an electoral force" in areas that had voted to leave, as well as remain, in the EU.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38258976

Oddly, Jeremy Corbyn was unavailable for comment...

**Damien** · 09-12-2016, 11:27

Well they're going to talk it up aren't they? This wasn't one of their target seats although they were the only one of the four main parties who increased their vote share. Not a brilliant result but not a bad one either.

Still the Liberals would take being as unpopular as Labour. They would be ecstatic to become the official opposition for example. They aren't looking to win an election but recover their position as a party with a real parliamentary presence.

The real story here is Labour's big drop off. Even in a safe Tory area you wouldn't expect them to drop 7% (which they lost to the Liberals and Independents). It shows how snookered they currently are. Liberals have a clear position on Brexit, as do UKIP but Labour are stuck between the two consistencies.

papa smurf · 09-12-2016, 17:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damien

Well they're going to talk it up aren't they? This wasn't one of their target seats although they were the only one of the four main parties who increased their vote share. Not a brilliant result but not a bad one either.

Still the Liberals would take being as unpopular as Labour. They would be ecstatic to become the official opposition for example. They aren't looking to win an election but recover their position as a party with a real parliamentary presence.

The real story here is Labour's big drop off. Even in a safe Tory area you wouldn't expect them to drop 7% (which they lost to the Liberals and Independents). It shows how snookered they currently are. Liberals have a clear position on Brexit, as do UKIP but Labour are stuck between the two consistencies.

vote liberal by any chance ?

**Damien** · 09-12-2016, 17:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by papa smurf

vote liberal by any chance ?

I do but I don't think there is anything wrong with what I said. It's an average result for them. I certainly think the news from last night is Labour's drop rather than the fact the Liberal Democrat increase was lower than that in Richmond.

pip08456 · 09-12-2016, 19:54

I trump your Lib Dem result with a UKIP result. Both are meaningless really.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38258976

Ukip leader Paul Nuttall said: “It’s a great result for us.

“If someone would have offered me second place at the beginning of the campaign, considering we were in the middle of a leadership election and the party resembled a bit of a shambles over the summer, I would have bitten their hand off."

N.B. Quote is not from the BBC report.

**Damien** · 09-12-2016, 20:11

UKIP saw their vote share decline ever so slightly. They and the Liberals moved up 1 as a result of Labour dropping from 3rd to 4th.

pip08456 · 09-12-2016, 20:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damien

UKIP saw their vote share decline ever so slightly. They and the Liberals moved up 1 as a result of Labour dropping from 3rd to 4th.

As I said, they are meaningless really.

**Damien** · 09-12-2016, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by pip08456

As I said, they are meaningless really.

In this seat yes. But the question at the next election will be the extent to which UKIP will challenge Labour in the North and the Liberals challenge the Tories in the South.

Pierre · 09-12-2016, 23:19

Tim Farron is a complete "Richard"

heero_yuy · 10-12-2016, 10:51

I suppose anything other than a lost deposit is a result in his eyes.

Ramrod · 10-12-2016, 18:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pierre

Tim Farron is a complete "Richard"

Agreed. Can't stand the man. Total knob.

Osem · 11-12-2016, 20:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Agreed. Can't stand the man. Total knob.

Just the latest in a long list...

Arthurgray50@blu · 11-12-2016, 21:42

I hope that any further by elections that come up. I just hope that UKIP or LD wipe the floor of Labour.
I personally think that Corbyn is a -mod edit-. And who saw the Demo in front of him by Thatecl. And on live mic his assistant is heard to say 'let then get on with it' Why wasn't security called in.

Please mind your language.

Stuart · 12-12-2016, 12:53

I agree about Corbyn. I've often said, mainly on facebook but possibly on here as well. From what I can see, Corbyn is a good MP, but to be a party leader, you need to be more than a good MP. He has failed as a leader. He has had opportunities from two Tory governments that any competent opposition leader should have been able to use to increase their party's popularity and attack the government.

However, I am a Liberal. Funnily enough one Trump supporter friend of mine uses that phrase as an insult, but I am proud to be Liberal. I voted Liberal Democrat, and likely still would when given the opportunity. I know that the Conservatives did a good job during the parliament before the election of blaming the liberals for most of the bad things that happened during the coalition, and the LDs suffered in the election as a result. The one good thing about that is that it would be difficult for them not to improve their results in future elections. Particularly if they are able to point out where the government is re-introducing bills that violate our rights, and that they blocked (thinking of Theresa May's mass surveillance of every internet user in this country here).

**Damien** · 12-12-2016, 13:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart

However, I am a Liberal. Funnily enough one Trump supporter friend of mine uses that phrase as an insult, but I am proud to be Liberal.

In America 'liberal' means left-wing. Labour would be 'liberals' here. The Democratic party are, largely, liberal. Corbyn would be a liberal even though he advocates for largely illiberal positions here. Unfortunately the Americanisation of the term has caught on over here a bit but then it's applied where it isn't warranted.

The in the UK liberals are found across the parties. You have left-wing liberals and you have (more) right-wing liberals. The Liberal Democrats are a sort of crossover but the main difference is that they place liberalism above all else and aren't classical laissez-faire liberals whereas Tories/Labour are more focused on their respective party platforms. I don't think you can be a liberal and vote for the Snoopers Charter for example.