Author Archives: Andrew Lewin

Opinion: Hope and the desire for change is our ally, ‘politics as usual’ is the enemy

By Andrew Lewin | Published 27th September 2009 - 4:10 pm

After a testing week for the party, I left the BIC on Wednesday feeling uplifted, hopeful and with an extra spring in my step.

I am in no doubt that Nick Clegg’s speech was his best to date. Always an impressive orator, the defining feature of this address was not his style or stage presence, but the fact that under the banner of a ‘A Fresh Start for Britain’, Clegg conveyed a positive vision of how a Liberal Democrat future would look. He did not get bogged down in broadsides against Labour or the Conservatives, but pitched a message …

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 2 Comments

Opinion: Should we really be proclaiming that “Labour is finished”?

By Andrew Lewin | Published 22nd June 2009 - 2:30 pm

It has been a tumultuous time for politics and, although it may seem an age ago, it is in fact less than a month since a brave Nick Clegg rose during Prime Miniuster’s Questions to pronounce that Labour was finished. Unsurprisingly, the quip prompted howls of laughter and jeers of derision from the Labour benches, but it certainly struck a chord with the news editors.

The soundbite was replayed over and over again on the rolling news channels, guaranteeing maximum exposure for Clegg and reinforcing the message that Labour was under siege. The results which …

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Posted in Op-eds | 24 Comments

Opinion: Capitalising on Labour’s woes, defending against a rising blue tide

By Andrew Lewin | Published 7th May 2009 - 12:20 pm

It appears inevitable that the next General Election will leave the country with a radically changed electoral map. The combination of an economic crisis, a discredited and divided Labour Government, and an underlying desire for ‘change’ looks certain to make the 2010 General Election the most significant this century.

I intend to write two articles which I hope will prompt debate inside Liberal Democrat circles about how our party can best prepare for the dual challenge of winning at the expense of Labour, whilst ensuring that so many seats won since 1997 are not lost to a rising Conservative tide. …

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Posted in Op-eds | 15 Comments

Opinion: How the Prospect of a Hung Parliament could bolster a Liberal Democrat Election Campaign

By Andrew Lewin | Published 25th April 2009 - 5:20 pm

Discussion surrounding “Hung Parliaments”, prospective coalition deals and the Liberal Democrats are as familiar to supporters of our party as any issue of policy or leadership.

In an attempt to add something new to this longstanding debate, this article outlines a strategy for how the party could tackle the question of how it would act in a Hung Parliament in the next General Election campaign. I am convinced that, if managed correctly, drawing attention to the prospect of the Liberal Democrats holding the balance of power could prove to be an electoral asset, as opposed to an …

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 28 Comments