Comments on: Brown’s failed poachings: the views of the Lib Dem blogs http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html Our place to talk - an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:55:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Darrell http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-43851 Darrell Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:02:54 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-43851 Our first poster here asked how we build a progressive consensus and I think that is a valid question. Such a consensus will involve two sets of people; 1. 'Natural progressives' This is the catergory I would put myself in, by this i mean the type of people whose gut reaction politics are of a leftist progressive nature. This is your core vote and these people either vote Labour naturally, splinter off to the left of Labour or, as is most likely at the moment stay at home. 2. Moderates or what i sometimes call small c conservatives. These kind of people are not natural progressives in that they are not idealistically committed. They want things to be better but also want stabality; they are pragmatic. For example, they maybe supported the Iraq war at first but are now against it as the disaster has unfolded. They did vote Conservative, then voted for New Labour and now are thinking of switching back. Now....I think the Liberal Democrats can be home to both but it wont be by operating as a satalite to either party, it will be by building a strong independant identity. Depending on which wing you sit on you are going to either more hostile to Labour or the Conservaties, my politics make me naturally more sympathetic to cooperation with Labour and hostile to the Conservatives but I am very well aware that there will be others who would feel the opposite way. I think we spend too much time on the 'what if there was a hung parliament' debate. Now I would agree that there is a reasonable albeit still slim chance of one the next time around but I think it gives the impression to the public that essentially that is what we are playing for; which doesn't help. We shouldnt make any pretensions to government though, we should say this; we are the third party, we are the real alternative, our politics has something for both sets of people that I mentioned and we can be the progressive consensus. Our first poster here asked how we build a progressive consensus and I think that is a valid question.

Such a consensus will involve two sets of people;

1. ‘Natural progressives’ This is the catergory I would put myself in, by this i mean the type of people whose gut reaction politics are of a leftist progressive nature. This is your core vote and these people either vote Labour naturally, splinter off to the left of Labour or, as is most likely at the moment stay at home.

2. Moderates or what i sometimes call small c conservatives. These kind of people are not natural progressives in that they are not idealistically committed. They want things to be better but also want stabality; they are pragmatic. For example, they maybe supported the Iraq war at first but are now against it as the disaster has unfolded. They did vote Conservative, then voted for New Labour and now are thinking of switching back.

Now….I think the Liberal Democrats can be home to both but it wont be by operating as a satalite to either party, it will be by building a strong independant identity. Depending on which wing you sit on you are going to either more hostile to Labour or the Conservaties, my politics make me naturally more sympathetic to cooperation with Labour and hostile to the Conservatives but I am very well aware that there will be others who would feel the opposite way.

I think we spend too much time on the ‘what if there was a hung parliament’ debate. Now I would agree that there is a reasonable albeit still slim chance of one the next time around but I think it gives the impression to the public that essentially that is what we are playing for; which doesn’t help. We shouldnt make any pretensions to government though, we should say this; we are the third party, we are the real alternative, our politics has something for both sets of people that I mentioned and we can be the progressive consensus.

]]> By: Er? Paul http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-19530 Er? Paul Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:42:20 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-19530 Er? Paul - Brown offers Lib Dems Lords position in cabinet. Lib Dem Lords refuse. How does this make the party look weak!? Er? Paul – Brown offers Lib Dems Lords position in cabinet. Lib Dem Lords refuse. How does this make the party look weak!?

]]> By: Paul http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-19521 Paul Fri, 22 Jun 2007 10:39:36 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-19521 This episode has made the Lib Dems look very weak indeed. To even consider joing a Labour cabinet will damage the party in the South. Brown has played this very well indeed. i don't think he has done this to help the Lib Dems. One nil to LAbour I'm afraid. This episode has made the Lib Dems look very weak indeed. To even consider joing a Labour cabinet will damage the party in the South. Brown has played this very well indeed. i don’t think he has done this to help the Lib Dems. One nil to LAbour I’m afraid.

]]> By: Graeme http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-19421 Graeme Thu, 21 Jun 2007 22:38:39 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-19421 I'm not cheerleader for a coalition with Labour and I don't see it happening, but I would like to think that, however opposed to a coalition (with anyone) some members might be, if we were to end up in a situation where a special conference democratically debated the issue and approved going into such an arrangement, those people would continue to work constructively within the party. I’m not cheerleader for a coalition with Labour and I don’t see it happening, but I would like to think that, however opposed to a coalition (with anyone) some members might be, if we were to end up in a situation where a special conference democratically debated the issue and approved going into such an arrangement, those people would continue to work constructively within the party.

]]> By: Norfolk Blogger http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-19403 Norfolk Blogger Thu, 21 Jun 2007 20:46:57 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-19403 I personally beleive that there would be mass resignations hould we have done any sort of deal with Labour. I do thnik Ming was naive to have even considered talks with Labour and hopefully the reaction here has had some effect. I personally beleive that there would be mass resignations hould we have done any sort of deal with Labour.

I do thnik Ming was naive to have even considered talks with Labour and hopefully the reaction here has had some effect.

]]> By: Scott Rennie http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-19340 Scott Rennie Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:29:36 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/browns-failed-poachings-the-views-of-the-lib-dem-blogs-918.html#comment-19340 Pehaps we need to ask ourselves how a progressive conensus can be built? Brown's attempt may ahve nt been the wisest o the most likely to succed, but it does pose questions of us! Any real constitutional reform for eample,will only be achieveed accross party, andno y us alone. Are we prepared as Liberals to abandon tribal politics on our part to make it happen, or are we as wedded to tribalism as the 'conservatives' in the other two parties who wish to see a little change as posible? To what extent are we prepared to takl ith brown about a progressive consensus at all, and what form would those talks take. There is at least the possibility that just as Blair was the reformer who was a dissappointment, Brown will turn out to be the nexpected oportunity for political reform in our nation tat we did not expect. What do we need to do to seize that opportunity. The fact of the matter is that those who have power are those with the power to bring change. Pehaps we need to ask ourselves how a progressive conensus can be built? Brown’s attempt may ahve nt been the wisest o the most likely to succed, but it does pose questions of us! Any real constitutional reform for eample,will only be achieveed accross party, andno y us alone. Are we prepared as Liberals to abandon tribal politics on our part to make it happen, or are we as wedded to tribalism as the ‘conservatives’ in the other two parties who wish to see a little change as posible? To what extent are we prepared to takl ith brown about a progressive consensus at all, and what form would those talks take. There is at least the possibility that just as Blair was the reformer who was a dissappointment, Brown will turn out to be the nexpected oportunity for political reform in our nation tat we did not expect. What do we need to do to seize that opportunity. The fact of the matter is that those who have power are those with the power to bring change.

]]>