Comments on: YouGov Euro poll: Lib Dems at 15%

By: john

john — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:42:39 +0000

It’s not really you know, much that happened was avoidable in my view and has cost us dear. The parliamentary party has a lot of making up to do ;o)

By: Tabman

Tabman — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:40:52 +0000

One way we could help ourselves in relation to Europe is to be honest about the flaws of the current EU structure: its lack of (especially Financial) accountability, and its over-centralizing tendencies.

We should set out clearly the case for reform, many aspects of which adress Eurosceptic arguments, and have the advantage of being (i) right and (ii) not slavishly pro-EU (right or wrong).

By: Liberal Neil

Liberal Neil — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:48:48 +0000

Antony makes an interesting point about the importance of our nrole in the European Parliament – but of course there is a big difference between what Lib Dems’should’ do and the reality.

We also have to be realistic about what motivated many of the people who do the work at local level and design our campaign to make the most of that.

There are encouraging signs that we have learnt quite a lot about how to do this over the last two campaigns.

As far as how we campaign goes, I have always taken the view that we should approach European Elections in the same way we approach others – more about identifying how voting for the Liberal Democrats will benefit the people we seek to represent and less about the institution itself.

Our MEPs should be campaigning on issues that are relevant to people in the regions to show that they are active and worth voting for.

We should be telling people, in simple terms, that their lib Dem MEP has support things that they support.

I also think we should not be afraid of identifying specific proposals to make the EU work better – such as the one seat campaign – as this is in line with the above but also defends us from being portrayed as starry eyed euro loons.

By: Antony Hook

Antony Hook — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:49:37 +0000

Liberal Democrats should regard the European Elections as more important than any other contest in the electoral cycle.

It is an election where we can (and do)win power (we hold the balance in Brussels) and Lib Dem initiatives often become law.

It was said during the Lisbon debates in Westminster that 80% of legislation is decided in Brussels. In that case, we need to make sure Brtain elects good MEPs.

In the South East, where I am a candidate, we will be fighting a positive campaign on the difference that European action can make to people’s lives. Our campaign is far better funded than it ever has been before.

By: Dinti Batstone

Dinti Batstone — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:23:40 +0000

Richard, I agree with you.

Being pro-European doesn’t mean thinking the EU is perfect. But surely people who have a constructive approach to the EU are much better placed to reform it than Europhobes who want nothing to do with it… Just look at our record in the European Parliament vs that of UKIP (or indeed the Tories and Labour).

By: Jonathan Fryer

Jonathan Fryer — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:53:53 +0000

A big difference over 2004 is that this year in London (and I assume in at least some other regions) there is going to be a proper campaign. That should mean we accrue votes as the weeks and months go by. Moreover, if, as seems quite likely, the smaller parties shrink, it means that UKIP (and maybe even the Greens) will lose seats, which changes the electoral arithmetic considerably under the (rather weird) De Hondt system of PR.

By: Mark Wright

Mark Wright — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:47:18 +0000

Given the subsequent (predictable) self-destruction of the UKIP MEP group, the Lib Dems were very quickly restored to being the 3rd largest group of British MEPs. I expect that to continue at this next Euro election.

By: Tim Worstall

Tim Worstall — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:35:16 +0000

““Will the Lib Dems finish at least third, and poll at or above 15%, in the European elections in June 2009?””

Well, don’t forget that polling 15% last time meant you came fourth……

By: Richard

Richard — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:35:05 +0000

It often seems as if we can’t get the balance right on Europe… If we stay quiet we let our opponents define us (deceptively). But when candidates or activists campaign on Europe, there can be a tendency to act as press officers for the European Union. We should be defending an internationalist ideal, yes, but not the flawed and fallen reality of secrecy, bureaucracy and dodgy accounting. “Let’s make Europe work properly” should be the mantra — and we should be campaigning to clean up waste and corruption just as we would in Westminster. I’m amazed how statist and establishment-sympathetic some activists can be over Europe. We’re radicals and liberals, damn it!

By: jim

jim — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:21:22 +0000

It’s largely irrevalent having a national poll of voting intentions as the seats are calculated on a region basis. If any of the polling companies bother to do any region polling it would be much more reliable and interesting.

By: Dinti Batstone

Dinti Batstone — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:19:01 +0000

“Lib Dems generally poll below our national rating when it comes to Europe.”

This is because a proportion of LibDem voters are Eurosceptic and we lose them in Euro elections.

The best way to overcome this is not to duck the issue (i.e. not mention Europe for fear of offending Eurosceptic LibDem voters), but rather to have the courage of our convictions and in doing so attract pro-Europeans from the other parties.

The Eurosceptic space in British politics is already overcrowded. The pro-European space (which, according to opinion polls represents the views of 30-35% of the UK public) is wide open.

By: David Morton

David Morton — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:11:07 +0000

There is a Typo. It should be UKIP on 7 down 9 not on 9 down 7. also your comment about bracketed figures will be come plus 5 not plus 7.