The new LDV members’ survey is now live – and it focuses, unsurprisingly, on the post-election scenario for the Lib Dems. If you are a registered member of the Liberal Democrat Voice forum – and any paid-up party member is welcome to join – then you now have the opportunity to make your views known on what the party should do next. Questions we are asking your opinion on include:
– whether you agree with Nick Clegg’s decision to allow the Tories’ first refusal to form a government;
– whether you agree with Nick Clegg opening talks with the Tories on that basis;
– whether you think electoral reform should be a deal-breaker;
– how you rate the performances of Nick Clegg and Vince Cable during the election campaign.
It should take no longer than 5-10 minutes to fill in. All registered members of the Forum should by now have been emailed with a link to take you to the survey. If you haven’t been yet, or if you are signing up to the Forum now, please drop Ryan Cullen a line at [email protected]
We’ll publish the results within the next 24 hours. We intend to conduct regular surveys as the political situation evolves in order to take the temperature of the party membership. You can access the results from our previous LDV members surveys by clicking here.
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23 Comments
While I understand and appreciate the democratic spirit of this move, I would beg members NOT to take part in this survey.
I am absolutely sure that at the end of the process, Nick Clegg will do the right thing by us in fighting as hard as possible for electoral reform and this survey can only bind his hands and reduce his flexibility in negotiations. Indicating the impossibility of a deal with the Conservatives means our only possible alternative partner would be Labour, so backing him into a corner. We could end up NOT getting PR as a result.
Please, follow my logic. DO NOT VOTE.
That’s… not logic. It’s panic. While they sound similar, they are quite different.
Sorry, why is it panic to consider the further consequences of taking an action and then refrain from doing so?
It just seems common sense to me.
I am quite calm, and I would urge other party members to stay calm too. These are very delicate negotiations and I do not want anything to get in the way of getting what we want and the nation needs: financial stability, fairness and political reform including a new, fair voting system.
If you think the Tories would, or could, EVER deliver anything remotely close to PR without a party rebellion, you’re deluded.
I stand to be corrected here.
Every LDem voter I know (both members and a lot of tactical voters) has told me they will never vote for them again! They have lost all trust, respect and any chance of a real progressive future!
Staggering that the leadership is thinking of actually voting through legislation potentially that has been rejected by the vast majority of the country!
Are they going to put any deal or ‘as and when required’ voting to the membership??? If they did it would be rejected completely!
LDem vote is an anti-Tory vote! What part of this does clegg not understand??!!
1. Clegg had no real choice. I also don’t think a LIb/Lab pact is feasible at all unfortunately. It would be ruthlessly punished at the ballot box. the only hope would be if we could form a progressive alliance that forced through PR in the HoP and then we all did the honourable thing and called for another election. We would get punished, but we would have PR.
2. Some form of electoral reform is mandatory for any kind of cooperation, as we are going to suffer no matter what we do in this parliament. We are going to pay a price. We need to offset that damage with PR or some kind of electoral reform that at least allows the public the chance to credibly vote for us. I have been suggesting direct prime ministerial elections that remove the dominance of the executive over the legislature. If people could have voted for Nick Clegg to be Prime Minister, I think he might have pulled it off, if we had run a slightly smarter campaign.
3. Clegg and Cable: a lot of hubris, of almost Greek levels. I didn’t vote for Clegg as leader, I wanted Huhne. Not sure if he would have done much better, but I think Clegg et al got caught up in the glow of debates without securing the votes on the ground. Huge error that cost us some very good parliamentarians. Lets see how he handles these negotiations, they could mean the renewal or the death throes of the Liberal Democrats. \
mpg
I’ve been awaiting my membership no for some weeks now so will have to abstain until I get it.
Andy, I beg you to think rationally about what you are saying (and claim many many others are saying).
If LD supporters, principled and tactical, had not voted LD we would now have a Tory majority government.
If that is what you want then by all means go ahead and change your vote in future elections.
It is not what I want.
Supporters of PR, in the LDs and other parties, cannot logically claim that they are in favour of proportional representation and reject talks between rival parties if there is an indecisive result/balanced parliament. By all means change your vote if you reject PR…if you want PR I beg you to recognise its most obvious corollary.
Andy Shepherd, a Lib Dem vote should always be just that – a vote for the Liberal Democrat party. Not an anti-Tory or pro-Labour one. Otherwise what’s the point?
http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-dont-want-the-Liberal-Democrats-to-make-a-deal-with-the-Conservatives/120577687970160?ref=ts
Please join this group, has already gained recognition on the Channel 4 news
Ed Randall – “Supporters of PR, in the LDs and other parties, cannot logically claim that they are in favour of proportional representation and reject talks between rival parties if there is an indecisive result/balanced parliament. By all means change your vote if you reject PR…if you want PR I beg you to recognise its most obvious corollary.”
EXACTLY. I don’t see why the Independent etc are now spitting their dummies either. They asked for political reform and we’re on the brink of becoming able to prove that such a government of coalition can actually work!
Andrea Gill, the survey doesn’t ask for Membership No. if that’s what you’re worried about, but if you want your membership number (It took maybe 10 days for my membership pack to be sent out but “weeks” is excessive), just call up the Lib Dem HQ on 020 7222 7999, and ask to be put through to Membership, they’ll be happy to tell you your membership number and try find out why your pack’s been delayed so much.
Even though I was raised as a Labour supporter, before switching to supporting the Lib Dems, I do believe a Conservative / Lib Dem government could be a good one. However, they must give us *some* kind of fairer voting system. If they do compromise on this, then I’m fully supportive of this alliance. However, if the Liberal Democrats get into bed with the Monster Raving Loony Party, I’m NEVER VOTING LIB DEM AGAIN!
Please note if you are signing up to the forums for the first time to take part in the survey several things need to take place before you will get the link.
a) you will be verified against the membership database, if your details are incorrect you will not gain full access. So please make sure you have your membership number to hand.
b) once verified as a party member I need to manually copy your details over to the system which runs the survey. Whilst I am getting most done within minutes, I am holding down a day job so please wait at least 30 minutes before following up with an email to me.
I am aware that a number of users haven’t seen the email yet. If you have full access to the forum your invite has been sent out, please check your spam folders. If you still have no luck please send me an email and I will reply with the link.
I didnt vote for Clegg in the leadership election but as far as I can see he hasnt put a foot wrong. His statement this morning struck just the right note & said what needed to be said.
Personally, as someone who was a member of the Labour Party for 8 years, plus another 2 in the LPYS; I would prefer a deal with the Conservatives. That is partly because I know how bad Labour are, from close up, partly because its easier to deal with people who admit they dissagree rather then those who pretend to be on your side. Labour MPs & members havent undergone some miraculous conversion to Political Reform & Human Rights; they are lying.
Marianne – thanks for that. I thought you had to be a member/have a number to sign up to the forum?
LOL… but the Monster Raving Loonies have the best rosettes!!!!
Ryan, OK I shall await the postie and then call for my number if I get nothing through
Filled mine in. I trust our leadership to do what’s best for us and the country, and I believe that the LibDems act in the country’s best interests. The whining from closet Labourites who somehow prefer propping up a discredited, worn-out, illiberal and nonprogressive Broonite regime to having some control over a potentially dangerous yet inevitable Tory government is getting very tiresome.
Just a quick note to say, Alastair Darling do please shut up. We know it is in your interests to help to bounce the Lib dems into an over-hasty duff deal with the Tories, so that you can then snipe at us from the comfort of opposition.
All this bluff and bounce tactics from both parts of the Labservatives about the bond markets has failed. The markets don’t care about us taking time to get it right. They only care about the Euro and Greece.
Slow it down Nick, and make sure you get the best deal, from either side.
Zadok, thanks, I agree with that & it is time to be grown up & prove we are able to put petty rivalries behind us and prove that we are capable of dealing with the kinds of outcomes that PR would inevitably bring with it.
OK got my number now and submitted the poll.
Lib/Lab pact would be ruthlessly punished at the ballot box? not as ruthlessly punished as a Lib/Con pact, it is of my belief that any Lib/Con pact without electoral reform at the heart will result in huge numbers of Lib Dem voters shifting to Labour.
The BBC is quoting Mike Hancock as saying, after two hours of the meeting, that Lib Dem MPs gave the proposals a “mixed response”. And that refreshments are being sent in. Fascinating.
I am a LD party member in Surrey Heath. My dilemma is that I think the concordat with the Tories is the right thing to do democratically but locally it will mean there is no effective opporsition to the Tories in local government. Why would anyone vote for the LD’s in next years local elections when we are in coalition.
I am not criticising the party but it does demonstrate that we are in a difficult predicament. .