Bob Geldof entered the campaign today with a robust announcement of support for the Lib Dems. He helped us win Richmond Park in December. Here’s hoping that his influence can help us to a good result in our key seats on Thursday.
Here’s what he had to say:
For the first time in my life I’m going to vote for those guys, the Lib Dems.
This election is about nothing else except Brexit.
The Liberal Democrats are the only party with the balls to do their job of opposing the government. They happen to be my voice in parliament
How many parties can say they have the backing of The Economist and Bob Geldof? That is quite an achievement.
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24 Comments
Oh dear. Is there any evidence that Geldof’s support will actually bring us votes?
Zac Goldsmith has rejoined the Conservative party and is standing again.
This line of argument hasn’t worked and it isn’t going to work, particularly outside London. It’s just digging further into a deep hole that’s rapidly filling with muddy water.
That’s why the Lib Dems are at 8% and may even lose MPs on Thursday.
“He helped us win Richmond Park in December”
What helped you win Richmond Park was that you had a fresh, enthusiastic candidate, thousands of activists on the ground and the Greens didn’t stand. Also Goldsmith had just had a dreadful Mayor of London campaign and the Tories didn’t give him much support. I doubt Geldof got you one vote.
That should be the kiss of death.
Why does the right hate Bob Geldof so much?
Electoral Calculus is predicting Ceredigion; Orkney and Shetland; and Westmorland and Lonsdale. Three seats in total.
@Martin “Three seats in total.”
But looking on the bright side, still representing the whole (mainland) UK.
What is the point of wondering how many Seats we will win ? We will know in 48 Hours.
Take it from someone who will move to France if I can earn enough money working from home (it’s going OK but nowhere near enough to move yet): it’s the single market that’s important. Staying in the EU entire opens up the party to ignoring a democratic vote and a small but significant fringe will be outraged by it.
It’s hard enough to sell the single market because people see it as the status quo. We need to emphasise that people can’t come here just to claim benefits.
Martin – if it’s just three seats in total I will eat Paddy’s hat……
Really pleased you have video with British Sign Language. But can you make sure videos have subtitles too! Have been requesting for all recent elections. This is so important. Managed to lip read some of Bob Geldof but would have been more powerful with subtitles too. Just to mention adults who are deafened will rarely have BSL.
I think it will be more than three, but I doubt that Bob Geldof’s support will help.
Sesenco,
The Right do not like liberals or left wingers and they have a particular dislike of any kind of person in the spotlight coming out for progressive politics. Hence, they dissolve into paroxysms as they wail about trendy lefty luvvies. On the other hand they absolutely adored Jim’ll and crew back in the day. Maybe. it’s because so many right wing celebs are either dodgy or a bit rubbish.
The Gary Lineker stuff too. When they were calling a footballer from leister a metropolitan elite lol.
Way I see it Bob Geldoff has got us a headline and that can’t hurt. Who knows, someone who isn’t a fan might read his reasoning and something will click. Becides not like we can tell him what to do, he is free to support who ever he was wants.
The man is a pain at times but has done real good in his day, has been through loads , and gives of his time and money.
Yes he hoards in so called legitimate tax schemes, but the way I see it , he has raised fortunes and knows how and where to directly or indirectly make a very individual fabulous difference.
He was not knighted for nothing , unlike some .
By chance I met Bob Geldof recently in a restaurant. I found him well informed and highly realistic about the scant hope of any kind of acceptable deal arising from the forthcoming brexit negotiations. Those who dismiss him as a “luvvy” or suchlike should just recall the sterling contribution he made in raising both money and world attention on poverty in Africa with the Live Aid initiative. He is a colourful character but his heart is in the right place.
I don’t trust sites like Electoral Calculus, as they assume that national messaging is the only thing that affects the election in each seat, failing to take account of local factors like targeting. So I am sure our seat tally will not be as low as they are predicting.
Jackiecharlton – here, here to the comment about subtitles. It really shouldn’t need saying. I am just bog standard hard of hearing and don’t lip read or do BSL – like milllions of others in this aging population.
Stephen Hawkins is supporting Labour.
Clearly, unlike Nick Clegg, he doesn’t think that the Labour Party is suffering from a lack of Liberal Democrat brainpower.
Jayne, almost every academic supports Labour. It is something to do with living off the public purse.
Peter,
Unlike Tory MPs, Conservative voting pensioners. franchised former public owned industries, the queen. landowners, the military, private landlords and so on.
PS
I think you’ll find Stephen Hawkins books have earned him quite a bit of money! It could in truth be just that as a disabled person he knows what a heartless whiney penny pinching bunch the Tories can be.
@ Bob Geldof “This election is about nothing else except Brexit.”
Oh no it’s not. It’s about community and mutuality and people paying their dues.