Last night, people were joining the Liberal Democrats at the rate of one every five seconds as our Head of Membership, Greg Foster, said on Twitter.
Since @vincecable fired the starting pistol on the Leadership Election 2 hours ago, more than 1,000 people have joined @LibDems
It’s about one member every five seconds!
Join them here and get your vote: https://t.co/sDiJ5rZjNM #libdemfightback #LibDemSurge
— Greg Foster 🔶🇺🇦 (@CatDadGreg) May 24, 2019
If you join by 7th June, you’ll get a vote in the leadership election, set to be between Jo Swinson and Ed Davey. So if you like the exuberant Stop Brexit campaign you’ve seen in the last few weeks and want to have a say in the future direction of the party, sign up here.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
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9 Comments
I’m not sure that swearing blind that LDV will be neutral and constantly telling us that Ed Davey and Jo Swinson will be the candidates is very consistent. Actually, all we know is that Vince Cable won’t be and that, very sadly, Layla Moran has ruled herself out. Let’s not forget that it’s not just new members we need to look out for. New MPs too? Justine Greening for leader, anyone?
With Layla sadly ducking out, it doesn’t look like members will have a meaningful choice. Jo needs to start focusing on the major issues facing the country, rather than the peripheral stuff with which she has so far been obsessed.
@Martin Land
There are few realistic candidates for Party leader. In addition to Layla, Alistair Carmichael has also ruled out a leadership bid:
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/westminster/1752952/alistair-carmichael-rules-out-lib-dem-leadership-bid/
Apart from Tom Brake, who had the third smallest majority at 1369 in 2017, and Norman Lamb (who might find it difficult to stand on a Remain platform, given his constituency voted strongly to leave) the remaining MPs were all elected in 2017 and will need to build their constituency support.
Of course, if the TIGgers had joined the Lib Dems instead of trying to go it alone, we might have some more credible candidates.
Yes Jo Swinson does seem obssessed with esoteric issues and I would not vote for her. Ed Davey would do ok but norman Lamb should stand. I would opt for Wera in the absence of Layla but do not really know enough about her.
I would be happy with either Swinson or Davey but the campaign hasn’t really begun yet. Given the hectic campaigning that both have been doing we can allow them a few days rest surely ?
There will be plenty of opportunities to quiz both candidates with 10 Hustings arranged already, it should be fun.
Surely the leadership campaign should be used to establish LD priorities for going forward and then to elect the leader most suitable to carry them forward. Let me suggest 3. Stop Brexit, major constitutional/electoral reform, and fair taxes. What do you think?
@Mick Taylor
To your three I would add reform of local government structure and finance and a Royal Commission on Education and Health and Social Care.
Surely our first priority is to take 2nd place, ahead of The Tories. If we average recent Polling then LDs + Change + Greens are already on 22%, against The Tories 24%.
If the 3 of us were listed as a single force some Polls would be putting us in 2nd place already.
We have the best chance to break out of our Third Party Ghetto in 4 Decades.
Doesn’t look like anyone is going to come forward to me. What is our contingency plan now?