LibDemVoice’s Nick Thornsby has been on recce behind enemy lines, writing for ConservativeHome on the past week’s Tory implosion over Europe:
It is clear to everyone looking in from the outside that if the Tory Party does not get over itself sharpish, historians will look back at this as the moment the party destined itself to spend another decade, or longer, on the opposition benches. …
As a Liberal Democrat who regrets the passing of the coalition’s early radicalism, and who had hoped that David Cameron and those around him could govern as modern, moderate, sensible Conservatives, this regression is disappointing. But for Conservatives who are more interested in achieving things than in bombast over Europe and equal marriage, it should be more than disappointing. We are witnessing the slow demise of moderate conservatism in the Conservative Party; the replacement of broad electoral appeal with narrow, pessimistic, Europe-obsessed nationalism. And all because government is proving a bit too difficult.
The chances of that programme leading to electoral success are non-existent; the chances of another party wanting to work with such a party are only slightly higher. Unless the Prime Minister starts to show some leadership, he will secure his place in history as a one-term leader of the country. And unless Conservatives get behind him they will return once again to the powerlessness of opposition, where they can bang on about Europe until they’re blue — or purple — in the face.
You can read Nick’s piece in full here. For some reason, it doesn’t seem to have found much favour with ConHome readers – who’d have thunk?
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8 Comments
Whaddyouexpect????
ConHome=UKIP lite= BNP Ultralite! 🙁
Having read Nick’s full article on Conservative Home, and the comments, I cannot but notice the gaping difference between how the LDV and Con Home readers react to challenging ideas.
With one or two notable exceptions out of 46 comments on Con Home, the comments are abusive of the Lib Dems, preferring to respond by attacking the Lib Dem position on Europe rather than to respond to the the article itself. That indicates a party that is not interested in coalition or winning the argument.
In contrast, LDV readers by and large are interested in the ideas put forward by contributors, and comments are constructive and relevant.
That website has been called “UKIP@Home” for over 5 years…long before the current convulsions in the Tory party caused even the saner ones to go barmy. The highest rated posters on the site tend to be actual UKIP members. That’s all you need to know.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
The best thing to do with moderate, compassionate, socially liberal Tories who advocate free trade is to give them this link:
https://www.libdems.org.uk/join_us.aspx
why aren’t more Tories joining us then..?
I agree with Alisdair, the broad liberal centre ground needs to unite, otherwise we will face perpetual conservative or socialist governments.
I think we need to be courting the Blairites and One Nation Conservatives. In this respect I agree with Vince about being less tribal; however Vince seems to think we should only be less tribal with Labour.
It would be the only party that wouldn’t bother with class warfare and would respect equal opportunity as well as freedom to succeed; which I think is what most people want.
Have there actually been any “moderate, sensible, liberal, Conservatives” since the days of RAB Butler and Macmillan? I suppose we did have Selsden Man and then Thatcher of course, but that hardly seems to count.