The Liberal Democrats and the public have been going through a messy divorce. Things haven’t been right for some time and there is no shying away from it.
Perhaps the problems started when we were unfaithful and began a fleeting affair with the Tories? And when the lies began, including over how to fund the children’s university education, it was clear that there had been a breakdown in trust which we were always going to struggle to repair (things are always more complex when kids are involved).
I know we didn’t pay you enough attention, preferring to spend time on the things that mattered to us likes Lords Reform and the AV referendum. Instead we should have tried to love the things that you were passionate about like making sure there were jobs for everyone, lowering the cost of living, putting food on the table and improving healthcare and schooling. They should have mattered to us, because they mattered to you. We should have taken you to the ballet, even though we loath it!
But we did our best to make it up to you, even after the affair was reaching its death-throws. But by that stage everything we tried fell on deaf ears – gay marriage; raising the tax free income threshold; apprenticeships. These weren’t just token gestures.
We tried to put in the hard yards to win you back, but the little things we did for you went underappreciated. You’d stopped listening by that point. You’d stopped trying to make our marriage work. ‘Clegg’ haunted every conversation. And I know we only have ourselves to blame. The rot started earlier.
And of course you’ve now punished us for all that we did wrong, kicking us out of the House is full view of the neighbours – a very public humiliation. Disproportionate maybe or perhaps just what we deserved?
But the reality is that we’re not prepared to give up on things just yet. We’re not prepared to give up on ‘us’. We must fight to win you back and recognise that it will mean changing our ways and being better.
We need to smarten up our appearance, perhaps even rebranding as Tim suggests. We need to be more professional and make you feel proud to be with us.
We need to change our social circle. Drop the friends I know you don’t like us hanging around with – Gove and Osborne for starters. No more cosying up to people who don’t respect us (frankly, I never really liked them anyway and sensed they were only in it because of what they could get from us).
But most of all we need to protect you when you’re feeling vulnerable, making sure cuts don’t rip the heart out of your support system. And we need to champion your successes, not put you down by taxing your achievements to the hilt. We need to be a better version of ourselves and pay you a lot more attention.
We want to make this work. We’re willing to try again if you are?
* Craig Ling is a party member, activist, and former Organiser and Policy Advisor to the Lib Dems.
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13 Comments
Personally I don’t think this metaphor is remotely right. If I were to write it, it would go something like:
“It all started during the 1960s. We went to a few parties. Tried a few things. Everyone did in those days; there was no harm in it, was there?
And so into the 1970s and 1980s. It became more respectable then. And that’s when we started dealing in it big time.
We carried on into the 1990s and 2000s. By then of course, we’d got rid of the really hard stuff, but we were still dealing big time.
Then came the crash. We had to clean up our act. Get rid of the casual clothing. Buy a suit. Get respectable.
Our former “friends” deserted us. We weren’t giving out the freebies anymore. But we’d done the right thing. Got clean. Gone straight. begun the long road to recovery.
They’re off now partying with new friends. But the crash will still be the same.”
“I know you have a new SNP boyfriend and sure, that fiery passion seems so exciting but is he the right person to help you with the bills rather than just spending his wages on only the things he wants?”
@Alex H – spending your wages, not his.
A blog post portraying the party as a passive – aggressive abusive ex.
Oh fantastic.
I enjoyed the analogy Craig, but actions speak louder than words – I see little evidence so far of a party ready to adopt a more conciliatory approach (asides this article). The problem is not enough liberalism (many members see prohibition as a solution) and a blatant disregard of democracy (little/no interest in public opinion), leading to a position that looks to most as hypocritical. Many folks around here are still proud, which means they haven’t come to terms with the fact that they helped destroy the party. It wasn’t disproportionate, it’s what to expect when you behave in such a terrible way in a relationship!
Even on election night, Lib Dems were making promises they had no intention of keeping, I thought that ironic and a sad end to what I deem to be the most shameful period in the parties history. It’s now analogous in the public psyche with lies, deceit and duplicity, to rewrite that will take genuine change, not Tim Farron (which is exactly what the public expects next). Another middle aged white man takes over the party, with plenty of questions already about his sincerity and being straightforward in his beliefs.
I still voted LD this year after all this but this moment hasn’t persuaded me to rejoin, I still feel pretty uninspired. Anyway, the party doesn’t need us – it’s “winning here”, has lots of new members, doesn’t really want to hear any dissent and it’s all going swimmingly! Soon it’ll be lead by Farron and it’ll be business as usual – the road to nowhere. We talk as if this is the low ebb, but the facts are against this interpretation. With the coming boundary changes, we’d only have 4 MP’s left, so I’m hoping for some sharper thinking ahead.
B
I think I agree with James Brough.
I also am highly sceptical about the imagined desires of this amoprhous, imagined public to whom this is addressed.
Not funny, even if well-intentioned.
” Instead we should have tried to love the things that you were passionate about like making sure there were jobs for everyone, lowering the cost of living, putting food on the table and improving healthcare and schooling.”
Well there may not have been jobs for everyone but there were 2m additional jobs. Very little the Government can do about the cost of living – prices for fuel and food are set on world markets. Healthcare was protected from cuts and thee are more clinical staff than when the coalition took office – and schooling well there was the pupil premium .
Perhaps we should not be quite so critical of our own record?
Agree with you on one thing though – no-one is interested in Lords reform.
Great article Craig and the exact sort of thing we need to be hearing. But I believe ChrisB may be correct. The heart of the party seems to be broken, and it will take a lot more than good policy and sweet words to repair it. What guarantees do we have that the next time the LibDems are faced with a choice they won’t simply go down a similar road? If this party is honestly going to rebuild it’s liberal base, it has to do so with sincerity. Not because votes want it – but because the party believes it.
Chris B…you are wrong the party will never be the same,old boys like me who took the party forward from the 60s had only an inkling of what politics would be like . After all with 1 MP and 1% in the polls , it was just something we felt.We did not like Tory or Labour. I was immensely proud of my party in Government but if you dont understand what coalition requires you will only see negatives. Cant you see the positives that we introduced .It is those things which have bought thousands back into the party with all those new ones as well.Stop being an old moaner come back and argue your case
hi bob,
Of course I see some positives or I’d never of voted Lib Dem again – though it pained me to do so this time. Most people have a very negative view of the Lib Dems in government, and that’s only getting worse (e.g. today immigrations debate). The last 5 years were about blaming Labour, the next 5 are about blaming the Lib Dems. I am arguing my case, but you, like many remaining members, argue from an eternally optimistic viewpoint that seems completely detached from reality and have little interest in alternate viewpoints, hence the status quo.
You’ve been trashed at the ballot box and have had less new members join that there are students at my local university. The Green Party had far greater membership growth in the last 12 months, but how much power or say do they really have?
You assume I’m anti-coalition, I’m not. I supported the coalition all the way though the course, it was the choices made in coalition I didn’t like. So, if you mischaracterise and call your allies “old moaners”, what hope do you have with the rest of the population? I hope you’ll continue to argue your case, but if you’re happy with 1 MP/1%, I see why you’re optimistic. I want more.
TCO, AlexH was right surely, since Scotland contributes more to the UK Exchequer than it receives?
I wish people would stop comparing the Coalition with a marriage.- they are perpetuating the media’s line.
It was an emergency! I would rather compare it too Britain joining with Russia to defeat the Nazis.
It must be thought of, and spoken of, as equal to this.- please.
You want to make it work, yet you don’t appear to want to change your position to reflect the views of the public.
Are LIbDems still against a parliament for England in a fully federal system, or for maintaining the Barnett Formula, now that you haven’t got your block of Scottish seats to be defended by buying off the Scots. On this one subject alone, how do you attract English voters with your track record on supporting their now second class status in the UK, especially when the party that has replaced you as the third party in England is strongly campaigning to address the democratic deficit. What exactly have you to offer the English, if you won’t even guarantee them democratic equality in their own country.
Wrapped up in your own little LIbDem world, you have forgotten that England is 85% of the population of the UK, and that you have alienated most of them with your blatant and discriminatory ‘Little Celts’ politics.