A message for every voter. No-no go areas. Local parties that are ready for every eventuality. These are the ideas that need to inform a ‘650 Seat Strategy’ for the Liberal Democrats. This is what we at Liberal Democrat Expand will be fighting for.
Liberal Democrat Expand was launched at the beginning of June with the aim of bringing about a ‘650 Seat Strategy’ for the Liberal Democrats, inspired by Governor Howard Dean’s ’50 State Strategy’.
When we launched we were riding high on the Liberal Democrat successes of the local elections. In areas like Watford, Southport and Portsmouth we showed that we were one again a force to be reckoned with. We were fighting back. We also saw many parts of the country where that fightback just didn’t materialise. The recovery from 2015 wasn’t underway. There were no candidates and no campaigns.
The shocking distribution of votes in the European Union referendum compounds this view. Metropolitan areas like London, Cambridge and Manchester – as well as Scotland and Northern Ireland – overwhelmingly voted remain, while places like Boston, Thurrock and Great Yarmouth voted Leave. The referendum divided the country into the Cambridges vs the Peterboroughs, the St. Albans vs the Watfords. Such divisions are the antipathy of a ‘650 Seat Strategy’ with a message for every voter. As Britain enters this turbulent period, an organised and effective Liberal Democrat party is needed more than ever.
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