Hearing stories about families fleeing war and persecution makes me believe we must do more to help pic.twitter.com/zh9kMM2Lvh
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) April 12, 2016
The news is constantly full of big numbers, thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of people heading to Europe to escape war and destruction. Tim Farron is in Greece today, talking to some of them. What’s very clear is that behind those big numbers are individual people and families, just like ours, who had been living peaceable lives, getting on with their jobs, sending their children to school, just like the rest of us. They have been displaced by events beyond their control, war, violence, destruction and seek a place of safety where they can contribute to society and get on with their lives.
Tim is very good at making us understand the very human stories behind the big numbers and making the case for us doing more to help.
We’ll update this post as the day goes on, but here’s what he’s been up to so far:
Now meeting UNHRC staff to get a sense of the crisis in the region & hear what more they want our govt to do pic.twitter.com/xkiSYIUraf
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) April 12, 2016
Meeting with families fleeing the war in Syria pic.twitter.com/oR16kikSIe
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) April 12, 2016
Now with @MSF at their clinic in the Idomeni site on the Macedonian border. pic.twitter.com/4VZUpVmjzu
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) April 12, 2016
Some of the families I've met today have not been able to send their children to school for 5 years. pic.twitter.com/jvf0os1xCV
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) April 12, 2016
The absence of hope for families here shows why the @LibDems campaign is so important. pic.twitter.com/qk9BZMhZ84
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) April 12, 2016
Meeting @savechildrenuk at the camps to discuss what more the UK govt could do to help families in need pic.twitter.com/iFtJxaVadP
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) April 12, 2016
Leaving Diavata camp now. Hundreds of families stuck here. This is no place for children. pic.twitter.com/oDIXJBvHbo
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) April 12, 2016
And he’s been broadcasting live on the Liberal Democrats’ Facebook page talking about the people he’d met and why we have to help them. Can you imagine what it would be like if your family was in that situation?
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
Lib Dems pick Richard Kilpatrick as candidate for the Greater Manchester Mayoral election
The Joy of Six 1538
Is Kier Starmer the new John Major?
Nick Hopkinson
Peter Martin
Paul Reynolds
Tom Bailey
Chris Cory
10 Comments
Just a thought, but is this the best place for Tim to be right now? Perhaps he should be in Britain trying to connect with an electorate that are increasingly distant from the LibDems?
I’m no press expert, but I would send the photos and a press release to all the major news outlets.
This isn’t like things such as business bashing where people often wonder what the direct benefit to the worse off is – this is directly helping the worse off.
I think it’s Islamophobia that is stopping Europe from helping the refugees more – so we still need strong anti-radicalisation policies. But if we see humans as humans and not primarily walking members of their religion, race or region then hopefully that will help all around.
Actually those Syrians in Greece are not fleeeing war, they are fleeing Turkey.
Other nationalities may not be claiming to flee war but will also have fled Turkey for Greece.
“They have been displaced by events beyond their control, war, violence, destruction and seek a place of safety where they can contribute to society and get on with their lives.”
Meanwhile the vast majority who lack the ability or resources to get out are, as usual, not talked about at all.
Oh and a really important point, “our family have lived in a warzone for 5 years” really? and you decided it was a good idea to have 3 children in that warzone? again peoples selfishness shows no end, if I lived in a warzone in fear of my life everyday I would NOT, I repeat NOT be having kids.
And as my long and justified comment was deleted, it shows the Lib Dems do not like Freedom of speech either, Tim should be dealing with the problems in his own constituency where he was elected to deal with British tax payer issues like NHS cuts, homelessness, foodbanks etc, only when he has solved these issues should he go on jollies to import more.
“Actually those Syrians in Greece are not fleeeing war, they are fleeing Turkey.” – ditto – however for sure am happy to help those in need.
‘Actually those Syrians in Greece are not fleeeing war, they are fleeing Turkey.’
Spot on, time to wake up & smell the coffee.
In any case only 29% of the migrants arriving in Europe in 2015, were from Syria
I note the seeming total absence of any acknowledgement of the problems the ‘refugees’ are causing the Greek communities. Remember the Greek communities didn’t invite the ‘refugees’ to come and stay with them, the ‘refugees’ simply arrived on their doorsteps and expected to be looked after.
As so often on this topic, we see Tim doing the same thing of complaining about those who are already in Europe and therefore the most able to travel. I haven’t seen any coverage of visits to camps in the neighbouring countries. That is where we should be focusing resources, both taking refugees (to discourage taking risks by trying to travel) and also providing funding and logistical support to help the provision of services in over whelmed camps.
Constantly going to European locations doesn’t even expose you to the most in need. This comes across as the scaled up version of a local councillors campaigning, fin for councils not for the leader of a national party. Why not focus on the mist needy? What is the plan for the conflict as a whole? What needs to happen in the short term in the neighbouring countries? Why incentivise people taking risks?
This would be a valid campaign, but not how it is being conducted.