What do you think of the Liberal Democratic Party?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

[non sociopath skin]

1. Not a great deal.

When I was a (pre-Blair)Labour local councillor, the LibDems were the opposition - this is still a Tory free zone, although disillusionment with Blair is giving the Right their best opportunity ever, as witness the success of the Tory think-tank who ran the Anti-Regional Assembly "No" Campaign.

The LibDems were consistently, joyously and unrepentantly right-of-centre (many of them were self-confessed ex-Tories who saw this as their only way into local power)- their favourite taunt was "That's SOCIALISM!!" - and aggressively pro-business: indeed, the local leader recruited businesspeople with the promise that they would get a piece of the action when they privatised Council services.

Of course in the Tory area where I lived previously, they continue to present themselves as the left-wing alternative ...

Don't trust 'em. Don't believe they're anti-War. Don't believe the NHS would be safe in their hands. Don't see them as a viable alternative: in coalition with either Bliar or Dracula, they'd play the opportunist game.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The best hope is a new and credible party of the left which, in the short term, could give some backbone to a minority Labour government under someone other than Bliar. Without that, good people, we're screwed.

The Skin

[Guy_Montag]

2. While no expert on local politics,

I tend to be of the opinion that local councillors (present co. excluded) tend to be fairly loosely connected to the parent party. The parliamentary party tend to be better controlled than local councils.

I remember having an argument with a rather attractive, young lady who insisted on voting for Sein Feinn, because the SDLP in her area were so corrupt. Sad to say I neither convinced her to vote for anyone else (Alliance, Women's coalition etc) or to sleep with me. :evilfrown:

[non sociopath skin]

5. Not true, these days, Guy.

Back in the 70s and 80s there may have been some degree of independence but these days local authority groups are kept on as tight a reign as parliamentary parties. Regional office functionaries, directly accountable to the national Leaderships, have the final say in the appointment of candidates who have to sign an "oath of allegiance" promising to obey party rules. This is policed through compulsory official party councillors' "Associations." Get suspended from this and yer out!

Interestingly enough, I had a call last night (which my wife fielded in my absence) from my old political mentor, a man for whom I had the utmost respect until he told a meeting that "we have to have the Iraq War.' Seems they want me back in the fold. Holy Guacamole, I knew Bliar had problems but I didn't realise they were that desperate!! And before you ask, no I didn't return the call! :headbang:

The Skin

[T_i_B]

3. The thread on the Lib Dems

can be found here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=191x6

[non sociopath skin]

4. Well, er, fine TIB, but Progressive asked what WE thought...

... about the Lib Dems, not what they thought about themselves. Not surprisingly, on their website, they think they're pretty good. The Labour website thinks Ol' Tone's peachy keen too ...

The Skin

[orpupilofnature57]

6. This is a product of the unhealthy alliance between Maggie and

Ronnie ray-guns.Shrub bush, has one area of expertise,living on misery BEWARE!! Rah Rah for liberal democrat's everywhere !!!!

[T_i_B]

9. Two things skin

1) The Liberal Democrat thread incudes replys from DUers saying what we think of them. The first place to research a political party should be their own websites & leaflets etc anyway if you ask me.

2) The Labour party thread can be found here. I didn't just do one "UK parties" thread you know and they all link to the parties websites.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=191x9

Mind you, considering that they are in government I'm suprised this thread has not had more replies!

[non sociopath skin]

10. But my point was ...

... that the original post (if I took it right) was asking for posters' own opinions about the LibDems, not about what they claimed to stand for.

I find party websites singularly unhelpful at the best of times, even for research purposes - if you wanted to write a history of the Labour Party, the last place you'd go would be to the official website (Still remember the airbrush job the Bliarites did on the founding fathers when "celebrating" the party's centenary.)Indeed, even though I'm technically still a member of the Labour Party, I asked them to take me off the email list as I found their stuff so dishonest and unhelpful.

The Skin

[T_i_B]

11. It does matter what they claim to stand for

Hence it is important to have the parties websites. No point in supressing the Lib Dem platform on a thread about the Lib Dems is there?

And yes, even I would use official sources were I to write a history of the Labour Party. Of course it is only sensible to use unofficial sources too for that particular purpose too but there ya go. I would still use labour party campaign gumph as something to base my opinion of the Labour party on. If it's spun to high heaven then I'm sure we on DU have the ability to notice it.

[non sociopath skin]

12. Fairy Nuff. I guess it's "agree-to-differ" time, TIB.

Regards
The Skin

[sweetheart]

7. I live in a lib dem area

And they are right fine... they don't do shit. The local maternity
ward has been cut back, and they're putting up windmill power
stations up all over the bloody place and mucking up the view.

Nobody likes the war or tony blair, but he's so far away, he might
as well live on mars.

Myself i like the policies they've come up with, though i feel
immensely betrayed that they backed off "legallization" of cannabis
and now call it "decrminalization". They say only a few letters
are different, but i suggest the meanings are not the same. Cowards.

I hear there is a new intelligent arm to the party that has some
economic policies that are actually coherent. hmmm... good on them.
After being betrayed on cannabis legallization, i can only pray that
the greens and the scottish socialists show the libdems up.

[non sociopath skin]

8. Here's an account of the LibDems' shiny new policies ...

.. from one of their own activists, Sweetheart.

"Ask yourself, then, what the Liberal Democrats will need to win over a sufficiently large swath of public opinion to make important inroads at the next two elections? Answer: a broad appeal to progressive voters in the key expanse of middle opinion in Britain. "

Hmm. Sounds strangely familiar, doesn't it?

Rest at:
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/columnist/story/0,9321,1311066,00.html

The Skin