May - a strong woman to be trusted?

Varian

Are you aware of another Lib Dem Candidate for Luton just being suspended?

" A Party spokesman said: “Any instance of anti-Semitism by a Liberal Democrat candidate during this campaign will be dealt with immediately and robustly.

“We were alerted to anti-Semitic social media posts by Ashuk Ahmed, the Liberal Democrat candidate in Luton South, who was immediately suspended.”

Cllr David Franks, head of the Liberal Democrats on Luton Borough Council, added: “These allegations as yet are not proved. If they do prove to be correct then there is no space for these views or this person in the Liberal Democrat Party.”

“Mr Ahmed is no longer a member of the party and will not be a Liberal Democrat candidate in the coming election. “Luton Liberal Democrat local party is in the process of selecting a new candidate and is being assisted in this by the National and Regional parties"

Read more at: www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/luton-lib-dem-candidate-suspended-for-anti-semitic-tweets-1-7933515

It would appear ALL parties are experiencing problems.

Varian

" Obviously the local party in Bradford East did not check well enough before they accepted this man as a prospective candidate. The fact that he was an ex-MP may have allowed him to slip in without adequate scrutiny.

Good grief, quite the opposite! It was because David Ward has courted controversy for years the Lib Dems should have dealt with the problem before. Perhaps in 2013 when he was suspended from the Party for the reasons spoke of today. The Lib Dems in Bradford could not have failed to know of his controversial comments/tweets.

I think you should look up a few facts up on him .
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When Tim Farron was alerted to the fact that David Ward had made statements which were anti-semitic, illiberal and utterly unacceptable, he took action immediately and had him barred. He showed himself to be a strong leader.

No he didn't. Farron was asked about David Ward at a Lib Dem Rally PRIOR to PMQ's. If Eric Pickles had not brought the matter up at PMQ's Farron would not have suspended him.

Farron did show more leadership than Clegg I grant you.

Theresa May

The Liberal Democrats select candidates locally. The party leader cannot possibly know all of the 650 all round the country.

I know that here, where we have a very active party, our selection procedure is rigorous but this may not apply in places where the party is not so strong.

Obviously the local party in Bradford East did not check well enough before they accepted this man as a prospective candidate. The fact that he was an ex-MP may have allowed him to slip in without adequate scrutiny.

We have a prospective candidate in our constituency but he will not become a candidate until he is formally adopted. I don't know whether this man was actually a candidate in Bradford East.

When Tim Farron was alerted to the fact that David Ward had made statements which were anti-semitic, illiberal and utterly unacceptable, he took action immediately and had him barred. He showed himself to be a strong leader.

Contrast this with the behaviour of Jeremy Corbyn when there were strong grounds to accuse elements in the Labour Party of being anti-semitic. He asked Shami Chakrabatti to investigate, and when in due course, she came back with an anodyne report, saying "no problem", he made sure she got a seat in the House of Lords.

I know which leader I prefer.

Tim Farron has not done any kind of U-turn. What you have to realise is that not all religious people want to wear their faith on their sleeve or to use it as a means to gain votes.

Some religious people like Theresa May or Tony Blair keep referring to their Christianity as a means of establishing their credibility. What they are trying to say is "I know better than you, I read the Bible, I go to church, so what I tell you must be right". Then, as often as not, they tell you a pack of lies.

Tim Farron is not like that. He is both a genuine Christian and a secularist. He considers his religion is a private matter and nothing to do with politics. He does not preach or prosletise. He does not claim to be an expert in theology and is unwilling to make religious pronouncements. That is why he was reluctant to get drawn into this line of questioning, which he has hopefully now closed out.

I can tell you, because I have met Tim, along with so many other Liberal Democrats who are diverse in every way, all ages, races, backgrounds and sexual orientation, that no-one could ever accuse him of homophobia, or racism, or any other kind of prejudice. He is a decent genuine person, perhaps unusual for a politician, but that is surely good.

All this stupid line of questioning, never addressed to Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn, is just mischief making by the worst elements of the media. It should not be about selling newspapers or steering their readers away from a politician who has important things to say. Let's hope they move on to address serious issues which Tim and the Liberal Democrats are raising for the good of the country.

Tim Farron did his own U TURN today, pretty damned quick to.

Eric Pickles led a blinder of a question at Prime Ministers Questions today re the Bradford East Liberal Democrat candidate David Ward and May finished it off.

Before PMQ's Farron was asked questions re David Ward , he said it was not not up to him as Leader to select the Candidates , after PMQ's and Eric Pickles question Tim Farron sacked David Ward.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tim-farron-sacks-david-ward-antisemitism-lib-dem-candidate-bradford-east-a7703416.html

I wish the interviewers would stop hectoring Tim Farron about his views on homosexual sex. To be honest, it doesnt bother me or interest me and as long as nobody is harrassed or persecuted for it, then it is not my concern. What is my concern is how this bloody Brexit fiasco is going to be handled, for this will in turn determine how we deal with funding of the NHS, education, social care, pensions et al. I most certainly am not homophobic or any kind of phobic for that matter, and I just don't think this is relevant to the future of UK. I keep hoping beyond experience, that Teresa May will come up trumps, she certainly was the best of a very bad lot ( Gove? Boris? Leadsom ?) but she just isn't cutting it. Why can't she admit that she was a remainer? We all know this and for her to turn her back on her own beliefs does her no favours. Why can't she say that although she hoped the vote would go the other way, she has to accept the result and will do her best to implement this Brexit in such a way that will do as little damage as possible? Why all this pretending that she is for it? She is certainly a strong personality, and has more presence than Corbyn or Farron, but I am sore disappointed with her performance so far.

Gays love strong women, so go for it Theresa!

Tim Farron a week ago, when asked, said that he didn't think that homosexuality was a sin( kind of him! ) but would not answer the question 'Is homosexual activity a sin?' Then after some time hemming and hawing, has said that 'he doesn't think it is a sin' If he had said that when first asked, or, had said that he did think it a sin when first asked, then fair enough, but after a week of thinking about what to say has now obviously lied! Just to keep votes.Gay voters are not stupid and he will have cost the Lib Dems more than a few votes.

Farron means well. But the mood in the Country at the moment is polarised politics. I can't see him making much progress for Liberalism.
I agree 100% with Roses re; May. Spot on.

What were you thinking is impractical, nellie? I like his stance on Brexit and can't stand TM deciding off her own bat what to do and then refusing to take part in TV debate to discuss it.

IMO, he reminds me of an overgrown schoolboy, full of well meaning enthusiasm which when you get down to it is totally impractical and could never be implemented.

No lib thread, no Corbyn and his alleged principles thread, just the lets bash May thread.

I disagree! I like Tim Farron and his policies, he doesn't seem as smug as TM

I agree with you about Tim Farron roses, mot exactly charismatic, is he?

I notice the 'Should You Vote Liberal' thread has dropped off the Active list completely...

Very true grannylyn

I like GN for entertainment so pay not much heed to politics as we don't change anything and some people get unbelievably upset !!!

I think that T May is just as trustworthy as most politicians are......that means they want the best for the country but reality sets in sometimes once they are in power, and they must do u turns, think again etc. Actually, I would rather have that, than a PM be intransigent on matters.
I think that she makes a strong Leader and we certainly need that with all the Brexit negotiations ahead, somebody who will fight the UK corner and yet be quiet and diplomatic.
Thankfully, I think she will be returned with a good majority.I would like to see the Lib Dems get a few seats back, but think Farron is useless as is Corbyn.

But Politics is a religion to a lot of people.

I think we can all pick people up in every party for the way they speak which quite frankly is childish and irrelevant. Obviously if Labour win the election Keir Starmer is going to be in charge of Brexit presumably because, if PMQ's and other interviews are anything to go by, Jeremy Corbyn would simply not be able to cope with the cut and thrust of debate with our European, soon to be, ex partners, which is not really much of a recommendation in a would be Prime Minister, as he would, at some point, have to face them!! Also policy over trident isn't very clear to say the least, and a little nerve wracking! Worthy domestic promises, but as yet uncosted!
Mrs May is by far the most experienced and capable leader to deal with brexit. She also has the bottle to stand up to Nicola and the odious H of L, hopefully to the point of positive reform. How she speaks is neither here nor there as isn't with anyone else.

I hate it when politicians bring in religion in support of their case. Dangerous stuff.

whitewave, my Dad lost the faith in his later years, said he did not recognise either the Labour party or the union movement as those that he had supported for so many years. When I asked him why he said that the union movement he supported concentrated on improving the lot of the working man, whereas now he felt the union leaders were more intent on trying to run the country and living the high life of the fat cats he had fought against all his life and the Labour party had lost its way.

Did you see Corbyn give that frightened look along the front benches when getting his usual bollocking from TM to-day. Hilarious but tragic that a respected political party has to put up with this kind of leadership.

Wise man your Dad sunseeker

Tricia, do you not watch Corbyn making speeches on the campaign trail, everything is written and he checks his papers every few seconds, st times reads from them