The LibDem Party

Nick Clegg lost his seat because woolly headed voters didn’t vote for him, and as a result decimated their own Party.
Crazy.

Nick Clegg that is !

He got a knighthood though! Presumably for leading the Liberals to the worse election defeat in living memory!!!

Ming Campbell was only in his sixties, younger than Corbyn when he became leader of his party.

He was a very able politician who had a distinguished career as a QC. He had also been one of our greatest athletes, a former captain of our Olympic athletics team who held the Britsh record for the sprint for seven years, yet he was constantly portrayed by the cartoonists in the right wing press as a doddery old fool.

The country was in a mess in 2010. Labour were not interested in any kind of power sharing arrangement with the Lib Dems, who paid the price for coalition as the smaller party always does. So long as the tory backed press continues to attack the Lib Dems by asking their wittiest columnists to rubbish everything Vince Cable does or says nothing will get better. The way the press treated Ming Campbell was deplorable.

Should have said at the next but one GE

Nick Clegg certainly was given the opportunity to get some political things done (student fee's for one) and ensured he lost his safe seat at the next GE.

Trust betrayed is so very difficult to overcome, often, not possible

Oh soul selling! Give me strength.
The Lib Dems have now become a party that actually like being outsiders, it means they don’t have to do anything and can stand up there on the moral high ground satpying everyone else does things wrongly.
I was delighted when Nick Clegg joined forces with Cameron, gave them the rare opportunity to get some political things done.But no, turns out that the majority of Lib Dem voters would prefer them out in the cold forever.

The greatest problem with the LD's is gaining the trust of the voters. I personally cannot forgive them for selling their soul after the 2010 GE, especially when one of the instigators in soul selling was my local MP who could count his votes by the number of wheelbarrows carrying them.

The local electorate thought the same and at the following GE the LD candidate was decimated at the polls. This in a strong LD seat which I doubt they will ever get back.

They are keeping their head down and powder dry, there are lots of young potentials with no political "baggage" on both sides.
I've no idea who will emerge, not anyone in the limelight at present

Trying to think of a charismatic politician now !

To get elected a leader has to be charismatic to get voters to listen to the moderate policies being promoted, there is no point a useless speaker trying because nobody is listening.

To attract floating voters policies have got to be moderate and realistic , what happens after they are elected may be rather different and they have 5 yrs to prove themselves and win the next election.

There needs to be some charisma, there was a time it wasn’t important but now it is. Clegg had it, Charles Kennedy had charm and a sense of humour too. Jo Grimond had the lot, quite rare at that time. He certaintly impressed female voters.

"If a party has the right policies, should it still need a charismatic leader?"

I'm not sure, there are some very dangerous charismatic leaders in other parts of the world, past and present.

If a party has the right policies, should it still need a charismatic leader?

Yes, I think so varian
Someone to make the public believe in those policies.

It is an interesting question Jalima.

If a party has the right policies, should it still need a charismatic leader?

I suspect that the answer is yes and I have to admit that I have never seen much charisma in Vince.

I think the bigger influences are - FPTP, a ridiculously undemocratic voting system, and the influence of the right wing press, owned by foreign billionaires and tax exiles who promote their own agendas.

Even with a charismatic new leader, these are big obstacles to overcome.

I always supported the Liberals - Jeremy Thorpe , Menzies Campbell, and the ones you mention MawBroon.

Yes, where are the personalities? Somehow, the charismatic leaders seem to have gone and many were flawed anyway, as it turns out.
However, does that matter if they have the country's welfare and future at heart?

To bring this thread entitled the Lib Dems back to the Lib Dems, they asked Gina Millar to give a speech so I wonder if they were hoping she might put herself forward to be leader, they are said to be considering a leader should not necessarily have to be an MP

Diane, the rules are being changed . Momentum and Unions battling it out.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/17/labour-nec-braced-for-row-over-leadership-election-proposals

I really don't know how Labour is going to survive after Brexit is over, because the party members are never going to elect a moderate leader, and the rules are not likely to be changed, again because party members will not want it.

As for the Lib Dems, if they were less Liberal and more Democratic they would have a wider appeal, we need a new centre party and I don't see Lib Dem filling that gap.

Sadly underwhelming keynote speech from Vince Cable.
A far cry from the days of Charles Kennedy or even in the days of the Liberal party, David Steel or Paddy Ashdown
Where oh where are the politicians with a personality?

The LibDems have 12 MPs representing about 15% of voters

There will be few if any defectors kitty, there are only 11 Lib MP’s. if ten from both main parties defected this would mean a party of 35 MP’s. Unless they make big inroads come the next election.

Blair advised stay in the parties and get rid of the leaders, wise advice for the Labour Party, frightening if the Tories got rid of May and voted for Boris. If Labour got rid of Corbyn they would probably have McDonald. Not a cheery prospect for the country .

Having been in the SDP I always want to vote Lib Dem but quite often find there is a hurdle - often the leader - and I hope that they can become a credible party once again - possibly by attracting defectors from the other parties.