Liberal Democrats

It is interesting to see that in the recent local elections, the LibDem share of the vote increased in areas which had mainly voted Remain in 2016, but also in areas which had mostly voted Leave.

Here is a letter written to the Liberal Democrats by Julie Girling MEP, first elected as a Conservative MEP in 2009. In 2017 she was expelled from the Conservative Party for having pro-EU views (after 40 years of membership). She joined the Change UK group this year but has now urged all Remain-supporting voters in the SW to vote LibDem.

"On Wednesday before the TV cameras, I attended my first ever Lib Dem meeting in Bristol sitting beside your Leader, Sir Vice Cable. Please let me explain why I was there.

I am a passionate Remainer and not a member of your party. Indeed I have stood against you many times.

The last was when I was re-elected to the European Parliament as a Conservative. Then, I was saddened to see the narrow defeat of your long standing MEP Sir Graham Watson, a real loss.

Since that election I have left the Conservatives over the disaster of Brexit. Like many of you, I campaigned hard for Remain in the referrendum.. I have marched for the People's Vote.

So, after careful consideration I have gone public before the TV cameras and press that my decision to vote Lib Dem this time.

You have outstanding candidates, a strong organisation and your stunning success in the recent local elections secured my vote.

I am a former Conservative Leader of Cotswold District Council. To see that council go from blue to "gold" on local election night as Lib Dem Joe Harris became Britain's youngest Council leader is a measure of remarkable progress.

You are clearly the strongest Remain party in the South West and a real challenger here to the narrow, grim nationalism of the Brexit party.

Years of experience tells me that political momentum is key in any successful campaign‎ and you have it.

The latest polls show your support doubling as you overtake the Tories. I suspect you have already done that to Labour here.

This is your moment, our moment. We must stop Brexit. We can only do that with the strongest possible Lib Dem vote and the maximum number of Lib Dem MEPs being elected here. I am doing all I can to help you. The finish line is in sight. Please dig deep and help fund this final push‎

Let's win this race and stop Brexit!

Yours sincerely

Julie Girling
Member of the European Parliament for the South West of England and Gibraltar (2009-2019)

Julie Girling"

www.westernlibdems.org.uk/

mycat

Thanks varian I've done various permutations and found it interesting. You can add UKIP to Brexit but then LibDem, Change and Green, which come to less. However I keep being told by Leavers that the Cons are all really Remain and we know a lot of Labs are too so it looks like no one will be able to claim to have won if the poll is correct. They all will of course!

I have to say I find Vince cable quite sexy! He’s a bit of a silver fox

They're getting our vote. First time DH and I have ever voted for them - the rest are an absolute shambles and I'll never put my cross next to the SNP, so the Lib Dems it is.

Here they are Nonnie

EU Parliament voting intention.

Brexit Party - 35%
Lib Dem - 16%
Lab - 15%
Green - 10%
Con - 9%
Change UK - 5%
UKIP - 3%
Other - 7%
(Fieldwork 12-16 May)

yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/05/16/labour-and-tories-lose-majority-support-brexit-pro?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=website_article&utm_campaign=European_VI_16_may_2019 …

Thanks varian I was hoping for a full breakdown of all the parties but I expect it will be in the next one. If you see one please PM it to me.

I didn't know that paddyann. I think it was a good idea to sell it off with the reduction of use which can only get worse. I used to work in the head office when it was a national company and can assure you it was inefficient.

so Mr Cable has now been appointed to the board of what was the nationalised post office ...before he helped sell it off to private buyers....smells bad to me .Cash /jobs for the boys .What else will he sell if they get their feet back under the power table ..and who else will give him loadsa cash for selling it ?

www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/eu-elections-poll-conservatives-come-5th-1-6055779

Thanks varian. Have you got the figures handy to save me looking them up?

The lates EU election opinion poll (by yougov for The Times) shows-

1 Brexit
2 Liberal Democrats
3 Labour
4 Green
5 Conservative

It is true that Farage's so-called party is well ahead, but it is clear that the LibDems are the main challengers now, as support for both Labour and Conservative sinks to an all time low. The best way to fight brexit is to vote Liberal Democrat.

I hope they do. I am going to for the first time in 50 years.

The lead EU election candidate on the Change UK list for Scotland has just stood down and advised everyone to vote Liberal Democrat.

petra you said:

"Nonnie In 2010 the eu commission were told that the German car industry were lying about the diesel emissions.
Why, simple, money.*
but Urmston implied the EU had done something wrong when she said:

"the unlawful manipulation of the data on diesel emissions from their beloved EU?"

My question has still not been answered, obfuscation is not an answer, its a Farage thing.

The leaflet I have from the LibDems does not use that word. It would not be my chosen word but it is not actually swearing. The definition is testicles, just a body part. I suspect that a lot of people will like it because now politicians have to appeal to the lowest level and such language is now almost as common as the F word. Society has changed.

Farage not Garage

Your idea of what constitutes "weasel words" mycat is my idea of political maturity. Anyone who keeps telling us that there is a simple solution to this problem is just being politically immature or hoping to be a dictator.

In the recent Opinium poll people were asked "which of the following best describes your stance towards Brexit .

Supportive of a Brexit where the UK has a clear break from EU - 40%
Supportive of remaining in EU - 39%
Supportive of Brexit where UK is closely aligned with EU - 12%
Don't know - 9%

There is no majority. One was only gained in the referendum by rolling together all type's of Brexit and then declaring all the voters for leave voted for the same "leave". That was never true and it's why the Bexiteers can't accept a people's vote where the very different ways of leaving will be separated. They know it's a con that can't work twice. They also know that only a dictator can get them what they want - hence the popularity of Garage.

I voted on 2 May in the District Council Election for a district councillor NOT either for or against leave or remain re: EU.

Is it okay to hurt a few sensibilities in order to alert the many more people who are accustomed to Anglo Saxon words?

They will get our vote for the first time ever in the EU parliament elections

Jabberwock

And there's me and DD trying to convince my 11 year old grandson that vulgar language is not acceptable!! (sigh) Thanks a bunch Vince, your example has just made our job a whole lot harder!

Stop Brexit is the alternative slogan for the squeamish I think. Bollocks to Brexit is on the manifesto as per the pic.

The main slogan, which appears on LibDem leaflets is STOP BREXIT. Many people have had enough of this brexit nonsense. It should be stopped before it is too late.

The joke now is that when talking about the slogan they can't repeat it on tv/ radio