Liberal Democrats

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Thanks Madmeg. Most I my family have joined the LibDems after being Labour voters all our lives. The Labour Party and LibDems were always very closely linked here and have always worked well together, so I find it sad that there is what seems to be so much animosity between them. All the people we know in the party are just genuinely nice, lovely people who want the country and the world to be a better place, and LibDems have spoken for me both before and since the referendum; the only party that have done so [apart form the SNP MP's who have been brilliant; ditto Caroline Lucas]. I've always said that the LibDems reined in the worst Conservative policies when possible, but it was always going to end in tears and it's wrong that they're getting all the flack from years of Tory policies. My dream is that Labour and the LibDems can work together and make this country 'nice' again...

Well said, Meg

A group of 60 business leaders have backed the Liberal Democrats in an open letter, insisting Jo Swinson's party is the only one with a "credible plan for future prosperity".

The endorsement by entrepreneurs including the founders of Zoopla and Superdry comes as a boost to the Lib Dems in their bid to outflank the Conservatives on the economy.

The party has pledged to run a current budget surplus every year in order to avoid adding to the UK's stock of public debt.

The open letter shared with i says: "There is a big task ahead if we are to build a prosperous, fair, inclusive and sustainable economy fit for the 21st century.

We must do more to address social and geographical inequalities. We need to act boldly and urgently to tackle the climate emergency. And we must create more quality jobs and investment if the UK is to truly prosper from the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Success will require govern
It also calls for a closer relationship between Britain and the EU, concluding: "The Liberal Democrats are the only party who have set out a credible plan for future prosperity that addresses these strengths and challenges, and we strongly welcome their commitment to working in partnership with business to achieve this vision."

inews.co.uk/news/politics/general-election-2019-business-leaders-liberal-democrats-economy-conservative-1328566

I prepare to be shot down!

I am a Lib Dem. I joined the Liberal Party in 1972, my husband in 1959. That's 107 years between us. Ther've been ups, there've been downs. There have been Liberal MPs who've let us down (we thought Cyril Smith was a lovely bloke when we met him in 1978 and other years, likewise Jeremy Thorpe), there've been disappointments, (well, a lifetime of disappointments in the polls!) but there is simply no other party that has ALWAYS accorded with our beliefs of equality for all irrespective of gender, sexual preference, colour or creed, and a belief in sharing the world between all who live in it.

Yes, we have cringed at times, but then gone to a Conference and met up with such clever, honest and open people and been revitalised (no, not brain-washed).

The 5-year alliance from 2010-2015 was never a partnership. Nick Clegg was a lackey to Cameron, an oil rag to the mechanic. He had to grovel and kow-tow to Cameron to get anything put forward, and when he did success it was passed off in the press as Cameron's policy.

Nick Clegg has been portrayed as the man who let students down, but all parties identify policies they would introduce if in power and the fact is that the Lib Dems were not in power at all. Nick Clegg's mistake was in promising the abandonment of tuition fees to the students in his own constituency of Sheffield Hallam where there are two enormous universities. I was there at the meeting subsequently when he faced those students to tell them why he had had to renege on his intentions, and the vehemence was nowhere near as pronounced as was reported in the press.

Anyway, if we want to stay in Europe, which we must for all manner of reasons, there is only one party that is unwavering on this - the Lib Dems.

In High Peak (adjacent to Sheffield Hallam) we have a superb Labour MP. One of the hardest working constituency MPs in the country. She SAYS she is pro-remain. But how do we know? She hasn't rocked any boats for fence-sitter Corbyn since her election in 2017. She has toed the line. So why should anyone believe that voting for her will at all advance the aim to remain? We have a Tory candidate who is yet to put up a poster, so no wasted effort there then. And suddenly ALL parties have become Green overnight. Well, those who drive gas-guzzling 4x4s who vote Tory are being disingenuous in that, aren't they? And I am being facetious, so I will end now, and say how delighted I am that this forum brings forth so many sensible and well-justified comments on the political issues of the moment and I wish you all well in the forthcoming election. Get as many fence-sitters as possible out to vote on the day and make the result at least arguably democratic.

Madmeg

Pantglas2
Agreed. Many labour supporters probably purchase their council homes.

Tony Blair was one of the worst PM’s the UK has every had, along, with his sidekick Gordon Brown. They along with the 1980’s government of conservatives both led to the skills shortage of today.

I wonder how many Labour supporters purchased their council houses?

Tony Blair has no interest in school leavers having apprenticeships - he wanted 50% to go to university and that’s why we now have shortages of all trades.

Because they have covered them in the past and done nothing. The buying of council homes came in under Thatcher. Labour have been in power since then, they have not reversed this. Same, with apprenticeships. Ended during the very early 1980’s replaced with YT scheme. Not reversed.

Lip service?

CoolioC How do Labour policies not cover all those issues? They certainly do with regard to apprenticeships and Council House building.

maizie D
I am afraid no one is helping the poorer guys in society because, they will not get rid of WFTC, revoke the sale of council homes. Build council homes instead of Housing Societies doing this. Getting people into work by raising standards in education, not everyone can have a degree (as is at the moment). Get people into work with good old fashioned City and Guilds apprenticeships provided by government lecturers and day/block release. Get rid of rubbish degrees that are pointless to them, society and encourage pointless debt.

No one is offering any hope to lift people and give them the hope of a decent job.

When was the last time you tried to get a decent plumber, electrician, builder etc.

Labaik No, I’m not interested in their policies on the NHS, Education, Climate Change etc., because their main thrust is to Stop Bregzit, which I don’t agree with.
Greta Vince Cable always seemed so negative about things, and his attitude to the referendum result annoyed me.

Calendargirl: Glad Vince Cable is out the way, he was a pain.

What did Vince Cable do that made him a pain?

So you're not interested in their policies on the NHS, Education, Climate change etc. Would you eagerly read all of a leaflet that had the words Get Brexit Done? Is that all that matters??

Glad Vince Cable is out the way, he was a pain.
My Lib Dem leaflet through the door this morning went straight in the recycling- only had to see the words- ‘Stopping Brexit’ or as JS would say ‘Stopping BREGZIT’ for me to read no further.

Vince Cable was one of the very few politicians who warned us that the crash was coming.

There had been plenty of warnings before the crash in 2008 and they had been in power for 11 years by then.

Both you and MOnica have made this claim, Chestnut but when I searched I couldn't find any examples of these 'warnings'. Would you be able to give me some links to some?

What my searches told me was that the general consensus before the crash was that everything was fine; this included a statement from the Bank of England (which I posted on the thread where MOnica and I were discussing this very thing).

It is more usual for the few people who are making predictions, or voicing objections, which go against 'mainstream thought' to be laughed to scorn.. or ignored. When the governor of the BoE says everything is fine, who is a politician to gainsay him?

While I have a great deal of sympathy for CoolioC's polemic about WTC and low wages I would note that it was Labour who introduced the minimum wage in 1998. In the face of opposition, of course. While we know it was never quite adequate, and it was scaled down for under 25's, it was a step towards improving wages for the poorly paid.

I would ask CoolioC which party in this election is committing to do anything for the low paid? And what are they committing to?

Growstuff
I would like to give some samples that really grate me regarding the Labour Party and finances, I know you asked Chestnut.

working family tax credit that the conservatives tried to put an end to around 2015 but there was uproar. This payment is made to families and single people on low incomes. This has artificially held down the minimum wage. This has allowed low paid jobs by low paying tax companies to thrive. I would ask each and everyone when you go for your coffee at these large coffee companies how these people in your towns pay for their homes, council tax, food, water etc. They do so with top up from WFTC which is paid from your taxes. Tell me if that is right. Introduced by labour when they had loads of money in 2005. Don’t get me onto the coffee pickers and how much they get paid from these places. Suffice to say I don’t drink in these places. They are not the only ones of course.

Gordon Brown raiding the pension pots of large industry where contribution holidays had been taken by around 350 firms. This has directly lead to the demise of the final pension salary scheme and to pensioners being poorer now, and without notice. He wasn’t prudent, he was either stupid and didn’t realise the catastrophe he would cause or just a thief. Either way over 100,000 people were directly affected.

These are my two pet subjects regarding Labour and I wouldn’t trust them again between Blair and Brown they completely cocked up the country.

I will get off my pedestal now.

….and they should not be allowed to use the word in their title anymore....then, maybe the Conservatives should no longer be called the Conservative and Unionist Party [or something like that] as they're hell bent on breaking up the union....

In what way Chestnut? Some facts would be appreciated.

What a rude reaction newnanny! Are you always like that? Why didn't you just give it back, so it could have been delivered to somebody who might have read it?

I have a flyer from the Conservatives, which I think I might use to line my kitchen waste caddy - at least it will have served some purpose.

The dirty tricks department is thriving.
www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/28/revealed-tory-candidates-issued-with-attack-manuals-on-how-to-smear-rivals

Lib Dem spokesperson came knocking at my door tonight. I was happy to rip up the leaflet he tried to give me, telling him wanting to revoke democratic referendum result was not democratic and they should not be allowed to use the word in their title anymore. They should be entitled the Liberal Undemocratics. I think it is safe to assume he will not come back.

There had been plenty of warnings before the crash in 2008 and they had been in power for 11 years by then. Face it, Labour are just bad with finances.

Wasn't there a financial crash round about then that was no fault of the Labour government?

It’s a fact the Tories have always had to clean up after the reds.
Never a truer word was said CoolioC. And Labour were in such deep disgrace in 2010 I sincerely hoped they would never hold the reins again. What a mess!

Didn't even Laura Kuensberg [sp] tweet the other day that it's the Conservatives that borrow and overspend more than Labour?