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What is the point of the Liberal Democrats?


Gordon EF

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Serious question. Particularly in Scotland, what function do they serve, what is their purpose? The rest of "main" (inverted commas because the Busted Flushes are now technically a minor party) have some identifiable purpose, even if they don't particularly live up to that. The SNP are a fairly mainstream pro-independence party, the Tories are the right-of-centre uber-yoon option, Labour are a left-of-centre pro-union option, the Greens are primarily a more radical/progressive left option who are pro-independence. What the f**k are the Lib Dems?

What exactly differentiates your average Lib Dem from your average Labour voter/member apart from geographical quirks? Labour and the Tories, whatever they might say are primarily pro-union parties (despite Labour goons clearly being mandated to mention 'helf'n'education' as much as humanly possible). Are the Lib Dems really still trying to be a third pro-union party who're slightly in between two other pro-union parties. Aside from that being strategically and electorally pointless, is it not just pointless on a deep fundamental level?

I get that UK-wide there at least seemed to be a logically consistent space for them to occupy in the past as a more centrist party who could champion a few things like electoral reform that the big two would never touch. But in Scottish politics today, they've essentially just been boxed into a fundamentally pointless position on the political topography.

Shouldn't they give serious consideration to their existence rather than whether they should replace a gormless simpleton with a narcissistic simpleton as leader?

Edited by Gordon EF
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Ach. After a serious nuclear exchange the first thing survivors will see is a bandaged Willie Rennie in a tattered suit and yellow rosette handing out FOCUS leaflets.

”LIB DEMS WINNING HERE”

As well worry about the point of athlete’s foot.

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16 minutes ago, oneteaminglasgow said:

I think they they view themselves as the party of federalism, which would give them a nice wee niche if it was a concept that anyone takes remotely seriously.

But, quite like the Lib Dem’s themselves, it isn’t.

Is this in the same way that Labour have long viewed themselves as the party that was for abolishing the House of Lords?

 

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Four constituencies and not a single list seat anywhere. Leathered by the Greens. From 23% of the vote to less than 7% in a generation. They're never coming back from this. They could just fold and merge with Labour, but they wouldn't want to be in that UK party.

All the Lib Dems I know are nice people who know little about politics but feel that they ought to have an interest. They would rather everyone just got along instead of, y'know, being furious that we live in a country with both billionaires and foodbanks. They're all for tackling climate change, just as long as it doesn't interfere with anyone's lives in any way. I need to park my Qashqai somewhere. They care more about manners than improving lives and oppose pretty much all forms of protest. If we were ever occupied they'd be out making tea for the invading soldiers.

Yet, because of their politeness, they believe they're the good guys among the sharks, so they feel justified in lying like fk in every leaflet they ever produce.

Yeah, I'm not a fan.

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The point of the liberal democrats in Scotland is when it is obvious that they will win a seat in scotland more than the tories and labour. then the unionists will vote liberal democrat to keep out the SNP.  

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Historically the Liberal Democrats mopped up the wishy washy vote, the "sit on the fence" brigade.  Depending where you lived they were either sort of like Labour but without the bad bits or sort of like the Tories but nicer.

The Nick Clegg came along, sat on David Cameron's knee and ruined this perception for years.

They betrayed the sentiment of a lot of the people that voted for them.

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There was a lot to like about them until 2010 particularly under Kennedy - relatively principled and with an assortment of sensible voices, even if they were never going to upset the institutional applecart (abolishing the lords/monarchy etc).

As much as most level headed people accept that politics is about the art of compromise, the sheer cheapness that they sold themselves to the Tories in the coalition deal was worthy of contempt, and the smell of ministerial privilege overcame them. (Sir) Clegg, now the main firewall for the deplorable multi-national social media monster of Facebook, is worthy of as much derision as de Pfefel Johnson, a truly slimy c**t of a man. The hypocrisy of the 2nd referendum for Europe but not Scotland was symbolic of how laughable, and ironically un-democcratic, they have become. Watching Swinson drown in her own sense of self-importance in 2019 was a rare highlight of a grim election night.

For people who had voted for them before, there are now other, more credible, home - glad my green NE list vote had the added bonus of relegating these fuckers to non-party status. Every deposit they lose and council they diminish in influence in is a joy.

 

TLDR version: put them in the f'kin bin.

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50 minutes ago, Kejan said:

One of the best things from the weekend is the LDs relegated in to the Scottish Lowland League. 

“So Willie, a 15-nil scudding.”

”Yes it was just the result I was hoping for; I’m pretty sure we can build on that for next week.”

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6 hours ago, pawpar said:

The point of the liberal democrats in Scotland is when it is obvious that they will win a seat in scotland more than the tories and labour. then the unionists will vote liberal democrat to keep out the SNP.  

This is fair and was how things panned out in this election. However, had they not existed, it would have made no odds. Glen Sannox voted for them but if they hadn't existed, he'd have voted for Labour or the Tories as necessary. 

Outside of their constituency wins you can see their real value - nothing. They are, I think, a party of internationalists in terms of principles. This is a good thing.  What's not so good is that those principles don't extend to supporting an international, outward looking Scotland if that requires breaking up the UK. They don't now serve any purpose other than to bolster the union for the tories. What a strapline that is. 

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The party destroying itself by backing for Conservatives in exchange for a vote on changing the voting system to AV, a system those in the party itself had described as a "miserable little compromise" probably belongs in the Funny Election Moments thread. 

I think they are done across the UK and not just Scotland, save for perhaps maybe 12-16 constituencies across the country. That they, as an unashamed pro-EU party managed just 11 seats and around 11% of the vote in an election entirely about Brexit tells you all you need to know. There is no-one serious that's campaigning to rejoin the EU and I don't really know what they offer at the moment otherwise. 

It would he sad to lose them forever, though - those comical bar charts aren't going to produce themselves. 

Saying that, there probably is a need for a new party but I don't see how that really works out. It would be continuity Lib Dems and a few select brassed off Labour and Tory MPs that can't stand their parties but enjoy their bills being paid. In other words, another incarnation of that weird Independent Group. 

Edited by Michael W
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The party for protest votes from lily-livered Tories, who'll eventually swallow their disgust and vote for their big team at General Elections. Run by second-rate chancers without the talent for proper politics, but are still hoping to get a foot into government that they can land a big consultancy job from. Also the traditional home for people whose sexual deviancies are too grim even for the Tories.

Can't imagine why they're struggling for votes/members these days. Give it ten years and people will forget, though.

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