UK Liberal Democrat leadership election, 2015

[ChrisDR68]

What religious views?

[ChrisDR68]

Norman would be nothing more than a sacrificial Lamb.

Plus Brake's with Lamb, Williams with Farron... is this the pun thread?

[ChrisDR68]

The most important argument for Tim Farron is that he would have some chance of attracting attention, whereas Norman Lamb is the sort of competent person who is invaluable in government but who will not make an impact in opposition.

Tim Farron also has the advantages of not having served in the coalition government and having voted against the tuition fees. He is best placed of all the surviving Lib Dem MPs to begin to rebuild the brand. It will not be easy.

That's probably the two crucial things.

He'll go some way to giving them a fresh start.

[ChrisDR68]

Whoever leads the Lib Dems into the next general election these are the seats where they are the nearest challengers to the incumbent. Such was the scale of their vote collapse there are only 18 seats where they are within 5000 votes:

  1. Cambridge - 599 (Labour)
  2. Eastbourne - 733 (Conservative)
  3. Lewes - 1,083 (Conservative)
  4. Thornbury and Yate - 1,495 (Conservative)
  5. Twickenham - 2,017 (Conservative)
  6. East Dumbartonshire - 2,167 (SNP)
  7. St. Ives - 2,469 (Conservative)
  8. Kingston and Surbiton - 2,834 (Conservative)
  9. Edinburgh West - 3,210 (SNP)
10. Burnley - 3,244 (Labour)
11. Torbay - 3,286 (Conservative)
12. Bath - 3,833 (Conservative)
13. Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross - 3,844 (SNP)
14. Sutton and Cheam - 3,921 (Conservative)
15. North East Fife - 4,344 (SNP)
16. Bermondsey and Old Southwark - 4,489 (Labour)
17. Berwick-upon-Tweed - 4,914 (Conservative) 
18. Cardiff Central - 4,981 (Labour)

[ChrisDR68]

Telegraph is reporting that Tim Farron wants to change the party's name to "the Liberals".

Simon Hughes agreed with this idea on Newsnight tonight. If it happens I'm presuming the already existing Liberal Party would be merged into it.

I'd personally not be in favour of this change myself. I think the ceiling (in terms of seats and local government representation) for a party that was just called the Liberal Party is lower than for a party called the Liberal Democrats in UK politics.

Liberal Democrats just sounds like a bigger tent party to me to use the jargon

[ChrisDR68]

Lembit Opik said today on the Daily Politics that the new leader will need to have a two general election strategy.

Get back into the teens of MP's next time and then up into the 20 and 30's the election after. That's probably their only realistic way forward after the wreckage of last Thursday.

[ChrisDR68]

Sad news today about the death of Charles Kennedy at the age of 55.

The Liberal Democrats would almost certainly be in a much better condition today had his advice about the coalition agreement in 2010 been followed.

Chat show Charlie will be missed.

[ChrisDR68]

Norman Lamb 43.5% (14,760 votes)
Tim Farron 56.5% (19,137 votes)

I wonder why 44% of Lib Dem members didn't bother to vote?

Anyway despite his religious views I think he's a good choice for the party. A genuine left leaning protest politician is just what they need right now (one who comes across as a normal bloke too) 

[ChrisDR68]

How not to handle this kind of situation:

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Out of interest what does the bible say about homosexuality?