Reform- failed Tories who led the Brexit disaster

[Squid]

Someone's going to have a meltdown after the next election and they have to be nice to Lib Dem voters to prop up an unpopular Labour government that can't spend 5 seconds without u-turning

Our MP is Lib Dem and there's no other option for me, really. I know they're your crew and are closer to what they stand for, BB, but I'm still completely confused that in a world where Labour have not pulled up any trees (and built houses in their place), Tories are a complete mess and unvoteable and then the nasty party are gaining ever more ground that the Lib Dems have not made deep inroads into the political landscape. A Lib-Lab coalition is probably the most palatable solution but it seems to me that they are in no way prepared for something they should have, by now, set their sights on.

The party has spent the last 6 years turning into the 1950s version of the Tory party but with more progressive social stances and they're focusing on local campaigns over national ones because the party do not have populist messages to cut through unlike Reform and the Greens and don't have the inertia of the Tories and Labour. That coupled with the most-Lib Dem friendly media outlets, the FT and Economist, being above party politics for the former and being pissed off the Lib Dems aren't perfect to them (even though I wager most of the editorial board voted them over Labour despite endorsing Labour at the last election, especially given how the articles about both parties have been since the last election).

Ultimately, do the British press want to talk about fundamental reforms to business rates and SDLT to transition them to a land value tax? I don't think they do, we've had the whole business rates fiasco and they never brought it up, just said that it was too high and would punish pubs. Do they want to talk about the social care crisis? Do they want to talk about the £100k tax trap? I don't think they do.

Blaming the LD failure to achieve any sort of cut through on the mainstream media when social media has far more reach seems a bit of a limp excuse. I'm sure the LD party isn't poor. A decent comms team could do a lot for them. Likewise, getting their more charismatic MPs out there. Just shrugging their shoulders and saying "Alas, we're too sensible to be popular" is really rather weak.

[Protheroe]

Ultimately, do the British press want to talk about fundamental reforms to business rates and SDLT to transition them to a land value tax? I don't think they do, we've had the whole business rates fiasco and they never brought it up, just said that it was too high and would punish pubs. Do they want to talk about the social care crisis? Do they want to talk about the £100k tax trap? I don't think they do.

The country has proven time and time and time again that it rejects fundamental reform of anything. The press merely reflects its readership to sell advertising, unless the business model has changed whilst I wasn't looking.

---

Just a note to the OP too. Jenrick was actually a Cameronite Remainer.

[Pontificator]

The point about them there Lib Dem whoppers, they were 100% behind Osborn and thats where it all started

[Borin' Baggie]

Someone's going to have a meltdown after the next election and they have to be nice to Lib Dem voters to prop up an unpopular Labour government that can't spend 5 seconds without u-turning

Our MP is Lib Dem and there's no other option for me, really. I know they're your crew and are closer to what they stand for, BB, but I'm still completely confused that in a world where Labour have not pulled up any trees (and built houses in their place), Tories are a complete mess and unvoteable and then the nasty party are gaining ever more ground that the Lib Dems have not made deep inroads into the political landscape. A Lib-Lab coalition is probably the most palatable solution but it seems to me that they are in no way prepared for something they should have, by now, set their sights on.

The party has spent the last 6 years turning into the 1950s version of the Tory party but with more progressive social stances and they're focusing on local campaigns over national ones because the party do not have populist messages to cut through unlike Reform and the Greens and don't have the inertia of the Tories and Labour. That coupled with the most-Lib Dem friendly media outlets, the FT and Economist, being above party politics for the former and being pissed off the Lib Dems aren't perfect to them (even though I wager most of the editorial board voted them over Labour despite endorsing Labour at the last election, especially given how the articles about both parties have been since the last election).

Ultimately, do the British press want to talk about fundamental reforms to business rates and SDLT to transition them to a land value tax? I don't think they do, we've had the whole business rates fiasco and they never brought it up, just said that it was too high and would punish pubs. Do they want to talk about the social care crisis? Do they want to talk about the £100k tax trap? I don't think they do.

Blaming the LD failure to achieve any sort of cut through on the mainstream media when social media has far more reach seems a bit of a limp excuse. I'm sure the LD party isn't poor. A decent comms team could do a lot for them. Likewise, getting their more charismatic MPs out there. Just shrugging their shoulders and saying "Alas, we're too sensible to be popular" is really rather weak.

Populism is not the same as being popular and communicating on social media is about soundbites and responses to those soundbites and not deep policy proposals and their implications.

---

The point about them there Lib Dem whoppers, they were 100% behind Osborn and thats where it all started

The fiscal policy response implemented during the coalition was the same as was presented by Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling. Are you a Corbynite now?

[Protheroe]

Are you a Corbynite now?

I'd rather hope he was with me and Steve Baker...

[Pontificator]

Are you a Corbynite now?

I'd rather hope he was with me and Steve Baker...

FFS Mr P

---

Someone's going to have a meltdown after the next election and they have to be nice to Lib Dem voters to prop up an unpopular Labour government that can't spend 5 seconds without u-turning

Our MP is Lib Dem and there's no other option for me, really. I know they're your crew and are closer to what they stand for, BB, but I'm still completely confused that in a world where Labour have not pulled up any trees (and built houses in their place), Tories are a complete mess and unvoteable and then the nasty party are gaining ever more ground that the Lib Dems have not made deep inroads into the political landscape. A Lib-Lab coalition is probably the most palatable solution but it seems to me that they are in no way prepared for something they should have, by now, set their sights on.

The party has spent the last 6 years turning into the 1950s version of the Tory party but with more progressive social stances and they're focusing on local campaigns over national ones because the party do not have populist messages to cut through unlike Reform and the Greens and don't have the inertia of the Tories and Labour. That coupled with the most-Lib Dem friendly media outlets, the FT and Economist, being above party politics for the former and being pissed off the Lib Dems aren't perfect to them (even though I wager most of the editorial board voted them over Labour despite endorsing Labour at the last election, especially given how the articles about both parties have been since the last election).

Ultimately, do the British press want to talk about fundamental reforms to business rates and SDLT to transition them to a land value tax? I don't think they do, we've had the whole business rates fiasco and they never brought it up, just said that it was too high and would punish pubs. Do they want to talk about the social care crisis? Do they want to talk about the £100k tax trap? I don't think they do.

Blaming the LD failure to achieve any sort of cut through on the mainstream media when social media has far more reach seems a bit of a limp excuse. I'm sure the LD party isn't poor. A decent comms team could do a lot for them. Likewise, getting their more charismatic MPs out there. Just shrugging their shoulders and saying "Alas, we're too sensible to be popular" is really rather weak.

Populism is not the same as being popular and communicating on social media is about soundbites and responses to those soundbites and not deep policy proposals and their implications.

---

The point about them there Lib Dem whoppers, they were 100% behind Osborn and thats where it all started

The fiscal policy response implemented during the coalition was the same as was presented by Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling. Are you a Corbynite now?

yes there was a deficit reduction response but not on the scale of Osborns and you well know it

[Borin' Baggie]

The scale of cuts between 2010 and 2015 track with the proposed cuts by Darling, you're just flat out wrong on this.

[Protheroe]

The scale of cuts between 2010 and 2015 track with the proposed cuts by Darling, you're just flat out wrong on this.

Indeed. The main difference is that the coalition protected NHS spending whereas Brown and Darling didn't propose to do so. Shame really - as that period saw the only productivity growth in decades in the public sector.

[man in the corner shop]

Jesus Christ
Have I seen Steve Baker mentioned on here in the context of a serious politician?
We are, and this bored is, Royally fucked.

[Derek Hardballs]

Jesus Christ
Have I seen Steve Baker mentioned on here in the context of a serious politician?
We are, and this bored is, Royally fucked.

The only person I’ve ever heard take Hard Man Steve Baker seriously is Proth.