Saturday, May 04, 2019
What does the #LibDemFightback really mean?
With a total of 703 Council seats gained and 10 new councils, nobody could argue that yesterday was not an exceptional result for the Liberal Democrats. Everybody who worked so hard for this result should be congratulated, but before we get carried away in thinking that our results, combined with those achieved by the Greens, means that the country has swung massively behind us remaining in the EU, we should reflect on where we really stand with voters.
The first thing to say is that Thursday's results were very much a 'plague on both your houses' surge. Both the Tories and Labour were deservedly hammered, so much so that any credibility Labour had as the official opposition must surely have poured away over night. You cannot claim to be a government in waiting when you suffer a net loss of 82 seats in the face of the worst Tory Government in history.
But for the Liberal Democrats at least this was not just a protest vote. It is true that we benefitted in many areas from voters looking to give the two big parties a bloody nose, but gains in places like Chelmsford, where the Liberal Democrats took an additional 26 seats were no fluke.
The assault on this Tory heartland had been planned, executed and worked for over a significant period of time. In Liberal Democrats social media forums, we had been anticipating this result for some months. The same is true elsewhere.
The Liberal Democrats made themselves the credible alternative through sheer hard work, grit and determination, and on Thursday we reaped the reward.
And so to Brexit. The fact that remain parties chalked up nearly 900 gains between them does not make this an anti-Brexit election. As I have said above many other factors were in play.
What it does do however, is to put the Liberal Democrats in pole position to take remain votes in the European Elections on 23 May. At last, we have a focus for those who want to send a message to Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn about the need for a confirmatory referendum before we leave the EU.
What is absurd is the claim by Theresa May and others, including Labour politicians, that these results send a message that we need to get on with Brexit - far from it. Those parties like Labour, the Tories and UKIP, who want us to leave the EU had a kicking on Thursday, and even in leave areas like Sunderland, the Liberal Democrats gained seats.
The real battle is on 23rd May. The battle lines are drawn. It is now clear that those elections are going to be between the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party, with the others still struggling to articulate a message.
One last shout-out to the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, who also made their mark on Thursday and stand to make more gains as the counts continue today. It wasn't just the Liberal Democrats who did well.
The first thing to say is that Thursday's results were very much a 'plague on both your houses' surge. Both the Tories and Labour were deservedly hammered, so much so that any credibility Labour had as the official opposition must surely have poured away over night. You cannot claim to be a government in waiting when you suffer a net loss of 82 seats in the face of the worst Tory Government in history.
But for the Liberal Democrats at least this was not just a protest vote. It is true that we benefitted in many areas from voters looking to give the two big parties a bloody nose, but gains in places like Chelmsford, where the Liberal Democrats took an additional 26 seats were no fluke.
The assault on this Tory heartland had been planned, executed and worked for over a significant period of time. In Liberal Democrats social media forums, we had been anticipating this result for some months. The same is true elsewhere.
The Liberal Democrats made themselves the credible alternative through sheer hard work, grit and determination, and on Thursday we reaped the reward.
And so to Brexit. The fact that remain parties chalked up nearly 900 gains between them does not make this an anti-Brexit election. As I have said above many other factors were in play.
What it does do however, is to put the Liberal Democrats in pole position to take remain votes in the European Elections on 23 May. At last, we have a focus for those who want to send a message to Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn about the need for a confirmatory referendum before we leave the EU.
What is absurd is the claim by Theresa May and others, including Labour politicians, that these results send a message that we need to get on with Brexit - far from it. Those parties like Labour, the Tories and UKIP, who want us to leave the EU had a kicking on Thursday, and even in leave areas like Sunderland, the Liberal Democrats gained seats.
The real battle is on 23rd May. The battle lines are drawn. It is now clear that those elections are going to be between the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party, with the others still struggling to articulate a message.
One last shout-out to the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, who also made their mark on Thursday and stand to make more gains as the counts continue today. It wasn't just the Liberal Democrats who did well.
