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[Huw_Dawson]

The Lib Dems are, unfortunately, still remembered for their 'tuition fees' mess in 2010. I have no idea how long that will take to fade, but obviously more than 6 years.

The word on the doorstep is the most positive it's been since 2010. It's a good time to be a Lib Dem.

One of the things Ashdown's centrist platform will allow the Lib Dems to do is go through a good rebranding and rebasing exercise - maybe even going as far as a name change and a logo change (which would be a shame, as we have a nice logo) - to help us get rid of the last of the coalition cobwebs and detritus.

 

[Acorn]

wow, he left the country in a better condition than in the middle of the worst recession in a century. hats off to him!

We were actually climbing out of recession until austerity shock hit then Osborne changed the plan.

I'd still say regardless of economic factors he's left it worse than 2010. But hey that's subjective so whatever.

 

[Pandy]

But I'm a Dinner Jacket is a conservative...

EDIT: that was probably the best autocorrect of all time and I shall let it stand as a monument.

Amazing.

 

[ThoughtsOfSpeaking]

Jaguar Land Rover is building big factory in Slovakia. I expect big shift in production there.

It's a good few years away though. They have only really started construction recently.

 

[Elaugaufein]

Actually that reminds me, we had a small-l liberal party here in Australia called The Democrats, who in the Senate allowed through the Liberal government's GST tax despite their pledge to block it, that was the end of them. They had the balance of power, and now they don't even exist. The circumstances around the tuition fees and the GST bear somewhat of a resemblance, but I don't think the same fate awaits the Lib Dems, maybe, who knows?

The Australian Democrats demise was more than that though: they also had a distinctly left wing faction several of who ended up jumping ship to the Australian Greens, and the Greens came into the radar at just the right time to absorb the 'neither of you major parties' vote. And they had a mess of a leadership issue around the same time, and at least one high profile defection as a result. It was kinda tragic , all said.

 

[Arksy]

The Australian Democrats demise was more than that though: they also had a distinctly left wing faction several of who ended up jumping ship to the Australian Greens, and the Greens came into the radar at just the right time to absorb the 'neither of you major parties' vote. And they had a mess of a leadership issue around the same time, and at least one high profile defection as a result. It was kinda tragic , all said.

Can't argue with you there. There is definitely room here in Aus for a small-L liberal party that's more in line with the liberal democrats or even some wings of the Tory party in the UK. I strongly lament that some of the political traditions and legacies that still exist in the UK, left and right, such as the legacies of the Chartists and Levellers, don't really exist here in the same way.

 

[dumbo]

The word on the doorstep is the most positive it's been since 2010. It's a good time to be a Lib Dem.

I guess so... it's just that back in 2010, the LibDems seemed to be in a very good spot - Clegg, Cable, Campbell - all well known, and relatively well liked/respected. I seem to remember even paper-talk of the LibDems becoming the official opposition. And then tuition fees etc.

It feels like it's been 6 years, and the party is nowhere near what it was... But, a 'fresh' centrist party (or even just a refresh of the LibDem message) sounds very interesting.

 

[Huw_Dawson]

It feels like it's been 6 years, and the party is nowhere near what it was... But, a 'fresh' centrist party (or even just a refresh of the LibDem message) sounds very interesting.

It is - it'd also be coming at a time where people are receptive and switched on. I hope it works out.

 

[Acorn]

I guess so... it's just that back in 2010, the LibDems seemed to be in a very good spot - Clegg, Cable, Campbell - all well known, and relatively well liked/respected. I seem to remember even paper-talk of the LibDems becoming the official opposition. And then tuition fees etc.

It feels like it's been 6 years, and the party is nowhere near what it was... But, a 'fresh' centrist party (or even just a refresh of the LibDem message) sounds very interesting.

They positioned themselves to the left of labour for 10+years then got into bed with tories and endorsed economic policies they were railing against.

Thats the even bigger problem for them than the tutions fee own goal.

 

[Royal_Phalanx]

Does Australia have a 2 party system even with alternative vote? I wish the LD's could be as strong as the Canadian Liberals. Though the Canadian Tories are far more right wing than the UK Tories.

 

[PJV3]

They positioned themselves to the left of labour for 10+years then got into bed with tories and endorsed economic policies they were railing against.

Thats the even bigger problem for them than the tutions fee own goal.

I could accept it at a practical level, I couldn't accept how weak they were about the coalition. Happy to be the face that deals with the fallout, overly trusting of Cameron and the Tory party. The av referendum terms should have been the wake up call, let alone getting done over during that campaign.

 

[Arksy]

Does Australia have a 2 party system even with alternative vote? I wish the LD's could be as strong as the Canadian Liberals. Though the Canadian Tories are far more right wing than the UK Tories.

That's correct, we have a two party system with Instant-Runoff Voting (Or AV). Our electoral system has been basically built to force political parties into the centre. Preferential voting means you don't have to worry about being flanked by a more extreme party. Mandatory voting means you don't have to waste effort into motivating your base.

That being said, we have an upper house (Senate), where we have a single transferable voting system with multi-seat constituencies (each state gets 12 Senators, half of which are elected every 3 years)...this is where you get some more interesting parties holding governments to ransom.

 

[JonathanEx]

I've been watching the news coverage. Royal correspondents are a fucking waste of a job, they just talk bullshit.

 

[Burai]

I could accept it at a practical level, I couldn't accept how weak they were about the coalition. Happy to be the face that deals with the fallout, overly trusting of Cameron and the Tory party. The av referendum terms should have been the wake up call, let alone getting done over during that campaign.

Yup. They should have let the Tories form a minority government and then done per-policy deals.

Nick Clegg was so desperate to sit at the big table he threw the whole party under a bus.

 

[Acorn]

I could accept it at a practical level, I couldn't accept how weak they were about the coalition. Happy to be the face that deals with the fallout, overly trusting of Cameron and the Tory party. The av referendum terms should have been the wake up call, let alone getting done over during that campaign.

Thing is the orange bookers who largely comprised the libs cab presence were pretty much a-ok with everything tory.

The wider mps also didn't rock the boat, even farron who is pretty much a social democrat just fell in line. They just became 'nice' tories.

 

[Uzzy]

Just an email from my student association, denouncing May because of her track of "wrongful" deportation of up to 50,000 students and the numerous cases specifically within the university, which has a proportionally high number of international students.

I didn't realise her home secretary horror stories were this well known, and to this scale that their laying out hands of solidarity with the international students to fight "xenophobia and racism in all it's forms".

It's true. All of it.

Don't forget that she was the moderate choice in this leadership appointment.

 

[Kabouter]

Interesting to see how having a lesbian foreign sec will go down when she visits more conservative parts of the world.

(I mean that in a fuck those places, not anti-LGBTQ, kind of way).

There have been countries with gay heads of government in the past, I don't think it'll be that big a deal. At the end of the day money is money, and people in power in conservative countries tend to thankfully be hypocritical when it comes to stuff like this. Conversely, the same is true of 'progressive' Westerners and their willingness to kowtow to powerful figures in ultraconservative places like Saudi Arabia.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

wow, he left the country in a better condition than in the middle of the worst recession in a century. hats off to him!

He leaves the country at a potentially worse recession of his own making.

What a great pm.

 

[Azih]

That's correct, we have a two party system with Instant-Runoff Voting (Or AV). Our electoral system has been basically built to force political parties into the centre. Preferential voting means you don't have to worry about being flanked by a more extreme party. Mandatory voting means you don't have to waste effort into motivating your base.

That being said, we have an upper house (Senate), where we have a single transferable voting system with multi-seat constituencies (each state gets 12 Senators, half of which are elected every 3 years)...this is where you get some more interesting parties holding governments to ransom.

AV is very similar in outcome to FPTP in how it gives huge advantage to 'big tent' parties. PR like in the Australian senate and other places is the only way to effectively punish and police the big parties by allowing small parties to be an effective alternative for disgruntled voters.

In FPTP and AV the only effective way to kick back at the big guys is by turning to regional protest parties.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

AV is still majoritarian, so you still expect two-party systems. They just tend to be more centrist than under FPTP where parties have to worry about being flanked and adjust accordingly.

 

[Juicy Bob]

He tried, but, ultimately, he dun goofed.

 

[kmag]

You know as much as people like to crow about North Korean media the Beeb isn't much better when it comes to the royals. As soon as the Queen/Buck house is mentioned they go all fawning & gooey.

The queen will give the most insightful advice known to mankind delivered in a warm maternal way & will follow that up with a special mystical rite whereby power and knowledge with be dispatched from her fingertips via royal rays.

 

[Meadows]

What a two weeks it has been.

 

[PJV3]

What a two weeks it has been.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Let's hope we don't end up on a diet of turnips and other ghastly root vegetables.

 

[CyclopsRock]

will follow that up with a special mystical rite whereby power and knowledge with be dispatched from her fingertips via royal rays.

Or as I call it, a finger bang.

 

[Dorsal Axe]

What a two weeks it has been.

Shame they didn't use her supervillain audition photo

 

[D4Danger]

You know as much as people like to crow about North Korean media the Beeb isn't much better when it comes to the royals. As soon as the Queen/Buck house is mentioned they go all fawning & gooey.

The TV journalists love all this shit. The impartiality goes right out the window.

 

[E-phonk]

Interesting to see how having a lesbian foreign sec will go down when she visits more conservative parts of the world.

(I mean that in a fuck those places, not anti-LGBTQ, kind of way).

Belgiums ex-prime minister was openly gay and afaik it never was an issue in international relations.

 

[Zaph]

Shame they didn't use her supervillain audition photo

Getting a real Dispicable Me vibe from the photo. Someone needs to 'shop the police officers with minion faces.

 

[PdotMichael]

It's like we are getting back the goofy 90's Bond movies back.

 

[Juicy Bob]

Theresa May going through a list of injustices and inequalities in Britain that her very own party are pretty heavily responsible for creating...

 

[Jezbollah]

Theresa May going through a list of injustices and inequalities in Britain that her very own party are pretty heavily responsible for creating...

Well, she did once call her own party "nasty"

 

[Zaph]

Theresa May going through a list of injustices and inequalities in Britain that her very own party are pretty heavily responsible for creating...

Does make me laugh. The statement she released made me say out loud "...but you are a Tory".

Wonder if the public will buy this New New Labour act.

 

[Royal_Phalanx]

Pivot to the centre. Cameron did the same thing. And the public in England will vote Conservative anyway because politics in England is swinging massively right.

 

[Acorn]

Already sick of the thatcher deification and comparisons. She was a disgusting pm.

 

[Acorn]

Theresa May going through a list of injustices and inequalities in Britain that her very own party are pretty heavily responsible for creating...

Cameron did the same thing his solutions were good ol tried and tested tory benefit slashing and pitching the poor against eachother.

 

[Arksy]

AV is still majoritarian, so you still expect two-party systems. They just tend to be more centrist than under FPTP where parties have to worry about being flanked and adjust accordingly.

Yup, it doesn't make it useless to vote a third party though, because the commission grants funds proportional to your first preference vote. Also, it's not bad for independents, we usually have a reasonable number on our lower house.

I'm very much fond of the Australian electoral system, we (usually) have a very well functioning lower house with a proportional upper house that represents a very broad spectrum of views, left and right.

I wouldn't swap it for anything. The only way I'd change it is to allow for recall elections and open primaries. I'm somewhat astounded that the UK didn't go for AV.

 

[Bold One]

Shame they didn't use her supervillain audition photo

So effortlessly villainous, could someone shop the imperial army from Star Wars behind her?

 

[Linkstrikesback]

Shame they didn't use her supervillain audition photo

"Today is the day ladies and gentlemen. Today I'll skin those Dalmatians and get my coat".

 

[Ghost]

If Corbyn (or Ed) had made that exact speech May made earlier it would have been ripped to shreds by now "Corbyn says: If you're a woman, you'll earn less than a man"

 

[PJV3]

Already sick of the thatcher deification and comparisons. She was a disgusting pm.

Hey, if the Welsh bloke becomes leader of the opposition expect plenty more.

 

[Spookie]

If Corbyn (or Ed) had made that exact speech May made earlier it would have been ripped to shreds by now "Corbyn says: If you're a woman, you'll earn less than a man"

Corbyn would have banned all the press and invited Momentum members only.

 

[Miles X]

Osbourne has resigned!

 

[ferrasvansen]

Osbourne has resigned!

Good riddance, horrible man. Crucified the sick, poor and disabled with his austerity.

 

[Acorn]

Osbourne has resigned!

Meh like I said earlier I was greatly looking forward to that evil cunt dissappearing but it doesn't mean anything now to me. With going out of europe we'll just be continuing permanent austerity and pitching poor against eachother.

The cunt is dead, long live the cunt. Essentially.

 

[Graphics Horse]

Bojo visiting downing street

 

[DBT85]

Anyone else hoping someone replaced Jeremy Cunt and instantly offers a new better deal to the Jr doctors?

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Hammond is Chancellor? That's... actually worse than Osborne.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

Good riddance, horrible man. Crucified the sick, poor and disabled with his austerity.

Well the new person will be sure to hang draw and quarter them to make up for the massive loss of cash from leaving the EU, so it's not a improvement.

 

[D4Danger]

Osbourne has resigned!

we'll always have that time he got booed at the Olympics. twat.