Liberal Democrat Leadership Election

[TeeJay]

If you want to quote something you need to put a [/quote ] at the end toby.

If he had heard it from a LibDem source then is he wrong in saying what he did?

Do you think it would have been better journalism if he had said "some people within the libdems are briefing against Kennedy but I have checked with his office and they are strongly denying the rumours"?

Come on tobyjug, it was on "This Week" and was just gossip, which is what the programme is all about. He has actually given the LibDems some coverage and got people talking about them, which is more than they can manage with their own snoreathon antics. Probably the only LibDem who won't be happy he said it are the Kennedy camp - all the others will be only too happy to start talking up their favourite successor and try and muscle into the brown versus cameron scenarios that the pundits and chatterers are currently painting.

 

[lewislewis]

Their MP's are right wing bastards, but the vast majority of the membership (who have the say in who is leader) are left wing. Obviously jenny can't be leader, she isnt an MP anymore. I doubt that she would ave wanted to be leader. The Lib dems were quite happy with Charlie as leader until he sacked Jenny. Jenny was very popular and would have easily won a leadership contest.

As far as the electorate knowing what the Lib Dems stand for, I think my comment was correct. Ideologically, maybe not. But most people can quote two lib dem policies other than PR, which is a lot better than when Ashdown was leader.

The Lib Dems credibility amongst the left is destroyed because;

a) They said they were against council tax but failed to back the SSP's income tax !

b) Said they were against fees then support them !

 

[Kid_Eternity]

The title of this piece made me laugh.

 

[Streathamite]

I think he's done everything he needed to do and has been very successful.

given that the LDs barely increased their share of the vote in the last 2 GEs, and it is generally reckoned they've 'peaked' seats-wise, do please tell how he's been very successful.

People now know what the Lib Dems stand for.

do they? what is it that we're now supposed to know that they stand for, apart from jumping into bed with the Tories at municipal level?
ETA; change 'tories' to LDs as that's what i meant. apols

 

[liampreston]

Ah, a LibDem discussion on Urban, I'd almost forgotten these were still permitted =)

I hear "Charles Kennedy is going to stand down..." every six months or so. The spark this time is David Cameron, but on a number of issues (Europe, tax and education), the two parties are a spectrum apart- it would not and indeed does not make sense for Charles to feel somehow threatened by a resurgent Tory party when the choice between the two contains so many different opinions.

Charles is a popular leader with the electorate and within the party, although it has always been clear that Simon Hughes and Ming have maintained none-too-secret ambitions; I know of no political party which doesn't have members who would one day like to be leader. I certainly know
of no socialist/lefty group which is a united union of thoughts and minds!

Our party constitution makes it quite hard to open a leadership contest, the power does exist but the choice at present - with support for him quite high - is with Charles himself. With the local elections coming up next year, and with a possible good Euro elections in 09 as well as a General under quite helpful boundary changes, I think Charles will be around for a few years yet.

 

[nino_savatte]

Glug, glug, glug.....

 

[Streathamite]

Ah, a LibDem discussion on Urban, I'd almost forgotten these were still permitted =)

it would not and indeed does not make sense for Charles to feel somehow threatened by a resurgent Tory party when the choice between the two contains so many different opinions.

so, umm, why is it that this professedly 'progressive' party feels so very comfortable jumping into bed with the tories at municipal level, at every single point that they have been given the choice?
apart from that - fair post.
I agree that CK is highly unlikely to stand down either before or immediately after the next election.

 

[Streathamite]

Glug, glug, glug.....

owch!
I'd say they're just rumours, but I've seen him too pissed, too often....

 

[Kid_Eternity]

owch!
I'd say they're just rumours, but I've seen him too pissed, too often....

They are far from rumours…

 

[nino_savatte]

They are far from rumours…

Do tell....oh, hang on, there is something called "defamation of character" and CK can afford a libel trial...or can he?

 

[Dubversion]

he'd walk it

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Do tell....oh, hang on, there is something called "defamation of character" and CK can afford a libel trial...or can he?

Yep he could although It would not be something I reckon his advisors would want a public trial about.

 

[ska invita]

Todays Guardian suggest pressure mounting on CK:
Kennedy crisis as doubters round on leadership
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Politics/libdems/story/0,,1666936,00.html
-----------------------------------------------------
The LibDems have the potential to be a great party...a stronger leader would definitely be a start....I agree with some of the comments about their flakiness...yeah so they said they would decriminalise, but if they ever got elected that would be the first policy up against the wall.

But from a purely theoretical point of view they are the best suited to position themselves as a modern leftwing party (of the big three) - it would take a significant bit of steering from the top to get them there though.

new leadership LONG overdue.....

Have to disagree with RnB that they're worse than the tories...no explenation necessary.

 

[lewislewis]

Todays Guardian suggest pressure mounting on CK:
Kennedy crisis as doubters round on leadership
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Politics/libdems/story/0,,1666936,00.html
-----------------------------------------------------
The LibDems have the potential to be a great party...a stronger leader would definitely be a start....I agree with some of the comments about their flakiness...yeah so they said they would decriminalise, but if they ever got elected that would be the first policy up against the wall.

But from a purely theoretical point of view they are the best suited to position themselves as a modern leftwing party (of the big three) - it would take a significant bit of steering from the top to get them there though.

new leadership LONG overdue.....

Have to disagree with RnB that they're worse than the tories...no explenation necessary.

The 'big three' is a bankrupt idea, there are big parties in Wales and Scotland that are to the left of the Lib Dems.

England needs its own left party and the Lib Dems and Respect are not it !

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Here's a thing. I've watched several news reports on the BBC concerning this crisis and in not one of them, at any point, has there been any mention whatsoever of policy.

Does this tell us more about the BBC or about the Lib Dems?

 

[lewislewis]

Its because the media, for whatever reasons, concentrates on personality and trying to make politics entertainment.

Just watched Charles Kennedy on PMQ's, he wasn't very good. The other MP's were shouting 'bye bye Charlie' when he sat down, felt sorry for him!

 

[onthebrightside]

I'd like to see Lembit Opik as leader.

They'd still have almost no chance of winning an election though.

 

[nino_savatte]

I'd like to see Lembit Opik as leader.

They'd still have almost no chance of winning an election though.

I'd like to see him as leader only because he'd be the only leader of a political party who has a non-British name.

 

[Streathamite]

The 'big three' is a bankrupt idea, there are big parties in Wales and Scotland that are to the left of the Lib Dems.

England needs its own left party and the Lib Dems and Respect are not it !

well said! the libdems are essentially a tory party for people who can't bear the thought of all that self-loathing the morning after a General Election.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Todays Guardian suggest pressure mounting on CK:
Kennedy crisis as doubters round on leadership
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Politics/libdems/story/0,,1666936,00.html
-----------------------------------------------------
The LibDems have the potential to be a great party...a stronger leader would definitely be a start....I agree with some of the comments about their flakiness...yeah so they said they would decriminalise, but if they ever got elected that would be the first policy up against the wall.

But from a purely theoretical point of view they are the best suited to position themselves as a modern leftwing party (of the big three) - it would take a significant bit of steering from the top to get them there though.

new leadership LONG overdue.....

Have to disagree with RnB that they're worse than the tories...no explenation necessary.

Wow, he is Fucked!

 

[Kid_Eternity]

The story is front page today too. He'll gone by the new year at this rate.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

I can't actually bring myself to care, but presumably the idea is to replace him with somebody more ideologically committed to the free market and not frightening Tory voters.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

I think it's funny, wouldn't say I "care" but then I don't "care" about any party or politician.

 

[Fisher_Gate]

I'd like to see him as leader only because he'd be the only leader of a political party who has a non-British name.

Nick Wrack was once the official Leader of Respect - "wrack comes from Low German wrak".

Sadly he has been deposed in an overnight coup that no-one on these boards has noticed, and the owner of the quintessentially english name - Linda Smith - is now the Party's Leader according to the electoral commission website.

 

[marty21]

tbh, i don't see why chuck needs to stand down, he has led them to 2 successful elections (in their terms) and given them the chance of holding the balance of power in the next election...they seem to be seduced by the youth factor of cameron, despite the fact that kennedy is only 7 years older, and by kennedy's own admission, he comes alive during the election campaigns, and they are not in one at the moment...