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Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats:Covering the constituencies of Twickenham and Richmond Park |
John Pugh writes: is an apology in order?
May 16, 2011 5:37 PM
• [May 16] John Pugh writes: There was little real choice about choosing to enter the coalition. There was little real choice about addressing the nation's colossal budget. There was no way to avoid risking unpopularity. As the Liberal Democrat councillors took the bullet for the coalition on local election day and Conservatives emerged relatively unscathed, it must be asked whether the extent of our defeats was avoidable. To put it another way could we have played the coalition game better - both in terms of presentation and in terms of policy? . .
The thesis often advocated by my friend and colleague Jeremy Browne that we have simply lost the protest vote seems wholly inadequate to explain our current plight. After all, councillors in years gone by, up and down the country, have been able to solicit effectively support for tough difficult, local decisions without the sort of collateral damage suffered on May 5th. Some have had more experience of coalitions than MPs.
The stated consoling hope that a new category of voters who wouldn't previously have considered us are just waiting to see more of the same before putting their X down for the Lib Dems seems born of desperation. "The Considerers" seem as elusive as the Borrowers in Mary Norton's famous children's story - very tiny and almost invisible.
The truth is that, collectively, the parliamentary party have made mistakes - some perhaps more than others - and for the sake of those whose dedicated campaigning came unstuck the first Thursday in May - we should say so.
* MP for Southport
• John Pugh writes: is an apology in order? [Lib Dem Voice May 16]
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