tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11862686.post2911490893209817549..comments2024-01-14T10:22:00.733+00:00Comments on A Liberal Goes A Long Way: Horrorgate, the aftermathStephen Tallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11720133001571029678noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11862686.post-58291025885308703462007-03-09T16:43:00.000+00:002007-03-09T16:43:00.000+00:00I would be quite happy to see speeches reported ve...I would be quite happy to see speeches reported verbatim. We live in an age of soundbites which I think trivialises politics, even though it gives political journalists something to do. By comparison the socialist candidate on France recently did a 90 minute speech on prime time TV - & got a massive audience.<BR/><BR/>On the main point - this is not just a matter of how the speech was spun. Ming made a de facto offer to support Brown on 5 points which amounted to nothing concrete except dropping ID cards &specificly did not include PR. This converts the LDs from an independent team to the reserves a failing Labour can rely on. I don't think that, so long as Ming is in charge, equidistance is a credible claim. On that basis the LDs cannot enjoy the trust of people whose 2nd choice is Conservatism.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11862686.post-2945223831022186282007-03-09T13:01:00.000+00:002007-03-09T13:01:00.000+00:00It is also impossible to deny that calling on Gord...It is also impossible to deny that calling on Gordon Brown to pass five 'tests' with a view to 'embracing liberal democracy' at least <I>sounds</I> like coalition overtures.<BR/><BR/>Mark Littlewood may have got the wrong end of the stick and his departure may well be politically necessary, but I can't help but feel that if people think that his departure fundamentally solves the problem, they are in for a shock.<BR/><BR/>I sincerely hope that the Lib Dems' loss is NO2ID's (re)gain.James Graham (Quaequam Blog!)https://www.blogger.com/profile/00319089107820032874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11862686.post-39159092054622334212007-03-09T10:14:00.000+00:002007-03-09T10:14:00.000+00:00Stephen, a brilliant analysis of events. Ming has ...Stephen, a brilliant analysis of events. <BR/><BR/>Ming has to play a game of political poker on questions of coalition, and it would seem that he did show some of his hand on sunday. <BR/><BR/>One of our persistent weakneses (often reinforced to the hacks during conference season) is that the party is a bit amateurish - it's a stereotype that the media love to play on. It's rarely accurate reportage but it makes great copy if they can rubbish the lib dems as confused, contradictory and disorganised. And frnakly when you're talking about such important political issues as hung parliaments and coalitions it's the one time the party needed to have been robust, clear and professional. <BR/><BR/>I can't halp but think that (accurate or not) the outcome of Horrorgate, as you aptly put it, is that our party, that wants to be taken seriously by the media and and our opponents, rather shot itself in both feet (sorry too many commas in that last sentence!).<BR/><BR/>That said - it did take away focus from questions about Ming's leadership!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com