Jo Swinson

Quite, I'm still more annoyed with the referendum we had before the brexit one where we had a chance to reform and have PR. Iirc we were scared by Cameron with a leaflet warning of the chaos of constant hung parliaments into voting for the status quo. This seemed to plant the seed of referenda and scare tactics to solve divisive political issues.....
At the time I was all in favour.

Mind you - watching the shenanigans at Westminster these last years when there as been effectively no majority and seeing the country paralysed I am starting to think that FPTP with a party having executive capability could be best after all
 
Chukka will take over next year and the Centre Tory takeover will be complete.

I do wonder how a longstanding Lib Dem supporter , MP or activists feel when on the day that they take a momentous decision to overturn the referendum result the press seem to turn to Chuka for an interview ( at least thats what I heard earlier on the radio ) and he comments about "us" and "we"... I mean for a start thats the 4th party he will have referred to in those terms this year - and we are still only in September.

Jan Labour - Feb The Independent Group - April Change UK - June Lib Dem.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mat
I do wonder how a longstanding Lib Dem supporter , MP or activists feel when on the day that they take a momentous decision to overturn the referendum result the press seem to turn to Chuka for an interview ( at least thats what I heard earlier on the radio ) and he comments about "us" and "we"... I mean for a start thats the 4th party he will have referred to in those terms this year - and we are still only in September.

Jan Labour - Feb The Independent Group - April Change UK - June Lib Dem.
The lad is a dick.
 
Can anyone explain how democratic it is to ignore a democratic vote and I speak as someone who voted to remain. Am I missing something, the country voted to leave so why is a mainstream party voting to ignore the wishes of the country?
 
Can anyone explain how democratic it is to ignore a democratic vote and I speak as someone who voted to remain. Am I missing something, the country voted to leave so why is a mainstream party voting to ignore the wishes of the country?
The policy is a cynical vote grab that will mysteriously disappear should a hung parliament give her the opportunity to work in a Tory Government.
 
Can anyone explain how democratic it is to ignore a democratic vote and I speak as someone who voted to remain. Am I missing something, the country voted to leave so why is a mainstream party voting to ignore the wishes of the country?

Because we’re a parliamentary democracy and if they win a majority then they will have a mandate from the purist route in UK politics.

Direct democracy isn’t and shouldn’t be UK politics and I, as well as many others, hate referendums.
 
Can anyone explain how democratic it is to ignore a democratic vote and I speak as someone who voted to remain. Am I missing something, the country voted to leave so why is a mainstream party voting to ignore the wishes of the country?

This.

She has some fucking neck saying with a straight face if more people vote for something then it should get done lol.
 
Can anyone explain how democratic it is to ignore a democratic vote and I speak as someone who voted to remain. Am I missing something, the country voted to leave so why is a mainstream party voting to ignore the wishes of the country?

For the Lib Dems to revoke article 50 they would need to achieve the extraordinary feat of winning a general election. Given they're going to be campaigning on the basis they want to revoke article 50, if they were to win (which they obviously won't) you'd have to say that the wishes of the country is to now remain.
 
This.

She has some fucking neck saying with a straight face if more people vote for something then it should get done lol.

I’ve explained why she’s correct.

Our elected parliament is the most important thing in our democracy and it has the right over any non-legally binding referendum.

For a party to win an election and then enact the policy in which they set out in their manifesto, it doesn’t get any more democratic than that in the UK.

They probably won’t get in but the above is true nonetheless.
 
Edited it for you Ban.

It’s not just my opinion, that’s the point.

Parliament is sovereign in the UK and therefore a party that wins, especially if they win a majority, has a mandate to enact their manifesto.

This isn’t up for discussion, it’s the basis of UK democracy and it’s why parliament was able to stop Johnson’s push for no deal, without consulting them.
 
For the Lib Dems to revoke article 50 they would need to achieve the extraordinary feat of winning a general election. Given they're going to be campaigning on the basis they want to revoke article 50, if they were to win (which they obviously won't) you'd have to say that the wishes of the country is to now remain.
Same sketch as when Clegg vowed to scrap tuition fees. It was never going to happen.
 
Can anyone explain how democratic it is to ignore a democratic vote and I speak as someone who voted to remain. Am I missing something, the country voted to leave so why is a mainstream party voting to ignore the wishes of the country?

A simple answer would be democracy does not stand still and any vote is a snapshot of the debate at that given moment in time. As Keynes said "when the facts change I change my mind" and that can be applied universally to any democratic decision. If it didn't we would have permanent government which would in effect would be anti-democratic.
 
A simple answer would be democracy does not stand still and any vote is a snapshot of the debate at that given moment in time. As Keynes said "when the facts change I change my mind" and that can be applied universally to any democratic decision. If it didn't we would have permanent government which would in effect would be anti-democratic.


Good point.
However whether it'll be a sure fire way of gaining extra votes is very debatable.

The country is still divided roughly 50 50 leave/remain.
As a sometime lib dems voter this policy change is off putting.

I'm now almost certain to vote Labour again.
 

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top