Lib Dem successes in last week's local elections
It's been a great result last week for the Lib Dems in England. Nearly two hundred NEW councillors elected. Three NEW councils under the Liberal Democrats' control, bringing the total to sixteen.
Sad that we had no candidate in Tamworth to demonstrate what the swing there to Lib Dems might have been, and of course there were no elections this year in Lichfield or East Staffordshire (wait for next year, though!).
The government's explanation for our success is that it is merely a mid-term protest vote. But without proportional representation they simply cannot know that. They might not find out the true strength of popular opposition to them until it's too late for them!
On the doorsteps (and yes, even when there isn't an election in the year, Lib Dem councillors go out, knock on doors, and listen to what residents have to say), the cost of living crisis and the lies and evasions surrounding "Partygate" were brought up. These undoubtedly were significant contributors to the Tory losses nationwide.
It's not only the crisis itself that worries the people who talk to us, but the perception that the Government seems to have no ideas how to mitigate it - or at least, there are no ideas which appear to be acceptable to their backbenchers.
We're still trying to work out the Johnson government's approach as it lurches from scandal to scandal and crisis to crisis. On taxation, they claim to want a small state, though with all the money they have wasted recently on dud contracts and fighting unnecessary lawsuits, and raising taxation to their highest level in decades, one could wonder.
But when it comes to civil liberties, they want state control over aspects of people's lives and freedoms which have been taken for granted for over a century: attacks on judicial review, freedom of association, sites for travellers, voter ID, third party campaigning, and more.
Lib Dems are not beholden to big business interests or large organisations. We stand for the people of this country, who have demonstrated their trust in us with their votes up and down the country. So how about joining the winning side and our campaign for a fair, free and open society? Perhaps even standing as a Lib Dem candidate? Let us know - we want to hear from you.
