Birmingham Lib Dem leader compares Labour counterpart to Hitler

Labour overtures to the Lib Dem group on Birmingham council with its leader comparing his Labour counterpart to Hitler.

Labour overtures to the Liberal Democrat group on Birmingham council to form a new progressive administration for the city have been rebuffed, with its leader comparing his Labour counterpart to Hitler. Just for good measure, Lib Dem councillor Paul Tilsley compared himself to Winston Churchill. He said:

 “If we were to jump into bed with Labour it would be a bit like Churchill joining forces with Hitler after the war.”

While progressive Lib Dems in the Westminster parliament argue that the mathematics of respective strengths of the parties in the House of Commons makes a Labour-Lib Dem coalition impossible, this is not the case in Birmingham. This is the second consecutive election on which Labour has received the most votes in local elections, and it is the largest party on the 120-member council, only six short of a majority:

After last week’s election results, Nick Clegg’s party faces a choice about whether to be a force for centre-left politics or a prop for Conservative administrations. It appears that Liberal Democrats in Birmingham have made their choice. 

18 Responses to “Birmingham Lib Dem leader compares Labour counterpart to Hitler”

  1. kny

    RT @NuLabourNemesis: RT @leftfootfwd: Mummy, mummy! That man said "Hitler"! http://bit.ly/jGeooD #GodwinsLawFail

  2. Ed's Talking Balls

    The Lib Dems have recent form for such hyperbole: witness Chris Huhne’s outrageous slur against Baroness Warsi, comparing her to Goebbels. I do wish people would stop and think before making Nazi comparisons. It’s cheap.

    Regarding the Birmingham result, I agree with you that the logical coalition would be between Labour and Lib Dem. I firmly believe that the most popular party should have a right to govern, if not alone then as the senior partner in coalition. That is why I was firmly against the proposal for a ludicrous ‘rainbow alliance’ after the general election, and it was in my thinking when I voted to retain FPTP.

  3. Martin McGrath

    "Birmingham LD leader compares Labour counterpart to Hitler" http://bit.ly/llrhP9 <– That'll be the progressive majority in action, then?

  4. Daniel Pitt

    Birmingham Lib Dem leader compares Labour counterpart to Hitler: http://bit.ly/k6ZoOR #ConDemNation

  5. Northants Patriot

    RT @kevinmckeever: RT @leftfootfwd: Birmingham Lib Dem leader compares Labour counterpart to Hitler: http://bit.ly/k6ZoOR by @DanielElto …

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