A progressive case for backing her party on Thursday.
On Thursday, Remainers have a choice to make. To make your voice heard, and to make your vote count, you will have to vote for the clear-Remain party who has the best chance of representing your views in Europe.
As polls over the past few weeks have indicated, that party is the Liberal Democrats.
It saddens me deeply that there’s no unified remain slate in these elections, as we’ve always been a party of collaboration, and a party who want to see proportional representation.
It’s a matter of fact that we reached out to Change UK, yet they tried to go after our members and donors, a tactic that has failed drastically for them. We’ve previously tried to make an alliance work with the Greens in my patch, but the plan was refused.
We’ve reached out to the Labour leadership, and called on them to represent the significant part of their party who want to remain in the European Union. However Jeremy Corbyn has consistently voted against Europe since the 1980s, and has refused to unequivocally back a People’s Vote.
We will work in the future with any of these parties, if they are willing to work with us.
This is not about progressives squabbling with each other, this is about stopping Brexit.
I recently joined More United, a highly effective forward thinking organisation whose name comes from the immortal words of Jo Cox, “We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us”.
Opposition to Brexit is what we have in common, and this is what we need to unite around.
Let’s not underestimate the opposition either. Nigel Farage is a well-funded dangerous populist, who is closely aligned with Trump, Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, and ultimately Putin. Make no mistake, he is the ‘alt-right’ in this country.
The Liberal Democrats are second in the latest YouGov poll behind his Brexit Party, but a long way second. We need as much support as we can get to take our country back from the brink.
I appreciate that many of you reading this would not instinctively vote Liberal Democrat. However I think that if you look at our policies, you will find common ground.
We would make Britain carbon zero by 2045, and the EU by 2050. We would instruct the state to build 300,000 social houses a year. We would bring around drug reform. We would end austerity. (You can read our manifesto for these elections here.)
The progressive left and the centre ground can not give up seats in Europe to those who espouse the politics of hatred and division because we were too busy bickering about who was the first to call for a People’s Vote. Bollocks to Brexit. Vote Liberal Democrat on Thursday.
Wera Hobhouse is the Liberal Democrat MP for Bath.
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7 Responses to “Wera Hobhouse: The Lib Dems are now our best chance for stopping the Brexit Party”
tony cripps
I read your article but sorry I just don’t believe the Lib Dems, after the antics of the local MP here, Stephen Lloyd, the speed of which your party lept into bed with Cameron’s Tories, I’ll vote Labour thanks
Marcus McDowell
Whilst I sympathise with the Lib Dems’ predicament in solidly backing Remaining in the EU, I cannot and will not vote Lib Dem. I will not vote Lib Dem first and foremost because I’m a Labour Party member. The reason I’m a Labour Party member is because of the austerity policies imposed upon the under privileged in this country by the coalition government of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. When the time came to stand up for the unrepresented, and fight for their rights, the Liberal Democrats chose instead to seek power rather than help vulnerable members of society.
Now I’m supposed to believe that the Liberal Democrats have redeemed themselves and their austerity buttressing days are behind them; this is about the people who are in need you say. What I actually see is a party that sold its principles to the devil in a vain pursuit of power now scrabbling around in a desperate attempt to rekindle the centre ground of British politics. This centre ground to which you cling is founded upon the desolation of society, itself a growth from the seeds of despair sown by Thatcher’s emasculation of society.
The Liberal Democrats are far from a progressive party: they are small ‘c’ conservatives seeking to return to a false utopian early 2000s period of history.
When the Liberal Democrats were led by Charles Kennedy I had genuine respect for them; you were a real alternative to Tony Blair and a Labour Party that had bought a first class ticket on the neo-Liberal gravy train.
For now, you may be the main party of Remain, but to me, you remain the party of austerity.
I will be voting Labour, despite their pathetic policy towards Brexit. Real people are suffering as a result of your austerity, and you offer nothing to resolve this.
Patrick Newman
I agree with the two posts above which also use their real names! Cable as the current leader was part of the most right-wing government since World War II and was at the centre of austerity decision making which has led to the state as reported by Prof Alson in his damning UN report. It was Cable that led on privatising Royal Mail and failed to develop an industrial strategy. Other were no better. Take Lamb who as a health minister presided over the funding squeeze on the NHS from which we are all suffering now. He has the cheek to complain about the provision of mental health services – even the media seem to have a short memory of his recent past life!
Tom Sacold
What a load of nonsense. The Limp Dumbos are simply pink Tories with something like a conscience.
Only votes for socialists will do. Vote for Jeremy’s Labour Party.
Patrick Newman
The LD’s to describe themselves as progressives is vomit inducing. They did not just sup with the Osborne devil they took to wearing his clothes and sleeping at the foot of his bed!