Tim Farron, ex- Lib Dem leader backs JKR

Good for him. I met him once too. I didn't vote for him for leader - I wanted Norman Lamb - but I respect him a lot. He is backing Ed. I agree with the poster who said that Layla would be a disaster.

I think Tim Farron is great. Good constituency MP who actually has (had? I’ve moved and can’t remember if he’s still in post) a decent grasp on reality and does try hard on behalf of his area. I don’t agree with his views at all on equal marriage but if there were more decent people in the world who can talk through an idea and agree to disagree then everything wouldn’t look half as bleak.

Oh, for the mind melting powers of the woke where one could get rid of 'problematic language' and erase just one phrase from the lexicon - 'I identify as'.

I get so bloody Yoda when I hear it now. You either are or you aren't. There is no 'identify'.

Oh the many TRAs in the Lib Dems are going to be calling for his head.

At least somebody is making some attempt to say what things are and aren't. If we could have a few essays on what right wing means, what communism means, what left wing means, what socialism means, what fascism means, what libertarian means and so on, maybe we'd get somewhere.

I know. I call it having a 'Liberal identity' rather than being a liberal.

To see just 1 doing a proper explanation and defence of liberalism is better than I thought the situation was though! Half a spine is better than no spine.

I think they probably have, tbh. Most people I speak to about liberalism now, when they describe it, are not describing liberalism at all, they are describing licence.

That is both people who call themselves liberals and people who are their opponents.

Seriously, labels mean fuck all these days.

Oh I'm sure we will see some fauning on this one to appease his 'fanclub' at LGBT libdems and the radical association.

It is nice to see this at least. Someone in the party who has vocally talked about what liberalism is (and isn't). I think that's the first time I've seen it in about 3 years from a LD.

I thought they'd all forgotten what liberalism is!

Already a comment chiding him for having compassion for JKR rather than the poor marginalised transfolk.
Way to totally miss the point!

Farron has always struck me as a proper liberal type. Worth remembering he has fallen foul of his party's puritans before too.

Always had time for him. Met him once. Nice chap.

Will be interesting to see how long it is before he backtracks (I am expecting him to do some sort of backtrack - cos of his 'nice guy' persona - but actually I think he's very much in the JKR camp from his previous comments on liberalism with a small l)

Interesting timing given the party leadership election going on.

Layla will be a disaster for the party if she gets the nod and I suspect Farron knows this too...

@Al1Langdownthecleghole it's not really "be kind", it's classic liberalism. Live and let live, let everyone be heard. Be kind is more like be quiet (unless we agree with everything you say.)

This is what liberalism is supposed to be and always was before. Farron knows this better than most, given how he was cancelled so comprehensively for his personal beliefs on equal marriage. He held a classic liberal position of believing something privately based in his religion, but understanding that his personal beliefs could not override the consensus of society, which had been reached via rational debate and evidence.

I don't even agree with his personal beliefs about equal marriage rights, but I still thought he was a man of integrity who did not seek the detriment of anyone in his politics. But he thought-crimed and if you saw how his personal beliefs were utterly unacceptable even though he was a decent sort, and you didn't see the obsessive cancel culture witch hunts of today coming, then I don't know what to tell you.

I'm hearing a bit of a "be kind" undertone in the description of the gentler, Christian way, but at least he finishes with Orwell.

Good for him!