To join the Liberal Democrats?

[Burntcustard]

I have watched the Tory -UKIP- conference with a mounting sense of horror. The casual 'othering' of non-native British, the priority given to cutting immigration no matter what the economic consequences, the naked nationalism, the dismissal of the educated, the increased power in a PM who wants to bypass an elected parliament. This is not the tolerant, welcoming country I thought I lived in.

Corbyn has rendered Labour unelectable. Anyone else on for joining the Liberal Democrats?

I have always considered myself Labour but voted Lib Dem for tactical reasons.

I cannot identify with the cult of Corbyn and I cannot forgive him for his pitiful stance in the run up to the referendum.

I've joined the Lib Dems because they are the only party talking sense and committing to fight for our place in Europe.

I was anti-Clegg during the coalition but I can now see how hard the Lib Dems fought back against the Tories during that time and diluted how much damage the Tories could do.

The systematic dismantling of the NHS and blatant xenophobia of the current government is shameful. I am genuinely deeply disturbed by the policies coming out at the moment, the normalizing of 'othering', the xenophobic language. Where it could be leading terrifies me and I think the Lib Dems are a voice of reason and an emerging force to be reckoned with amidst the madness...

Have you seen this: www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/07/lse-brexit-non-uk-experts-foreign-academics?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Facebook

Go join your irrelevant party which represents your minority views perfectly and have fun.

Er, would you care to elaborate? Are you referring to anyone in particular?

I do wish people wouldnt be so cryptic

Its getting late, i am getting tired

I cant work who is insulting whom anymore

Thank you Floods, we will. Both UKIP and the SNP were considered irrelevant once so there is always hope.

I'm sort of feeling the same way and I can't quite believe it of myself. I've been a Labour member/activist for years. But they're just not my people anymore - it's the Corbyn Way or the Wrong Way. Question anything Corbyn's said or done and you're just shut down. I'm gutted about it really. I won't decide yet - I'm too Labour to just walk away easily.

Who are the Liberal Democrats? Are they related to Tim Farron, 'I dont respect democracy and want the country to keep voting until they get a result I like'?

If you check out the LibDem website, they are not proposing a rerun of the referendum. However, they do propose a referendum on whatever deal is negotiated, which will include the option of staying in the EU once it's clear exactly what the alternative is. That does not seem undemocratic to me, especially as May is tearing up the manifesto and foisting her own interpretation of Brexit on us without a vote by our elected representatives in Parliament.

ok, so what are the terms of the second referendum? A negotiated exit by elected governments or terms of surrender a now hostile EU forces on us?

Ummm that's a rerun of the referendum on steroids. Lib Dems haven't though this through, have they?

The terms of the referendum would be something along the lines of "This is the detail of the deal the EU is offering us. Do you say want to go with this or would you rather stay in the EU?" Not sure how that is in anyway a bad thing. At least it would be based on fact rather than hypotheticals.

Replying to question who would I vote for

I always bite labour and agree they are a disgrace at the moment and not fit to run the country

I am not sure maybe an independent, the women's equality party or spoil my paper

If the country was to reject the proposals then what was the vote to leave or remain all about that would be challanged and the whole process would go on for years

And I don't believe the rest of Europe are going negotiate a plan that we may or may not like they have to adjust to the uk not being in the EU they won't be left dangling on a string while we dither that's why they are pushing us to do it asap

YANBU. I think their legacy in the last government has improved infinitely since people have witnessed what a shitshow the Tories are without them. In fact, the 'lies' of the tuition fees feel very insignificant in light of the blatant lies told by the leave campaign during Brexit.

Apparently, despite what I believe a lot of people thought, the vote on Brexit was really only about getting rid of all foreigners living and working in England, N Ireland and Wales, not necessarily only those of a different faith (even though many of them are second or third generation Britons as well as being Muslims). It seems its purpose was to ratify racism and xenophobia. Who knew? Certainly not Cameron.
DrinkMilkAndKickAss. Yes. Absolutely.
(No, BurntCustard (is that an Archers ref, btw?), YANBU!)

Do you say want to go with this (deal the EU is offering us) or would you rather stay in the EU?" Not sure how that is in anyway a bad thing.
If all the EU has to do to keep us in the club is to offer us a shit on steroids deal then they will just offer us a shit on steroids squared deal. Say wat?

When we leave the EU it is us that will be offering the EU a deal, we voted to take back control from the EU not give them more! Doh!

Tim Farron is trying to subvert democracy, why not be honest and say if the Lib Dems win the next election they will take us back into the EU.

Sorry, anon, think you're missing the point - the EU has no need of the UK. It needs to show that it is a cohesive union and it will give no concessions to a small ex-Empire country which deludedly believes it still rules the world, so that none of its other members will think they can dictate their own terms and still be part of the Union.

I joined after brexit for the reasons mentioned by others also think they did reign in tories. Know someone who worked in the press team and said that the majority of their work was trying to make sure the public knew what we're lib dem policies as the tories stole or took credit for their good ideas.
Find myself in a bit of buyers remourse as think they are a bit vanilla but can only change it if you are in it.

I'm a lib dem member and found joining was a breeze and opened up a new network of friends.
Prior to that they had my vote for a number of years. Apart from the dark, naive days of Clegg, I have always thought that I had made the right decision. It is a shame that the majority of my membership time has coincided with the coalition. Having said that, the local parties have always been great and made an amazing contribution to local government.
I am a big supporter of Tim Farron. Having friends and family who know and work with him just reinforces my opinion that j is a hard working public servant with his heart in the right place.
YANBU to join the party if you share the views. They are the only party that opposes brexit so YANBU to join if you are concerned about the future either.

I'm a floating voter and will react to local considerations when casting a vote, but Lib Dem tends to be my default ground.

I voted for them in 2010 and 2015. During the coalition years, I accepted that as the minority partner they would have to make unpleasant concessions on their manifesto. I felt the rap they got over tuition fees was unfair- plenty of goverments in stronger positions have made u-turns. I felt that they were a moderating force on the Conservatives and doubt that softer policies like free school meals for R and KS1 or same sex marriage would have been passed without their influence.

I'm hoping that UKIP are finished. At the better end of their agenda, they've achieved their mission of Brexit. All that is left is the ugly xenophobic end. Without Farage, they look like they'll do a nice job of ripping themselves apart. Farage is astute enough to know that the ship will be sinking now.

Labour look to be in the long haul for bitter divisions like the Conservatives post 2007. At a local level, my "Labour" "lead" council are acting despicably, shutting down the city services, splashing out money on inane "street art" and stripping TAs of up to 25% of their salaries by dumping new conditions on them in a way that would make Jeremy Hunt wince.

Nationalist parties don't apply to my area, but referendum fatigue could hit the SNP in future elections. Also their success in 2015 could backfire in a way similar to the LDs in 2010.

And the Conservatives? I object to their agenda in education and health in particular.

The Lib Dems seem to have taken last year's drubbing fairly stoically- at least their lack of media attention has given them time to lick their wounds in private. When I hear Lib Dems, they seems to maintain sensible voices of reason. Also when my council was run by the Lib Dems and Conservatives, it seemed to run quite effectively.

I'm a Lib Dem so YANBU

I'm quite happy with Nick Clegg staying where he is though, and I imagine so is he. He's the EU spokesman, he's the best person by far to be in that role as an ex MEP, it's good that he can focus on it because so important. Being leader just brings you all sorts of extra problems.

I so agree though that local parties are variable in how responsive they are, it's all volunteers and depends so much on how active/effective your local people happen to be. It's a shame but same with all parties really.

If you happen to live not too far from a constituency boundary no harm in googling for the local party in the neighbouring one and explain you aren't getting much love and see what happens! Could be wrong but I don't think there's any actual rule says you have to be in the local branch from exactly where you live.

You can join the Liberal Democrats in a neighbouring constituency if that is where your help will be most effective.

Until we get rid of the ludicrously undemocratic FPTP system we need to think tactically. Most of us do not have a choice of where to vote (although students and others with a second home do as long as they only vote once) but you can volunteer to campaign for the LibDems in any constituency.

We need as many LibDem MPs as possible to avoid a hard-brexit Tory/May Party/UKIP landslide.