The Phillip Lee defection and the Lib Dems

[RedToothBrush]

Jessica elgot@jessicaelgot
The chair of the LGBT Lib Dems has resigned in protest of Philip Lee's acceptance into the party

This is Jennie Rigg.

They've just posted their resignation from the party.

What a shame.

Also the fuckwitted Radical Association have gone into complete meltdown.

Radical Association @radicalassoc
Fundamentally Philip Lee isn't a liberal and we are disappointed that he has been allowed to join the Lib Dems - a move that has already caused resignations of senior & long standing voices within our movement.

This is not in any way a good day for liberalism in the UK.

We will be considering our further response to this; we believe we were right to oppose Lee joining, and will consider ways to officially express that in the coming weeks. We are very sorry and sad to see resignations of great liberals occurring as a result of today.

We will be considering our further response to this; we believe we were right to oppose Lee joining, and will consider ways to officially express that in the coming weeks. We are very sorry and sad to see resignations of great liberals occurring as a result of today.

If you know the back history of this, then the radical association don't understand what liberalism is and are utter fuckwits but hold a substantial amount of influence in the party.

Jennie Rigg going is interesting. And I think having another MP is going to outweigh any amount of wailing this lot are going to do.

thanks Wurzel.

Also, could it be that Lee was staying silent on LGBTQ issues because he felt that was what his voters would want? Cowardly, but not proof he's a bigot of some kind.

Plenty of LGBTQ people remain within the Tory party despite there being non-supportive members in it... the Right wing does have something of an advantage politically in that it feels able to compartmentalise things, whereas the Left sometimes seems hamstrung by it's need for totally political on-message purity or else GTFO.

Sarah Brown has become the latest TRA to quit the Liberal Democrats – as Aimee Challenor owns Vince Cable with a retort as biting as 'fuck this so hard' t.co/l1eFq8qQTH

I'm sure Vince can rise above that wounding jibe

That's a bit of a result. The toxic and misogynistic LGBT group have been responsible for representing the Lib Dems as an anti-women and dangerous to children political party - so many women have left the party because of their influence. Given the LD's awful history in relation to safeguarding and sexual harassment of women, the loss of
these leadinglights dim bulbs represents a bit of progress.

I think Red has a crystal ball. The flouncers will soon be back. They have a taste for being big fish in little pond.

His constituency voted leave, so I suppose he was never going to be their choice again.

It wasn't that clear cut. There were several wards that were counted in with Wokingham so Bracknell came out Leave, while ironically Wokingham, under Redwood came out Remain.

I assume he will lose the seat in an election.

It is unlikely he will be PPC for Bracknell Forest at the next election. It is far more likely that if he wishes to stand again, which is far from certain, that it would be in another more viable constituency. Bracknell is so fucking Tory, you could stick a blue rosette on a sheep and they'd vote for it.

The LDs are in the process of selecting candidates.

To accept Lee as an MP they will have either come to an agreement that he will stand down at the election to allow another candidate to stand, or he automatically gets the PCC position for the LDs.

It's not an area they have an historic present so defending the seat will be tough, but he will have the incumbent effect and in this climate who knows what will happen.

I'm sure Vince won't give two fucks. He can't have too long left in his parliamentary career.

the Right wing does have something of an advantage politically in that it feels able to compartmentalise things, whereas the Left sometimes seems hamstrung by it's need for totally political on-message purity or else GTFO.

That's quite an ironic statement, given that the Tories have just booted out people who've been utterly loyal for years, including recent senior ministers, for putting country before party in one vote. The Tories currently make Momentum look like moderate centerists.

Intolerance and factionalism seem to be the fashion these days: Anarchists seem to have strict codes of conduct, Liberals are anything but. No party seems to believe in pluralism and tolerance.

Sarah Brown has become the latest TRA to quit the Liberal Democrats

So, reading her* departure message (If you ignore all the bits which start with I, it's actually very succinct) it seems that Mr Lee wanted HIV and Hep B screening for immigrants.

I don't think she understands what screening means since she complains:
Note there is nothing about ....screening. It's just "prove you're free of these diseases before we let you in"

Clearly it's unthinkable that a doctor might be concerned with public health policy, so they've concluded he's homophobic. Is that it? Is that really all they've got?

*Caveat pronounor

Is that really all they've got?

DonQuixote I think he also did not vote in favour of gay marriage (not sure if he abstained or voted against.)

Interesting point made up thread about the insistence that a person adheres to every policy (apologies to poster, I am on phone and can't scroll back and keep what I've typed here.)

If I were Vince Cable, I'd be responding to some of these statements in the immortal words of Alistair Burt earlier today:

I've listened to the honourable gentleman [Bill Cash] involuntarily for years. I've no desire to listen to him voluntarily.

Interesting point made up thread about the insistence that a person adheres to every policy

Nothing says Liberal like intolerance of unpopular views on issues of conscience.

That is a great summary. Can see myself muttering 'as DonQuixote says, nothing says.....' a lot!

That is essentially my problem with the LDs.

I have made this point repeatedly to friends and elected LDs.

I have to say I feel rather vindicated by the times story about the culture war, as I've been warning them about it for two years but they've told me they aren't interested and didn't think it was important.

twitter.com/lucianaberger/status/1169551188016152576

Luciana Berger has joined now. I don't know anything about her.

It has been somewhat overshadowed by the Jo Johnson resignation, but Luciana Berger has now joined the LibDems as well : twitter.com/lucianaberger/status/1169551188016152576?s=20

Grateful if anyone knows anything about her thinking, GC or otherwise

Oops - crosspost with the same news...

Luciana B left Labour to join Change. She is good on mental health and women’s pensions, not sure about other women’s issues. She has had some shocking antisemitic abuse. Her grandfather (I think) was Manny Shinwell, a very important Labour MP so it was a huge thing for her to leave Labour.

This response stood out. People generally seem very unhappy about prorogation and these swops are adding to a feeling of disenfranchisement. I'm becoming worried which is counter to my usual 'it will all come out in the wash'.
twitter.com/sarasa191/status/1169552400715325441

Oops - crosspost with the same news...

I saw it at least half an hour ago then came here to see if there was any further info - it is funny how two posters can come up with the same thing at the same time

Not sure if it was clear from my post that I was saying she joined the Lib Dems via Change, like Chuka. She was originally elected on an all women shortlist but I don’t know if she has ever commented on transgender women and all women shortlists.

Angela Smith and Heidi Allen are defecting to the LDs over the coming weeks too by all accounts.

Vince Cable is going and there are rumours that Berger will take a London seat rather than her current one from comments in the Evening Standard today:
www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/LUCIANA-BERGER-JOINS-LIB-DEMS-AFTER-BONDING-WITH-LEADER-JO-SWINSON-OVER-TEA-AND-BABY-CHAT-A4229626.HTML
Luciana Berger joins Lib Dems to fight 'catastrophic' no-deal Brexit
EXCLUSIVE: Former Labour MP struck up friendship with Jo Swinson after discussions about motherhood

I suspect she will be next candidate for Twickenham (they want a woman for the seat).

I have to say I find this article about Berger and Swinson quite depressing in a sense because it doesn't talk about their political ability, just their credentials as mothers. It's great that working mums can work in parliament but at the same time... Yeah kinda pisses me off.

Sarah Brown etc had quite a lot of power within the Lib Dems, it's quite easy to gain power in a small floundering political party. The lib dems have become a big player recently. Its a different ball game, much harder to wield influence in a party that holds a genuine chance of gaining power. It Will be worth watching the lib dems I think. Trouble is I still can't vote for them as I don't think they will ever change their view on prostitution.

If they get rid of the godawful TWAW shit I've been warning them about and replace with an evidence based, on balance stance I'd support them.

I hope they are awake and listening for once.