Lib Dem's wondering where their members went

[mumsandaunties]

I just got this email from the membership officer of our local Lib Dem party.

I’ve been looking at our membership data for the last 4 year, and I’ve noticed a steady decline in our membership, and I understand that you were all once members during that time, but have since lapsed, or resigned.

You will all have different, perfectly good reasons for lapsing your memberships, but I’ve been asked by the Exec committee to understand what the main reasons are.

Hmm...what could it be causing people to leave? It's a head scratcher for sure.

I am really stuck. I am in a new constituency (redrawn boundaries) and will have the choice of two sitting MPs. One Tory (my current MP, Boris-intake, no obvious talents or even personality), one LibDem (recent by-election win, appears to be hard-working, attends Commons, tables questions, seems sensible). No other party projected to get more than 2-3% vote share.

I wrote to both recently about the conversion therapy ban - similar letters, SexMatters template slightly personalised to my experience and to audience. I got a sensible reply from the Rt hon Tory. Nothing from Rt Hon LD. whilst I recognise the latter is not my MP, it is not a good way to win supporters in a target constituency.

I can't vote Tory and I don't want them in government for lots of non-gender reasons. I have previously voted LibDem. I am hoping he will come to the doorstep, and I will certainly attend hustings. But LD policy PLUS no letter is bad sign. I am currently in the ranks of the politically homeless and helpless

I'm in my 70s. I joined the Young Liberals at the age of 16 in 1968. We called ourselves libertarian socialists and in the flush of youth wanted to rid the world of racism (At that time protesting apartheid was particularly important ) and inequality. At the time, I was also a member of the European Movement and as a YL was active in campaigning for a yes vote in the first referendum
I wasn't enthralled with some of the views of the new membership when the Liberals joined with the SDP but I contined to be active, in community politics even standing for the local council. (got within 25 votes in a long term Tory seat).
For me the Lib Dems lost credibility when they went into government with the Conservatives. Their U turn on student fees was a kick in the teeth.

I'm no longer a member. Their present day views on women astound me. I wouldn't rejoin without a big policy change. Nevertheless, I will continue to vote Lib Dem. They continued to fight for European membership and this was important to me. Locally, our present councillor is an older woman, a member of Liberal voice for women . In National elections, the Conservative has a big majority, he's just lobby fodder, does little but vote with the whip. Labour has no chance so I'll probably vote Lib Dem.

A friend quit the party over this, sexism with in the party and bullying within the party. She told them explicitly why she was leaving.

She then got asked three or four more times why she left and if she'd consider rejoining.

At this point she told them she felt that she was being harassed and if they continued to do so she'd take action.

That was when they got the message she wasn't interested.

The fact that they haven't got this issue on their radar as to why women have left speaks volumes.

Technically I believe it falls under legitimate purposes about membership. But they shouldn't be continuing past a certain point to hold onto your data. They should only keep your details for a short period after leaving.

Oh, also, I was kicked out of the Lib Dem women’s group on Facebook by a man.

Has anyone got anything they can send me about LDs not wanting out vote if we are GC? Something “official” from the party?
I am in ED constituency and I’d like to show it to him or his mates if they come knocking

I'd also like something, Labour have said they aren't going to contest this seat in a general election and the Lib Dems have a real chance of ousting the long standing Conservative MP and usually knock on the door and run away

I guess we all have to decide which issues matter to us most. I will vote conservatives because they are the only party stating the bleeding obvious, and it is my main issue. Although I absolutely accept that it is under their watch that we've got to this point in the first place. So strange though, what's happened to Lib Dems and Greens. I've voted for both previously.

I wasn't a member but have voted for them in the past and got emails from them. The I received THAT email from Lynne Featherstone telling me that women who don't included men in their feminism aren't real feminists

Ok bye then!

Lynee Featherstone sent this out in an email:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womensrights/3496404-Message-from-Lynne-Featherstone-Lib-Dems

LDs: TWAW! Women can have penises!
us: Because of this nonsense, we are leaving you
LDs: Why are you leaving us?
Us: We told you. See above.
LDs: TWAW! Women can have penises!

I would have left over the TWAW obsession, but I already had left in 2019 over the utter clownishness of the Jo Swinson period. I have voted Lib/Lib Dem all my adult life. I am now partyless and rather enjoying it. I occasionally muse about what I am going to write when I spoil my ballot paper.....

Nah, I'll vote, but I'll make my decision on the day based on my evaluation of which party is likely to do the least damage. Which kind of restricts me to the main parties. And I live in a Labour stronghold, so a spoilt ballot may be the rational way to go.

We'll see.

Remember the way Tim Farron was treated? I'm not Catholic and I'm pro-choice but I still think that he was treated appallingly. It's possible to be privately opposed to abortions but not seek to remove the right for others to sort it out with their own consciences. Being Catholic should not be a bar to public office.

Farron is evangelical, I think. Not Catholic.

Just say your Lib Dem vote has transitioned and now identifies with another party

Its interesting to see their stance hasn't boosted their membership.

Ha ha, brilliant.

Isn’t it just

I don’t understand anyone who’d vote for a party that has loudly declared they don’t want your vote. Aside from the stupidity of that as a strategy you’re just debasing yourself

The fact that they haven't got this issue on their radar as to why women have left speaks volumes

they know. Unless they've been living under a rock the last 5 years at least. They have been emailed by many many people over the years, so has labour for that matter.
There are some amazing women still in both parties, trying to be heard. I cant fault them for trying. It's getting them nowhere, but good on them for trying at all.

They dont want to hear. For whatever reasons, they dont care about women. Think we are lying, over egging it, should be kind and budge up, think men are the most important people, all men of any gender identity.
They and labour can shove it. So too conservative but they have at least started some moves away from identity politics.

Ex Alliance Party member in NI here waves I could have written this. My sentiments exactly. Alliance, who are loosely related to the Lib Dems, have lost my trust as they have been so extreme, irrational and dishonest on this issue. They were the only party I could vote for in NI (it's a low bar, tbf). Now I am politically homeless. I wouldn't trust them to open a paper bag.

Paedophile party, them and the greens. A safeguarding nightmare. David and Aimee Challenor.

Paedophile David Challenor raped a ten year old girl, in Coventry, AC Used him as an election agent for the greens, then Aimee was taken in by the liberals who let AC have too much to do with young liberals when AC is a safeguarding back hole.

No way on earth am I voting for either of those parties again in a very long time and not until something's has changed drastically in either party.

The Liberals were the party of Cyril Smith, Clement Freud and Jeremy Thorpe. Could anyone ever have any doubt that they prioritised the satisfying of powerful males' sexual desires over the rights of women, children, and lower status men? A nasty bunch, always were, no reason to expect a successor party to be any different.

It depends on the reasons they gave for collecting and processing the data when members provided it. If they said they would only use if for membership purposes, then they should not be using it to contact ex-members (though they are allowed to retain the data for a reasonable period and indeed may be required to do so, e.g. for tax purposes re membership fees). But I suspect you will find that they gave themselves more leeway, and that their Fair Processing/Privacy notice allows them to use the data to contact former members too.

Yeah this. I have never been a member, but I used to vote tactically for them as in a Tory-LD marginal. Never again.

2010 was my second GE where I had the vote. I voted LD because of their position on student fees. I learnt my lesson then.