"Being ignored is a nightmare for any politician. You don't win votes if no-one knows who you are. You don't get a tick in the box if the name on the ballot paper means nothing to the voter clutching their stubby pencil in the voting booth. In the last couple of years the Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, has bungee-jumped, jet-skied, and even ridden a hobby horse into the public's imagination."
"He proved there is wisdom in playing the clown in politics - if it gets you attention. But too much clowning around might not look so smart. And while the government is unpopular, and the Conservatives seem miles from any kind of recovery, the Lib Dems have not been the main beneficiaries from their mutual misery. As the Lib Dems gather in Bournemouth this weekend for their annual get together, there will be a certain amount of understandable jollity."
The Liberal Democrats raised public recognition through high-profile, attention-grabbing stunts by leader Sir Ed Davey, contributing to unexpected general election success. The party achieved further gains in recent council elections, gained dozens of new MPs, and restructured its front bench. Despite government unpopularity and Conservative weakness, the Lib Dems have not been the primary beneficiaries of that discontent. The party's annual conference in Bournemouth combines celebratory atmosphere with strategic questioning about future direction. A central internal concern focuses on ensuring electoral gains represent a durable advance rather than a temporary surge.
Read at www.bbc.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]