Sink or swim time for the “Meh” party

THE LibDems, which has the electoral significance of “meh” according to party president Dr Mark Pack, has a new leader, Sir Ed Davey.

The former coalition cabinet minister relied on his years of experience to overshadow his younger opponent Lalya Moran who impudently sneered at Sir Ed’s time in the austerity-heavy Tory government.

But both agreed the party faced total irrelevance. Moran said it was sink or swim time and offered to make the party more radical than Labour.

The 120,000 membership took fright and more than half turned out to vote by roughly five to three for more of the same with steady Eddy.

Eddy is now talking of “tearing down the barriers between the local and national campaign efforts” which some see as code for ‘we lost because we are rubbish at fighting elections, not that we had rubbish policies’.

Once again the big plan is to form a coalition, this time with Tory-lite Labour, yet the LibDem right claims they must appeal to “soft Tory voters” to win. These, the argument goes, were frightened off by socialist ‘demon’ Jeremy Corbyn.

Now politics has returned to normal – a fag paper’s difference between the parties – the political waters are again safe for soft Tories to flirt with the LibDems. So wave goodbye to anything radical Layla Moran, as that might frighten off the fish.

Disastrous previous leader, Jo Swinson, who bet everything on imperiously ditching the democratic Brexit result along with dreams of becoming ‘President’, was swayed off course by the “brilliantly talented defectors” to the party, ‘Sir Ed supporters’ claim, instead of building a bed rock of successful local government.

So no more warm welcomes for “brilliantly talented defectors” just an all out joined-up campaign to win next May’s local elections Sir Ed, or over the edge into the pit of oblivion they go!