A week on from Jo Swinson’s election as leader of the Liberal Democrats, we asked readers to share their views on the future of the party.
People from across the UK told of their hopes for the party under its new leader and the strength of the Lib Dems’ clear anti-Brexit line. While many readers were hopeful for an invigorated movement, others can’t forget the party’s involvement in the coalition and its support for austerity and other policies when in government. Below is a selection of your views.
‘I’d have to see a huge white flag for their role in austerity’
The Lib Dems are in the most promising position they have been in years, but they’ll have to resist the urge to rely on their anti-Brexit USP to win back disaffected ex-voters like myself. I would have to see a huge white flag in respect of their role in austerity, and a comprehensive set of ambitious policies to address inequality and environmental catastrophe. I switched my vote to Labour after the Lib Dems seemed to drink too much of the neoliberal/austerity Kool-Aid in coalition with the Conservatives.
Jo Swinson has energy, youthfulness and goodwill in her favour. She does not have a convincing record of progressive voting. I’d be willing to let sleeping dogs lie with regards to the coalition missteps if they come out strongly in favour of truly progressive economic and environmental policies. James, 27, London
‘There’s genuine hope for a new liberal movement in the UK’
I was a paid-up member of the party from 2010-2017 but couldn’t vote for Tim Farron due to his equivocation over gay sex as a sin. Jo Swinson is a brilliant force for change. She’s intelligent, articulate and experienced for someone who’s yet to turn 40. She will challenge both Boris Johnson’s bluffing buffoonery and Jeremy Corbyn’s hard-left idealism. With her at the helm there is genuine hope for a new liberal movement to rise again in the UK. For a younger woman to strike out and offer a new path to follow will give great success to the party, as it did in New Zealand with Jacinda Ardern and in New York with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. These people are the caring future of our politics and I’ve no doubt Swinson will quickly develop a larger supporter base in the UK. Tom Williams, 41, Leicester
‘The Lib Dems are Jekyll to the Tories’ Hyde’
Swinson’s voting record is far too problematic for me ever to consider voting Lib Dem again. I regard the Lib Dems as Jekyll to the Tories’ Hyde. By becoming a single-issue “stop Brexit” party, they risk consigning themselves to irrelevance once again, since it’s highly unlikely that Johnson will call another referendum or unilaterally revoke article 50. A shift towards the Greens might be helpful, but I can’t see Swinson being too enthusiastic about that given her voting record. There’s a reason why she’s publicly courting disenchanted Tories; they have very similar politics and ideology. Chris Hughes, 41, East Anglia
‘I hope they will act with more integrity’
I still have a lingering feeling of betrayal after their actions in the coalition government. As a regular undecided voter however, many of their policies meet my desires. Remain, support for education, higher taxes to pay for public services. I don’t feel I can vote Labour under Corbyn, so it’s Lib Dem or Green now. Fingers crossed Swinson can start to make me believe again. They need to remain a strong voice for a second referendum, but also ensure they have believable policies in other areas too. I suspect they will end up kingmakers again, let’s hope they act with more integrity next time. Andrea Hales, 44, Worcestershire
‘It’s time we forgave them’
It’s about time we forgave them their errors in coalition. It’s not as if the Conservatives or Labour have not broken promises or made a total hash of stuff in the past. They are the only middle ground party and the only ones committed to electoral reform. I would personally vote Green but the only way to do that effectively is to edge towards PR. They need to hold the balance of power at the very least. Currently there is no effective opposition to anything. Steve, 61, Kent
‘They’ve been unfairly punished’
I think the party has been unfairly punished for the worst decisions of the coalition. I hope that the party can be a beacon of hope in a world of increasingly extremist and uninformed views. I hope the party will be able to capitalise on the anti-Brexit feeling among large parts of the population and lead through the middle, growing its support base and number of MPs in any future election. I voted for Swinson because she is young, fresh, passionate, intelligent, articulate and speaks with authority on a range of topics. I think she can lead the party out of its recent difficult past. Fiona Sweetman, 53, Carlisle
‘Their best hope is to form a coalition with Labour’
I think there is a huge chasm in politics at the moment and I feel there is great potential for the Liberal Democrats to fill that void. However, splitting the vote of remain-leaning or left-leaning parties is a problem. The Lib Dems need to manage their image and not be seen as a dumping ground for washed-up Tories and Blairites. I hope I am not alone in my belief that most who are anti-Brexit or centre-left see the benefit of the Lib Dems attracting votes that would otherwise go to the Conservatives. I feel the best hope for the party (and country) is to force a coalition government with Labour. Rob, 26, West Midlands
‘By denouncing Corbyn’s Labour Swinson is alienating young voters’
While I understand Brexit is the defining issue of our age, it cannot be a one-issue party. In the short term this may win it some success, but there needs to be longer-term policy planning and a seismic shift in how it projects itself and how it is perceived for it to remain a lasting political force.
I was pleased by Jo Swinson’s election as leader in spite of her role in enabling Conservative austerity during the coalition government. But I was disconcerted by her statements in the press saying that she would rule out a Lib Dem pact with Labour under Corbyn. Who is she appealing to by making this assertion? By denouncing Corbyn’s Labour, Swinson is effectively alienating millions of young voters who swung to Labour in 2017 because of Corbyn and because of his engaging social democratic brand of politics. Eugene, 36, London
