It's not all over for the LibDems

An electrician is a skilled job requiring a good level of education and can charge high rates, may run their own business. So not the same as an odd job man or unskilled labourer. We had a landscaper with a degree in horticulture who could no way be compared to a jobbing gardener , the plumber who owns Pimlico plumbers is a millionaire etc, so just because someone has a particular trade doesn’t mean they have poor education or low income. So I don’t understand the comments about the electrician having a nice house makes sense- he may have a similar or higher income than an academic, this would be taken into account by sophisticated sociological analysis.

My main argument is that all this allocatting people into classes based on occupation and the like are nonsense. I made my comparison to show how across all classes there are more similarities between people on the same income than between people in the same occupation.

M0nica

My main argument is that all this allocatting people into classes based on occupation and the like are nonsense. I made my comparison to show how across all classes there are more similarities between people on the same income than between people in the same occupation.

You just chose the wrong occupation for your comparison, MOnica.

Who's to say that the electrician in question wasn't university educated? There are many artisans, who having been to uni decide not to go down the academic route.

I think that you will find that income is one of the categories used by academics, but also wealth, education, as well as custom and norms are important.

Some see property/assets as a better indication of class than income.

To revert to the original topic. Ed Davey is now saying that the LDs don't need a 'progressive alliance', they can breach the blue wall all on their own.

Hubris, IMO...

It's to be hoped that voters are more pragmatic.

Though, when I look more deeply (on twitter ) he seems to be contradicting himself..

We have this:

twitter.com/LBC/status/1406543007181123584

as opposed to this:

twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1406542738154196993

Puzzled. Where's varian when we need some clarity?

Without saying it directly he has pretty much told voters in batley and spen to vote labour.

If you listen to both clips he is saying that the voters will/may make a choice. What am I not hearing that you see as a contradiction Maizie?

MaizieD

To revert to the original topic. Ed Davey is now saying that the LDs don't need a 'progressive alliance', they can breach the blue wall all on their own.

Hubris, IMO...

It's to be hoped that voters are more pragmatic.

Though, when I look more deeply (on twitter ) he seems to be contradicting himself..

We have this:

twitter.com/LBC/status/1406543007181123584

as opposed to this:

twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1406542738154196993

Puzzled. Where's varian when we need some clarity?

Sorry MaizieD I don't seem to be able to get the twitter clips but I did see Ed Davey on the Marr Show this morning.

He acknowledged that the stunning by-election win at Chesham and Amersham was in part due to tactical voting by those who disliked the Tories and realised that the LibDem candidate was best placed to defeat them. He was careful not to gloat about the poor showing of the Labour and Green Party in this case. He did not spell it out but tacitly acknowledged that there will be other constituencies where one of the other parties are most likely to win and some LibDems may support them.

The next by-election is at Batley and Spen where the Labour candidate is Kim Leadbetter, sister of the late Jo Cox MP who was murdered whilst carrying out her work in her constituency. I would encourage fellow LibDems in Batley and Spen to vote Labour and I very much hope that Kim Leadbetter wins.

I am hopeful that there will be some sort of Progressive Alliance, but I think Ed was probably right to suggest it may not be a formal arrangement but would be down to voters checking out the position of the parties in their constituency and making that informed choice. We just need to hope that the information is clear and people who do not want another Tory government take note.

I am also less impressed by the outlawing of fragrantly breaking all the rules.
Flowers ???can go a long way in making our lives more pleasant.

Dinahmo he isn't, did his training straight from school

The papers this morning were suggesting that Galloway may win in Batley and Spen

M0nica

Dinahmo he isn't, did his training straight from school

The papers this morning were suggesting that Galloway may win in Batley and Spen

Which papers were those, MOnica?

I can see the Lib Dems getting a lot more votes in future. They may end up claiming lots more seats. Labour just don't seem to be able to get up to scratch at the moment. Keir isn't popular with all and the Bercow news could send more votes to the Lib Dems. Which would be great. This 2 horse race is getting boring

Welll there you go- I totally agree. First Past the Post and see sawing between 2 extremes has proven to be a disaster for quite some time. It is not just boring, it is disastrous.

How do we convince enough Labour voters that it is time to reject FPTP?

It's going to be very tough- but it has to be done, somehow. And the need for clever alliances, Constituency by Constituency.

If the Left of Labout doesn't come to understand the realities of FPTP - Tories are likely to win again. Especially as they are again fiddling with Constituency borders so they work in their favour.

In doing so, you get attacked and insulted by both sides- but it is too important, so must just plough on - the message has to get through.

See sawing between extreme left and right is just so destructive for all.

It's actually quite 'funny' to be called a rightwing Tory by some elsewhere, and a left wing Corbynist on the here, really.

twitter.com/RidgeOnSunday/status/1406530154436911104

Maizie the i or Daily Mail. Not sure which.

Sarah Green is sworn in as a Member of Parliament

twitter.com/LibDems/status/1406974645895675906?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

That well informed political magazine "The Spectator "(chairman Andrew Neil) predicted last week "the LibDems will lose on Thursday, most likely fairly badly"

Andrew Neil's hatred of the LibDems, may in part stem from the fact that when he studied politics at Glasgow University, his tutor, Dr Vince Cable did not rate him as highly as he rated himself.

Don't expect to see the LibDems treated fairly on his new TV show.

LOL thanks- had no idea.