The news this morning has suggestions that some senior Labour MPs have a plan afoot to defect to the Liberal Democrats, if Labour loses and moves to the left after the next election.
Based on my own experience, I'm not keen. Genuine political conversions do of course happen, but they’re not common.
When I was Lib Dem leader in Haringey, we had to deal with two Labour councillors who made overtures about defecting, just before the 2006 local elections.
We said that we wanted to see evidence of their commitment to the party and its values, and there certainly would be no safe berths for anyone coming over. As I expected, we didn’t hear from them again.
Both approaches were plainly opportunistic and self-serving, from people who had no real interest in, or commitment to the Liberal Democrats, in Haringey or anywhere else. If the Lib Dems win control of the Council next year, I’d expect other such offers of ‘help’.
Angelina Jolie joins forces with the Coalition Government
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William Hague announced a new initiative last night - a UK task force of
experts is to be created to go into conflict zones to get the evidence to
enable...
5 days ago
2 comments:
Neil: Defectors are often not entirely trusted again by either Party A or B, but it is it realistic to expect to see *evidence* by members of Party A, of support for Party B, *before* they move to Party B?
When on these rare occasions there is a defection, it happens overnight, surely for good reasons?
Nor am I. It wouldn't be through principles like 1981. Dirty careerists to my mind, trying to stay in parliament.
Although I don't think there is anything to the story. Paper talk or possibly some other motive.
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