I wouldn't want to be savaged for failing to mention the selection of Dan Roper as the new LibDem candidate in the "key seat" of Broadland for the next election, so I thought I'd blog something to make him feel important. As it happens I like Dan, who frequently comments on this blog, and I am sure he will put up a good fight.
However this effort from his website did make me laugh - even for the LibDems this is a bit of spin too far!
"It had been rumoured that the national party would "parachute" a big name into this key seat. However it soon became clear that Mr Roper had such overwhelming support from the local party that he was selected unopposed."
Are they honestly expecting us to believe that hundreds of LibDem hopefuls wanted to be selected for this top target marginal seat and were put off because the entire membership rallied around Dan? Surely there was ONE LibDem, somewhere, who would have made a contest of this?
Ridiculous - they know what we all know which is that the LibDems stand no chance whatsoever here. As good a candidate as I am sure Dan Roper is, the fact is that nobody else wanted to put their time and effort into this one. The lack of LibDem effort speaks volumes about their hopes here.
Come on, Dan, you're a decent guy so lose the spin and fight a positive campaign. This sort of stuff makes us laugh but the public must despair with statement like that; it's almost like you're taking them for fools. Either that, or you are desperate to convince yourself that you stand a chance ... which is it?
9 comments:
Antony
3 Lib Dem By-election victories in the Broadland seat last year from the "lack of Lib-Dem effort" isnt bad is it?
D.Thomas
D. Thomas -
Broadland is my constituency having been moved into it from Norwich North. The Liberal Democrats do not stand a chance here at parliamentary level. I think people know what they are voting for and won't elect your party for government whereas they might at a district council by-election.
The fact that only one person in the whole country wanted to be the Liberal Democrat candidate doesn't surprise me.
Regards
Simon
Antony,
You have been keen to quote Political calculus in the past - the notional 2005 result for Broadland:
Con 18344
Lib 17828
Lab 10310
Norwich South
Lab 15611
Lib 12339
Con 8772
On that score Roper seems to stand a better chance than you. Particularly as the Lib Dems did next to no campaigning in Mid Norfolk in 2005 so there is a lot of scope to improve.
As the sites predictions go on national swings it looks like the Tories will hold Broadland - then again the site says Labour will hold Norwich North...
Con
Keep telling yourself that Anthony. I seem to recall Iain Dale being the next MP for North Norfolk too.
Anthony how many other applicants were there for Tory PPC for Norwich South? Clearly Great Yarmouth was contested but was Norwich South?
As I was only involved in the sharp end of the selection (!) I am not totally sure, but enough to lose people at all stages (sift, interview & EGM stages).
The 3 other candidates at the final meeting were all very strong and I believe have gone on to find other seats. The field in 10 was much stronger than that for 05 from what I remember.
The 6 things that put me off voting LibDems in Bowthorpe/South Norwich:
1) £2m Norwich misaccounting 4-5 years ago.
2) LibDem (Cuckoo)literature claiming total credit of local issues (mending road junction) that other councillors/locals have campaigned hard for, and succeeded.
3) LibDem negative campaigning and in many cases deceit over events.
4) LIT preference, local tax unheaval and illogic.
5) David Thomas - Don't trust the man. Parachuted candidate for Bowthorpe. Negative and dirty tactics campaigning.
6) Simon Wright - a policical pigmy compared to other PPCs.
I can remember the disaster for the Tories in North Norfolk 2005.
I do like Iain Dale although he is slavish. He failed to understand the local area and was not very good at politics if I can recall. Furthermore he thought that the good citizens of North Norfolk would respond well to a purely internet campaign which failed to deliver. He was a poor candidate.
If you look at his academic credentials - he studied German at UEA. Not something that would give him a great insight into politics.
Iain Dale has been unable to get a seat and sadly will miss out on becoming an MP this time round. I can remember a previous commentator who posted on your blog saying something very similar. Give up politics Iain. You are not very good at it.
To follow on from Anon. The Lib Dem administration in Norwich was an absolute failure.
They nearly bankrupted the Council and even now the Labour admin is recovering from the Lib Dem period if office.
Hence the first point made.
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