The Lib Dems Are Playing Into The Tories' Hands - And Theresa May Knows It

After the BBC 7 Party debate on Wednesday night, we weren't really left with any new information. But beneath the shouting and petty squabbling, one thing became even more apparent to me. The Lib Dems are indirectly helping the Conservatives.
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After the BBC 7 Party debate on Wednesday night, we weren't really left with any new information. But beneath the shouting and petty squabbling, one thing became even more apparent to me. The Lib Dems are indirectly helping the Conservatives.

You are probably wondering what on earth I'm talking about. After all, the Lib Dems are campaigning against austerity and Theresa May's Hard Brexit. But there's another thing they're campaigning against. And that is Labour.

Painting themselves as the 'Real Opposition' to the Tories, they seem to be focusing their campaign on becoming exactly that, the Official Opposition. They are trying to win votes off Labour, however as we all know, Labour are the only party who can actually beat the Tories. So when they say vote for them, and when they say Labour aren't 'effective opposition', it helps Theresa May.

I had the Lib Dem candidate for my constituency of Macclesfield at my school a few weeks ago. And while the sitting Tory MP refused to turn up until the last 15 minutes of the Q&A session featuring all of the major party candidates out of fear of being trapped over his damaging voting record, the Lib Dem seemed to aim all of his attacks at the Labour candidate. When David Rutley, our Tory MP actually arrived, the Lib Dem barely aimed any attacks at him. Why? It's simple. It's because the Liberal Democrats have no intention of fighting the Tories. They want power again. They want to fight Labour and be the opposition.

These constant attacks on Labour are meaning that some of the Labour voters are considering switching to the Lib Dems. And all that does it guarantee a Tory majority. It seems rather hypocritical that Tim Farron claims his party are the 'real opposition', when all they did between 2010-2015 was prop up the cruel Tory government and help push through their austerity programme.

On many occasions, Farron has refused to rule out another coalition with the Tories. In fact it was only in April that he ruled one out. But why should we trust the word of a man who's personal views have on occasions got in the way of his politics? Why should we trust the party who helped the Tories push through so many policies? Why should we trust the party who's main election pledge in 2010 was to get rid of Tuition fees, but in fact helped to treble them?

It's also worth mentioning, how good is a Lib Dem opposition going to be if the Tories get a huge majority? They won't be able to effectively oppose anything. But the only way they can form this opposition is by defeating Labour, which is exactly why they have focused their campaign mostly on fighting Corbyn.

Surely, as a fellow Left leaning party who claim to want to stop the Tories Austerity and Hard Brexit, they should focus on fighting just that? This is a unique election where there is a clear choice between two parties. Any other election and I'd understand completely why they are fighting Labour. But on this occasion? No. It makes no sense. The Lib Dems and Tim Farron are power hungry.

Look at the Greens. They know there is no way they'll be elected. But they also acknowledge that only Labour can defeat the Tories. And the truly fantastic Caroline Lucas has been very vocal on Twitter for example in encouraging Jeremy Corbyn to join in with the debate etc. This is the kind of party who truly want to make a difference to the country. The Lib Dems are focused on a pointless vendetta of defeating Labour and becoming the opposition because they are bored of being that insignificant party that every now and again has a small resurgence. But even the SNP are bigger than them now. And they aren't showing much signs of real progress.

Tim Farron needs to get his priorities straight. All that should matter is making June the end of May. But clearly, he doesn't even want to try and do that. All he wants is the fancy title of Leader of the Opposition so him and his party seem to be even the slightest bit more significant.

My message to the Lib Dems is this. We are stronger when we are all together. Let's fight the Tories as a united group of progressives. I'm not talking necessarily a Progressive Alliance. Just stop attacking Labour and fight the real issue here. The truly horrendous and cruel Conservative Government of Theresa May. Because only then can we beat them.

What's more important to you Tim, Labour defeating the Tories and ending austerity or the Tories winning? Because those are the only two scenarios that can actually happen.

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