James Heale has just posted this on the Spectator website:
The Spectator has seen a leaked memo drawn up by Dave McCobb, the Lib Dems' campaigns director. Addressed to senior staff in party HQ, it sets out plans for 'Operation New Home'. This initiative aims to ‘reach out’ to liberally-minded 'Conservative councillors across the country who would be open to joining the Lib Dems.'
The Liberal Democrats are now trying to copy a model that Reform has exploited to great effect: luring Tory defectors to their side.
According to McCobb, the party's troops have received intelligence that ‘One Nation Conservatives on the ground' are 'feeling more and more alienated by their party' with plans to leave the ECHR and overhaul the Climate Change Act two factors being cited. 'We need to be ready for more Conservative councillors to cross the floor to us in the coming months', writes McCobb.
Staff are therefore being instructed to identify and contact 'current Conservative councillors who are open to joining us.' Sir Ed’s aides are being ordered to support council groups ‘in talks with potential defectors’ and attract waverers into the fold.
There's little here that will surprise someone who has been looking at the Liberal Democrat Bluesky feed this week. Still, it's good to have this placed in the Spectator, as potential defectors reading it will get the impression they are assured of a good welcome.
Could this be a case of a mundane document being marked 'Top Secret' and left on a photocopier at Westminster to ensure the press report it?
I'm sure Dave would never do such a thing ;-)
ReplyDeleteTrouble is i think we have already defeated all our one nation types. And if we haven't then the annual May cull remove them
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that we are great at coming up with good ideas at the centre, but very bad at finding the necessary resources to do it. Since Mark Pack took over as party president four years ago, membership has fallen to half the level it was. That was due to the loss of the Remain voters who came to us but no-one at the centre put together even a bit of guidance to local parties on what to do and say to help keep them. As for a local party that has adopted a recruiting strategy and organised a real recruiting drive I haven't heard of one anywhere in my area.
ReplyDeleteLots of effort from councillors in meetings and debates putting together huge proposals to make a silk purse out of Angela Rayner's proposals for Local Government Reorganisation and then losing the election badly, which for some reason came as a massive surprise to them but not to those who can add up. However, when it comes to organising the local party, getting out and knocking on doors a bit more meaningfully than 'Will you vote for us? Thank you.' - No chance.