There have been murmurings of a leadership challenge against Tim Farron being mooted over the last few days. Now Brian Paddick has resigned citing concerns “about the leader’s views on various issues that were highlighted during GE17”. It ain’t his views on spaniels that’s the problem…
I’ve resigned as @LibDems Shadow Home Secretary over concerns about the leader’s views on various issues that were highlighted during GE17.
— Brian Paddick (@brianpaddick) 14 June 2017
Jo Swinson, who won back East Dunbartonshire last week, is the name doing the rounds as a potential challenger. Will Farron survive the summer?
Guido understands Tim Farron’s top spinner Paul Butters is leaving. This will be a major loss to the LibDem leader, Butters is a page lead wizard with a journalist’s mind who was single-handedly responsible for getting his boss’ name in the paper over the last couple of years. His instantly recognisable catchphrase “mate” will be missed by Lobby hacks struggling for stories in the Red Lion. This election really was the massacre of the contacts…
The LibDems are running a phone canvassing operation from Egypt. Phone bank calls received by London voters originate from a +20 number based in the North African country, more than 3,500 miles from Britain. Popular number tracing site Who-Called.co.uk lists dozens of complaints from voters who have also been contacted by the LibDem Egypt operation:
“LibDems rang me on this number…from flipping Egypt!”
“Nine times in five days, haven’t answered any of them.”
“LibDems outsourcing canvassing abroad, jokers if they think I would ever vote for them.”
Remainer Ph-arron embracing global markets…
Richmond LibDem Sarah Olney has been reported to the police over her election expenses. Stuart Coster, a local independent researcher who is not affiliated to any party, has sent a dossier to the Met detailing what he claims is evidence that Olney failed to declare between £5,157 and £15,414 of expenses during last year’s by-election. Olney’s spending return for the Richmond by-election was
Coster claims to have found undeclared leaflets, missing freepost address costs, telephone canvassing costs and undervalued services. The LibDems obviously deny any wrongdoing and note the timing is suspicious, but the police have confirmed they are looking into it. In the event this went really badly for Olney there could be another by-election after the election on Thursday. Haven’t the people of Richmond suffered enough?
Letters are being sent out to voters in LibDem marginals across the country from former LibDem candidate Mike Smithson – of PoliticalBetting.com fame – explaining the “predictions” he has made based on “what the local data is telling” him. Guido has seen evidence of the missives hitting doormats in Cambridge, East Dunbartonshire and Sheffield Hallam. Wherever they arrive, “the data” outlined in Smithson’s letters always points to voting tactically in support of the Lib Dems. What a shocker!
Will his forecasts do better than Guido’s predictions for Paddy Power’s punters…
UPDATE: And another tip…
