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Some people ask, "Why should we fight the Lib Dems – aren’t they on the same side as us?" But there are many examples from the South East as to why co-operation with the Lib Dems or even just not putting up candidates against them, are bad ideas. For example, the Lib Dems will talk about co-operation to keep out the Tories, but then campaign to take Labour seats off us. Lib Dem MPs and councillors may campaign against post office closures locally, but their national policy is to sell off Royal Mail. The Orange Book written by Lib Dem “modernisers” like Nick Clegg, proposed turning the NHS into an American-style insurance service.
And remember that Nick Clegg is the favourite to become Lib Dem leader - a man who believes that the NHS should be scrapped! Publicise the policies that Lib Dems like Nick Clegg promoted in the Orange Book – right-wing policies such as privatising the NHS and Post Office, cutting public spending.
For more information on Nick Clegg, click on the link here to see the text of a leaflet about Nick Clegg and his views. This leaflet is available as a Word document. If you want a copy, email info@southern-comfort.org.uk
Lib Dems can't do anything!
We need to remind people that the Lib Dems have little or no power to do anything. They have no chance of ever forming a government. Their MPs don’t have the power to vote policies through parliament. Unless they have control of your council, their councillors can achieve very little. Remind people that Labour councillors and members can speak to ministers and get things done that way.
Fib Dems - you can't trust them!
We all know that the Lib Dems aren't the nice party that so many people think. We know they will say anything to take power. And given enough time, they will argue for one thing AND ITS OPPOSITE. So always keep Lib Dem leaflets, as they will contradict themselves eventually.
And we all know about those graphs. How do you rebut those. There are various ways. Put on your newsletters the real graph. If the Lib Dems are saying, "Labour can't win here" in a Labour council seat, show the real graph of the vote. Have a picture of the Labour councillors. Tell the public that Labour does win here! And don't just do it once - do it every time. The only way you can rebut the Lib Dem lie is to tell the public the truth and do it even more often than the Lib Dems lie.
And if the Lib Dems have convinced people to switch, so that they won't read your leaflets any more, then use personalised letters to speak to people who might normally throw Labour leaflets away unread. Put them in an envelope. Then people will open them and read them.
Fight on the issues that matter to voters
We can learn from the Lib Dems. They are good at building up local candidates. They are quick to claim the credit for things that the government pay for or do (we should be that quick in claiming the credit). They are good at using the politics of dog mess, litter and recycling to win seats. So we should do the same.
And remind people that when the council does something locally, the money has come from the LABOUR government.