‘What a shambles’

Before politicians project their vision for the future they should first reflect on the past and learn from it. One of my favourite quotes is from veteran labour MP Paul Flynn who said of New Labour and the Blairites: “The future is always the same it’s the past that keeps changing.”

This may sound flippant but the serious message is that when people are inclined to be swept away by positive or negative campaigning and visions they should think a little longer and examine the credibility.

An old but apt slogan used by my own party about another was: “Believe what they do not what they say.” We have heard the stepping down speeches from David Cameron after he understandably refused to accept the impossible job of turning the leavers ridiculous promises into reality.

He talked of six successful years. In actual fact there were five stable years of progress under difficult conditions where a succession of Lib Dem policies on gay marriage, removing low earners from income tax, the pupil premium, etc, etc, have been followed by a year of chaos and u–turns culminating in our recent financial “turbulence” after the Brexit vote.

Many of the policies which succeeded during the five years were opposed openly by many Tory MPs and their party alone would never have done them but they want the credit for them now.

So, what now? Frankly there is no clear plan for a way forward from the “government”. The various Brexiters have different priorities for our relationship with Europe and the negotiations and many of them are mutually exclusive.

Having tried to distance themselves from the promises made already they are now mostly saying that they want to take things slowly so that the reality is not brought home to the people they have misled.

The Liberal Democrat position is clear. We believe that for all its faults the EU has been an institution that has brought great benefits in terms of peace, cooperation, prosperity and cultural exchange.

After many years of cooperating with the negative propaganda against the EU because they had not got the guts to speak up honestly and it was easier to blame somebody else, the Tory party are now having to face the reality.

Unfortunately they are dragging the country down with them. Whatever unsatisfactory mess the Tory party makes of the negotiations the Lib Dem position is clear and we will stand on it at the next election whenever that is. Liberal democrats would open talks for re-entry.

Bristolians may spot a similarity between the national and the local. What we needed back in 2011 according to some, was a Mayor to run Bristol. Away with all those silly compromises and discussions we needed one person in total charge. Very similar to the Tory national message so successful at the polls in 2015.

Bristolians have just given their verdict on that experiment by voting to get rid of the previous mayor and as they were not allowed yet to get rid of the position, voted instead for a “compromiser/discussor” type replacement. Time will tell how things work out.

A few months back Bath voted overwhelmingly, having seen the results in Bristol, to reject a mayor. A few weeks after that George Osbourne , soon to be our ex-chancellor, grandly announced that the four councils that used to be Avon would be forming a new council under a “metro mayor”.

North Somerset has already dropped out and there is massive unhappiness about the “take it or leave it deal” from councillors in the rest of the three councils.

The public are not allowed to have a meaningful say. Questioning of the “expert” officers doing the negotiations has revealed gaping holes in the deal and what is being signed up to.

The principle of key decisions being taken locally rather than in London is close to the hearts of all Liberal Democrats, but this deal is a mess and those pushing it through locally are saying that they are doing it not because of this deal but because it will lead to better things later.

Now where have I heard that before? When faced with a “time-share salesman” who says he has a never-to-be-repeated offer but you must sign now, good advice is to ask questions and check your wallet.

The west of England is an extremely successful region and we should be doing business on our terms, not the messy ones dictated by a lame duck chancellor.

Gary Hopkins is leader of the Lib Dem group of councillors in Bristol.

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