"Vote Lib Dem" says The Observer (Catherine Bearder MEP)

Catherine Bearder MEP <catherine@bearder.eu>

"Vote Lib Dem" says The Observer

June 1, 2009 10:22 AM

"Support the Lib Dems next Thursday", says The Observer. As well as its Editorial, an article by Andrew Rawnsley praises Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats in the run-up to the elections for the European Parliament and the County Council as the one party that has consistently advocated Constitutional Reform and the one that has come out of the expenses scandal much less sleazed than either Labour or the Tories.

Mr Rawnsley stated that "Only one of the main parties has been a consistent and persistent advocate of a democratised House of Lords, a reformed Commons, fixed-term parliaments and the rest of the menu of truly sweeping constitutional reform. That party is the Liberal Democrats. They have also, incidentally, come out of the expenses scandal much less sleazed than either Labour or the Tories."

Then from their editorial: "There is a pressing need in this country for advocacy of the EU as a good in itself, as opposed to something distasteful that occasionally suits our interests. That view does not preclude criticism of European institutions, but it eschews wrecking tactics against them. Nick Clegg is the most instinctively European leader at Westminster. That is currently a lonely position, but the Lib Dems have a decent record of taking minority stands that are later vindicated. On the environment, on civil liberties and on the mounting debt bubble, the Lib Dems were quietly but consistently ahead of the Westminster curve."

"This Thursday's vote is being held in a uniquely febrile climate. It should be about Europe; it will be about the expenses scandal. On both counts, it is a moment to reward the principled consistency of the Liberal Democrats."

Catherine Bearder commented on this news by saying that she "thanked the Observer for their support" adding that "in the current climate it's nice to see that the Liberal Democrat message is getting through and we hope that this will be mirrored on polling day. Having been out on the streets over the past few weeks, I have seen that it is not only sections of the media that are responding to our message, but the voters too."