Tim Farron – ‘There is only one opposition now – and it’s not Labour’

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Tim Farron raises prospect of a repeat of Labour's disastrous 1981 split. He pitches for the LibDems to replace Labour as the only credible opposition to the Tories:

With just 20 days before Labour chooses its new leader, many who believe Britain needs a strong Opposition are holding their heads in their hands.

Labour is being driven by Jeremy Corbyn's agenda. It is a rejection of the pragmatism that made Labour successful under Blair. It is a rerun of the battles of the 1980s.

Whatever the result, the party is heading for years of civil war and irreparable splits. We may be about to witness nothing less than the reformation of the Centre-Left in Britain

Mail on Sunday readers may ask why they should worry about Labour tearing itself apart, or why I, the leader of a rival party, should care. It's because Britain needs effective and credible opposition.

Our country needs a party to speak up for decent, centre-ground politics, offering hope and change as well as economic credibility.

The Corbyn-style politics of placards and megaphones may generate a lot of noise, but as the miners' strike and the poll tax riots showed, only one thing keeps governments in check - the prospect of electoral defeat.

So whatever route Labour chooses, I promise that the Lib Dems will offer a serious, responsible alternative to this Government.

You can read the full article here.

* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist in Newbury and West Berkshire. He is part of the Liberal Democrat Voice team and blogs at Liberal Burblings.