Election round-up: four more former Lib Dem MPs re-standing

Lib Dems to challenge Speaker

As I reported last night, the Liberal Democrats are, unusually, running a candidate against the Speaker.

It’s a break with tradition which risks annoying someone who has significant power over Liberal Democrat participation in Parliament. But that someone is also a person who has been widely expected to stand down from Parliament in the next few years, most likely triggering a by-election. Which makes running a candidate now a good little warm up.

Four more former Liberal Democrat MPs are re-standing

• Andrew George in St Ives
• Nick Harvey in North Devon
• John Hemming in Birmingham Yardley
• Stephen Lloyd in Eastbourne, who has already most impressively raised over £15,000 in his election appeal

Also in the mix again is former Welsh Assembly member Eluned Parrott. She is running in Cardiff Central, where she came within 817 votes of winning the seat in the 2016 Welsh Assembly election.

Where might the Lib Dems gain?

In another sign of how the media is helping set a positive agenda for coverage of the Liberal Democrats, focusing on the party’s progress and successes, the New Statesman has produced a list of 30 possible Lib Dem targets.

One note of caution about such lists which are based on simply looking at the size of the swing needed to win them. In the past, such lists have been only a mediocre guide to what the party’s real list of target seats is.

There is also a good piece of analysis from King’s College, London here.

Tony Blair edges ever closer to saying ‘vote Lib Dem’

Brace yourselves.

And whilst doing so, it’s worth pondering just how unusual it is for a former Prime Minister to say anything other than ‘vote for my party’.