What a week!

Over the summer, we won two big by-elections, in Brecon and Radnorshire and Shetland. This weel, Jane Dodds took up her seat in Westminster and Beatrice Wishart in Holyrood.

And over this week, three more MPs have joined us.

Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, who joins us from the Conservatives; Luciana Berger, MP for Liverpool Wavertree, former Labour and Change UK MP, who joins us having sat as an independent; and Angela Smith, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge former Labour and Change UK MP, who also joins us having sat as an independent.

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Angela Smith joins the Liberal Democrats

Over the past few years, I have been on a political journey triggered by an increasing sense of disenchantment with the Labour Party.

It appeared to me that Labour, a party which I had effectively been born into and supported all my life, was increasingly distancing itself from the national interest by putting its own priorities first.

This process intensified after the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader.

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Working across party to stop No Deal Brexit

The Liberal Democrats stand ready to do everything we can to prevent not only a No Deal Brexit.

We are leaving no option off the table when it comes to preventing the UK crashing out of the E.U.

As I outlined in my letter to Jeremy Corbyn below, my door is open to any Parliamentarians who wish to work together to prevent a disastrous No Deal. Equally, we are eager to work with any Parliamentarians who seek to stop Brexit itself, because there is no version of Brexit that will leave our country better off.

With Boris Johnson determined to plough headlong into this national crisis, we now need to work across party to take control of the order paper to prevent No Deal.

The success of an emergency government to stop No Deal must be the absolute priority.

If we cannot secure a legislative approach to block No Deal through such means, we must maximise the chance of a successful No Confidence vote in the government. We called for such a motion to be called before Summer recess, so we could hold an election before 31 October, and we would back a No Confidence vote again.

If successful, our challenge is to form a viable emergency government with the goal of preventing No Deal. The success of this emergency government must be the absolute priority. We must put party politics aside.

Key Conservative MPs we would need to form a majority have said they will not support an emergency government led by Jeremy Corbyn.

That is why I have proposed the Father and Mother of the House, Ken Clarke and Harriet Harman, as potential candidates to build consensus, and lead this emergency government for the purpose of stopping the No Deal crisis. Both have expressed willingness to do so.

I look forward to all cross-party efforts to avert this disaster, but given the public declarations by MPs we need to support an emergency government, we must focus on plans that have the best chance of success.

 

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Twitter algorithms

Twitter plays an important part in modern political discourse. It’s often the medium through which news breaks (or leaks). 

On Twitter, there are 3 main ways we interact with a tweet.

  • Liking the tweet
  • Replying to the tweet
  • Retweeting, or retweeting a tweet with a comment

Beyond this, the twitter algorithm doesn’t differentiate between interactions.

If you are commenting on a tweet to agree with it, or disagree with it – it counts the same. And Twitter will show the tweet that you interacted with to your followers, even if you disagree with it.

The same goes for with retweeting with a comment.

So what does this have to do with Pro-Brexit content?

Essentially, it’s controversial.

From making ludicrous comments on giving £350 million to the NHS, to attacking immigrants, to anything else.

It’s marmite and begging to be contradicted, torn down with hot takes or explained with dry facts.

And when we explain it away, we also promote it to our followers – and not all of them will have the firm Remain convictions that you have.

Well, what should I be doing?

There are two main things.

Firstly, ignore pro-Brexit content.

Your interaction, no matter how good, just grows their reach.

Secondly, create with progressive, liberal, Remain content.

Someone who does this to great effect is Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, the American Democrat Congresswoman.

Positivity, outrage, controversy and humour. She addresses and tackles Trump and Republican attacks, but she does it occasionally, on her own terms and for the most part, she drives the attacks.

See this absolute gem

Or for more serious content.

Jo Swinson is also fantastic at this.

Or with this biting economic analysis.

And sometimes all you need is a well-timed gif. 

And finally, interact with progressive, liberal, Remain content.

You can make sure your Twitter feed is full of great content by giving a follow to these accounts: 

Who to follow

So that’s the formula

1. Ignore the Brexiteer bait

2. Use positivity, outrage, controversy and humour to create progressive, Liberal content

3. Share and interact only with tweets you’re happy for your followers to see. 

And finally

If you want to change the game, fight the air war with us and win over more progressives to the Liberal Democrat cause, why not join the Lib Dem Digital Campaigners?  

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We need to be ready for the fight of our lives

Along with so many friends, colleagues and supporters, I find myself in the fight of a lifetime. Our democracy is under threat. A Prime Minister who behaves increasingly like an autocrat is trying to push through a no deal Brexit against the will of Parliament and the people.

The Prime Minister is trying to push through a no deal Brexit against the will of Parliament and the people

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