LibDems’ Rennie says party is on the up again
THE Liberal Democrats are ready to put the humiliation of five years ago behind them and win a seat in Glasgow again, Willie Rennie thinks.
The party leader, who took over after a thrashing at the polls in 2011, leaving them with five MSPs and losing the Glasgow MSP they had since 1999, said they are on the way back.
Mr Rennie said the lessons have been learned and traditional Lib Dem voters are responding to his agenda on education, justice and health.
He said: “People are coming up to me in Glasgow in places where we have never had much support and they are telling me they like what I’m saying and how I say it, which wasn’t the case last year.”
He feels support lost to the SNP last year is returning.
“We are picking up people are not as enthusiastic as they were for the SNP last year – the shine has come off and they are more confident and comfortable voting for us, and I think there will be a shift in that direction,” he said.
The coalition is still haunting the party but the leader feels those who took delight in the subse- quent downfall are now having second thoughts.
He doesn’t blame the electorate, he’s not daft, but instead points the finger at the SNP.
He said: “I would never question the judgment of the voters.
“But when people like John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon were cheering and clapping when people like Vince Cable and Steve Webb and Mike Moore were losing their seats to the Tories in large measure, I don’t think they are clapping and laughing now when they see the Tories running the country by themselves.”
“I think they were too gleeful with our demise. People are perfectly entitled to vote against us– that’s democracy and they have got that right. I would just question our opponents, who were too happy to celebrate our demise but who are now complaining about the consequences.
“Massive cuts to renewables and to welfare way beyond anything we would have considered.
“Sucking excessive money out trying to create a surplus when the cost of borrowing is so low and a Tory government vetoing 3,000 refugee children coming here.”