The disconnect was disconcerting. A parallel universe where the space-time continuum was ruptured. Tim Farron bounced on to the stage and looked the Lib Dem conference in the eye. “Believe,” he implored them. Believe that the Liberal Democrats will be the country’s strong opposition. Believe that the Liberal Democrats are the only party standing between 20 years of Conservative government and a near-fatal exit from the European Union. And just for the duration of the speech, the Lib Dem loyalists really did their best to believe. They stood up to applaud, they laughed at his crap gags and they gave him a rousing sendoff at the end.
And then reality kicked in. They only have eight MPs and their popularity ratings have flatlined at 6% throughout the last year. But Farron is an optimist. A Lib Dem leader can’t be anything but. Especially now. After the party’s brief scent of power ended in last year’s electoral wipeout, it’s a tough gig having to go back to square one and convince people you are a serious proposition all over again.
Farron did give it a good go, though. He called out Theresa May for having done even less to campaign for a remain vote than Jeremy Corbyn. He made an unashamed land-grab for any unhappy Labour moderates by praising Tony Blair’s legacy. That’s not something you’re likely to hear at either the Labour or Conservative conferences. But beggars can’t be choosers. Not so much a third way as a fourth way. Think Tony without the Iraq war. Cuddly, early years Tony.
“I’m not a Blairite,” Farron insisted, though he might have had his fingers crossed because he looked quite misty-eyed. He had even tried to pick up some of Tony’s trademark mannerisms. The hand gestures. The “love me” eye contact. The pauses. The catch in the throat. The ersatz emotion. But he just didn’t have very much to back any of it up. He had the soundbites, he just didn’t have the conviction.
He promised “another referendum” though he was careful not to call it a second referendum as that would sound as if he was just having a sulk at not getting the result he wanted in the first one. Another referendum was just giving everyone the opportunity to have another think about their decision once they had had enough time to realise what a hideous mistake they had made. How he was going to enforce this “another referendum” was anyone’s guess. Farron doesn’t even have his own party’s support for that. Only hours after it had become Lib Dem policy the day before, one of his MPs, Norman Lamb, openly said it was a terrible idea.
But Farron was sure he was on the road to victory. If he couldn’t do a Justin Trudeau, then at least he would win at least a few more council seats. Just give him another 70 years and the Lib Dems might have sufficient MPs to be part of another coalition. First up was the Witney byelection. Just before Farron’s closing speech, the party treasurer had done his annual whip round. “Let’s raise £10,000,” he had said. “Every penny will be spent on fighting the Witney byelection.” The Lib Dems dug deep – they’ve always had a soft spot for lost causes. They trailed David Cameron by more than 31,000 votes in Witney in 2015. Seldom had so much party money been raised and wasted so quickly.
“I’m a great loser,” Farron had said – perhaps unwisely – near the start of his speech. Just as well. It looks like he’s going to get a lot more practice at it.
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