A Week in Politics #5

Ben Langmead (Photo: BBC) 

I'm a bit short of time today and only have a few minutes to put together my weekly round-up of political events. Consequently, my usual ramblings have been replaced by a few snippets in the "Cheers and Jeers" style I used a few years ago.

It has been another eventful week in UK politics, including the now seemingly obligatory defections from the Conservatives to Reform. In addition to former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Reform have also gained a councillor - Daniel Hampsey – in Argyll and Bute, where St Columba once landed in a small boat.

We'll start with some positive news...

Cheers to Ben Langmead and the Liberal Democrat team that helped secure a remarkable victory in the Bearsden South by-election. It's a area where we are quite strong but the scale of victory was impressive. Well done to everyone!

Cheers to Andy Street, Ruth Davidson and others at Prosper UK to belatedly start a fightback for moderate Conservatism. I naturally have reservations about Conservatism, moderate or otherwise, but a fightback from within against the toxic Reform-lite rhetoric is long overdue. Initial feelings are that it will struggle to resonate with the people it claims to be its target audience – i.e. those disenfranchised by party politics – but I wish them luck. 

Jeers to the Conservative Party for mental health smear aimed at Suella Braverman following her defection. I have little time for Ms Braverman and her politics, but it is simply unacceptable to use mental health terminology to demean and dehumanise people. It's not just about Ms Braverman either: as Rethink's deputy chief executive explained, "people living with mental ill-health do not deserve to have their experiences trivialised or used as a political football."

Jeers to the many people on social media (including, it seems, some Reform UK local branches) who have directed transphobic abuse towards the Green and Lib Dem candidates for Gorton and Denton, and to the anti-foreigner rhetoric towards the newly adopted Labour candidate. Dan Hodges has stated that this by-election could be the most important of the century so far; I disagree, but it is certainly gearing up to be the most vitriolic and pernicious. 

Tears for Jim Wallace, the former Scottish Lib Dem leader, deputy First Minister, Moderator of the Church of Scotland and all-round good egg, who died this week at the age of 71. An architect of devolution, he was respected across the political spectrum and will be missed by many.