Senior Lib Dems turn up the noise before conference

This morning a range of quotes are emerging, said by senior Lib Dems over the weekend, that are rather bizarre and attention seeking.

First of all, Vince Cable ‘did a Farron’ on Marr yesterday , as Tim Montgomerie blogged:

“[Cable] described himself as a politician of the Left because, he said, he believed in fairness and distribution. Some on the Right believe in those things too!”

“It’s not left, it’s not right, it’s liberal” remember Vince?

This is though an interesting quote:

Cable ally on Ed Balls’ sofa advances: “Talk about overcooking the turkey … Vince was inching away like a dame not wanting to be kissed.”

— Michael Savage (@michaelsavage) September 10, 2012

Not to be outdone, Lord Ashdown also seems to have gone off on one in the Sunday Times:

Ashdown in @thesundaytimes mag: “Too many come into politics with short pants. We need plumbers, bus drivers & biz people. I’d ban bankers”

— Tim Gatt (@TimGattITV) September 10, 2012

Banning a certain group you don’t like from democracy Paddy – how very liberal.

While I hope I’m sure that Lord Ashdown was just being characteristically excitable, and not serious, the comment is hardly the stuff of a serious governing party. It is rather disappointing that some Lib Dems still  feel the need to make attention grabbing statements of populist leftism, instead of pioneering liberal, centrist politics from in Government.

It must be conference season.