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| Lib Dem leader playing 'agony aunt' to distressed Labour MPs | Lib Dem leader playing 'agony aunt' to distressed Labour MPs |
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| The Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, has said he has received a number of unsolicited calls and messages from distraught Labour MPs following Jeremy Corbyn’s election as the party’s leader. | The Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, has said he has received a number of unsolicited calls and messages from distraught Labour MPs following Jeremy Corbyn’s election as the party’s leader. |
| Speaking to the Evening Standard before his party’s autumn conference in Bournemouth this weekend, Farron said: “I’ve had various unsolicited texts, some of them over the weekend, where I felt like I was being an agony aunt rather than anything else. | Speaking to the Evening Standard before his party’s autumn conference in Bournemouth this weekend, Farron said: “I’ve had various unsolicited texts, some of them over the weekend, where I felt like I was being an agony aunt rather than anything else. |
| “People who have been members of the [Labour] party for as long as I’ve been a member of mine who feel that they don’t recognise their party any more and feel deeply distressed.” | “People who have been members of the [Labour] party for as long as I’ve been a member of mine who feel that they don’t recognise their party any more and feel deeply distressed.” |
| His comments provoked speculation that some Labour MPs may be planning to defect to the Lib Dems, who lost 48 of their 56 seats in May’s general election. But Farron told BuzzFeed News that he wasn’t expecting defections or a 1980s-style split any time soon. | His comments provoked speculation that some Labour MPs may be planning to defect to the Lib Dems, who lost 48 of their 56 seats in May’s general election. But Farron told BuzzFeed News that he wasn’t expecting defections or a 1980s-style split any time soon. |
| Asked by the Evening Standard whether any of the people who had contacted him were senior Labour figures, Farron said: “Some of them.” | Asked by the Evening Standard whether any of the people who had contacted him were senior Labour figures, Farron said: “Some of them.” |
| Questioned on whether any had been shadow cabinet ministers, he said: “I couldn’t possibly comment. The bottom line is … people in the Labour party need to understand they can have conversations with me, which may or may not be conclusive, which will remain totally between me and them.” | Questioned on whether any had been shadow cabinet ministers, he said: “I couldn’t possibly comment. The bottom line is … people in the Labour party need to understand they can have conversations with me, which may or may not be conclusive, which will remain totally between me and them.” |
| Farron has suggested that Corbyn’s election as leader presents an excellent opportunity for the Lib Dems to occupy the centre ground of British politics, while others argue that a Corbyn-led Labour party is encroaching on territory Farron has his eye on. | |
| The former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw said he had not heard of anybody defecting, but added that Corbyn’s victory could boost the Lib Dems’ election chances. | The former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw said he had not heard of anybody defecting, but added that Corbyn’s victory could boost the Lib Dems’ election chances. |
| “I think defection of parliamentarians would be very unlikely and I was around in the early 80s when the Social Democratic party was formed and we did have very regular defections,” he told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme. | “I think defection of parliamentarians would be very unlikely and I was around in the early 80s when the Social Democratic party was formed and we did have very regular defections,” he told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme. |
| “[The SDP] did well in byelections but bombed in the 1983 elections, so I doubt that would happen. On the other hand, I did say a few weeks ago that this election for a new leader was having the effect of Lazarus being raised from the dead on the Liberal party and I suspect that that may be the case.” | “[The SDP] did well in byelections but bombed in the 1983 elections, so I doubt that would happen. On the other hand, I did say a few weeks ago that this election for a new leader was having the effect of Lazarus being raised from the dead on the Liberal party and I suspect that that may be the case.” |
| When asked about Corbyn’s landslide victory, Straw said: “It’s astonishing what’s been happening to my party. I thought Jeremy Corbyn actually did really well yesterday [at prime minister’s questions], surprising me amongst others. We’ll just have to see how it works out.” | When asked about Corbyn’s landslide victory, Straw said: “It’s astonishing what’s been happening to my party. I thought Jeremy Corbyn actually did really well yesterday [at prime minister’s questions], surprising me amongst others. We’ll just have to see how it works out.” |
| He added: “Both John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn – given the fact that they had always in the past been on the backbenches and not accepted any collective responsibility – have huge personal as well as political challenges in front of them. I hope for the sake of the party and the country that they will be able to meet them.” | He added: “Both John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn – given the fact that they had always in the past been on the backbenches and not accepted any collective responsibility – have huge personal as well as political challenges in front of them. I hope for the sake of the party and the country that they will be able to meet them.” |
| Asked whether he thought they would meet those challenges, Straw said: “Time will tell.” | Asked whether he thought they would meet those challenges, Straw said: “Time will tell.” |