Tim Farron not elected an MP in 2005

[Deleted]

The Tories had held Westmorland & Lonsdale in 1997 and 2001 without that much difficulty, given the context. What if Tim Collins held his seat in 2005? 

[The Bishop]

It would have been narrow, and he could still easily have lost it in 2010. Its striking how much the LibDem advance in that period correlated with a Labour collapse.

[Deleted]

If Farron gets in in 2010, possible because the Lib Dems gained Eastbourne and Wells, I think Farron would've lost in 2015. Then Lamb as leader. What changes?

[LDCaerdydd]

This: Norman Lamb elected Lib Dem leader

[The Bishop]

Jul 17, 2024 12:04:01 GMT @weld said:

If Farron gets in in 2010, possible because the Lib Dems gained Eastbourne and Wells, I think Farron would've lost in 2015. Then Lamb as leader. What changes?

Though his actual 2015 result was comfortably the best LibDem win in the country (not that there were so many to choose from in the first place) It is possible he might still have lost then with five fewer years to bed himself in, but given the above it is far from guaranteed.

[timrollpickering]

If he'd spent the 2010-2015 Parliament as a first term MP bedding in he probably wouldn't have found time to shake every Lib Dem member's hand or serve as Party President or come out against tuition fee increases and made the frontbench feel they had to vote in favour instead of the whole parliamentary party abstaining per the Coalition Agreement.

And he could have had more time to talk about gay sex.