Dear Nick – an open letter to the Lib Dem leader

Dear Nick,

You’re in Liverpool this weekend for your spring conference. It’s a city your party knows well. Of course you do: you used to run it five years ago. Now, you have three councillors left. Perhaps you are going to reflect on that catastrophic collapse when you address what’s left of your party?

While you’re at it, perhaps you would also like to ponder the following questions as well?

• Liverpool is the second worst hit city in the country when it comes to the Bedroom Tax. 10,000 families here are affected. You and your party voted for it, but you now say it needs “reform.” Why won’t you simply pledge to scrap it? Of all the unfair welfare changes you have supported over the past five years, this is the most iniquitous.
• The city council will see its government grant cut by 58% between 2010 and 2017. That’s a cut of £330 million to our local services and economy. Unless this is averted, it will mean devastating cuts for the people of this city and the destruction of vital services. Your local university, Sheffield Hallam, confirms we are one of the hardest hit authorities in the country. These are cuts that you and your party have voted through, with scant regard to the consequences. While you’re in town, will you now apologise for inflicting these unfair cuts on the people of Liverpool?

You say in an interview today that “the history books will judge us very kindly.” Which history books are these Nick, the ones Michael Gove reads? What planet are you on? You don’t seem to understand why people are, with all due respect, utterly disgusted with you.

They see you as a chancer who would sell his granny for a comfy Whitehall office. Look at the polls. All the public sees is a party that has shredded whatever principles it used to have to prop-up a right-wing Tory party which has waged a vindictive war on cities like Liverpool.

I know you’ll give us your puppy dog routine when you address delegates on Sunday. You’ll tell us how it’s really all the wicked Tories’ fault. You’ll say that if it wasn’t for you and your plucky colleagues things would have been much worse and how you are in there, fighting for us.

Save it. As your three remaining councillors will be able to tell you, we’re a city of straight talkers. We’ve heard you say it before. It doesn’t wash.

Just tell us why you won’t scrap the bedroom tax or end the austerity measures that will rewind many of the huge improvements to cities like Liverpool that took place under Labour.

You told the Liverpool Echo earlier that “opportunity is the key word for us this weekend”. Well at least you have that right, mate.

It’s the opportunity that’s coming in a few weeks’ time to kick you out for good.

Yours faithfully,

Joe Anderson

Mayor of Liverpool