Two disastrous outcomes: 2015 and 2016

Abstract

The culmination of the five-year decline in the Liberal Democrats’ popular support was the Party’s disastrous performance in the 2015 British General Election. A campaign that stressed the Party’s achievements in office while emphasising their centrist position did nothing to win over voters. The result was the loss of some 49 seats – the worst result since 1970. More bad news was to follow when, on 23 June 2016, the UK voted 51.9 per cent to 48.1 per cent to leave the European Union. Tim Farron, who had replaced Nick Clegg as Leader following the latter’s resignation, attempted to make a positive case for remaining in the EU, but this was drowned out by the Remain campaign’s appeal to caution and preserving the status quo. Over the course, then, of six years, the Liberal Democrats had suffered major losses in electoral support at nearly every level of British government, concluding with a disastrous outcome at the 2015 General Election, and 13 months later an equally calamitous result in the 2016 EU referendum.