I blogged about the LibDems and the EU elections only a week ago:

https://ianrmillard.wordpress.com/2019/05/29/eu-elections-2019-in-review-the-libdems/

After their overall 2nd place in the EU elections, there was much talk about (another) LibDem revival, which echoed the chatter of 2010 and (as Liberal Party) right back to Orpington in 1961.

I was unconvinced by the talk of LibDem “revival” or “surge”, despite the post-EU elections polling which (in one case) made the LibDems the most popular party re. the next general election.

I also covered the LibDems, inter alia, in a piece about the Peterborough by-election, written a few weeks before polling day:

https://ianrmillard.wordpress.com/2019/05/09/notes-from-the-peterborough-by-election/

As I predicted, the LibDems came 4th there.

https://ianrmillard.wordpress.com/2019/06/07/peterborough-by-election-post-poll-analysis-and-thoughts/

So what now? Well, I still think that there is not and will not be any LibDem surge or revival, as such. What I do think will or may boost the LibDems is the Brexit Party surge, if it happens.

In the 2017 General Election, the LibDems won in 12 constituencies and came second in 37. If the Brexit Party continues to grow stronger and if it gets at least 15% nationwide at the next general election, many of those seats will see a significant fall in the Conservative vote-share by reason only of the existence of the Brexit Party, in addition to any fall for other reasons. In many, perhaps most cases, the beneficiaries will be the LibDems. It is not unreasonable to suppose that the LibDems will win seats. They might win 20 or 30, they might win 50. They might even win many more. However, this will mostly not if at all be a surge in enthusiasm for the LibDems as much as a victory by default, the result of Brexit Party taking Conservative votes, together with a more general fall in support for the Conservative Party.

Having said the above, if the LibDems win seats, they win seats, whatever the reason.

Notes

Update, 23 February 2024

Well, my analysis was right but —as at other times— “events” meant that my conclusion proved to be wide of the mark. At the 2019 General Election, Brexit Party was stabbed in the back by its founder and “owner”, Nigel Farage, so fell out of serious contention, gifting “Boris Idiot” with an 80-seat Commons majority. The LibDems, let by Jewish-lobby puppet Jo Swinson, crashed and burned; Swinson lost her own seat in the process.

Today, in 2024, we relive 2019. This time, Farage has “Reform UK”, and the Labour Party is far ahead in the opinion polling. Present forecasts show Labour possibly getting 300, 400, even 500 seats, the Conservative Party falling back to 150, 10, even 50 or fewer seats.

A side-effect of the above is an unmerited LibDem rise, from their present 15 seats to 30, 40, even 50.