How do you define abroad?
UK shown in lilac
For some, as we are an island state, the term is often interchangeable with overseas. But seeing as we are the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland those of us in the Northern Ireland branch of the Liberal Democrats didn’t think the term applied to us.
Yesterday myself and other members of Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats received the April newsletter from Liberal Democrats Abroad much to our surprise. Now we know that the Assembly Commission are going to be considering whether to fly the Irish Tricolour alongside the Union Flag at Stormont.
But we think that as election and referendum geeks we might have noticed a referendum for the people of Northern Ireland to determine if they were part of the UK or Ireland or independent. Indeed many of the local party would probably have been heavily involved in campaigning during such a self determination referendum.
Scarily also considering there are local elections next month in parts of England, and all councils in Wales and Scotland the only request for telephone canvassing is London.
Maybe, just maybe, this may be another instance of party members in charge of various sections of our party based in London not realising that the Northern Ireland Lib Dems are part of the Federal Party, part of the UK. Or maybe we are just part of them ignoring the needs of the party outside the M25.
Well, I live in Bristol but received an e-mail intended for Welsh Lib Dem members… Last time I checked, Wales was around 15 miles and a £5-odd bridge toll away…