Do we want the Blairites joining the Lib Dems?

According to reports Tim Farron has been contacted by Labour MPs who are thinking of joining the Lib Dems. These Labour MPs are, apparently, "deeply distressed" by Corbyn's victory. The question for our party is do we want the Blairites to be joining us?

We elected Tim Farron to position the party in the centre left, much away from where Nick Clegg had us. Many of Corbyn's policies align with those of the Lib Dems, such as Trident. Taking on Labour MPs who have ideologically shunned Corbyn's leadership would be contradictory and distort the new image that the party is creating for itself. I don't see the benefit of taking in the Blairites.

What people need to understand is that there is a generation who will be eligible to vote in 2020. To us talk of Corbyn's ideology being an old fashioned concept is irrelevant to my generation. Corbyn's ideas seem to be the new way of doing things. Anti-austerity does not seem like a recycled notion but rather a refreshing new way of approaching politics. New Labour has been taken over by the Tories and is no longer an electable viewpoint.

The Lib Dems need to stick to the centre left if we want any chance at regaining relevance in the next election. An acceptance of Blairites and a shift to the right will be destructive for the party.