Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Liberal Democrat Conference
The third party of British politics is holding its annual conference in Brighton. Sir Menzies Campbell has tried to prove himself a capable leader (so incidently has Charles Kennedy) and has today won a crucial vote over whether or not the rich should be tortured or merely severely punished (the infamous 50p rate has been scrapped). But the headline issues are not the most interesting.
The problem with the liberal democrats has always been that they can never decide what they truly stand for. They are in a complete muddle over ideology, with the party split between liberal and social democrat leanings. Just take the conference slogan:
[picture taken from Oxford Liberal]
Well, which one is it? Either you trust in people, or you will rely on government power to coerce them in order to achieve 'fairness'. Either government should get smaller or bigger. These two goals are simply incompatible. It surely cannot be difficult to see that the current approach, which is to use the nanny state, but only to achieve liberal ends, is profoundly iliberal in itself.
The truth is that a profoundly liberal choice would be a severe threat to Labour and Tories at the next election. Nick Clegg's idea for a Great Repeal Act is truly wonderful (I'm so incredably jealous we didn't think of this first) What they now need are proper liberal economic policies alongside this. Then there is no reason they cannot truly be a force in British politics
Alas, until they sort themselves out - which will probably have to involve a bloodbath at some point - the party will eternally condemn themselves to be the "protest party" and nothing more
The problem with the liberal democrats has always been that they can never decide what they truly stand for. They are in a complete muddle over ideology, with the party split between liberal and social democrat leanings. Just take the conference slogan:
[picture taken from Oxford Liberal]
Well, which one is it? Either you trust in people, or you will rely on government power to coerce them in order to achieve 'fairness'. Either government should get smaller or bigger. These two goals are simply incompatible. It surely cannot be difficult to see that the current approach, which is to use the nanny state, but only to achieve liberal ends, is profoundly iliberal in itself.
The truth is that a profoundly liberal choice would be a severe threat to Labour and Tories at the next election. Nick Clegg's idea for a Great Repeal Act is truly wonderful (I'm so incredably jealous we didn't think of this first) What they now need are proper liberal economic policies alongside this. Then there is no reason they cannot truly be a force in British politics
Alas, until they sort themselves out - which will probably have to involve a bloodbath at some point - the party will eternally condemn themselves to be the "protest party" and nothing more
# posted by Chris Hughes @ 8:01 pm 
