What the Liberal Democrats stand for: a great new statement
I’ve written before about the excellent work the Your Liberal Britain team are doing at involving members in the party, including the new guide to motions at Lib Dem conference.
Just out is the result of the biggest YLB project, to write a short vision that sets out the future the Liberal Democrats want to achieve for the our country. Over 8,000 people have been involved in drawing it up, via a series of face-to-face discussion meetings, an online survey, an essay writing competition and now producing the final statement.
It isn’t an official party publication, but with that many members involved – and with such high quality contributions too – it’s a great statement of what we collectively believe. YLB are intending to submit it to a future party conference too so it may become official in due course, but – as with similar (and not nearly as good!) items I’ve produced – that needn’t stop anyone from using it.
As Your Liberal Britain says:
This document doesn’t just help explain what we stand for. It challenges us to always think big when we form policies and write manifestos. If we want to build this better society, we need big, radical policies…
(Because the members of the Liberal Democrats determine party policy, this document won’t be the official party vision statement until it is debated at Conference. Feel free to use it however you see fit though: it’s all yours.)
Sal Brinton, the Liberal Democrat President, adds:
This vision statement helps us explain what our party stands for. It helps us to chart the road to this brighter future. And it will help us check that we’re always heading in the right direction.
I commend it to you: please use it in your local parties, in your discussions online, and wherever else you think it will help us announce and celebrate our values.
So here it is (updated in 2018 and as mentioned in the Lib Dem strategy motion):
For more on what the Liberal Democrats believe, see the one sentence, one graphic and one chapter collection.
This made an interesting read – and nothing should undermine the significant amount of work that people have done on this creating something the Lib Dems have long missed.
What I personally found interesting was how it illustrated how I think the Lib Dems have moved since 2015 – something I felt was the case as a result of the big influx of members in 2015 and after the referendum. That’s a big reason why I’m don’t want to be a member/involved any more after many (many, many) years of so doing. In fairness that’s not all one way – I think my views have changed and looking back I think some events over the last 18 months (well one particular event involving a lot of water) have impacted on that.
What is striking is the lack of mention (explicitly) of civil liberties and the stronger mentions of the EU. That latter perhaps understandable but I don’t think the former would have been the case a few years ago. You can also see that being reflected in Vince’s leadership manifesto (which doesn’t mention civil liberties) and in the parties output recently (eg nothing I can find being said about facial recognition at Notting Hill). I doubt that party has suddenly embraced the idea of repressive government, but there does seem to be a re-drawing of priorities. That doesn’t add up to a bad party. But it does make it a different one.