Where next for Lib Dem ‘muscular liberalism’?

That’s the question the BBC’s political correspondent Norman Smith has been asking. He has been referring in particular to how muscular or not the Lib Dems are in their relations with the Conservatives in coalition.

Smith reports:

In their first foray into muscular liberalism the Liberal Democrats chalked up a victory on the NHS reforms. There is no shortage of ideas from activists about where the yellow flag should be planted next…

Mark Park, who edits the Liberal Democrat Voice blog, argues that banking is the most logical place to start.

Like the health reforms, banking was the subject of a well-supported motion at the party’s spring conference demanding a tougher stance from MPs.

It is also an issue that resonates with the general public.

“It is one of those issues that’s very dear to people’s hearts and is also a substantive issue that’s really important to get right for our future economic health and well-being,” Mr Pack says.

“I think overall the public is much more on the side of people like Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable, who are saying the banking system really needs to change radically, than those Conservative traditional types who really seem to think: ‘Let’s just let the finance sector do what it always does’.”

Banking isn’t the option picked by everyone in the party, however, as you can read in the full piece.