In the current tumultuous political times, both Labour and the Conservatives are clothes shopping, trying on different shades of a variety of colours. Labour has embraced the True Blue capitalist philosophies, and the Tories are trying to show themselves as champions of the poor and oppressed.
Yet the Liberal Democrats are sitting comfortably in their well-worn pants of proportional representation and civil libertarian values. Sitting comfortably is not an option in politics.
The issue of PR is being seriously considered by Labour, and the Conservatives are now attempting to portray themselves as the friends of liberty. This is a real challenge to the Lib Dems. It is, however, also a wonderful opportunity.
With Labour voicing thoughts of PR, the Liberal voice is at last being heard. It is sad it isn’t coming from the Liberals. The Liberal Democrats are in a good position to grab hold of this baton, to pursue it in Parliament, to finally take some command of the political news agenda that has so often been denied them, and to take that baton of PR and remind voters (without bragging) that the policies the Government are considering are best handled by Liberal Democrats rather than neo-socialists.
Jonathan Bartley, co-director of the thinktank Ekklesia, said:
This is a moment of opportunity for wide-ranging and positive change but there is a huge risk that crucial issues will be overlooked and the Government will follow a path that serves its own interests, not those of the country as a whole.”
There is even greater opportunity in civil liberties. The state of libertarian values in Britain is at its lowest for some time. David Cameron has seized upon this and set out his vision to deal with it. Yet the Tories are historically authoritarian and autocratic. The Liberal Democrats have the chance to sound the true libertarian voice, to take charge of the news agenda, to portray Labour as the authoritarian bad-man, and the Conservatives as dithering chameleons.
There are dangers. Britain as a country has always maintained a fine balance between democracy and command, and between authority and liberty. It is one reason I like Britain. Voters, at times, like to be led rather than followed. They like to be protected rather than given free rein. If the neo-socialists or the Conservatives manage to continue their hitherto successful portrayal of the Lib Dems as the voice of weak coalition government and anything-goes public order policy, true breakthrough cannot be made.
If the Lib Dems can hit home the fact that both Labour and Conservatives are promoting these policies themselves, to let the electorate know that these are guises for these parties, to use the opportunity to say that crime and terrorism can be fought without massive databases and economically disastrous ID card schemes, to point to successful coalition governments in other countries… Then, maybe then, there can be a real change to the political landscape of Britain.
* Mark Hanson has been a keen supporter of the Liberal Democrats for many years, yet has not been actively involved until recently Currently considering whether to become a member, his main concerns are on civil liberty erosion and constitutional issues. As a practising Christian, he is also concerned that the Christian heritage and values are maintained in UK politics and law.
He is 35 years old and lives in Eastbourne, East Sussex.
9 Comments
“The issue of PR is being seriously considered by Labour”
Huh? Last I heard it was being seriously rejected by Labour, in favour of AV (IRV).
Labour don’t know what they’re talking about when it comes to voting systems – look at the confusing mess of all the different systems they’ve introduced since coming to power. AV, SV, STV, FPTP, d’Hondt… I’m almost sure that Brown mentioned the AV flavour he was looking at was the same as recommended by the Jenkins commision – AV in constituencies with top-ups in the current regions.
“The Liberal Democrats have the chance to sound the true libertarian voice.”
Oh I do hope not. It would be nice is the party could go on about Liberalism, which is not the same a liberatianism. The whole language of libertianism is a complete turn off to most voters. Most people don’t spend their days feeling oppressed because of DNA data bases, CCTV cameras or the smoking ban.
Apols if that is not what is meant but it just shows the weakness of we are the party of civil liberties arguement – it has not resonnace with voters.
So, Mark, should we go back to our constituencies and prepare for government?
“Most people don’t spend their days feeling oppressed because of DNA data bases, CCTV cameras or the smoking ban.”
Not so sure about the latter one.
Please Mr. Hanson, don’t use the word “libertarian” instead of the real word to describe the philosophy of liberty. It’s LIBERAL, NOT “libertarian”. It’s CIVIL LIBERALISM, not “civil libertarianism”. Liberals believe in freedom, “libertarians” believe in utopian anarchism. If we, Liberals, don’t use the real word to describe our philosophy, then Liberalism will lose its real meaning as it has lost it in America.
A “true libertarian voice” is pretty much completely inconsistent with ensuring that “the Christian heritage and values are maintained in UK politics and law.”
(Notwithstanding the libertarian/liberal difference highlighted above)
OK – some people might feel oppressed by the smioking ban, but not most and not to the point of it being an election winnner.
“the Christian heritage and values are maintained in UK politics and law.”
Not sure what on earth is meant by this phrase. Does it mean a return to fining people for not attending church and burning heretics ? or that we should reverse the reformation ?
I see the BNP are calling for a return to christian values in education, but when Arch-Bishops and Bishops ask people not to vote BNP, they get told to shut up.
It gets so confusing when we are asked to describe Conservatives as neo-socialist !
The fundamental problem though, as with all Libertarian analyis – it presents a false choice between liberty and authoritarianism, between public spending (mostly bad) and private spending (very good indeed)
The real issues for Liberals are about democratic legitamacy, about checks and balances and co-operation and compassion.
“OK – some people might feel oppressed by the smioking ban,”
I feel oppressed by smoking. The more places it is banned, the more free I feel.