Comments on: Leader article: United in Europe http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html Our place to talk - an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:46:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mike Falchikov http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36661 Mike Falchikov Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:37:23 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36661 The newly extended Schengen zone comes into force today. Are Lib Dems in favour of this - surely we should be? What are our MEPs saying about it and what are the implications for Schengen and our new "tough" immigration policy? We need clarification on this issue. Mike Falchikov The newly extended Schengen zone comes into force today. Are Lib Dems in favour of this – surely we should be? What are our MEPs saying about it and what are the implications for Schengen and our new “tough” immigration policy? We need
clarification on this issue.

Mike Falchikov

]]> By: Diversity http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36585 Diversity Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:58:21 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36585 As Graham Watson implies, Left-to-right is increasingly a tribal division today; in all Europe. It now has very, very little to do with policy. In the EU even more than in Britain the idea of a political spectrum from drawbridge down to drawbridge up gives a much better sense of the policy, attitude and emotional divides. But Graham needs to find different words. Being labelled the "downers" when our opponents could call themselves the "uppers" would not be good politics. As Graham Watson implies, Left-to-right is increasingly a tribal division today; in all Europe. It now has very, very little to do with policy. In the EU even more than in Britain the idea of a political spectrum from drawbridge down to drawbridge up gives a much better sense of the policy, attitude and emotional divides. But Graham needs to find different words. Being labelled the “downers” when our opponents could call themselves the “uppers” would not be good politics.

]]> By: Elen Prague http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36524 Elen Prague Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:53:29 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36524 The reason why Green Parties get increasingly more votes is we are in 21st century and the never ending tug of war whether to go to left or right starts to be a little boring. Maybe it is time for parties who bring ideas of long term development... The reason why Green Parties get increasingly more votes is we are in 21st century and the never ending tug of war whether to go to left or right starts to be a little boring. Maybe it is time for parties who bring ideas of long term development…

]]> By: Andrew Duffield http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36444 Andrew Duffield Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:52:07 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36444 The difficulty we face is that the impending world recession, like all major economic downturns, will tend to herald a surge in nationalistic propaganda and sentiment. This will inevitably manifest itself in further protectionist and racist language from politicians of 'left' and 'right', and no doubt strike a populist, if completely misguided, chord. ("British jobs for British workers" etc). We need to develop an even more robust and potentially populist line to counter such hyperbole. We could start by campaigning for a relaxation in VAT rules ("Relax the Tax"?!), so that member states would be free to vary this highly regressive impost, ideally as part of individual member states' tax switching efforts to combat climate change. "Unfair tax competition" is, and always will be, absolute nonsense. We need to free up the fiscal rules and let loose best practice. It would be worth giving up the British EU rebate for that prize! The difficulty we face is that the impending world recession, like all major economic downturns, will tend to herald a surge in nationalistic propaganda and sentiment. This will inevitably manifest itself in further protectionist and racist language from politicians of ‘left’ and ‘right’, and no doubt strike a populist, if completely misguided, chord. (“British jobs for British workers” etc).

We need to develop an even more robust and potentially populist line to counter such hyperbole. We could start by campaigning for a relaxation in VAT rules (“Relax the Tax”?!), so that member states would be free to vary this highly regressive impost, ideally as part of individual member states’ tax switching efforts to combat climate change.

“Unfair tax competition” is, and always will be, absolute nonsense. We need to free up the fiscal rules and let loose best practice. It would be worth giving up the British EU rebate for that prize!

]]> By: Tristan Mills http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36442 Tristan Mills Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:09:40 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36442 As an economic and social liberal I'm glad to endorse a drawbridge down position. Its the instinctive liberal position, shown through our commitment to free trade (for peace and prosperity) and international cooperation. The unfortunate tendency at the moment is for the left to use environmentalism as a vehicle for isolationism, whilst the right retreat to their traditional nationalism (although the left still try to cling to 'national champions' and are essentially nationalistic too). The challenge for liberals is to show how freedom and the open society can give the best solutions to problems and harness the opportunities ahead. Its always been a difficult argument to win, based as it is largely on <a href="http://www.econlib.org/library/Bastiat/basEss1.html" rel="nofollow"> what is not seen</a>, that which we cannot foretell easily, whereas the opposition will promise the earth and can 'do something' but the results of which will often be dire. We have won the argument in the past, and with some effort and ingenuity we can do so again. As an economic and social liberal I’m glad to endorse a drawbridge down position.
Its the instinctive liberal position, shown through our commitment to free trade (for peace and prosperity) and international cooperation.

The unfortunate tendency at the moment is for the left to use environmentalism as a vehicle for isolationism, whilst the right retreat to their traditional nationalism (although the left still try to cling to ‘national champions’ and are essentially nationalistic too).

The challenge for liberals is to show how freedom and the open society can give the best solutions to problems and harness the opportunities ahead.

Its always been a difficult argument to win, based as it is largely on what is not seen, that which we cannot foretell easily, whereas the opposition will promise the earth and can ‘do something’ but the results of which will often be dire.
We have won the argument in the past, and with some effort and ingenuity we can do so again.

]]> By: Danny http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36431 Danny Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:10:38 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/leader-article-united-in-europe-1849.html#comment-36431 But also with EPP and the socialists unravelling comes the outer edges of those groups coalescing around the existing lunatic fringe in the EP. The right wingers of The Independence, Tradition and Sovereignity group (T.I.T.S.) may have finally realised that grouping with other foreign nationalists was always a recipe for disaster, but presumably this is a temporary setback for the voices of unreason. And all the while, MEPs struggle to bring the media attention to the centre and away from the Kilroy-Silks of this world. Liberals leading a consensus in a long drawn out political process for the sake of "world population growth and migratory pressures; the challenges of climate change and security of energy supply, or of internationally organised crime linked to terrorism" will unfortunately come second in the headlines to TITS like Kilroy. But also with EPP and the socialists unravelling comes the outer edges of those groups coalescing around the existing lunatic fringe in the EP.

The right wingers of The Independence, Tradition and Sovereignity group (T.I.T.S.) may have finally realised that grouping with other foreign nationalists was always a recipe for disaster, but presumably this is a temporary setback for the voices of unreason.

And all the while, MEPs struggle to bring the media attention to the centre and away from the Kilroy-Silks of this world.

Liberals leading a consensus in a long drawn out political process for the sake of “world population growth and migratory pressures; the challenges of climate change and security of energy supply, or of internationally organised crime linked to terrorism” will unfortunately come second in the headlines to TITS like Kilroy.

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