Over at The Guardian, Lib Dem president Tim Farron acknowledges the bumpy ride of the first 15 months of Coalition, and stresses the centrality of community politics to the party. Here’s an excerpt:
The Lib Dems have led the way in the practice of community politics since, serving local communities across Britain in a way that engages them in the political process. Community politicians immerse themselves in their communities – empowering people to take action over the issues they face rather than the alternative, where politics is “done to” communities. Community politics is not just what liberals do, it’s part of who they are.
This commitment to the theory and practice of community politics has sustained the party throughout the turbulence of much of the postwar period, amid the revivals, the plateaux and the occasional flirtations with oblivion. …
Community politics is our priority. That is why the practice of community politics is even more important for those who are in power. You can become part of the administration but you must never become the establishment; you must carry on campaigning against things and for things, but always alongside and within your community, and never falling for the arrogance that power can lure you into.
You can read Tim’s article in full here.
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