Editor’s Note: The party is currently running an essay competition for members of the Liberal Democrats, to submit 1000 words on the theme “What it means to be a Liberal Democrat today.” The deadline for contributions is 2nd November. If you would like us to publish your submission, send it to [email protected].

What it means to be a Liberal Democrat today to me is to promote three basic, yet fundamental, principles to help place in people’s hands the tools they need to make the most of their lives: Freedom, Democracy and Community. I believe that, when achieved, a person can reach their full potential and in turn can help others reach their full potential too.

What does it mean to be free? Freedom is more than existing without physical chains; it is about empowering and inspiring people to recognise the chains that already bind them – poverty, illness, a lack of skills, lack of opportunity, lack of identity – and helping them break the chains that hold them back. How can a parent hope to develop their skills to better themselves personally and professionally when they work every hour they can to put food on the table for their children? How can a person develop and grow emotionally and mentally when they are trapped by an identity that they feel isn’t theirs? How can someone with a physical or mental disability contribute to society and a workplace when they are locked in a cycle of self-detriment and no confidence? These are the questions that need to be answered. The Liberal Democrats’ belief that mental health should be taken as seriously as physical health and that mental health stigma and discrimination needs to be challenged is just one example of how promoting freedom is, and should be, at the core of our beliefs.

What does it mean to be involved in the democratic process? Democracy is more than just a ballot paper – it is about championing local politics and involving as many people in taking charge of their own future as possible. It is about devolving power back to the voter as far as it practically can be; it is about local representation, through town-hall politics, through referenda and direct control. The Liberal Democrats’ desire to begin the decentralisation of political power needs to be pushed higher up the agenda in order to place more power in the hands of all of us.

What does it mean to promote the community? A community is not just a geographic space; many of us are members of dozens of communities simultaneously. We are brought together by location, by background, by ethnicity, by sexuality, by religion, by shared interests – both physically and online. We must not see each community as exclusive but see them as unique and help create greater understanding between all and through it we must promote inclusiveness and integration, education and understanding. Our work in building bridges with communities, both established and new, must be a model for how we welcome those who settle in Britain through choice or through need to help make our society and economy stronger for future generations.

Ultimately, to be a Liberal Democrat today is not about pushing an agenda to help certain people succeed, but to remember that the agenda should be to succeed in helping everyone achieve.

* Ian Thomas is the pseudonym for a party member. His identity is known to the Lib Dem Voice editorial team.