Author Archives: Mike Hewitson

Opinion: Electoral funding reform is vital for the future of our democracy

By Mike Hewitson | Sat 6th June 2015 - 11:30 am

Election finance reform may not be at the top of many people’s Christmas list, but it is arguably a more important issue right now than even electoral reform. As Liberals we hold the fundamental values of fairness and equality as sacrosanct, while as democrats we believe that power and influence should be derived through the ballot box. The most grotesque feature of this election was the amount of money that the Conservative party spent. To be absolutely clear, until the Electoral Commission releases the spending stats, all we can work off is declared donation income, which reveals an eye watering income disparity between the parties. In the first two quarters of 2015, the Conservatives received around £24m in donations – nearly 4 times that received by the Liberal Democrats, in fact, the top 20 Tory donors gave more than all Liberal Democrat donors put together. The influence that these rich and powerful donors have over their parties is potentially toxic to our democracy, skewing politics towards special interests, and weakening the power of individual voters. While I am no fan of the Labour party, or the money which comes from the Unions, David Cameron has already announced his intent to weaken this financial association, thus crystallising for his party an insurmountable fundraising advantage, this is a naked attempt at a ‘political kneecapping’, and an outrageous abuse of Government power.

#NewMembersDay Why I joined the Liberal Democrats #6

By Mike Hewitson | Wed 13th May 2015 - 7:55 pm

Like many of my generation I have always been liberal, but it wasn’t until I first heard Nick Clegg talk about liberal values, that I began to suspect that I was a Liberal Democrat. Although I have always been interested and indirectly involved in politics I could never commit myself to any party. Through my professional career, I almost (accidentally) became a Conservative, co-authoring a policy paper for the oldest conservative think-tank, attending party conferences, but never feeling at home or at ease with the polarity of a party that houses rabid eurosceptics, social conservatives, libertarians and economic free-marketeers. The 2015 General Election has done nothing but confirm that I am, in fact a Liberal Democrat to the core, and damn the consequences.

Since polling day I have read and heard commentary questioning the point of the Lib Dems, mainly from Conservatives, cynically attempting to lock up their electoral majority for 2020. When I look at the alternatives I couldn’t disagree with them more. Politics is increasingly about what…what policies, and what benefit they bring to individuals or interest groups, the politics of self-interest. Almost no consideration is given to the more important question of why. When I think back to first hearing Nick talk about liberal values: about freedom, fairness and equality these fundamental principles resonated with how I live my life, they were my why.

It is all too easy to get caught up in the dogma of Left and Right, but the truth is that very few normal people fall exclusively into either camp, we agree with some things, and disagree with others to varying degrees. Our next leader must resist the conformity of defining our party in terms of left or right, as our fundamental principles of liberty and social justice cut across both sides. Already an unshackled Conservative government is talking about reducing liberty in the name of security, for employees and repealing the Human Rights Act, which is why liberals need to act, and now.

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged #new | 1 Comment