Author Archives: Tom Snowdon

Tom Snowdon who is a Lib Dem member, is a Councillor on Chesterfield Borough Council

What’s next? Money for nothing?

By Tom Snowdon | Wed 8th April 2020 - 4:00 pm

I hope that when we come out the other side of this current crisis, there are some lasting impacts on our politics and our system of democracy. As Liberal Democrats, we will be going through a process of transformation. The major issue that has dominated our message for the last three years has been resolved, at least for the moment. We will elect a new leader, who will have to oversee our re-engagement with the voters if we are to recover our support in the polls.

One key discussion needs to be around what we stand for, and what our policy objectives are. Labour has a new leader and presumably a new direction. We will need new policies that differentiate us from the other main parties.

An area which could be developed further is the Lib Dem position on community and the individual. Before COVID-19 came along, we used to talk about an epidemic of loneliness. People trapped alone by poverty or unaffordable housing, and a decline in social inclusion. We should develop our policies further, and take a radical stance on community. Let’s do what Lib Dems are good at, looking after people and communities.