The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.
This is what can be found on the back of every Lib Dem membership card. The part I want to focus on in this piece is the point regarding a “fair, free and open society”. One person’s concept of freedom may differ from another’s. I would like to take this opportunity to discuss it.
Freedom is the right of an individual in this country to vote. Freedom is the right of an individual to own property. Freedom is the right of an individual, so long as they follow the law and do no harm to others, to live their life as they see fit.
Freedom is a regulated market that allows small businesses to prosper alongside multinational corporations. Freedom is empowering a community to take ownership of its energy provisions, its pubs, its community centres, and its future. Freedom is the ability to trade freely and easily with our neighbours, in Europe and the world.
Freedom is the right of all people to live free from want and need. Freedom is the right of all people to live free from disease, free from harm, and free from fear. Freedom is ensuring that those who need support are given it. Freedom is the guarantee that if you work hard, you will reap the rewards of your efforts.
Freedom is not consigned to one ideology or one political party. Freedom is in the hearts and minds of every individual who dreams of a better world and wants to work towards it. Freedom is not just a manifesto promise, but a mission for humanity. Freedom cannot be bought or sold, for if it were, a person would forever be indebted to whoever granted it. Freedom is an inherent part of the human condition.
Freedom simply is.
* Jack Meredith is a member of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and an active campaigner and canvasser with Swansea and Gower Liberal Democrats. His writing focuses on democratic reform, social justice, trade unionism, economic democracy, and the institutional foundations of effective government. He has written for the Fabians, Lib Dem Voice, Liberator, Nation Cymru, Bylines Cymru, and Centre Think Tank.
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2 Comments
Jack, Thank you for this, a very interesting post.
To me the most important part in that first paragraph of the Preamble to the Lib Dem Constitution is none of the sexy, liberal phrases and words we often discuss like fair, free or open; not liberty, equality or community, nor is it poverty, ignorance or conformity, though each of them is vital. Instead it is a very quiet, but profound one.
It is “where we seek to balance ….”
As you have pointed out, we all know there are conflicts between different liberties and freedoms for different groups and individuals. Similarly fair is almost always a question of judgement and not simple objective fact, and we all need to conform to driving (and in the case of cyclists – riding) on the left hand side of the road.
Above all though, the way we as Liberal Democrats must approach determining the best way forward has to be based on trying to find a balance between all those competing viewpoints.
Very, very rarely is one viewpoint totally right and an alternative totally wrong and we forget this to our detriment.
David
The thing is that to be free you need a certain level of material and financial resources at least in this country. So freedom and a degree of equality are two sides of the same coin. Both need to be broadly in tune. A certain level of equality is necessary for freedom to flourish.