The VTT is a think tank established by the LibDem Party in France. Its aim is to deliberate on and make recommendations as it sees relevant to LibDem Party policy and options. Its goal is to contribute to bringing definition to the LibDem Party: what it is; what it stands for; what it is doing. Its modus operandi is to conduct and report on sessions each devoted to a single, predetermined theme. It is therefore concerned with issues as they pertain to LibDems regarding the UK and abroad including, for example, liberty and liberalism, international integration, climate change and inequality. Discussions on such topics are conducted on hour-long Zoom sessions. The first three sessions, commencing as of September 29 2020 were given over to attempting to define what were seen as the core elements confronting the LibDems at this moment in time: Liberty, Europe and Globalization.

The fourth session then conjoined these three to suggest where our priorities lie. Liberty is the core value sustaining the individual within the community; Europe is the trans-governmental system for mutual benefit, illustrative of the cross-border interlacing of institutional arrangements evolving; globalization is the inevitable and irreversible dynamic outcome of technological progress and connectivity of humanity in motion.

Based on this general framework, attention has now turned to particular policy issues. Thus the sixth session was devoted to whether the Party should advocate the creation of a written constitution for the UK and, if so, what form it should take. Three questions posed were: Why should the UK need a written constitution after being so long without one? To what extent should this constitution take into account supranational assumptions and would this compromise the country’s sovereignty? What would be the means for adjusting this written constitution to evolving circumstances? The conclusions arrived at were as follows. Recent abuse of power with impunity by the current government has made it necessary to introduce a succinct codification of arrangements to ensure accountability along with accessible settlement procedures. For the government to act, the idea of a written constitution should be sold to the people first. In aiming to reconcile popular government with private rights, the proposed constitution should pass through informed citizens groups to a constitutional assembly, and then receive final approval by way of a referendum. Once established, changes to the constitution could also be subject to referendum, although there were some reservations expressed here. At any event, the constitution and changes to it should be placed within a legal framework for it to function effectively.

The Zoom sessions are bimonthly and the next one will be in July. Prior to the session a brief explanatory note, along with questions to be posed for discussion are sent out. Anybody is very welcome to attend and participate. To be informed about upcoming sessions please contact: [email protected].

* Ferguson Evans is the cofounder of the Virtual Think Tank