Liberator 435 is out and can be downloaded free here: https://liberatormagazine.org.uk/ where you can also sign up to be emailed when each new issue of Liberator comes out.
This time in addition to Commentary, Radical Bulletin and Lord Bonkers’ Diary, Liberator looks at why concern at the May election results is echoing from every corner of the party despite these being spun as progress.
In this issue:
HOLLOWED OUT AND IN A HOLE
James Graham says the Liberal Democrats are losing touch with all but a narrow slice of the electorate and should reconnect with the rest of the country
A PARTY WITHOUT A MESSAGE
The Lib Dem message became increasingly confused in the 7 May elections in England beyond London, says Chris White
WILL SCOTLAND WANT TO SPLIT OFF?
There was Lib Dem progress in Scotland, but how did the party lose Shetland after 75 years? Nigel Lindsay explains
WALES BACKS AWAY FROM A PRECIPICE
Peter Black explains how the Welsh Liberal Democrats clung on amid Plaid Cymru and Reform victories, but had to keep Ed Davey hidden
LONDON INCHES AHEAD
A Green surge limited Lib Dem progress in the capital. Rob Blackie wonders if the party has an answer
WHY I’M WORKING WITH COMPASS
Roz Savage MP hopes a Compass event will help change how politics is done
WHERE LOCAL ELECTIONS REALLY MATTER
France’s municipal elections directly shape national politics and show a fragmented landscape before the presidential race. Marianne Magnin explains
WATERLOO COMES TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Corruption, hubris, the Epstein files and Iran war are all signs that Donald Trump may lose Congress this year, says Martha Elliott
HAPPY DAYS FOR WAR CRIMINALS
Perpetrators of war crimes are rejoicing as attempts to hold them to account remain failures says Rebecca Tinsley
HUNGARY HEADS BACK TO DEMOCRACY
It took a rainbow coalition to oust Hungary’s authoritarian Orban regime. Rupert Slade reports from Budapest on how it was done
A PACT THAT GOES BEYOND UKRAINE
Speeches and writing by Gladstone and Mill illuminate the importance of the new UK-Ukraine pact to the defence of international liberalism says Volodymyr Kistianyk
SOMETHING WORSE THAN REFORM.
Restore Britain may be small but it is far right without Reform’s moderate trappings, and Liberal Democrats should oppose it says Rosemary Runswick
REVIEWS
Searching for Normal: A New Approach to Understanding Mental Health, Distress and Neurodiversity. By Sami Timimi (Jonathan Calder)
Why Populists Are Winning? By Liam Byrne (Rebecca Tinsley)
The Shortest History of Ireland. By James Hawes (Jonathan Calder)
Everybody Loves Our Dollars – how money laundering won. By Oliver Bullough (Rebecca Tinsley)
Who will defend Europe? An awakened Russia and a sleeping continent. By Keir Giles (Rebecca Tinsley)
Tales from the Doorstep. By Martin Kyrle (Jonathan Calder)
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District council backs a parish council for Market Harborough
New by-election poll gives Burnham 5 point lead
Pope Leo speaks for all liberals when he condemns racism, supports migration, and supports Ukraine
Growing Asylum backlog undermines Government's case
paul barker
George Thomas
Nick Baird
Peter Chambers
Tristan Ward
One Comment
A good article by Nigel Lindsey on the election results in Scotland. While most political commentary seems to wish to highlight that Scotland only voted for the largest majority of pro-independence MSPs ever (73 against 56) due to the voting system, with Unionist parties actually gaining a majority of the vote, Nigel points out that opinion polls during the campaign showed a majority for Independence.
As Democrats, we may oppose independence but should support a clear understanding of what election result would constitute a mandate for another independence referendum. It appears that a pro-independence majority of Scottish MPs and of Scottish MSPs is insufficient – so it is 2/3 of MSPs, 3/4 of MSPs or will no referendum ever be permitted however the people of Scotland vote?