The latest edition of Liberator magazine has just landed on subscribers’ doormats. Here’s a preview of the contents:
• ‘Commentary’ editorial praises Nick Clegg for making some bold statements in recent weeks. It concludes: “His recent statements on Gaza, the euro and the City are morally right, clear and distinctive. The party needs more statements like this and less of the PR twaddle.”
• The insider gossip column ‘Radical Bulletin’.
• Our lead article ‘Peace from Gaza’s wreck?’ is written by Jonathan Fryer. He argues that Israel’s real friends must admit that the Middle East conflict cannot have a military solution.
• ‘Eyewitness in Gaza’ – Chris Davies was one of the very few observers to gain access to the Gaza Strip during the recent Israeli assault. This is his eyewitness account, written immediately after his visit on Sunday 11 January.
• ‘How long until more Baby Ps?’ – Lynne Featherstone argues that the blunders around Haringey Council’s handling of the ‘Baby P’ case are not new, and there will be similar cases while the lessons go unlearned.
• ‘How to lose a good case’ – Bill le Breton reports that the overwhelming referendum defeat of Greater Manchester’s proposed congestion charge has raised doubts about whether it will ever be possible to win public support for environmental taxes. He argues that a better conducted campaign could have done the trick.
• ‘Get a life’ – Simon Titley warns that a cynical culture of ‘cool’ is corroding society and replacing one form of conformity with another.
• ‘Is an F.E. place worth F. All?’ – After two years on the Liberal Democrat Federal Executive, Richard Clein wonders what the party’s top administration body is for, and why no-one ever tells its members anything.
• ‘Strait jacket’ – Olly Wells and Fang-yi Ho report that the defeat of Taiwan’s previous liberal government has put its democracy under pressure from China’s sympathisers.
• Readers’ letters and book reviews.
• Lord Bonkers reminisces about his cricket XI.
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