The latest edition of Liberator magazine (issue no.332 – April 2009) has just been mailed to subscribers. Here’s a summary of the contents:
• The ever popular Commentary editorial considers the Tories’ complicity in the financial crisis and the problem of neoliberal economic dogma.
• The insider gossip column Radical Bulletin leads with an analysis of the continuing internal dispute in Aberdeenshire.
• Our lead article ‘Reconnecting with our radical heritage’ is written by Matthew Sowemimo, Director of the Social Liberal Forum. He explains why the Social Liberal Forum has been created and why it has been launched now.
• ‘Save us from Fabianism’ – David Boyle makes a plea to the Social Liberal Forum to be critical and ambitious, and reject technocratic delusions.
[Note that Matthew Sowemimo’s and David Boyle’s articles, along with a response by Richard Grayson, have also been published for comment on the Social Liberal Forum website.]
• ‘Brownian Banks’ – Where was ‘prudence with a purpose’ when the banks went on a spree, asks Ed Randall (former Liberal Democrat councillor in Greenwich).
• ‘Head for the black holes’ – The BNP won a seat in Sevenoaks and the local Liberal Democrats refused to stand, a move condemned by ALDC. Now comes the fight back, says Alan Bullion (Liberal Democrat PPC for Sevenoaks).
• ‘Come on baby fight my shire’ – It’s hard to get party members excited about June’s county council elections, but Hertfordshire has found some novel ways say Chris White (Liberal Democrat group leader on Hertfordshire County Council) and Susan Gaszczak (Liberal Democrat county co-ordinator in Hertfordshire). They explain the party’s county-wide ‘Six to Fix’ campaign.
• ‘Strangers on the right’ – Right-wing libertarians belong outside the Liberal Democrats’ traditions, aims and objectives, argues Matthew Huntbach (former Liberal Democrat councillor in Lewisham).
• ‘Reaching for the summit’ – It’s time for politicians to support calls for an Earth Summit to chart a path for sustainable development, says Felix Dodds (Executive Director of Stakeholder Forum).
• ‘Free education is still worth fighting for’ – The party was right to stay opposed to tuition fees, says Elaine Bagshaw (Chair of Liberal Youth).
• ‘Three tiers for our schools’ – The education system fails to inspire students and schools are too large, says Roger Harcourt (a Liberal Democrat and former head teacher).
• ‘Beyond Monopoly’ – A new wave of board-games from Germany provides some pointers for social cohesion and online politics, says Simon Titley. And a group of Liberal Democrats road-tests some politically-themed games.
• Book reviews.
• Lord Bonkers’ Diary.
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7 Comments
“Right-wing libertarians belong outside the Liberal Democrats’ traditions, aims and objectives”
I seem to recall that the Liberal Party of the 19th century was pretty much wedded to classical liberalism – which is what “right-wing libertarianism” effectively is.
Richard – Have you actually read Matthew Huntbach’s article? If not, kindly do so before you launch into comment.
Does anyone alive today “recall” 19th centuary liberalism ?! or is that just opinion like anyone elses ?
Simon Titley – no I haven’t because it doesn’t appear to be online. However, if he does address my point then the introductory line that I quoted from should be less ambiguous.
The large majority of Liberator articles show a strong left-leaning bent, as several article titles above suggest.
I very much doubt the article is other than Richard suggests, though I also haven’t read it as I don’t think (whisper it) that The Liberator is actually very good. Sorry.
Matthew’s article is one of the best things I have read in Liberator for a long time (it’s not ‘The’ Liberator Mark). If economic liberalism or libertarianism is your philosophy then there probably isn’t much point in reading it, but in a party which is, I’m sorry to say, rather short of good writers (David Boyle is a notable exception), Liberator almost always has articles which are of value.
Richard
I seem to recall that the Liberal Party of the 19th century was pretty much wedded to classical liberalism – which is what “right-wing libertarianism” effectively is.
I checked a couple of history books just now, and I noted that legislation introducing public services paid for by taxation (often at local rather than national level) was a feature of 19th century government. It was part of coming into the modern age, these things became necessary as society grew technically more complex with greater dependencies.
I do not note a pattern of the Liberal Party consistently opposing these things and saying that the only way any service should be provided was by private businessmen in return for private cash payment. I certainly do not notice in the records of 19th century Liberals the shrill tone and ideological certainties that taxation is always theft and government regulation is always evil which we get from modern people who call themselves “libertarians”. At best there is a pragmatism about these issues, at worst sometimes there is a priggishness of the sort we associate with the Victorians.