Tag Archives: Lib Dem History

Michael Mullaney

A century since the birth of Roy Jenkins

By Michael Mullaney | Tue 10th November 2020 - 9:16 am

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The 11th of November is the 100th anniversary of the birth of a political giant who helped form the modern Liberal Democrat party.

Roy Jenkins made a huge political impact, firstly within the Labour party as a reforming Home Secretary in the 1960s bringing in reforming legislation on decriminalising homosexuality, modernising divorce laws, and liberalising censorship laws. Then as one of the four founding members of the SDP that was to merge with the Liberals to form the Liberal Democrats.

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Posted in Liberal History and Op-eds | Also tagged , and | 17 Comments
Christopher Hudson

The Greatest Story Never Told

By Christopher Hudson | Wed 17th June 2020 - 1:30 pm

As we enter the start of the Liberal Democrat leadership contest, we confront the question again of what direction the new leader will take the party. We ask, what will be their platform? Their vision? Who are we going to appeal to? What issues are we going to champion? What is the policy that will reverse our fortunes?

With the quick turnover of leaders since the resignation of Nick Clegg, we have never come up with any lasting answers to the big questions, and that’s because we are missing the point. Our biggest failing is thinking that we are missing one great policy that will overturn centuries of two-party rule, or that by opposing everything an awful Tory government is doing we can somehow break through electorally. Policies change from election to election and do not last, and by opposing everything, no one knows what you positively stand for.

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Posted in Op-eds | 10 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Jason Connor
    Yes it's the upper middle classes store of choice. Not a Tescos, Aldi, Lidl or Asda even in sight...
  • Phil Wainewright
    @tony/Cumbria - As Lenin supposedly said, “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen" @Graham Jeffs - The consumeri...
  • peter wrigley
    Your five points are perfectly sound , but they omit the main purpose of our party, which is surely to protect and improve Liberal Democracy both this country ...
  • David Raw
    Paul. I'm afraid you can't deny that the party of 'Middle England' is also the Waitrose party....
  • Graham Jeffs
    Phil, you are right - a twenty-five-year span. Yet having a vision with a philosophy supported by sensible policies is but part of the issue. It seems likely ...