That’s the question Tim Farron is asking this evening in the following mail to members:
I want you to tell me why you’re a Liberal Democrat! What do you think are the party’s unique values, beliefs and approach? And what do they have to offer the country over the next five years?
Discussing and debating these issues is an essential element of the party’s fightback; the party’s philosophy provides the backbone on which our policies and campaigns are built.
This is the focus of the Federal Policy Committee’s Agenda 2020 exercise, which we kicked off this summer. We aim to foster party-wide debate and discussion on what Liberal Democrats stand for, analyse the policy challenges the UK will be facing over the next five years, and map out a process of policy development to which party members can contribute.
The starting point is the consultation paper and accompanying collection of essays which we published in the lead-up to autumn conference. We’d like to hear your thoughts on the paper; the deadline for responding is 9 November.
We’re also running an essay competition, open to any party member: tell us in no more than 1,000 words ‘What does it means to be a Liberal Democrat today?’. The deadline is also 9 November.
We want to encourage a wide-ranging debate within the party, involving as many members and local parties as possible. I hope you can organise discussion sessions through your regional conferences and local party meetings. Do let us know if you’d like a speaker from the FPC to any such events – but please give us as much notice as possible (contact [email protected]).
The next stage in the process will be a more detailed consultation paper for the spring conference, which will begin to map out the key areas on which the party needs to develop policy, and the main themes around which these policies will be developed.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Tim Farron
* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.
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9 Comments
Whilst I will respond to Tim my main concern is not policy but communicating that policy, and currently we are not communicating.
It is difficult to make your voice heard when you are down to 8 MPs, a new leader and the media ignoring you.
But we are not even trying, let us take an example from todays news
Tories are killing the Solar industry that we helped build up, and blaming us for overspending.
Where is our defence of the industry and our record?
Where is the article on our web site?
Where are the letters to the press?
Where are the press releases sent out to every local party and “my councillor” web site.
Where is the contribution from a senior Lib Dem to Lib Dem voice
The answer is nowhere. This applies to all other current issues, Tax Credits, Trident, etc.
Unless the leaders of the party wake up are rethink our communication strategy we are doomed
Because Labour need to keep out of the boardroom, and the Tories need to keep out of the bedroom, and arbitary borders and nation states are a relic of the past.
I am a Liberal because I believe in liberty, freedom and the rights of the individual.
The alternatives are the tyranny of collectivism and authoritarianism.
Didn’t we do this already on LDV a few months ago?
I am Liberal as I believe in the preamble on my membership card.
Also, I chose the Gladstone design, as I associate myself with classical liberalism first and foremost.
Well, here’s part of the answer I blogged and YouTubed before the election, but I’m working on a new version…
http://libdemsbelieve.tumblr.com/post/118383492632/liberal-democrats-believe-50-alex-wilcock
Liberal Democrats believe in freedom and opportunity for every individual. Freedom from poverty, ignorance and conformity.
To make that freedom real for everyone needs both fairness and economic responsibility: an economy that works, that encourages enterprise, and where everyone pays their fair share.
So freedom from poverty requires responsible spending, not endless debt, built on fairer taxes where lower earners pay less tax and the wealthiest pay more; working with others to boost jobs and tackle climate change; and building green jobs for the future – increasing opportunities for the next generation instead of making them pay for today’s mistakes.
Freedom from ignorance needs us to champion education, training and apprenticeships, so everyone has the opportunity to realise their potential, whatever their background, whatever their choices.
And freedom from conformity means everyone should have the liberty to live their lives as they choose – without harming others; with equality before the law; with more power to decide, because no government always knows best, because all power must be accountable, because monolithic central control must always be broken up, because whether the best place to use power is locally, nationally or internationally, the most important place to take decisions is you taking power over your own life.
These values are why Liberal Democrats are working for a greener, stronger economy in a fairer society, enabling every person to get on in life. Opportunity for everyone.
Phyllis
We had a different article on the same subject two months ago, yes:
https://www.libdemvoice.org/agenda-2020-open-thread-essay-collection-and-competition-47249.html
But then again we have many articles on the same subject all the time.
I agree to everything Alderman says. Communication communication communication. I would also add a sense of priorities – some policies are more important than others. This does not come across.
Re David Beckett’s comment, a solar power firm local to me , Climate Energy, is going under with the loss of 85 jobs, so I ‘ve written to the local press attacking this mad Tory policy.