I generally try to be positive about the party on my blog, as I want to be supportive and positive about what we do -certainly in "print" ... BUT .... What the bloody hell has Ming gone and done?
Deciding that the British People won't have the right to choose where their power goes? It is not the right of any politician (of whatever party) to decide, it is not their power to freely give away and we are the party that really stood for that.
I am pro-Europe (although not hook line and sinker as Devil's Kitchen recently assumed), but I have always believed that it is up to the British Public to decide what happens to their party. It is too big decision for just under 700 people to decide on their own.
I am really quite depressed about this and I know that many grassroots members will be as well. We could lose members over this, enough were on the brink anyway with the way things have gone since Charles Kennedy, but to campaign hard on an issue in the 2005 GE and to go back on it when it comes to the crunch instills no faith whatsoever. We are about devolving decision making, listening to people and supposed to be against big powerful organisations imposing their will, making empty promises to the country on such key issues will not instill faith in that..
I am a member and councillor for this party due to our principles, we are the party who fight for people and don't treat people like they are stupid. A fair and just society for all, a belief in people deciding their own futures as far as possible and I am bloody sick of seeing decisions and policies that seem to bear no relation ... at both a national and local level.
My Dad rang me today and said that he thinks he will have to leave the Lib Dems - he said that we are no longer a party of principle but "are just as bad as the others". We are positioning as a mainstream party and losing any semblance of radicalism or passion for our philosophy.
Of course, I will stick with it, because I have met enough true Lib Dems to know that at the core we are for real and I have met enough young Liberals who could turn things around ... but after today's announcement I now will have a much tougher job arguing that on the doorstep.
Rant over.
Wednesday, September 12
Where have my party's principles gone?
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3 replies:
There are of course bright spots, like Ming's principled stance on Iraq, but you're right, this is hard to understand. I hope it will be discussed in Brighton.
Oh, that’s a little hard on the party; all this means is that – though he’s dead right on climate change and Iraq – on this issue our Leader has got it exactly wrong. A quick count of Lib Dems in the blogosphere this morning suggests we disagree with him by about two to one. So, Arwen, being a democratic party, the answer is in our own hands to challenge his decision… It isn’t the case that what the Leader says goes, unless we all sit back and let it.
Perhaps I am being a bit hard.
I agree that Iraq and Climate Change have been high points for the party, but on matters of governance I do feel that, without question, the electorate need to be making the decision themselves. It is simple - power belongs to all the people and is not negotiable amongst just the few.
It is hard to understand where Ming is coming from on this and I do hope there will be an opportunity in Brighton to raise the issue - maybe I will go to the candidates reception sponsored by that dreadful supermarket after all. ;)
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