Liberal Left | Direction in the Liberal Democrats

Leaving the coalition – if not now – when?

admin — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:12:13 +0000

This morning Which reports that 1 in 5 households are having to borrow to pay for food. Certainly in my lifetime that is unprecedented. One wonders how bad it has to get before someone says “thus far and no further” – 2 in 5, 4 in 5? [...]

Liberal Left statement on Welfare

admin — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:33:10 +0000

This week the ‘welfare’ debate has plumbed new depths. In the week that the Coalition’s key changes to taxation and benefits took effect, the Daily Mail’s ‘Vile Product of UK Welfare’ headline was repugnant, reactionary and quite shocking.

Enter into this debate George Osborne, who has in the words of Sarah Teather “stooped so low as to make a crude political point out [...]

Liberal Left statement on welfare 1% cap

admin — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 22:13:09 +0000

Last night (8th Jan) Liberal Democrats overwhelmingly voted for a 1% cap on many welfare benefits. This is yet another example of Liberal Democrats in power trampling on the very principles on which the party was founded. As Sarah Teather (one of only 4 Lib Dems to vote against this pernicious bill) pointed out, percentages [...]

Central values: Clegg’s ‘tacking’ to the centre-right?

admin — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 22:30:48 +0000

In September members of Liberal Left wrote an open letter to Nick Clegg challenging his drive to move our party to the centre rather than maintaining our long tradition as a party of the centre left. His speech today reinforced his determination to continue that journey rightwards. Even the fact that he talks about ‘tacking [...]

Liberal Left statement on benefit reforms

admin — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:59:43 +0000

Liberal Left welcomes the statement from Sarah Teather condemning the cap on benefits implemented by the coalition. We agree that the coalition uses socially divisive language which belies the claim that we are “all in this together”. The increasing use of the term ‘welfare’ moves us further and further away from a welfare state which [...]

Letter Jo Shaw to Lib Dem Members – Say no to secret courts

admin — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 07:46:58 +0000

www.libdemsagainstsecretcourts.org.uk

Almost one month ago, Liberal Democrat members voted overwhelmingly at party Conference against Part II of the Justice and Security Bill. This makes provision for “secret courts” to be used in any civil proceedings (except, at present, for inquests) in cases where national security is said to be at risk. It is illiberal, oppressive [...]

An open letter to Nick Clegg

admin — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 10:48:16 +0000

Liberal Left and members have written to Nick Clegg in the backdrop of his speech to Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton on Tuesday. [...]

Nick Clegg apologised for the wrong thing | Linda Jack

admin — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:45:34 +0000

Linda Jack, chair of Liberal Left, has written for The Guardian commenting on Nick Clegg's apology regarding the Liberal Democrats failure to deliver on their pledge not to increase tuition fees. To read the article please click here. [...]

Ed Randall | Lib Dems face the biggest decision of coalition

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:50:50 +0000

Ed Randall has written a piece for the Social Liberal Forum website regarding Liberal Left’s amendment to the growth motion to be debated in Brighton this weekend. It is reproduced here.

This article relates to an amendment to Motion F23 at Liberal Democrat Conference September 2012, the text of which is available on page 18 [...]

Left Link | If the Lib Dems want a coalition with Labour…

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:46:35 +0000

Over on the New Statesman website, Chair of centre-left pressure group Compass Neal Lawson has written a piece arguing that the Liberal Democrats need to start work now if they want a coalition with Labour after 2015. To read the piece please click here. [...]