Dismayed Lib Dem voters...
Dismayed Lib Dem voters... where do we go from here?On and off I've been a Lib Dem member for 10 years. Now I am not. In every election I have voted Lib Dem bar voting for Brian Paddick or Simon Hughes in the mayoral elections (both being simply awful choices I couldn't bring myself to support). It's nothing that our local Lib Dems have done; I'd count Andrew Dakers as being one of the most principled people I have ever met. No, this is about where Laws and Clegg have led voters a merry dance and corrupted the founding principles of the party and the party constitution. Orange book liberals have no natural place in the party and ought to have been booted out the moment that document was made public. Just like Labour was hijacked by 'tories in all but name' in the mid 1990s, now so too has the party in which I once had faith. There's nothing remotely liberal about what Clegg and Laws have done. There's nothing remotely principled or democratic about assisting a party like the Tories to govern. I agreed with Nick on many things, but on the matter of coalition with ANYONE no I don't agree with Nick. I think Nick Clegg has made the single biggest strategic error in politics in modern times. What he has done is not good for democracy and it is not good for pushing for real reform of our tired system. My anger with the Lib Dems is that they have assisted those who wish to maintain the two party stranglehold on the UK. Instead of setting themselves apart and forcing the changes we need as a vocal opposition party they have muzzled themselves in government. Being responsible to those who voted for you is more important than doing deals for a secure government. Principles simply matter more. How can you say you respect those who vote for you if you are prepared to ride rough-shod over what you have stood for in election?Doing business with a party that is in league with nut-job racists and holocaust deniers is an affront to anyone who values civil liberties. Doing business with a party that is full of twisted xenophobes and vicious 'little englander' attack dogs like Bill Cash and Andrew Rossindell is shameful. To do business with that party is saying your principles do not matter. I didn't vote for that. Clegg claims the responsible thing to do was to go into coalition and liberalise the Tories agenda. I don't buy that. Conservatism and Liberalism are two different systems of ideology and the two parties principles are founded so completely opposed to each other that they cannot and should not marry. The differences on the HRA prove that fact. The coalition agreement is the greatest fudge of a party's constitution I have ever seen. I invite everyone to go read the Lib Dem constitution and ask themsevles if the deal they have reached really does uphold the constitution because, for me, it doesn't.This Tory 'big society' nonsense is utter rot. And Clegg has backed it. This is all a bit like Labour's 'big conversation' in 2005/6. It is every bit as gimmicky and ultimately superficial meaningless b*llocks. People simply do not have time to engage in mass voluntary work and take control of local facilities. Ultimately, people elect a government to manage these systems effectively whilst they have busy lives. This is just sloppy lazy governance... it is 'let's just let communities muck it up rather than take responsibility'. The Con Dem proposals simply allow for the usual community crack-pots to run rough-shod over the people who are nailing down jobs whilst caring for elderly parents and children. It is really just self-absolving irresponsible government and not about small government.I can't believe my former party has pressed on the issue of a five year government. How is such a long term democratic? I am shocked at the principle of the 55% no confidence rule. How is this anything like constitutional?Being let down by politicians is nothing new, I am sure you will all say this. But to be sold out on principles like these is truly a shocker. But what is the solution for those Lib Dems who are utterly ashamed of what has happened? It's not going Labour right now. Labour's authoritarian ways need to be excorcised if it is going to run a chariot though this pathetic undemocratic coalition that is really up to no good constitutionally. Labour has behaved like an arrogant authoritarian school master for 13 years. They need to take a long hard look at themselves.There is a void in our politics right now, it's a void that needs filled with a responsible entity that campaigns on protecting civil liberties and seeks real root and branch democratic and constitional reform. The Lib Dems have abandoned this as the constition they have is now worth precisely nothing.
Conal Stewart ● 6013d13 Comments ● 6008d