The Liberal Democrats in 2012

It hasn’t been the greatest year for The Liberal Democrats in government, I’ve often felt a good mix of emotions when certain things happen, or when policy is announced. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s very bad. In January my party membership is up for renewal. I shall after some soul searching renew. However, there are some big changes I’d like to see in 2012, if my party membership is to be renewed in 2013

The first is a change in attitude towards coalition. It seems that we as a party still have some anti being in government members. People whose only aim is to temper what happens in coalition. This from of thinking has somewhat tempered the way we do things. There has been a wholesale reversal in roles in the coalition parties. Suddenly the Tories are the radical party in the coalition pushing the liberal democrats to go further at every stage whilst we try to apply the brake. Since when did we become conservative and allow the Tories to be radical? There hasn’t been a single bill I can think off where we have pushed the Tories to go further, to be more radical.

I think that we as a party must press forward and stop relishing being anti being in government and savour the chance to implement wonderfully radical liberal policy. We must retain our instinct to curb the most lavish of Tory excesses, but it should be a small part of our role in government. People will remember what we have done, not what we have stopped.

Secondly, I believe we must encourage the faces of the party to stop bemoaning being in coalition. Yes we get it, you didn’t envisage a coalition with the Tories, and yes they aren’t your natural bedfellows. Yes I’m talking about Tim Farron et al. We need them to be out trumping the good work liberal democrats are doing, how we are a party ready for and dealing with a mature government. A government that listens, a government with radical liberal ideals running through its veins.

Thirdly, we must succeed in two key policy areas, both as quickly as possible. For me, first and foremost is pushing Chancellor George Osborne to raise the tax threshold to10k. A vital achievement and cash boost to those on low incomes. This achievement should be our crowning glory for the year ahead. In the policy group we must achieve is settled plans for Lords Reform. It must be done and dusted and ready for elections come 2015. This is another radical element of our agenda and one that we can all be quietly happy with. The reason I want it done so quickly is, we must question what the man on the Clapham omnibus will make of it. My guess is not very much. If Clegg et al spend all their time fighting for it, we risk becoming again constitutional obsessives. Something that will not help us in the future.

Fourthly, I would like to see some major policy discussions take place within the party covering three areas, with room to renegotiate our position. Firstly, and most importantly tuition fees. Is an image that has damaged us needlessly, we must talk about what we see as our position post-coalition, is that free tuition fees? Or is it transforming the system into a graduate tax? Let the members decide. Although I will add I prefer a graduate tax. Secondly, Europe. We for too long are seen as unreconstructed Europhiles. I like the European project; I think it is a fundamentally worthwhile idea. However, we must discuss how we present our critical faculties in a more pronounced way, and we must prepare a policy that represents a post Europe break down. Finally deficit reduction post coalition too. What will be our plans? And what do members want to see. These are all huge topics and ones we must tackle.

Fifthly, we must make strides towards coming up with a good definition of Liberalism for the 21st century. Liberalism has lost meaning, and I believe it confuses members of the general public. Unsure what our vision for a liberal future is, and what our liberal utopia is, we simply cannot sell ourselves if we do not have that vision.

Finally, I see the rise of the Social Liberal Forum, and whilst I generally welcome the marketplace of ideas within the party, I feel we must be wary. I myself attended the social liberal conference and was grateful for the opportunity to do so. However there is a clear rejection of orange book ideas that runs through the forum itself. Currently it’s seen as a home for the lefties of the party, and with that I worry about factionalism. Not that the very existence of the SLF will cause it, that members from both sides may feel compelled to join with or distance themselves from it. There is a clear responsibility from both sides to ensure that we do not end up with two competing factions, and that we can reconcile social and economic liberals without resorting to left or right.

2012 is the year for Lib Dems to grow, I hope we can, and I hope that my 6 points are a part of that growth