FROMFROM THETHE PREAMBLEPREAMBLE TOTO THETHE PARTY’SPARTY’S CONSTITUTIONCONSTITUTION

“NO ONE SHALL BE ENSLAVED BY POVERTY, IGNORANCE OR CONFORMITY” WHAT THE WANT TO FIND OUT HOW TO TURN BELIEFS LIBERAL INTOINTO POLITICALPOLITICAL POWER?POWER? "EDUCATION IS MY TOP PRIORITY" - DEMOCRATS GIVE EVERYONE A FAIR START so that people can build their own lives and follow their own dreams. GET BELIEVE A HEALTH SERVICE THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF EVERYONE THE If the only way to fund AN NHS THAT MEETS EVERYONE'S PHYSICAL BOOK! AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS, is to raise taxes, we will do that. FIGHT TO KEEP BRITAIN AT THE HEART OF EUROPE 101101 WAYSWAYS TOTO WINWIN ANAN ELECTIONELECTION British people should be given the right to VOTE ON THE GOVERNMENT’S NEGOTIATED BREXIT DEAL. by Ed Maxfield and Mark Pack (Biteback, 2nd edition 2016) ONEONE REVOLUTIONREVOLUTION ANDAND TWOTWO MERGERSMERGERS

GLORIOUS REVOLUTION The WHIGS saw this as ousting

1688 The party combines a desire to a despotic King to ensure DEVOLVE POWER TO THE LOWEST LEVEL POSSIBLE with a push for INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION PARLIAMENT WAS SUPREME. It created their political tradition of ON ISSUES THAT CROSS NATIONAL BOUNDARIES. OPPOSING ABSOLUTE POWER and Under Jo Grimond's leadership the Liberal Party was one of the FIRST VOICES SUPPORTING RELIGIOUS TOLERATION. CALLING FOR BRITAIN TO JOIN THE COMMON MARKET (the forerunner of the European Union) in the 1960s. Then in the European Referendum of 1975, many From this later came support for THE RULE pro-European Labour figures cooperated with the Liberals, paving the way OF LAW and EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW. for the formation of the SDP and later merger to form the Liberal Democrats. WILLIS ROOMS MEETING WHIGS, RADICALS AND 1859 (followers of the former Conservative PM) met in London and COMBINED TO FORM THE LIBERAL PARTY. Balancing SOCIAL LIBERALISM and ECONOMIC LIBERALISM is at the heart of the party's approach. THE MERGER SOCIAL LIBERALS ECONOMIC LIBERALS SDP (formed mainly by ex-Labour 1988 figures) and LIBERAL PARTY Tend to be most concerned about Tend to be most concerned about an merged to form the INEQUALITY and promote DEMOCRACY OVERBEARING STATE and promote FREE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS. to give people more power. MARKETS to give people more power.

All POWER (be it government, business or other people) can both PROTECT and THREATEN LIBERTY. Economic and Social Liberals put different emphasis INEQUALITY on the BEST DEFENCES and the BIGGEST BULLIES, as well as on the relative OVERBEARING STATE importance of equality of opportunity versus equality of outcome.

THE HARM PRINCIPLE Some see the party as being in the CENTRE ON A LEFT/RIGHT SPECTRUM, with Labour and Tories at each end of it. “The only purpose for which power can LIBERAL Authoritarian be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, Others reject this spectrum, and instead see the party at the is to PREVENT HARM TO OTHERS” LIBERAL END OF A LIBERAL/AUTHORITARIAN SPECTRUM, Left CENTRE Right John Stuart Mill & Harriet Taylor in On Liberty with both Labour and Tories at the other end of it.

“PEACE, RETRENCHMENT AND REFORM” William Gladstone's popular trio BOSSES VERSUS WORKERS MUTUALS & COOPERATIVES meant PEACE overseas, ECONOMY in public spending and political REFORM. This viewpoint Lib Dems often gives Labour struggle to find their and Tories a own distinctive one, “WE CAN CONQUER CENTRAL looking to MUTUALS UNEMPLOYMENT” ORGANISING AND COOPERATIVES to break that struggle. 's famous slogan ECONOMIC IDEA. was part of a Liberal shift to supporting GREATER PUBLIC SPENDING to help the economy and fund a welfare state.

COMMUNITY POLITICS Over the years the party has been central to popularising some DEVELOPED “I AM A LIBERAL previously fringe beliefs which then became mainstream - AND I AM AGAINST especially CIVIL LIBERTIES, PRO-EUROPEANISM, A growing emphasis on THIS SORT OF THING” ENVIRONMENTALISM and CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM. WINNING LOCAL ELECTIONS and PAVEMENT POLITICS led to a new Most famously, Harry Willcock political theory about helping people triggered the abolition of ID cards secure power over their own lives. HARRY WILLCOCK with an act of civil disobedience in 1950.

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution, Noncommercial, Share Alike. www.MarkPack.org.uk Particular thanks to Alex Wilcock for his advice and encouragement, You are welcome to reuse and reproduce this graphic under these terms This is not an official party publication. and to the many members who kindly commented on earlier versions. as long as you credit it to http://www.markpack.org.uk/libdem-beliefs Responsibility for the the selection of topics and (where technically possible) include a hotlink to this source. and the wording of them rests with Mark Pack. Updated: 11/2016 DESIGN BY: makemark.co.uk