WHATWHAT THETHE LIBERALLIBERAL DEMOCRATSDEMOCRATS BELIEVEBELIEVE

FROM THE PREAMBLE TO THE PARTY’S CONSTITUTION

“NO ONE SHALL BE ENSLAVED BY POVERTY, IGNORANCE OR CONFORMITY”

EARLY 20TH CENTURY

OPEN, TOLERANT, UNITED CHANGE BRITAIN'S FUTURE

FIGHT TO KEEP BRITAIN A HEALTH SERVICE THAT MEETS AT THE HEART OF EUROPE THE NEEDS OF EVERYONE

BRITISH PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THE Increase the income tax rates by FINAL SAY on whether Theresa May’s 1p to help FUND THE NHS AND Brexit deal is right for them and their SOCIAL CARE, including BETTER families in a referendum. If people don't MENTAL HEALTH PROVISION like that deal, they should have the AND ENDING THE PAY FREEZE choice to remain in the European FOR NHS WORKERS. Union.

"EDUCATION IS MY TOP BUILD AN ECONOMY THAT PRIORITY" - WORKS FOR THE LONG TERM

EVERY CHILD DESERVES THE Create a prosperous, green and BEST START IN LIFE. Invest extra in fair economy, including DOUBLING education, especially the Early Years INNOVATION AND RESEARCH Pupil Premium to help children from SPENDING and only borrowing disadvantaged backgrounds, and for investment, eliminating the oppose new grammar schools. day-to-day deficit.

The party combines a desire to DEVOLVE POWER TO THE LOWEST LEVEL POSSIBLE with a push for INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON ISSUES THAT CROSS NATIONAL BOUNDARIES. Under Jo Grimond's leadership the Liberal Party was one of the FIRST VOICES 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 pro-European Labour figures cooperated with the Liberals, paving the way for the formation of the SDP and later merger to form the Liberal Democrats.

As far back as the "Yellow Book" in 1928, protecting the environment has been at the heart of the party's policies. The concern for future generations is enshrined in the party's constitution:

"WE BELIEVE THAT EACH GENERATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FATE OF OUR PLANET AND, BY SAFEGUARDING THE BALANCE OF NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FOR THE LONG TERM CONTINUITY OF LIFE IN ALL ITS FORMS.”

Balancing SOCIAL LIBERALISM and ECONOMIC LIBERALISM is at the heart of the party's approach.

SOCIAL LIBERALS ECONOMIC LIBERALS

Tend to be most concerned Tend to be most concerned about INEQUALITY and about an OVERBEARING STATE promote DEMOCRACY to and promote FREE MARKETS to give people more power. give people more power. INEQUALITY OVERBEARING STATE

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

Some see the party as being in the Others reject this spectrum, and instead CENTRE ON A LEFT/ RIGHT SPECTRUM, see the party at the LIBERAL END OF A with Labour, Tories and Ukip LIBERAL/AUTHORITARIAN SPECTRUM, with at each end of it. Labour, Tories and Ukip at the other end of it.

LEFT CENTRE RIGHT LIBERAL AUTHORITARIAN

BOSSES VERSUS WORKERS MUTUALS AND COOPERATIVES

This viewpoint gives Labour Lib Dems reject this way of looking at the and Tories a CENTRAL world, looking to MUTUALS AND ORGANISING ECONOMIC IDEA. COOPERATIVES to break that struggle.

Over the years the party has been central to “I AM A LIBERAL popularising some previously fringe beliefs which AND I AM AGAINST then became mainstream - especially CIVIL LIBERTIES, THIS SORT OF THING” PRO-EUROPEANISM, ENVIRONMENTALISM and CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM. Most famously, Harry Willcock triggered the abolition HARRY WILLCOCK of ID cards with an act of civil disobedience in 1950.

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ONE REVOLUTION AND TWO MERGERS

1688 GLORIOUS REVOLUTION 1859 WILLIS ROOMS MEETING The WHIGS saw this as ousting a WHIGS, RADICALS AND despotic King to ensure PARLIAMENT (followers of the former Conservative WAS SUPREME. It created their PM) met in London and COMBINED TO political tradition of OPPOSING FORM THE LIBERAL PARTY. ABSOLUTE POWER and SUPPORTING RELIGIOUS TOLERATION. 1988 THE MERGER From this later came support for THE SDP (formed mainly by ex-Labour and RULE OF LAW EQUALITY figures) and LIBERAL PARTY merged to BEFORE THE LAW. form the LIBERAL DEMOCRATS.

MID 19TH CENTURY LATE 19TH CENTURY EARLY 20TH CENTURY MID 20TH CENTURY

THE “PEACE, “WE CAN COMMUNITY HARM RETRENCHMENT CONQUER POLITICS PRINCIPLE AND REFORM” UNEMPLOYMENT” DEVELOPED

“The only purpose for William Gladstone's 's A growing emphasis on which power can be popular trio meant famous slogan was part WINNING LOCAL rightfully exercised PEACE overseas, of a Liberal shift to ELECTIONS and over any member of a ECONOMY in public supporting GREATER PAVEMENT POLITICS civilized community, spending and PUBLIC SPENDING to led to a new political against his will, is to political REFORM. help the economy and theory about helping PREVENT HARM fund a welfare state. people secure power TO OTHERS” over their own lives. John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor in On Liberty

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 selection of topics and (where technically possible) include a hotlink to this source. and the wording of them rests with Mark Pack. Updated: 05/2017 DESIGN BY: makemark.co.uk