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Liberator September 2020 A shot of this would protect you 0 0 Illiberalism and identity politics - David Grace Radical 0 Does the Compass point to inter-party dealings - Simon Hebditch A pandemic of mental health problems - Claire Tyler liberalism Issue 405 - February 2021 £ 4 Issue 405 February 2021 Liberator is now free to read CONTENTS as a PDF on our website: www. liberatormagazine.org.uk and Commentary.............................................................................................3 please see inside for details of Radical Bulletin .........................................................................................4..7 how to sign up for notifications “YOU’RE ALL INDIVIDUALS” of when issues come out. “I’M NOT” ................................................................................................8..9 It’s Life of Brian’s most famous exchange, but identity politics is denying individuality See the website for the ‘sign up and will end up in aggressive nationalism, says David Grace to Liberator’s email newsletter’ NOT ALL THAT STUFF, AGAIN ...........................................................10..11 link. There is also a free archive Labour can’t win a majority and the Lib Dems and Greens can’t make much progress, of back issues to 2001. it’s time again for cross-party co-operation says Simon Hebditch MARCHING AWAY FROM THE SOUND OF GUNFIRE ..................12..13 The drift of the Liberal Democrats risks becoming terminal unless radical action is taken, to fight for people’s freedoms, writes Gareth Epps THE LIBERATOR THE PANDEMIC’S INVISIBLE SCARS ...............................................14..15 COLLECTIVE Behind the obvious medical problems lies a pandemic-induced spiral in demand for a Jonathan Calder, Richard Clein, Howard Cohen, mental health service that is at breaking point, says Claire Tyler Gareth Epps, Catherine Furlong, David Grace, Sarah Green, Peter Johnson, Wendy Kyrle-Pope, DECLINE AND FALL .............................................................................16..17 Tim McNally, George Potter, Stewart Rayment, Every economic sector from farming to finance faces a downturn as the government’s hopeless Brexit deal hits home, says Phil Bennion Kiron Reid, Harriet Sherlock, Mark Smulian, William Tranby, Claire Wiggins, Nick Winch AT LAST HE’S GONE ...........................................................................18..19 Donald Trump has left the White House but bequeathed his successor appalling LIBERATOR problems and political division, says Martha Elliott KOWTOWING, APPEASEMENT 0 was founded in 1970 and is produced by a AND OTHER DELUSIONS ...................................................................20..22 voluntary editorial collective. Rebecca Tinsley is left “faintly nauseous” by Vince Cable’s book on closer engagement with China 0 acts as a forum for debate among radical liberals in FIND A NEW BEVERIDGE ...................................................................23 Thought is needed on how UBI can avoid pension problems, says William Tranby all parties and none IT’S BIG, IT’S NEW AND IT 0 welcomes written contributions on relevant topics, up MIGHT EVEN BE POPULAR ...............................................................24..25 Universal Basic Income could be the ‘big idea’ that reconnects Lib Dems with alienated to 1800 words voters since there will be many winners and few losers, says Alan Sherwell We reserve the right to shorten, alter or omit any SMALL FURRY ANIMALS .....................................................................26..28 material. When Ed Davey went to Scotland all he did was visit a zoo, and the party leadership refuses to bare its teeth and campaign vigorously on a federalist alternative to independence. Nigel Lindsay looks at how an opportunity might be thrown away in the Liberator Publications Scottish Parliament elections Flat 1, 24 Alexandra Grove, London N4 2LF COULD BE ANYONE ............................................................................29 Successful Lib Dems campaigns that are devoid of politics should cause concern says DATA PROTECTION Mark Smulian We hold subscribers’ names and TIME FOR GOVERNMENT TO TRUST THE PEOPLE ......................30..31 addresses to fulfil our contract to provide Ideas about participatory democracy and citizen assemblies in a new SLF report are copies of Liberator, and to contact welcome but must be considered alongside constitutional reform and changes in the Lib Dems, says Peter Johnson them about their subscription. We do not pass details to third parties - unless TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS .............................................................32 required by law - with the exception Trevor Smith wonders why people rarely question the of our distributor, who deletes the files assumption that the private sector is best at everything used for address labels after use. To alter OBITUARY - DAVID SHUTT ................................................................33..34 or remove your details or discuss any Tony Greaves pays tribute to Lord Shutt, an influential Liberal over 65 years enquiry please contact: [email protected] REVIEWS ................................................................................................35..39 Lord Bonkers’ Diary ...............................................................................40 INTERNET Picture Credits: Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.liberatormagazine.org.uk Cover - Christy Lawrance Pages 20-22 Mark Smulian Pages 26-28 Nigel Lindsay Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/ groups/6806343091 HERE IT COMES AGAIN Ed Davey’s monumental gaffe about “not a rejoin A successful roll-out of vaccinations might save party” threatens a lost opportunity here though, and some of the Tory government’s reputation with was a bizarre example of him either disowning or not some voters, but the litany of on-off lockdowns, understanding a policy he promoted not four months bewildering changes in rules, confusion over earlier. quarantine, inability to get protective gear to Then there was Labour’s support for the Government’s Bill to allow the police and security medical staff, meanness over children’s meals services to commit crimes, a cynical appeal to the ‘law and ruin of large parts of the economy would be and order’ lobby if ever there was one, no doubt based enough to sink most government’s prospects. on the assumption that it proliferates along the ‘red That is just the impact of Covid-19. There is also wall’. the Johnson government’s mishandling of Brexit to This is straight out of the Blair and Brown era when consider, which far from freeing the country of red tape Labour sought to strike ‘tough’ postures and was - as its supporters claimed - has ensnared everything the party of war crimes, identity cards and 90-days from musicians to lobsters in the stuff. detention without trial. Even the Conservatives balked Pandemic restrictions have even inadvertently given at the latter two. Brexit supporters what they always craved - a UK Labour’s approach raises fundamental questions closed to foreigners. about whether it is, or considers itself to be, part of any Against all this the events of Black Wednesday broader movement of ‘progressive politics’. that sank the previous Tory government in 1992 look trivial. RETALIATION IN FIRST They were though enough to make certain John Is universal basic income (UBI) an idea whose Major would lose even five years out; no such certainty time has come? If so, the Lib Dems’ timely - and yet attaches to this government’s fate despite its surprisingly consensual - support could give the monumental blunders. party a ‘big idea’ that will actually be popular. This is partly because of the enfeebled state of Once the pandemic passes public attention will turn Labour and the Lib Dems after December 2019. The to rebuilding an economy shattered by job and income prospect of a second Johnson term on one hand, and losses and the devastation of many sectors. the parlous state of these two parties on the other, has UBI could help, but it will be as well to have unsurprisingly reawakened the sleeping beast of cross- worked out in advance answers with which to arm party co-operation. campaigners against the inevitable objections. Headlines proffered by Liberator contributors rarely The most obvious will be that UBI is a sort of reverse survive into the magazine, but Simon Hebditch’s one poll tax - instead of taking a flat rate sum from people for his article on Compass Liberal Democrats made the regardless of their circumstances it pays one out. cut: ‘Not All That Stuff, Again’. That will inevitably raise arguments that more Déjà-vu perhaps, but potentially important. This should be given to poorer people by giving less - or ‘stuff’ is the perennial debate about whether and how nothing - to the rich. the Lib Dems should work with other parties ahead of UBI supporters say the tax system can recover from a general election. rich people most of what they receive in UBI, however This time Compass has opened a Lib Dem section and a system that sends large amounts of money out of the is promoting the idea that the ‘progressive parties’, Treasury and then brings much of it back again could Lib Dems, Labour, the SNP, Greens and Plaid Cymru be hard to sell. should co-operate around - if not a shared detailed All changes affecting benefits - which is in effect what programme - then at least some shared broad political this is - produce both winners and losers and even if objectives. the latter
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