The positive proposals in Tim Farron’s article (For Lib Dems,everything has changed, 18 September) are very much at odds with his statement that the result of the Labour leadership election “is the opening up of a massive space in the centre ground of British politics, and for sensible,moderate progressives who are opposed to what the Conservatives are doing, but cannot bring themselves to support a party of the tough left”.
The “centre ground is one of politics’ eternal chimeras and no one mans the barricades for moderate progressivism. People march on the streets to oppose the Iraq war, or to demand green measures to combat climate change and to express outrage at the unfairness of the poll tax. Liberalism is,and has always been, a radical, and non-statist left movement embracing internationalism,worker cooperatives, land value taxation, and electoral reform and a host of other progressive measures. Campaigning for such radical Liberalism will attract those opposed to the Conservative government’s callous austerity but appalled by Jeremy Corbyn’s statism,lack of pluralism and divisive threat to our communities.[br]Michael Meadowcroft
Liberal MP, Leeds West, and 1983-87Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com