Write for us!John Stuart Mill
Michael Meadowcroft, 6 March 1942–1 June 2026, Liberal MP and Political Philosopher
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If Jo Grimond’s logic, clarity and calm rhetoric drew me to liberalism, Michael Meadowcroft’s understanding of the philosophy underpinning it, confirmed my place in the party. In the 1980s I moved to Battersea and with some difficulty managed to locate and join a moribund local Liberal Party – but that’s another story. The activities of Margaret Thatcher had made whinging from an armchair, or complaining to friends in the pub, insufficient and I needed to rekindle my political flame. Battersea is close to central London, so the next step was to join a Michael Meadowcroft initiative he had set up…
Comment Is Free – if You Know Where to Look
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Censorship is central to the mission of LibDemVoice, the long established “independent” party platform. Its moderators guard their single interpretation of the party’s vision with passion. Opinions that question their beliefs and views from members who suffer from independent thought do not sully their website. This has become such a problem that many members no longer read its articles and those who do rarely attempt to respond, because they know that their contributions will end up in the bin. It was John Stuart Mill who famously wrote: “He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of…
The French Revolution and Human Rights – Early Steps Toward Modern Liberalism
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The impression most people have of the French Revolution is a one of sensible moderates who were overcome by the radical extremists of Robespierre who then drowned the Revolution in blood. Jonathan Israel doesn’t dispute that part of the story but places on center stage a group of democratic republicans who briefly gained control of the Revolution and came close to establishing the first true modern democracy – before Robespierre staged the coup that led to them being sent to the guillotine. The Roots of the Revolution in the Radical Enlightenment Johnathan Israel has made the Enlightenment his main specialisation.…
Returning Fallibilism to the Forefront of Liberalism – The Importance of Maintaining Clear Philosophical Foundations
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Across Western democracies, political debate is becoming more polarised and more fragile at the same time. Many voters feel that ideas cannot be discussed openly, while political parties increasingly struggle to explain what they actually stand for beyond individual policies. When parties lose the ability to articulate their philosophical foundations, politics becomes reactive rather than principled. It’s all very nice and easy to ask voters to vote tactically against people they dislike. That will always be part of politics. Getting voters to vote for your policies, even if for different reasons, can work too. Or parties can make pragmatic compromises.…
John Stuart Mill – Do His Values Still Matter to Liberal Democrats?
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Modern political thought is built on foundations laid down largely in the last 300 years by men like Edmund Burke, Jeremy Bentham, Karl Marx – and for liberals, John Stuart Mill. In 1859 Mill’s seminal work, ‘On Liberty’ was published. It was the culmination of decades of thought and discussion and it is now recognised that the contribution of his wife, Harriet Taylor Mill was crucial to the endeavour. It is likely that she was responsible for sections of the book, though she died before its publication. A political philosophy that centres the individual The core tenet of ‘On Liberty’…
