Write for us!Liberal Democrat policy
Are the Young Liberals on the Right Track?
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I want to begin by thanking the drafters for the time and effort that has clearly gone into this document. A huge amount of ground is covered, and there is much within it that is thoughtful and well-intentioned. However, I want to raise a handful of issues where the draft diverges from the liberalism I support. Gladstone put it well: “Liberalism is trust of the people tempered by prudence. Conservatism is distrust of the people tempered by fear.” Churchill was equally clear: “Socialism exalts the rule; Liberalism exalts the man.” I believe in a liberalism of trusting the individual, of…
Manchesterism: Burnham vs. Cobden
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The new buzzword recently being cited in the media in recent weeks is ‘Manchesterism’ when referring to recent Mayor of Manchester and now Prime Minister Andy Burnham. However, very few people realise that that original meaning of the word harks back to the 19th century and Richard Cobden who was a liberal party politician, one of the chief architects behind the repeal of the corn laws and a prominent advocate of free trade. In this article, I aim to set out the difference between Burnham’s new Manchesterism and Cobden’s original and I will argue that Cobden’s version trumps Burnham’s. The…
Scottish Independence: A Second Bite of the Cherry or a More Fruitful Pursuit?
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I voted Remain in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Since then, I have come to the conclusion that I was young and naïve back then and didn’t completely understand all the arguments. I most likely voted ‘no’ for sentimental reasons: my heart felt more attached to being part of the UK, than Scotland per se. Fast-forward to today and obviously being a lot more mature and educated on the debate surrounding Scottish Independence, I am still content that I would vote Remain again on the grounds that I don’t believe that the SNP’s argument for Independence is persuasive enough to…
The Case for Climate Leadership
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It won’t be news to anyone currently in the UK that we’re experiencing an extreme heatwave. I’m typing this article in the middle of the afternoon, with all curtains closed just to keep the sun out in the hope the house will stay cool enough to work in. A choir I attend has been cancelled because of the heat. My local rail company, ‘southeastern’, has issued an ‘avoid non-essential travel’ alert, again because of the heat. Extreme heat Extreme heat has even worse consequences: In July 2022, when temperatures in London hit 40C, 41 homes around London were destroyed by…
Identity Is a Human Right
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Let’s stop dancing around the issue: yes, we have a vestigial biology, but what actually defines us is language. We live in a world created by language and it is in that world we must find our authentic selves. It’s the key thing that is essential for living a full, normal life. Gender Identity is what our true selves are – something we need to get in touch with because what matters is the recognition that it gives us in society. Luke Easley, of Center for Global Development (CDC), hit the nail on the head when he said, “Identity is…
Breaking the Silence: Liberalism or Orthodoxy in the Lib Dem Gender Debate?
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In February 2025, Liberal Voice for Women settled its legal case with the Liberal Democrats, securing equal treatment for members who believe that biological sex is real and matters – often described as “gender critical” or “sex-realist” views. The settlement meant that we could finally book conference stands, organise fringe meetings, and in theory, participate in party life on the same basis as other members. Rather than improving our legitimacy though, this led to a simmering resentment amongst radical trans activists in the party who said we had “legally forced” the party to acquiesce to our requests. This was deemed…
Liberal Democrats – It’s Time to Campaign for What We Believe In – Amend the Equality Act and Remove Sex as a Protected Characteristic
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Editor’s note: This article was submitted anonymously. George Cooper is a pseudonym. He informed me that the article was previously submitted to another Liberal Democrat supporting website but he was told that it would not be published if he did not reveal his name. He is unable to do this. After reading the article, I decided to publish it in the interest of open debate. At Liberal Voices we aim to showcase all strands of opinion in the party. It could be argued that the views in the article are close to reductio ad absurdum. That is for you to…
