Monday, September 15, 2008

The Liberal Democrats

Today, the Liberal Democrats, who I had considered as a possible home for my vote at the next election displayed that they have abandoned social democracy and become a fully fledged neo-liberal party. Indistinguishable from the Tories, only with a leader even more toe-curlingly yeuch. Not progressive in the least - right wing, pure and simple. The outcome of tax cuts will be service cuts. One leads to another - it's obvious to everyone else, but clearly not to these neo-liberals.

I won't be voting for Clegg under any circumstances. Let them chase Tory voters - why vote for the pretend Tories when the real ones are credible?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes it's an astounding, pointless and amoral set of decsions they have made. I also believe that they will be ultimately self-defeating; just at the very point in history when in the UK and elsewhere the whole credibility of the 'market thing' is being torn apart, the Lib Dems jump head first into it?!

... it's what that man in the film said: " Madness, madness!"

Ed said...

It looks to me that this is a pretty desperate lurch to the right. They've had years of waiting for a breakthough which always looked imminent but never came and now they're gambling on moving to occupy the space Cameron's Tories have moved away from. I can't see it working.

Pluralist (Adrian Worsfold) said...

The problem is simply that the Liberal Democrats have become two regional parties - and they fear losses in the south that stunted them in the last election. It is still redistribution, and it follows on from much public service spending but asking about the benefit from some of it. My own view is it will appeal as energy prices etc. rise, but it won't last; that the need for basic public services at a time of falling living standards and a more collective approach will take over.

Anonymous said...

To be fair the introduction of the human rights act (which enforced the UK government to introduce liberal acts such as, for example, gays in the military) meant that the Labour government stole much of their ground. what else could the LibDems campaign for? In the face of ID cards and a prolongated war or two ... peace and liberty, perhaps?