Liberal democrats

Origins of LD

• Founded as merged of Liberal Party and SDP (broke from Labour Party in 1981)

  • Formal recognition of ‘Alliance’ that worked together to fight GE

Ideological standpoint

• Classical liberal minimal state and free market + modern liberal social and economic intervention to deliver freedom

2 LD core values

1. Individualism

2. Liberty

Foreign policy overarching perspective

• Liberal internationalist approach

  • Like working with global institutions (i.e. 🇺🇳) to tackle climate change and HR abuses

3 key Centre-Left (Yellow Book) commitments

1. Increase income tax to fund education

2. Abolition of tuition fees

3. Oppose Iraq War

2 key Centre-Right (Orange Book) commitments

1. Free trade

2. Free market

2019 — 1 key OB economic policy

1. Tough rules on gov’t borrowing — less money spent on public services than raised in tax

2020ish — 2 key YB economic policies

1. Targeted tax rises (income, corporation and frequent flying) to improve public services and tackle climate change

2. 20% minimum wage boost for those on 0-hour contracts

2024 — 2 OB economic policies

1. Create more certainty for businesses (industrial strategy) to encourage investment

2. ‘Commercial landowner levy’ to replace business rates

2020ish — 1 OB welfare policy

1. All additional spending paid for by specific tax rises

2020ish — 2 YB welfare policies

1. Extra £7bn/year for health and social care (paid for by income tax rise)

2. Free childcare for all children 2-4y/o paid by increase in corporation tax

2024 — 4 YB welfare policies

1. Triple lock on pensions

2. National Food Strategy to tackle rising food costs

3. Double statutory maternity leave and shared parental pay

4. Scrap 2-child benefit cap

2020ish — 1 OB law and order policy

1. Extra £1bn/year for policing (2 new police officers in every council ward in 🇬🇧)

2020ish — 4 YB law and order policies

1. Emphasis on community policing

2. Investing on local services to allow people to build crime-free lives

3. Rehab in prison system

4. Legalise cannabis to reduce power of criminal gangs

2024 — 1 OB law and order policy

1. Legal guarantee that police will attend and investigate all burglaries

2024 — 3 YB law and order policies

1. Improve rehab services

2. Make misogyny a hate crime

3. Ensure police fully resourced to prosecute all hate crime

2020ish — 3 foreign policies

1. International liberalism — focus on international institutions

2. Maintain minimum nuclear deterrent (not like-for-like with Trident)

3. Stop Brexit! Instead look for closer ties with 🇪🇺

2024 — 4 key foreign policies

1. Support 🇺🇦 against 🇷🇺

2. Bilateral ceasefire in Middle East — recognise 🇵🇸 state

3. Improve 🇪🇺 relations and aim to rejoin single market

4. Reduce trade barriers with other countries