David Allen Green

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Why I have joined the Liberal Democrats

A good thing to be said for a currently unpopular party.

By David Allen Green Published 12 April 2011 14:25

(Picture courtesy of Conservative Home)

Last week I did the oddest thing -- I joined the Liberal Democrats.

At least I cannot easily be accused of crude political opportunism.

There cannot have been many who joined the party last week, or any recent week. It is not as if I am attracted by their popularity.

Indeed, the decision is a strange one in a number of ways. I am opposed to the Alternative Vote proposal, as I simply do not believe third or fourth preferences are of equal value to a first preference. I do not accept assigning powers to European Union institutions is necessarily a liberal or a democratic exercise. Liberal Democrat MPs were inexcusably wrong to break a clear pledge not to increase tuition fees. And the Deputy Prime Minister is at best an uninspiring figure. On these issues, and many more, I will not be a partisan party member. In fact, I expect to be thrown out of the party in a week.

However, there is one very good ongoing reason to support the Liberal Democrats, and it is provided by Tim Montgomerie of Conservative Home. Montgomerie, a staunch Tory, has been tracking the effect of the presence of Liberal Democrats in the Conservative government: see his posts hereand here. Montgomerie is right in his analysis: the current government is significantly more liberal than an entirely Conservative administration would otherwise be.

Politics is about power. The Labour opposition is impotent. In government they were illiberal and often brutal. There is only one political force that is having an actual liberal effect in our polity as it is presently constituted, and it is the Liberal Democrats. It may not be as strong a power as it should be. The Liberal Democrats may do well to leave the coalition and force a minority Conservative administration to gain concessions on a vote-by-vote basis. But Montgomerie's "concession-o-meter" shows why anyone who wants policy to be more liberal than it otherwise would be should support the effect the Liberal Democrats are having on Coalition government.

What the Liberal Democrats are doing in practice may not be popular, but it certainly should be commended by any liberal person.

David Allen Green is legal correspondent of the New Statesman.

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63 comments

Tue, 2011-04-12 17:45 — Mark Brandon (not verified)

I followed the link to Tim Montgomerie's page, but I found his analysis - staunch Tory or not - incredibly one-sided, claiming practically the only concession to the Tories was the agreement to hack the deficit more quickly. What the LibDems have managed to 'achieve' in the view of most ordinary voters amounts to pretty much sweet F.A. compared to the titanic upheavals of education, the NHS and local government the Tories are pushing through. Rather than sign up to this stupid Coalition agreement, maybe the LibDems should have worked harder for a more ad hoc approach which would have left many of their key pledges in place and blunted the Tory knives, which is what we were assured the country thought it was voting for. Instead we have a rash of unpromised, unasked-for policy changes retracted or delayed not because of LibDem interference or objection but plain-and-simple Tory failure to listen to either its own grass-roots or the average voter.

I very nearly voted LibDem and am damned glad I didn't; they have become the Tory apologists, a second-string propaganda department for this latest incarnation of the Free Market Evil Empire, and, if this unholy alliance falls prematurely, will cop all the blame from the Tories as well. I suspect the voters will punish them significantly at the next election, and they will deserve every bloody humiliation for having sold out all those swing voters who backed them in the hope of avoiding another bout of Tory hack n slash.

Tue, 2011-04-12 18:00 — Charliechops1

The over-riding issue in support or otherwise for the Lib Dems is: Do you think they are right on the economy? If you think 'No' or even 'They might not be' lose no time: resign, or seek an interview with Mrs Duffy, or both.

Tue, 2011-04-12 18:35 — Matt Noutch (not verified)

Your a joke! The New Statesman is a Left wing paper and the LibDems should have to change their name as they are neither Liberal or Democratic. You're a man with a great platform to denounce the scum that ruined the future's of millions of children. The media shouldn't stop hacking away at them until every one of their MP's are political toast.

Tue, 2011-04-12 19:30 — frances smith (not verified)

i can see that there might be some fun in joining the lib dems just to support those already in it who want to see the end of clegg's leadership and the coalition. a sort of entryism.

but then i think i'd be joining it to help it save itself, and i'm not sure i want to do that.

Wed, 2011-04-13 15:34 — Pete Price (not verified)

Mark Pack at 19:40
Welcome to the party David. Great to have you aboard even if there are one or two thongs we disagree on.

I see Mark Pack in leopard skin.

Thu, 2011-04-14 21:53 — Anonymount (not verified)

Honestly, I don't necesarily find myself always agreeing with your analysis, but here I think you're an 'early adopter' 'ahead of the curve' and all that jazz. Good article.

Tue, 2011-04-12 19:55 — Paul Griffiths (not verified)

Welcome to the party, David, although the comments above may caution you that your decision to join was perhaps more audacious than you first imagined!

Wed, 2011-04-13 16:07 — mike cobley (not verified)

I do love it when some self-satisfied, well-off finger-wagger comes along and tells us all to 'grow up'.

Really? The rest of us are sitting down here with utility and other domestic bills through the roof but hey, we need to grow up; hundreds of thousands are due to lose their jobs in the coming 24 months but y`know, we need to grow up! Local services, the kind used almost exclusively by those on low incomes, are being slashed or dispensed with, yet it appears that a spot of growing up is in order! The disabled are facing existences even more miserable and confined than before but, ye know what, they need to grow up! All this and more while bonuses in the financial sector climb into the stratosphere from where we hear the smugly insistent cry - 'Oh, do grow up!'

Tue, 2011-04-12 20:13 — ryan (not verified)

You're correct in everything you say- but what's the point in joining?
I'm not being facetious here, what difference does it make if you're a member or not?

Tue, 2011-04-12 20:24 — David Allen Green1

@Ryan

Very good question.

My answer is simple: an active act like joining, and explaining here the reason for joining, would send a signal that they (we?) are doing the right thing, especially when they (we?) are at the depths of unpopularity.

A mere passive nod, and a bare promise to vote, would send a weaker signal.

Tue, 2011-04-12 20:40 — Mark Pack (not verified)

Welcome to the party David. Great to have you aboard even if there are one or two thongs we disagree on!

Tue, 2011-04-12 20:47 — Arthur (not verified)

Not much liberal about massive unemployment, poverty and enslaving a country's economic fortunes to the whims of bond market profiteers, but hey, it's a free country.... Lol

Tue, 2011-04-12 20:51 — matthew fox (not verified)

@Mark Pack

No smiley face at the end of your message as well.

Wed, 2011-04-13 17:34 — Mike Drew (not verified)

The comments by those who complain that we do not have a Lib Dem government do not seem to have realised that the Lib Dems came third. The reality was after the election either a coalition with the Tories was put in placed or we had a short term Conservative minority government.

A minority Conservative government would have gone for a quick general election called at a date entirely of their choosing. Only the Tories would be have the resources to fight a decent campaign and we would now have a majority Conservative government without the constraints of the Lib Dem partners.

Nick Clegg has got rid off the PM power to call a general election whenever he wants.

I may not like much of what the government are doing but it is probably the best that can be got out of the situation.

I just wish that the Lib Dems would stress that coalition governments policy is not Lib Dem policy but the compromise made with a much larger partner.

Wed, 2011-04-13 17:38 — Richard (not verified)

Someone should really get onto Wikipedia and challenge the description of the New Stateman as 'left-wing'.

Tue, 2011-04-12 21:11 — LiberalCommunist (not verified)

Fair enough, David. It's a free country and I can see some logic in your analysis, even if I don't share it at all (it seems to be based on a rather reductive view of political action, if you ask me).

While you're a member, though, can we count on you (as an avowed liberal) to work to support those in your party who still understand that civil liberties and social equality are indivisible? Also, there's nothing remotely liberal or freedom-extending about the incursions of the corporate and private sectors into the provision of public services. On the contrary, the history of the neo-liberal economic project is one of limiting and closing down our ability to subject the wealthy and powerful to democratic scrutiny and accountability. Therefore, pressure on Clegg and co to stick to the party’s 80% rejection of the NHS “reforms” is vital.

Good luck!

Wed, 2011-04-13 18:27 — swatantra nandanwar

About time we had fixed term Parliaments and removed the perogative of the PM to choose when to go to the country. They should be man and woman enough to face the wrath of the country whenever it comes.

Tue, 2011-04-12 21:34 — Peter English (not verified)

The libdems have made a real mess of coalition politics by buying into inappropriate ideas about cabinet government. I hope it's OK to link to my blog - I've expanded on his here: http://peterenglish.blogspot.com/2011/04/can-we-learn-coalition-politics...

Wed, 2011-04-13 19:21 — matthew fox (not verified)

Do you get 30 pieces of silver when you join the Lib Dems.

Tue, 2011-04-12 21:38 — Arthur (not verified)

Actually, thinking about your position further, and the huge list of things on which you don't actually agree with the LibDems, what you should have done was found your own Liberal party. Joining a failing party seems a craven compromise in contrast to such an act of political bravery. ;-p

Thu, 2011-04-14 14:33 — JCP

Quelle surprise a wealthy man,living in the centre of power, plying a trade the maintains the position of the rich and powerful, a trade that is overwhelmingly a Conservative constituency, a trade whose framework is to give preference to the rights of the individual over the many, decides to join a group whose aims are so wooly that they can ce all things to all men... Is this what passes for principle in legal circles?

You also state that '..politics is about power..', by which logic, you could have joined the Conservatives, but plumped for the LibDems - I don't understand why you didn't just join the Conservatives..?

This seems to be an exercise in vanity, but taking account of some of the comments above, after fifty years of deliberately not joining a political party, I may just go and join Ed Milliband's party so that I can help flush away the NuLabour NeoCon, NeoLiberal contamination.

I have no vanity, so I will leave no name, nor will I publish an article as to why I think I am so clever.

Wed, 2011-04-13 20:04 — Luddite (not verified)

What is a Liberal Democrats? I do hope they aren't all like Mr Allen Green. Writing articles supporting women's repression. What's next Allen, an article defending honor killings perhaps!!

Tue, 2011-04-12 22:09 — Tony Lloyd (not verified)

Welcome!

I think you'll find it very difficult to get thrown out. Lib Dems tend to deal quite well with heterodox opinions and I'm sure you agree with the "fundamentals" quoted by Chris Jenkinson.

You are, of course, giving up the nice warm partisanship of swatantra, in favour of universalism.

You're giving up the nice, simple, positions of:

"Cuuuuts! Tooooorrrries!" or "Private enterprise! Sell it off! Bring back hanging!"

in favour of having to think about things.

Good luck!

Tue, 2011-04-12 22:15 — Miriam (not verified)

I applaud David Allen Green for not being politically apathetic and thus firmly stating his commitment to joining the Liberal Democrat Party and demonstrating that he has done so.

I may not agree with his political views, but I do respect them and in doing so, I cannot attack him for doing as he wishes in his support of a legitimate Political Party.

I believe that if you didn't actually vote in the last General Election then you should hold your tongue in attacking anyone else's political views or the current Government as you allowed the co-alition situation to occur by doing nothing.

Fri, 2011-04-15 01:16 — Des Demona (not verified)

So you joined the Lib Dems because they're not as bad as the Tories?
Well done mate. sigh

Tue, 2011-04-12 23:13 — TheE17Tory (not verified)

The problem, as is more than demonstrated on this comment thread, is that people don't even know what liberalism is. Apparantly the state enforcing egalitarianism is now 'liberal' if you believed some of the commentators. And this is the problem with the 'Lib Dems'; the majority of them are social democrats rather than liberals.

Thu, 2011-04-14 00:47 — Gracie

Well there always has to be one I suppose as for the Conservatives being more Liberal, sorry I'm trying not to break into spontaneous laughter. Oh but wait a mo, if you mean the Lib Dems and Clegg are more Tory than the Tories, well yes you have a point.

Thu, 2011-04-14 00:51 — Gracie

@ mike cobley
13 April 2011 at 15:07

Well said that man, spot on!

Thu, 2011-04-14 00:54 — Gracie

Tony Lloyd
12 April 2011 at 21:09
Welcome!

I think you'll find it very difficult to get thrown out. Lib Dems tend to deal quite well with heterodox opinions and I'm sure you agree with the "fundamentals" quoted by Chris Jenkinson
______________________________

of course they do, the Liberal will agree with anyone and anything, it is putting them into practice they have a problem with, it is call getting of the fence and entering the real world!

Tue, 2011-04-12 17:23 — Keir

Those of us who've been around a bit know that LibDemmery is Toryism in disguise- as the left of LDs has now discovered. Labour may not have been much, but it was better than the present lunacy, and it now looks as though it might now become something better, and more democratic.

This is no surprise, Mr Green, and, with luck, the left will continue to discover who its real friends are.

Fri, 2011-04-15 21:10 — George W. Potter (not verified)

Well all I'd say is that anyone who agrees with the preamble to our constitution will find it nigh impossible to be thrown out:

The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which noone shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals, we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of conscience and their right to develop their talents to the full. We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity. We believe that the role of the state is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute fully to their communities and to take part in the decisions which affect their lives.

Fri, 2011-04-15 11:13 — Clem the Gem

I think you are mistaken David. However it is nice to find a member of the commentariat with the courage of their convictions. Given the state of things at the moment, I actually understand why you have done this, but it would have been a better move to join Labour and help remake the next governing party.

Tue, 2011-04-12 14:41 — Natacha Kennedy (not verified)

Not sure I agree that the Coalition is being any more liberal than the Tories would actually be on their own. Do you have any hard evidence to back this up?

Let's face it, the centralisation of the education system and removal of local control of schools is a particularly illiberal policy. The national Curric is going to be even more preseciptive especially now this so-called English Baccalauriate is going to force schools into a much narrower curric. Local people are losing control of their local schools to large multinational organisations without a vote.

And the coalition antics over Free schools is farcical; there is no opennness or transparency at all about funding, governance, selection or anything. It is harder to find out anything about any free school than to find out about the inner workings of the armed forces...

Wed, 2011-04-13 08:45 — tamster (not verified)

As my old mum used to say about odd people....there's always one.

The NS seems to have found him.

Fri, 2011-04-15 11:25 — Rand Whitely (not verified)

I was thinking of joining after I heard about Vince Cable stopping drugs for lethal injections being sent to the USA. Quiet things like that are making a big differnece.

Tue, 2011-04-12 14:38 — Albo (not verified)

Fair enough, nobody's getting hurt.

Tue, 2011-04-12 14:40 — swatantra nandanwar

Thats coalition politics for you. We are now in an era of coaltion politics. But to join the Lib Dems makes no(n)sense, and only encourages them. In reality they don't have a common purpose or common bond, whereas Labour is for social justice and fairness. A Lib Dem in Yeovil hs nothing in common with one in Southwark. You would be better off with Labour. Labour are in fact already a coalition of diverse groups but with a common purpose.

Thu, 2011-04-14 10:04 — tomjoad

Well it's one way for Mr Nobby Nobody to get a bit of attention.How else is an article by him gonna get so many responses.
Meanwhile back in the real world of important politics..........

Tue, 2011-04-12 14:49 — Mike Green

I don't believe one should join a political party in response to any one (or even several) policies, but because one believes that that party's values and ideology coincide with one's own.

The Lib Dems values and ideology have become increasingly ill-defined at best. And I left the Lib Dems in the late 1990s because they refused to work on a vision for Manchester, where I live, because the process would be 'too divisive' and would give Labour something to attack. Instead, they planned to make up scare stories around the Commonwealth Games to win cheap votes.

David obviously believes he has spotted a liberal ideology, but going through Montgomerie's concession-o-meter, I can't spot any common theme that might suggest a set of core values.

The best that can be said for the Lib Dems is that they have moderated the Tory government a little; hardly a reason to join the club.

Wed, 2011-04-13 09:15 — mcquade

"Last week I did the oddest thing - I joined the Liberal Democrats."

Bet you were pissed again.

Tue, 2011-04-12 15:08 — Jon Massey (not verified)

@Swatantra - Well I don't know about Yeovil vs Southwark, but this Lib Dem from Bristol has found common philosophical ground with Lib Dems from Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Truro and Norwich (and that's just the places I can think of from the top of my head)...

Wed, 2011-04-13 10:08 — LiberalCommunist (not verified)

@TheE17Tory

Liberals themselves have never, ever been agreed on the questions of how individual liberty, economic development, social solidarity and egalitarianism relate. An even elementary grasp (which clearly you don't possess) of Liberalism's intellectual history would inform you of this. In future, please go to the trouble of informing yourself of the details, conflicts and nuances of a political tradition before presuming to proclaim on the understanding of others.

Tue, 2011-04-12 15:15 — Chris Jenkinson (not verified)

Of course the Lib Dems have a common aim. It's written on every membership card. Here it is:

Tue, 2011-04-12 15:15 — gimpy

hmmm, your reasons for joining as explained make a great deal of sense, but they do leave the feeling that you've joined a protest group which has found itself in government, rather than a party offering an ideology for governing.

Wed, 2011-04-13 10:57 — seanyprawny (not verified)

How liberal is S251 of the Health Bill which gives the Secretary of State for Health powers to require the NHS to disclose any confidential patient information he considers "necessary or expedient" to the NHS Information Centre?

Tue, 2011-04-12 15:35 — Jack Holroyde (not verified)

Chris has it spot on, and every time I doubt my membership, I remember that the preamble (which Chris quoted earlier) could have been written for me.
Maybe a lib dem in Yeovil has a different way of putting this into practise than a Lib Dem in southwark, but thats the same with any party.

Some Labour members think 'social justice and fairness' should be implemented by taxing the rich more than the poor.
Gordon Brown, on the other hand, put 'social justice and fairness' into practise by abolishing the 10p tax band.

No, wait...

Tue, 2011-04-12 15:38 — Rob Blackie (not verified)

Welcome to the party David.

I hope you'll have a long and enjoyable time as a party member, because you've joined for a good reason, even if I disagree with quite a few of your points in the article.

Tue, 2011-04-12 16:14 — Beatrice Bray (not verified)

Are you after a job? A peerage perhaps?

Tue, 2011-04-12 16:16 — Jemma (not verified)

The coalition's regressive, anti-working class economic policies restrict people's freedom far more than any of the measures under discussion here.

Thu, 2011-04-14 11:38 — PeteyMcPeterson

Nope, sorry, whould rather set myself on fire than throw my lot in with Clegg.
It could have been great. It's not great. Clegg's fault. Now it's you'r fault too.