by Dr Anthony Lynch, president, Forest of Dean Liberal Democrats
Before I sat down to write this letter I spent some time turning over in my mind the daily news that is making headlines - or is not making headlines - but should. And the first item that came up - was by chance - a report from the Lib. Dem. Annual Conference about a reception given by The Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine. This meeting brought together members of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament), members, community leaders and humanitarian organizations. They discussed together and highlighted the role that Liberal Democrats can and do play. Next came The Lib Dem Campaign for Race Equality, which was followed in turn by another Fringe Event for an Affiliated Organisation: The Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel.
So here on one page of the program was an exemplary condensation of liberal fairness and democrat principles. I moved on to headlines in the national media, holding in mind the speeches, promises and intentions of the new Labour Prime Minister, Andy Burnham.
On Europe: Andy Burnham sees that Brexit was a disaster and wants the very necessary educational, economic and defence advantages of being closer to Europe.
In Parliament: he accepts that some ideas from another party can be shared. Electoral reform would enable this to be possible, and The PM with Lib. Dem. backing is making progress towards it. On the Environment and the Economy: paths going forward together are not easily seen – which means it is even more important to find common ground with each other’s interests. There is strong hope that signs of such matters of State will yield cooperative-grown-up politics to deal with problems we all face instead of the endless battles between UK political parties and arguments between MPs.
Considering the above leads me to question how the present political parties would react for or against a real coalition.
The Conservative Party: it has lost the plot of contemporary life and has returned deeper into itself - hankering for what they think were olden golden days when they saw themselves as the only ones who naturally should hold all the reins of power for ever - on their own.
Reform: does not have a plot, philosophy or morality; it has taken for themselves everything that was bad in the Tory party and bent their minds to hate – hate of foreigners, hate of other politicians, hate of Europe. This Reform Party – a party of hate - lies with several political limbs in bed with Trump despite they must see him as the unhinged dictator reflected in their Reform cracked-mirrors. The description ‘Right Wing’ for these two parties could be replaced with the ‘Backward Flying Party’.
The Green Party: has fouled its present nest by voting 1,022 to 813 that Zionism is racism. They could not realise that every nation wants to have a country to call its’ own and that wish is turned into violence by the very right, Backward-Flying , Netanyahu. He is not arguing for Jews- he is murdering Palestinians and others to elevate himself – to be seen as a great leader. The tragic irony is that Hitler did the same to Jews. Does Polanski realise that: will he apologise and set the matter right?
The Labour Party: It is the largest party and Andy Burnham has benefited from the electoral pull which Keir Starmer gave it. But there is a problem with very large parties – there is in them a diversity of political opinions about every matter. This can and does lead to internal strife – some of which a proportionally representative electoral system would filter out before the elected parliament sat.
Even so there are always some good people in all political parties. They will find themselves at home with Liberal Democrats. The circumstances and problems now headlined in the News, are those that Liberal Democrats have the principles, energy and morality to tackle.
We will work with others and be led by the intelligent, compassionate, modest, leader Sir Ed. Davey. Tell your friends.
With best wishes,
Anthony
(Dr) A. S. Lynch, Dean House, Newnham-on-Severn, GL14 1BX