MAZZINI

"PLease note this isn't the real Liberal Party, of Gladstone and Lloyd George etc, despite the similarity to what the Liberals have been saying re. a referendum. The NLP is a hilarious recent attempt to re-brand the Third Way"

I don't think the NLP regard themselves as linked to Lloyd George but rather the pre-war Liberal Nationals of Sir Simon, Runciman and Brown who were prepared to put country before party and practical policy before dogma. Ideologically they draw from European National Liberal thinkers such as Mazzini, Benningsen and Lasker. Patriotic liberalism was the predominant 'wing' in the 19th century and it was not until the next century that left(internationalist) liberalism emerged as the most prominent. Warranted i regard the Liberal party as the true hiers of Gladstonion liberalism since the Lib Dem's absorbed (or were absorbed by?) social democracy.

I believe the Third Way has gone back to being a 'Think-tank' rather than a party and that it sponsors the NLP. There is nothing hilarious about rebuilding a strand of liberalism which recognises the value of nationhood and i would have expected the liberal party of all parties to be magmanimous towards those that share some similar values. The NLP website is out soon so we'll see.