ukpopdems

Congratulations on getting local councillors in fair numbers.

A remarkable achievement considering Liberals believe in:
1. Ever increasing fuel duty escalation above inflation.
2. That they believe in LAND TAXES - sounds like wealth tax to me.
3. And have no means of paying for any of their liberal polices - another party that believes your tax money grows on trees

Tom Wilde

Well, there are all sorts of Liberal Party policies I don't agree with, but here goes anyway.

Actually, I'm beginning to agree with the Liberals on this one, and believe it can be justified on libertarian capitalist grounds.

I disagree with the Liberal Party policy on this one - and also with their policy for progressive income tax up to 50%. I prefer the UKIP proposals for a flat rate of tax.

I believe we were just talking about their tax policies? Presumably any spending pledges would be paid for from those taxes. Yes, the tax money comes from your pocket and mine - but it doesn't seem right to accuse the Liberals of not saying where the money would come from.

To answer your question more generally, the Liberal Party has a pretty detailed set of policies and there are many of those with which I don't agree. Nobody ever finds a party they agree with about everything, unless they start one themselves. However, most of us have some 'red lines' which if crossed would stop us supporting a party at all. In my case, I couldn't support a party which was gung-ho about the EU (which rules out Labour, the LibDems and Tories), which was run by pathological liars (which rules out the Labour Party again and the BNP), or which favoured a complete ban on immigration or the breach of our international obligations to genuine asylum seekers (which sadly, after the recent policy change, rules out UKIP). That doesn't really leave me with a lot of credible parties to choose from.

There's the Green Party, but they are increasingly keen on the EU, and dislike international trade, preferring a Pol-Pot style solution where we all sit in mud huts amidst organic paddy fields weaving our own clothes out of bits of straw. The Liberals on the other hand have always favoured free trade, and have a genuine passion for individual freedom and for a tolerant open society. The rest of the policies I can live with, even if I don't agree with them.

The Liberal Party is very democratic (as you might expect), and their policies are set, and amended, at their annual Assembly at which every party member who turns up has an equal vote.

ukpopdems

Fair one, Tom.

UKpopdems -Popular Democrats is small (tiny) but is brand new as opposed to 122 years old.

What we are offering is brand new, too, a government that totally empowers the ordinary people of this nation, individually and in their communities. In this government, politicians work for the people rather than themselves and implement policies that really benefit ordinary people. If we get it wrong then the people we are serving are empowered to push back and make ther voices heard. You can see this is a totally different approach from any regular party.

This is an international movement started in Scadinavia and Holland - countries Britons have a lot of affinity with. There, their ordinary people are called 'everyday makers'.

It DOES turn MPs into servants of the people, rather than their masters, so it is hard to attract the sort of politicians we are famliar with who just want to impose their own views on the population.

It's a new wave. Have a look Welcome to the website of the United Kingdom Popular Democrats - UKpopdems

Tom Wilde

That's a nice-looking website you've got there! I'm impressed by the degree of detailed thinking which has obviously gone into your policies. I haven't read all the detailed ones yet, but the ones I have read all look pretty reasonable. I wish you luck!

Don't worry - if the PopDems do manage to grow into a successful party then you'll find politicians like that clambering aboard your boat faster than you can throw them out! A possible problem for you some way down the line...

Anyway, for the time being I'm going to stick with the Liberals and see how it goes, but thank you for bringing your policies to my attention.

Tom Wilde

The official list of Liberal councillors which Richard Allen spotted seems to contain a few errors due to being only sporadically updated.

The number of Liberal councillors on Slough BC has dropped from 4 to 3, and the number in Ryedale from 2 to 1. However, the number on Wyre Forest DC has risen from 5 to 7, so the total number of councillors remains correct. The official list contained two Liberal councillors I didn't know about and therefore didn't include in my initial list on this thread: one in Gateshead and one in Wolverhampton. I've checked with the BBC election results service and council website and can confirm that the Liberal Party does currently hold those two seats - though the Wolverhampton one seems to now be held by a different individual to the one listed on the official list.

Therefore, here is the corrected list. (Numbers of Liberal councillors only rather than names):

County Councillors
Worcestershire County Council: 2
Cornwall County Council: 1

District, Borough and City Councillors
Wyre Forest District Council: 7 (the Liberal group is the 3rd strongest on council, bigger than Labour or the LibDems)
Exeter City Council: 4
Liverpool City Council: 3
Peterborough City Council: 3
Torridge District Council: 3 (all of whom defected from LibDems in August)
Slough Borough Council: 3
Ryedale District Council: 1
Kerrier District Council: 1
Gateshead Council: 1
Wolverhampton City Council: 1

So I make that 27 district, borough or city councillors, and 3 county councillors. I believe the party also some parish and town councillors (I know there are some in Devon) but I don't have any numbers.

ANGLO-STAFFS

Sorry but the Liberal Party do have two councillors on Ryedale Council.

John Clark, Cropton.
Tommy Woodward, Pickering East, elected at the by-election in June.

Tom Wilde

Well spotted! I didn't notice that bye-election. I've tracked down the result now. I think it is the Liberals' first bye-election win since the May elections.

So that ups the total to 28 Liberal councillors on district/borough/city councils, plus three county councillors.

ANGLO-STAFFS

I think that it is the only by-election where they have stood a candidate since May.
If so 100% success rate.

Tom Wilde

100% success rate? Can't say fairer than that.

I get the impression that Anglo-Staffs, Independent UKIP and Britannist all follow local election results more closely, and have better sources of information, than I do. If any of you happen to see any local election results which mention Liberal Party candidates, could you possibly let me know, or post them on this thread? Thanks in advance for any you spot!

It would be nice to have some results to post in the elections section of the unofficial Liberal Party forum at:

Liberal Forum :: Index

ANGLO-STAFFS

You could try looking on this site now and then.

votewise.co.uk » Compare Candidates - Before You Vote

Don't think there are any Liberals at the moment though.