the guardian newspaper
Nick Clegg tells Lib Dems they belong in 'radical centre' of British
politics
Liberal Democrat leader rejects 'tribalism of left and right' after party
votes to affirm commitment to social democracy
* _Allegra Stratton_
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/allegrastratton) and _Patrick Wintour_
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/patrickwintour)
* _guardian.co.uk_ (http://www.guardian.co.uk/) , Sunday 13 March 2011
_Nick Clegg_ (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/nickclegg) has told
Liberal Democrat delegates that they are now the party of the "radical
centre",
hours after the party voted to commit itself to the traditions and beliefs
of social democracy.
In his address wrapping up the party's two-day conference, Clegg pushed
ahead in his attempt to redefine the Lib Dems. His speech rejected the
"tribalism of left and right" and instead made its pitch to middle-income
earners –
"alarm clock Britain".
Clegg said: "We are liberals and we own the freehold to the centre ground
of British politics. Our politics is the politics of the radical centre. We
are governing from the middle, for the middle.
"Lloyd George's 'people's budget' to make the wealthy pay their fair share
and give a pension to all those who had worked hard. Keynes's plans to make
our economy work for everyone and provide jobs for all. Beveridge's
radical blueprint for a welfare state to give security and dignity to every
citizen. They may not have called it alarm clock Britain but they had the same
people in mind.
"We are not the heirs to Thatcher. We are not the heirs to Blair. We are
the heirs to Mill, Lloyd George, Keynes, Beveridge, Grimond. We are the true
radicals of British politics."
The two other traditions in British politics had failed middle-income
earners, he said, "because both of those political traditions forget about
people and place their faith in institutions. For the left, an obsession with
the state. For the right, a worship of the market. As liberals, we place our
faith in people."
While he sought to persuade his party that they were now at the centre of
British politics, delegates had earlier passed a strategy paper that called
for the Lib Dems to fight as a party of social democracy.
The motion that was passed said: "The UK _Liberal Democrats_
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/liberaldemocrats) are based firmly in the
historical
and global traditions of the liberal and social democratic philosophy and
beliefs."
At the opening rally on Friday night, the party president, Tim Farron,
said: "In the old days, some people would say the Lib Dems are a party of the
centre-left. That is the party I still belong to." the party's deputy
leader, Simon Hughes, said: "Our job is to be, yes, an alternative to the
Tories.
But our job is to replace Labour as the radical alternative to the Tories
in Britain."
The public pronouncements by Hughes and Farron are slightly at odds with
some ministers who have come to accept they may fight the next election on
the centre, and possibly even from the centre-right, against Labour. They
believe that some leftwing supporters may not in future come back to the Lib
Dems.
The motion also called on Lib Dem MPs, peers and ministers to spell out
more clearly "those policies which derive from the Liberal Democrats' existing
and emerging policy platform" and "those aspects of government policy
which originated from the Conservative party policy platform". The motion went
on to say that the party would fight the election as an independent party
"with no preference for future coalition partners".
In his speech, Clegg said: "The old political establishment, on the left
and on the right, hate what's happening to our politics. The old left
screaming betrayal every time politicians work across party lines or make a
compromise.
"The old right simply horrified to see Liberal Democrats in government at
all. We are showing that new politics, plural politics, coalition politics,
can work for this country. And it terrifies them. There are enemies of
reason across the political spectrum."
The concept of "alarm clock Britain" has surprised some who believe it is
an odd formulation that requires too much explaining.
In his speech, Clegg set out again what he meant by alarm clock Britain:
"Everyone who wants to get up and get on. People who, unlike the wealthy,
have no choice but to work hard to make ends meet. People who are proud to
support themselves but are only ever one pay cheque from their overdraft.
People who believe in self-reliance but who don't want to live in a
dog-eat-dog
world. Who want everyone who can to work hard but want children, the
elderly and the vulnerable to be looked after, too."
Clegg also raised an allegation that Labour-run Manchester council was
making deeper cuts than the Lib Dem council in Sheffield and as such the scale
of cuts being brought in may be politically motivated.
He said: "I cannot tell you how proud I am that not a single Liberal
Democrat-led council is closing a single Sure Start children's centre.
Sheffield
has had a budget cut of more than 8%. Every lost job is a loss we all feel
keenly, but the Liberal Democrat council here has kept compulsory
redundancies down to 270. And they have kept open every children's centre,
library
and swimming pool. But cross the Pennines into Manchester, a council having
to make almost identical savings, you'll find a Labour council letting
nearly 2,000 people go. So don't let Labour take the moral high ground."
--
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