Thursday, 22 January 2026

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Christmas 2013 – Support Your Local Shops!

YES it’s that time of year again – Christmas is coming! But in your haste to do the shopping, don’t forget the local shops and businesses in your area. Give them an early Christmas present by shopping locally today.

The National Liberal Party knows that times are hard and price considerations are obviously very important, but many small shops depend on their Christmas trade to see them through much of the following year. At present, many shopkeepers are hit hard by the recession – caused by the credit crunch – high interest rates and the criminal bank debt-system.

The shopkeeper, as a self-employed businessman or woman, plays a vital role in the local economy. (And don’t forget that these small shops collectively employ hundreds of thousands of workers throughout the length and breadth of Britain). Local shops are not only important for the elderly and young mothers, but are part of the glue that helps to maintain community spirit – a place to bump into friends, neighbours and relatives.

If we don’t support our local shops and businesses today, we may loose them forever. Then people will have no other choice to travel directly into the nearest city or town centre for the smallest of items. This may be ok if you have your own transport and are fit and healthy. However, the elderly or young mothers wouldn’t really look forward to beating a path through the massive Saturday shopping crowds found in our large towns and cities.

The message is clear. For the community spirit to survive and prosper, we must give local shops as much trade as possible. The National Liberal Party says support your local shops, shopkeepers and shop workers. Shop locally this Christmas!

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Popular Support For National Liberal Party Policy Brief!
THE NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY recently launched its Policy Brief – a document which highlights just a few of our policies.  It has been warmly welcomed by various centrist parties (whether of the ‘left’ or ‘right’) and also has generated a lot of interest.

Its radical ideas have both got people thinking (which is always to be encouraged!) and may well also prove to be the catalyst for greater co-operation between different centrist parties, groups and individuals.

As part of our efforts to encourage an exchange of ideas relating to policy (as well as strategy) we hope to publish a series of articles which provide a constructive critique of our Policy Brief.

This first critique has been supplied by Russell White from the Populist Movement.  From reading the NLP Policy Brief, he believes that “there is some 80% or so crossover between both parties (more than I expected)” and pointing to the next General Election he notes that “there is scope for a joint platform – should a majority of members in both parties desire a joint campaign in 2015.”

For its part, the National Liberal Party will take into account Russell’s comments when updating the Policy Brief and in the forthcoming manifesto (which aims to clarify and explain policy).

In the article below, the subject matter is in bold text whilst Russell’s comments are in normal text.

In the meantime, if anyone wishes to submit a constructive critique of the NLP Policy Brief (which can be downloaded here: http://nationalliberal.org/policy-brief) please e-mail it to: natliberal@aol.com

• ENSURE POLICE OFFICERS ARE WIRED UP TO A RECORDER AND A CAMERA WHILST ON DUTY. Where would it end?  Doctors, nurses, soldiers, traffic wardens.  Anyone who deals with the general public could be affected.  Even the general public could be “wired up” to ensure that they do not say anything politically incorrect.  It could set a precedent that an ‘illiberal’ government/regime would impose upon threat of punishment if not complied with.

• WE WOULD INTRODUCE A LAW THAT RESULTED IN ANYONE CARRYING A KNIFE OR GUN IN A PUBLIC PLACE WITHOUT A LEGAL REASON TO BE GIVEN A MINIMUM PRISON SENTENCE. I’d simply use the word “heavy” or “hefty” rather than “minimum.”

• A MINIMUM 160 HOURS COMMUNITY SERVICE OR MINIMUM £1000 FINE (TO FUND ALCOHOL AWARENESS COURSES) FOR BEING DRUNK AND DISORDERLY. Where would this be imposed?  Inside or outside of drinking establishments?  Makes all the difference.  And one person’s “disorderly” is another person’s “reveller.” New Year’s Eve would see mass arrests.

• THREE OFFENCES OF DRUNKENESS OR ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL WOULD RESULT IN A MINIMUM PRISON SENTENCE. Would a breathyliser be used to decide who is drunk and who is not?  Would people be prohibited from having more than two pints on a night out?  I have known people who could be described as “drunk” yet still manage to hold down a job, and do not act in an anti-social way.  So I would reword it to read simply “Three offences of criminal behaviour under the influence of alcohol.”

• ENSURE EDUCATION INCLUDES A HEAVY FOCUS ON GOOD CITIZENSHIP.  Dodgy.  The government’s idea of “citizenship” is to be “good Europeans” who love multicultural diversity, who donate to the Third World etc.  Education should be to give people the skills to get a job and set up home, not to instruct them as to what they should believe.  That is illiberal!

• NO PUBLIC FUNDING OF FAITH SCHOOLS. We would agree that state-run schools should be secular, but the idea of ending public funding of faith schools would mean that religious people are discriminated against, in that they will have to pay school fees, thus ending the principle of publically funded education for all British citizens enshrined in the Beveridge report that set up the welfare state.  Our position is simply to turn all religious schools and private schools into state funded, but independently run ‘Free Schools.’

• INTRODUCE A VOLUNTARY ‘NIGHT TIME’ ROAD TAX FOR HAULIERS AT A RATE OF 25% OF DAYTIME RATES BUT THE VEHICLE COULD ONLY BE USED ON A ROAD BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 2000 HOURS AND 0800 HOURS.
Not practical as night driving is more dangerous, and the impact upon car drivers dealing with increased lorries on the roads at night may cause more accidents.

• BAN RELIGIOUS AND RITUAL SLAUGHTER THAT INVOLVES CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. Agree that this form of slaughter is unacceptable, but can a ‘liberal’ party clamp down upon food that Muslims and Jews have to eat as part of their diet. Yes, they have the option to become atheist or another religion but realistically that will not happen.  Why not simply put a tax upon such foods – ring fence it and ensure that the money is directed towards animal charities.
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Caledonian Voice Says Keep Scotland Out Of Foreign Wars!
CALEDONIAN VOICE – The Voice of the National Liberal Party in Scotland – made its appearance in early July, 2012. It was the first national publication produced by the NLP. And now it’s the first of our publications to produce its own e-poster.


As can be seen, it commemorates the high cost paid by ordinary Scottish soldiers who are currently serving for Queen and Country. It remembers those servicemen and women who have paid the supreme sacrifice – victims of Westminster’s madcap adventures abroad.

Scottish soldiers have played a very important part in the history of the British Army. Indeed, The Royal Scots was the oldest Regiment in the British Army and, as such, was the senior Infantry Regiment of the Line. Raised in 1633, it merged with other Scottish Infantry Regiments in 2006 to form The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

However, Caledonian Voice feels that none of the recent conflicts involving Scottish soldiers have been in the interests of Scotland. It therefore concludes that Scotland must be kept out of foreign wars.
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Guest Writers Required!

FOLLOWING OUR highly successful activists meeting – held in Central London towards the end of October – the National Liberal Party wishes to step up another gear in terms of education and outreach.

To do this we’d like to encourage more writers to contribute towards our web-site. We want to feature different writing styles and cover more and more subject matters. If you’re interested in producing straight news articles, reviews, opinion pieces, or simply ‘floating’ ideas, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. Ideally, we’d like to be updating our web-site on a daily basis.

As we’ve mentioned several times, we’re fairly libertarian in outlook – and we believe in total free speech. As such, we’d more than welcome articles that are either ‘controversial’ or not totally 100% in line with National Liberal Party policy or National Liberal philosophy. Also, we’d like to repeat that debate is free with the NLP!

We’d also like to encourage members and supporters to provide more ideas for our increasingly popular series of e-posters.

Contact the National Liberal Party at natliberal@aol.com

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Help Viral Out the NLPs ‘Shop Local’ Poster!

HERE’S the National Liberal Party’s latest e-poster.  It’s been produced to promote the latest phase of the NLPs Shop Local campaign.

We’d ask our members and supporters to help viral it out – using social media like blogs, Facebook, Twitter and You Tube – far and wide.  Indeed, please feel free to copy it on to as many friends, relatives and work colleagues as possible.  Remember, if we don’t support our local shops now (not forgetting small businesses and the self-employed) then we’ll lose them forever!
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Review of English Voice
REGULAR READERS will know that the National Liberalism has a lot of libertarian blood running through its veins. National Liberals are passionate supporters of free speech and the concept of civil and religious liberties for all.

Thus, National Liberalism is opposed to totalitarians and dogmatists of both the ‘left’ and the ‘right’ and favours informed and reasoned debate based on arguments, points of view and facts.

As a political movement, the National Liberal Party seeks to build an organisation that encourages free speech and debate. To do this, we also attempt to take into consideration as many views as is possible in open debate. Thus, members and supporters are always encouraged to have their say. Indeed, as one NLP member recently noted:

Members of this political party are allowed their own opinions on matters; the entire point of democracy is not that everyone must agree, but rather that there is a margin in which people may disagree and still move together for the good.”

With this in mind, here’s another passionate, sincere and highly personal article by Liam Clarke, which looks at English Voive – The Voice Of The National Liberal Party In England.

As we noted in our introduction to his last review (of Caledonian Voice – check it out here http://nationalliberal.org/review-of-caledonian-voice) “Whilst not everyone will agree with everything he says, especially on what constitute a nation or what a Westminster Parliament represents, readers should know that discussion is absolutely free with the NLP.”

You can leave any feedback – good, bad or indifferent – on our National Liberal debate page. Check it out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/52739504313/

To get hold of your copy of English Voice simply e-mail natliberal@aol.com and ask for your FREE pdf copy of issue 1

AS I’M SURE most of you will know by now I am not one to hide my opinions. And when it comes to views relating to England and the English, I have very clear opinions!

Firstly, I find it somewhat baffling as to why there is such a need now to discuss the idea of separate parliaments across the United Kingdom, in a nation that has prided itself on its Westminster government. With all the talk of Scottish nationalism (and the varying other parliaments in the smaller members of the United Kingdom) it seems that now the English wish to have their own devolved powers from Westminster.

However, let us examine the word ‘United’. We live in a world where all around us nations fall and people fight openly in the streets with their brothers and sisters – indeed, how can we forget the situation in Egypt? And what is our response to this? In a word, Division.

We are so wound up in our belief systems of freedom, individualism and idealism that we do not think rationally or logically. The opinion of English Voice is that Devo-Max is the best solution for England, and as an Englishman I can absolutely see that in this stride for division, England is often on the back foot. The English as a people are indeed in need of a voice, and English Voice is revolutionary. It’s the Ronseal of its kind, “It does exactly what it says on the tin”, namely providing a voice for the English people.

Nonetheless, I do not accept its message. Nor do I accept the message of the Scottish Nationalists. My friends, at a time when the world is divided when people of various nations are divided among themselves it creates nothing but war and chaos, and I need only ask you to look at the news to see that. Division is not the answer.

We must stay United as peoples’ with very different tastes, and opinions, different languages and customs – but all at the end of the day standing shoulder to shoulder singing proud our name, waving high our flag to show that although we a different, we are bonded. Bonded by a love for the world, a love for peace and most importantly and perhaps even that most rare of virtues in the 21st Century love for each other. I talk not of an idealistic, leftist type of love, but a love of pride and of those we have been bound not by blood or politics but by a history, a present and a future.

English Voice provides that, which as National Liberals we all want, a voice for everyone. But here I must finish with a message. Idealism is a dangerous path that leads us towards no return, but rationalism leads us to a path of hope. At this time, the world needs no more division but a ‘United Front’ of peace. And for all our criticism and argument, there is no nation, no lion more powerful in all of history that has roared more loudly in the face of injustice than that of the Welsh, Scottish, Irish and English. The Union flag is more than just a symbol of a forgotten Kingdom, but one that bears every symbol of a different, but bound people.

• TO READ another review, which – in part – looks at issue 1 of English Voice, click here: http://nationalliberal.org/reviews-of-caledonian-voice-and-english-voice

• IF YOU’D like to review one of our publications, simply e-mail natliberal@aol.com and ask for a FREE pdf of one of the following publications:

Caledonian Voice – Issue 1

English Voice – Issue 1

Kent Voice – Issue 1

Isle of Wight Voice – Issue 1

Isle of Wight Voice – Issue 2

Liberal Worker – Issue 1

Liberty & Nation – Issue 1

New Horizon – Issue 1

New Horizon – Issue 2

St Andrews (Havering) Voice – August 2012 issue

St Andrews (Havering) Voice – August 2013 issue

• WE ALSO understand that our friends at Fourth World Review (4WR) are looking for reviews of their most recent publications. We can supply FREE pdf review copies of issues 153, 154 and 155. Please return your review to the above e-mail address as 4WR have requested that all reviews go on the Liberty Wall first.

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