Thursday, 22 January 2026

Category » Party News

Have Your Say!
THE MANY problems faced by Britain – racial, economic and social – are not going to be solved by screaming and shouting.  Thus, the National Liberal Party is not interested in ‘hitting the headlines’ using the tired formula of macho–posturing and gesture politics.  These problems will only be overcome by a combination of careful thought and action.

This means that we favour informed and reasoned debate.  Here we concentrate on arguments, points of view and facts.  We are not interested in personalities, prejudice or promoting self-interest.

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.

We’re also interested in encouraging people to develop their debating skills.  That’s why the NLP is introducing a new series of articles called Have Your Say! Whilst each subject will be announced on this web-site, they’ll be conducted in full on the National Liberals Facebook site, which can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/groups/52739504313/?fref=ts

Before we kick off with our first debate we’d like to establish a few ground rules:

  • First of all, say what you think – but think what you say.

  • Secondly, just debate the issue(s) raised.  There should be no personal attacks.

  • As previously noted, we’re simply not interested in personalities.

  • Please note that we may ask selected members and supporters to play ‘devil’s advocate’.  Hopefully, this’ll help sharpen the debating skills of all involved!

  • Finally, it should be remembered that all of the views expressed in Have Your Say! are personal and should not be taken to be the official view of the NLP itself.

With all this in mind, our first subject of debate is Should we bring back National Service? Allied to this main question are several others: if National Service is to be reintroduced, should it be voluntary or compulsory?  How would it be introduced and for whom?  Additionally, should it be purely military based – or could it involve teaching our youth a trade?

Finally, we’d also like to encourage as many people as possible to propose subjects to be discussed in future.  As part of our libertarianism no subject is taboo!
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Look out for KV1

ISSUE 1 of Kent Voice will be out soon! And as we noted in a previous article (Issue 1 of Kent Voice coming soon! of 07/11/12) it will examine the subject of animal cruelty.

Taking the style of an interview with John Botting – the National Liberal Party’s Kent Representative and National Coordinator of the National Liberal Supporters Club – Kent Voice looks at four specific types of animal cruelty. They are:

“ … testing on animals, ritual slaughter, factory farming and the disgusting practice of exporting live animals.”

The interview reveals that John has been a long-standing opponent of ‘the sick practice’ of using Beagles being forced to inhale cigarette smoke. He was also actively involved in opposing the cosmetics company Revlon having their products tested on rabbits. Here Draize tests were used – these involved putting a substance in the eye or on the skin of an immobilised rabbit, and then observing and recording the results.

Of ritual slaughter, John supports the view of Marianne Thieme, head of the Dutch Animal Rights Party, who has noted:

“This way of killing causes unnecessary pain to animals. Religious freedom cannot be unlimited. For us religious freedom stops where human or animal suffering begins.”

The Kent NLP man also slated modern intensive farming methods – especially battery farming, which he describes as a barbaric system.” He also attacked the “the cruel and unnecessary trade” of exporting animals for slaughter.

As we noted earlier, Kent Voice will be out fairly soon. To pre-order your copy of KV1, simply e-mail natliberal@aol.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and ask for your FREE pdf copy to be sent to you as soon as it’s available!

• THE FOLLOWING should be read alongside this article:

http://nationalliberal.org/nlp-opposes-cruelty-to-animals

http://nationalliberal.org/the-export-of-live-animals-%e2%80%93-a-personal-view

http://nationalliberal.org/issue-1-of-kent-voice-coming-soon
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Total Democracy
The new co-operative campaign group Total Democracy held it’s first meeting on the 2nd February. Foundered by four centrist parties, including the National Liberal Party, it unveiled its first campaign press release calling for an additional box on all ballot papers ‘None of the above’. This will show whether the declining turnouts at elections is due to voter apathy as the main parties suggest, or due to disillusionment with those parties and the system, as we say!
Representatives of the parties unveiled their new banner outside Parliament and explained what Total Democracy is all about at a meeting. Jean Eveleigh on behalf of the Democratic Reform Party explained why we needed to work together against an uncaring coalition. Lee Holmes of the Peoples Democratic Party highlighted the difference between the professional politicians of the main parties and ordinary people such as ourselves. The National Liberal Party’s Graham Williamson, gave a speech explaining what Total Democracy is all about. We reproduce the speech below.

What is Total Democracy? Officially we describe it as A Coalition of parties, pressure groups, individuals and anyone else with an interest in politics and democracy?

So we know it’s a political group but who is it for?

The first strapline (slogan) is, Ordinary people reclaiming politics. So we know it’s not for professional politicians! All of us here are part-time, CONVICTION politicians. We do it because we would like to see CHANGE.

The second strapline is, A body of like minded small parties, groups and Independents co-operating together to reclaim democracy for the nation. Thus the change we would like to see is bringing politics back to the people i.e. greater democracy. This phrase, so often misused, originates from the Greek word (dēmokratía) “rule of the people”. Clearly, under that definition our political system is very far from democratic. Our political masters say we live in a so-called ‘representative democracy’. This not the rule of the people but by a professional political class.

Nor are these professional politicians representative since, whatever the issue, be it in war or in peace, there is usually a gaping chasm between what these politicians believe and what the ordinary public believes.

Party representatives unveiling first campaign (NOTA)

For the National Liberal Party, we might highlight the gulf between the rhetoric of self-determination and the practice, for Democratic Reform Party it might be the gulf between calls for political reform and the resistance of Parliament to heed those calls, for the Peoples Democratic Party it might be the gulf between what politicians say and what they actually do, for the Popular Alliance it might be Parliament’s failure to have worked in the real world compared to the rest of us.

If we all agree there is a democratic deficit how will TD function and plan to change things?

Firstly, let me explain what TD is not. It is not a political party. The founders are existing political parties; there is no need for another. It is not a merger into one either. It is also not an electoral coalition or accommodation, although it may ultimately facilitate that between some or all of its members.
In short it is a group to co-ordinate campaigns of mutual interest. This is quite unique in British politics. Even the present coalition is composed of unwilling partners and exists due to an arithmetical accident. TD is composed of willing partners.

Its’ campaigns will be on matters of common interest as decided upon by the group’s members. If a majority agree, a campaign will be launched. All will be opt-in rather than opt-out; so that no-one is obliged to promote something they may have reservations with. How all this will work will be covered by a constitution in due course.
NOTA

The first campaign will be NOTA (None of the above). We are told that falling votes at elections is due to apathy. We say this is actually due to disillusionment; with the parties, with the politicians, with the system. We know this from the proliferation of new parties and from our own experience. Our political betters may or may not know the reality but they are certainly spinning us a yarn. We believe that by putting a ‘None of the above’ box on each ballot paper we will increase turnout as voters will have an opportunity to exercise their democratic right without having to vote for parties they dislike! There is so much more that can be done but this would be a good start.
The future of Total Democracy

Party representatives unveiling TD banner outside Parliament.

Presently, there are four small centrist parties, the founders, involved but we hope to expand, including independents and pressure groups, once a constitution is in place.

In the long run I see this as the only realistic strategy to changing the system and the way we are ruled, and the way we rules ourselves. The alternative is an all-encompassing single party that can somehow sweep to power in a blaze of glory, whilst overcoming the powerful obstacles, such as the First Past The Post, costly elections and media blackouts, all designed to prevent such a fantasy ever occurring.

Furthermore, I don’t believe that any one party can appeal to all social classes, ethnic groups or political persuasions. The present three party system exists because it taps into and attempts to articulate the three great political traditions in the UK; Conservatism, Socialism and Liberalism.
Three Traditions

One of our councillors David Durant articulated a theory of the ‘Three Traditions’ and postulated that there were alternative versions of those ideas. For example, a patriotic version of the Tories might be UKIP, a similar version of the liberals would be the NLP, and a constitutional, and reformist version of the liberals is perhaps the DRP etc. In other words there are ‘alternative’ images of the establishment parties that can tap into the ‘Three Traditions’. Total Democracy’s aim then must be to get the sensible, centrist versions i.e. those parties more composed of and in tune with ordinary people, working and pulling together in a common direction.
This alternative will be a body that can reach out to all sections of society, individually and collectively, to represent them, and that body is Total Democracy.
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New Constititution and ‘Mini-Manifesto’

THE National Liberal Party has tasked Mr. David Kerr – pictured right – with producing two important documents.

David – a member of the NLPs Steering Committee – is ideally suited to producing in-depth documents. An active trade unionist and community worker, he was previously responsible for drafting the NLPs submission to Alex Salmond (Leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of Scotland) concerning the proposed draft Scottish Constitutional Referendum Bill. The NLP submission can be found here: http://nationalliberal.org/

national-liberal-party- constitutional-submission-to-the-scottish-government

In the Submission to the Scottish Government on the proposed Scottish Referendum from the National Liberal Party we argued in favour of replacing centralised government at Westminster with a looser – and more progressive – relationship known Devo-Max. Devo-Max is full self-government short of independence. It would ensure that England, Scotland, Ulster and Wales have their own parliaments and only ‘UK wide’ services like Defence and Foreign Affairs are dealt with by Westminster.

The NLP submission also advocated in favour of greater democracy and freedom. Here we argued for a Scottish ‘preferendum’ in order to achieve the political outcome with the most widespread political support. A preferendum allows voters to ‘weight’ their support for all the options and thus ensures majority support for the ‘winning’ option

The two new NLP documents that Mr. Kerr will be working on include a new constitution and a ‘mini-manifesto’.

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Roll Up! Roll Up!

ROLL UP! ROLL UP! The National Liberal Party has a just few hundred copies of issue 1 of Caledonian Voice left. And we want to get them distributed as soon as possible so that we move onto the next issue.

Caledonian Voice – the Voice of the National Liberal Party in Scotland – is a double-sided full-colour A4 glossy publication. As well as being suitable for distribution anywhere in Scotland, it can also be used in any area where Scots have settled in numbers. In particular, this includes Ulster and parts of England such as London and Corby.

It would also be of interest to anyone who has an interest in self-determination, freedom and democracy.

With this in mind, we’re offering 100 copies of Caledonian Voice for only £3.00. This includes post and packing.

To get hold of CV, simply send a cheque or Postal Order (made payable to the NLP) to the National Liberal Party, PO Box 4217, Hornchurch, Essex, RM12 4PJ.

Alternatively, you can pay via PayPal by using the button below.


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Support Local Shops & Businesses – New Leaflet Coming Soon!

MEMBERS and supporters of the National Liberal Party – Britain’s true centre party – should prepare themselves for the start of a long-term campaign in support of local shops and businesses. This campaign will build on the successful ‘Shop Local’ campaign that we run every Christmas.

The NLP is currently in the early stages of writing and designing new leaflets which’ll be made available soon.

The NLPs annual seasonal Support Local Shops campaign will soon be extended all year round!

It’s anticipated that one side of the leaflet may take the form of a mini-poster whilst the other will explain why communities need to support their local shops and businesses.

The new A5 glossy leaflet will be in the NLPs traditional political colours of black, orange and white.

Support for small local shops and businesses forms an integral part of the NLPs localist and distributist agenda. Keep your eyes peeled for further news in due course!

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