The NLP welcomes a new face to the team. Relatively new convert John Botting (see nationalliberal.org/john-botting-prospective-kent-police-crime-commissioner) has been appointed National Coordinator of the new National Liberal Supporters club. This will share amongst its members the ideals of national liberalism and its relevance to the UK today. If you would like to sign up for its free newsletter please e-mail us at natliberal@aol.com.

We will also be unveiling a new National Secretary in the new year (and possibly every year) under the slogan ‘Face of National Liberalism 2013’. Watch this space!

Supported groups: English Green http://www.facebook.com/groups/277840098977231 St. George’s Committee www.facebook.com/stgeorgescommitteeFourth World Review http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/288486767860011/

The ‘Edinburgh Agreement’ is signed by Prime Minister David Cameron and First Minister Alex Salmond on October 15. It paves the way for just a single Yes/No question on Scotland leaving the UK and allows 16 and 17-year-olds to vote.

The NLP in Scotland campaigned to get Devo Max on the ballot paper but it is not going to be deterred by the decision to have a straight yes/no question put in autumn 2014. Indeed, our message of federalism and decentralism for the whole of the United Kingdom needs to be promoted even more than before to reach the large number of people disenchanted with the omission of the option of Devo Max from the vote in 2014. Despite the ongoing foul weather, (including the worst September storms recorded for 30 years), distribution of Caledonian Voice continues. If you would like copies of the newspaper to distribute then please get in touch. E-mail: natliberal@aol.com

THE NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY is pleased to announce that issue 1 of Liberty & Nation is out now!

As we’ve previously noted, production of Liberty & Nation (L&N) has, in part, been delayed due to other essential work. We’ve also faced a couple of technical problems as well.

This first issue looks at the forthcoming Scottish Constitutional Referendum, scheduled for Autumn 2014. It argues in favour of “some form of maximum devolution (more commonly known as ‘Devo-Max’) to appear on the ballot paper” and explains the NLPs ideal of a Federal Britain. This means that all of the home nations should have their own parliament. This will leave Westminster to act solely as a UK-wide ‘inter-national’ parliament.

Ironically, the delays faced by L&N – ‘The Voice of the National Liberal Party’ – have meant that recent events in Scotland have overtaken us!

When L&N was written it was felt that the option of Devo-Max would be included on the ballot paper. However the ‘Edinburgh Agreement’ (signed by Prime Minister David Cameron and First Minister Alex Salmond) of October 15 has paved the way for just a single Yes/No question on Scotland leaving the UK and allows 16 and 17-year-olds to vote.

Despite this, the National Liberal Party has decided to go ahead with the production of this issue of L&N. We’re doing this for two main reasons:

Firstly, we do not want to lose this issue of L&N to history as we believe that it’s important to chart our position on the questions of devolution and democracy. We still favour Devo-Max (as opposed to independence or the status quo) and preferendums (as opposed to a straight Yes/No vote). In short, we regard Devo-Max as a ‘Third Way’ beyond independence and unionism and preferendums as the most democratic form of conducting business.

Secondly, the arguments put forward in L&N are still very much valid. This is particularly so in respect to England. As L&N notes:

“The NLP believes that this is also the only way of addressing English grievances over the West Lothian question (where Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs at Westminster can vote on policies that only affect England but English MPs can’t vote in the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish devolved governments) and the Barnett Formula (which ensures that England gets a raw deal when it comes to the money spent on essential public services.) Devo-Max will give England its own parliament.”

It is in this context that Liberty & Nation should be read. To get hold of issue 1, simply e-mail natliberal@aol.com and ask for your FREE pdf copy!

ABOUT a year ago, we announced that the National Liberal Party would be producing a street paper, Liberty & Nation. Despite it being delayed – due to other essential work – we’re glad to say that issue 1 will be out very soon!

Liberty & Nation will join Caledonian Voice, English Voice and the Isle of Wight Voice our growing arsenal of popular outreach material. (The NLP also produces an ideological magazine, New Horizon. To get hold of your FREE copy, simply click here: New Horizon No.2)

In due course we hope to produce other national, regional and local publications. Indeed, after Liberty & Nation, Kent Voice is scheduled to roll off of the NLPs production line.

Initially L&N will be available via e-mail. Hopefully, however, it’ll not be too long before it’ll be regularly available to leaflet with.

L&N will be produced in accordance with the National Liberal Party’s view that we should develop three distinct styles of newspaper, all aimed at different national ‘target’ groups. These styles (and target groups) would reflect the existing establishment media. Thus, we aim to produce ‘broadsheets’ aimed at readers of The Times, Guardian and Daily Telegraph, andreaders of ‘red tops’ like the Star, Mirror and Sun. However, to kick off with, L&N will be aimed at readers of the Daily Mail and Daily Express.

Look out for further news about L&N in the very near future! In the meantime, why not pre-order your FREE pdf copy simply by e-mailing natliberal@aol.com

Our councillor in Cuffley, Hertfordshire, Brent Cheetham, is a strong campaigner for renewable energy supplies. He recently, and succesfully, supported a local energy recycling plant in the face of strong conservative opposition. He is also a supporter of the Friends of the Earth and is asking readers to sign the latest FoE petition calling upon the Energy Secretary, the Lib Dem minister, Ed Davey to set targets for ‘clean electric’ in his forthcoming Energy Bill.

He urges you to click here to sign

The second issue of the party’s ideological magazine – the NEW HORIZON – which looks at our call to introduce Swiss-style democracy (Referendums and Initiatives) to the UK and the influence of Distributism on our economic policies and much more can now be downloaded by clicking HERE