Happy Magna Carta Day!

Today is a symbolic day of liberty as the signing of the Magna Carta (June 15 1215) was the first acknowledgement that a Kings subjects had rights. The National Liberal Party puts the protection of individual civil liberties at the forefront of its policies. Some examples are:

* Creation of a Civil Liberties Watchdog Commission (later upgrading to a Ministry incorporating existing and complimentary bodies e.g. the Information Commissioner)

* Making Magna Carta Day a public holiday (we only get 8 days compared to France who get 10) to celebrate our countries commitment to LIBERTY

* Putting the Magna Carta onto our schools National Curriculum to help teach students the meaning and issue of Liberty.

If you agree please join or donate today!

CAMPAIGNERS STILL SAY YES!

Paignton

Despite the Tory dominated media’s attempt to exaggerate the number of committed NO voters the National Liberals have continued their campaign to maximise the YES vote.

* Leafleting teams in Devon and Essex and leaflets pushed by lone members through letterboxes in various towns throughout the UK.

Hornchurch

* Stalls organised in Paignton, Hornchurch and Elm Park have been very well received. For example, in Paignton activists reported the following “We set up the stall around midday in the town centre. Not sure exactly how many leaflets were distributed, but a good few. We also talked to many people, including the former Lib Dem mayoral candidate, who was actually pleased to see a group out campaigning for a Yes vote. We also managed to persuade some ‘No’ voters that a Yes vote was essential. Basically we asked ‘Are you happy with the way things are?’ and the answer is usually no, so we put it to them a change in the voting system was one massive step towards putting things right.”

Elm Park

* Letters sent to councillors and businesses and the press (and printed! see below) explaining why electoral reformers on balance support the YES to AV.

* Internet and text messages asking people to vote YES!

Dear Editor,

Some people believe that the referendum proposal to change the way we elect MPs to the Alternative Vote (AV) system does not go far enough. After all, minor points of view promoted by smaller parties are unlikely to benefit as they would do so under Proportional Representation (PR). Even the architect of the referendum Nick Clegg once called it a ‘miserable little compromise’.

As one of those smaller parties, the National Liberals, we would of course prefer PR; it’s fairer and would revitalise our democracy.

However, if the NO vote wins we may never be offered a referendum again on any change in electing MPs at all for the next 100 years (the last one was in 1918!). But if the YES vote wins we believe that in the future we are more likely to be offered the chance to vote for some real reform.

So we ask voters, however sceptical, to ‘cross their fingers’ and Vote YES to AV on May 5th!

Yours Sincerely

EARLY NEXT MONTH the British electorate will get the chance to send the Con-Dem coalition government a message.

For on May 5th various elections are being held in England, Scotland, Ulster and Wales. It’s also the day of the national referendum – and the National Liberal Party is campaigning to support the introduction of the Alternative Vote (AV) to replace the current ‘First Past the Post’ system.

We’re hoping that both the Tories and Liberal Democrats will get a real bloody nose at the polls – especially the Lib Dems who have betrayed some of the core promises made during the last General Election. Hopefully, voters will decide to punish both of them over their decisions to increase student fees and slash health, welfare, schools and transport services.

Whilst voters are busy hitting the Con-Dem government at the ballot box, they shouldn’t forget that the Labour Party also share much of the blame for getting Britain into such a mess.

The NLP is standing in Cuffley, Hertfordshire, where local elections are being held. Our candidate is well-known local man, Brent Cheetham. Brent has been a thorn in the Parish Council’s side for many years and is well-known for his hard-hitting, yet very witty, letters published in the local Mercury newspaper.

Recent examples included taking the Tories to task for pretending to be concerned at the plight of “hard pressed small businesses” whilst at the same time being “in the pockets of big business, the corporates and the multi-nationals.” Brent pointed out that Britain’s “small shop keepers have suffered as the result of unrestricted market forces which has had a deleterious effect on small shops and small firms” and called for locals to do their bit by shopping – where they could – with the small shops.

He also questioned the thinking behind changing the name of Anti-Social Behaviour Order’s (ASBO’s) to Community Safety Order’s (CSA’s). He noted that “the malaise that this country suffers from in the realm on ‘low level crime’ will not be resolved by mere tinkering with the wording of the law as the community safety order is an ASBO under a new name.” He concluded by saying that “what is needed is open public discussion on how we alter the trend in public manners that effects every one of us.”

At the moment, it looks like he’ll be elected unopposed but we’ll bring you more news after the election.

In the meantime, the National Liberal Party calls for the British people to say ‘Yes!’ in the referendum to change the voting system. As Havering Councillor David Durant (and NLP National Secretary) has noted:

“This is the first major reform of how we elect MPs for the last hundred years. For those of us who take our democracy seriously, anything less than a YES victory we fear will put back any further electoral reform for years”.

We also wish our friends in the United People’s Party the best of luck in any elections they contest.

Whilst the official YES and NO campaigns have launched their respective campaigns (see http://nationalliberal.org/?p=2142) the National Liberals have continued to promote their own YES to AV campaign under the title ‘Cross Your Fingers’. This is because they are calling upon the public to ‘cross their fingers’ while voting YES and hope this will lead onto further reform, including the introduction of a form of PR.

An update of the leaflet entitled HavE YOUR SAY was recently released

(see http://nationalliberal.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/avbw.pdf for downloading).

• In Havering Councillor David Durant (and NLP National Secretary) has extended his AV survey beyond his ward to other parts of the borough. Over 10,000 leaflets have been delivered. The feedback indicates that voter interest is low (less than 100 responded) but the YES and NO camps amongst those definite to vote is Neck and Neck! David said “Clearly electoral reform interests the political ‘anorak’ but doesn’t enthuse the general public, understandably concerned about jobs, cuts and rising fuel prices. However this is the first major reform of how we elect MPs for the last hundred years. For those of us who take our democracy seriously anything less than a YES victory we fear will put back any further electoral reform for years”.

We agree with David and urge activists to do their bit in getting out the YES vote!

• Members have delivered campaign leaflets in Torquay, Sheffield, and Central London.

• In Elm Park the AV leaflet has been reproduced within the local National Liberal newsletter the Elm Park Voice.

• A letter explaining our stance will be going out to all our contacts in the near future.

In the meantime we urge all activists to purchase the leaflet and report back on their activities. If you would like to be involved please contact us at natliberal@aol.com or write PO Box 4217, Hornchurch, Essex RM12 4PJ. If you can’t be actively involved in the campaign please give a donation or send a cheque to our address.

WHO’S WHO?

Part 2 – THE OFFICIAL CAMPAIGNS

YES TO FAIRER VOTES (http://www.yestofairervotes.org/)

Although backed by the leaders of the Labour Party (Ed Milliband) and the Liberal Democrats (Nick Clegg) the group organisers have gone to great pains to downplay political support. Their launch for example was packed full of ‘celebrities’ from Eddie Izzard to Kriss Akabusi to Greg Dyke (and many more pledging support). Ironically the referendum only came about as the price for Liberal Democrat support for the Coalition but, recognising the unpopularity of politicians, especially Nick Clegg, they have shrewdly downplayed their involvement.

Whilst the Labour and Conservative parties are divided it is generally backed by most small parties and reformers as, although not a proportional system, it is felt that some reform is better than none, especially since it is nearly 100 years since MP’s have had to face any meaningful changes. Most see AV as a ‘stepping stone’ rather than an end in itself. Unsuprisingly, campaigning has largely concentrated on well worn slogans such as Making votes count i.e. no wasted votes, Fairness i.e. as to who is elected, and Change (from an oudated system). All could be used to promote support for a PR system which we feel most campaigners would if given the choice? Apart from some State funding which both sides get, the campaign is financially backed by the Electoral Reform Society and the social reformist Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust. All in all a light, open and enthusiastic campaign pulling together electoral reformers of all hues and goals desperate for some form of change.

NO TO AV (http://www.no2av.org/)

The group’s backers are much more difficult to pin down. They seem primarily to be Conservatives with a little and large C. Their launch was quite low key and their supporters low-grade politicians. The majority of the Conservative and Labour MP’s support a NO vote (fearful for their seats?) as do most Trade Unions. Unlike the YES camp however political supporters seem more content with promoting the NO vote via their own groups e.g. PM David Cameron launched his own party’s NO campaign. The Campaign Director Matthew Elliot also runs the right wing pressure group the Taxpayers’ Alliance. Their campaign largely consists of running ‘scare’ stories against change e.g. AV will cost an extra £250m and slogans rather than analysis in favour of the present system e.g. One person One vote.

Their financial backers are even more shadowy. One Conservative peer, Lord Edmiston, has been quoted as donating “a significant sum”. We guess others will have a similar background.

Although the NO campaign is well connected in the media and has access to funds it doesn’t have the enthusiasm of the YES campaigners. Many more activists are likely to be out on the streets from the YES side. How this will play out in May is any body’s guess but we feel that the the YES camp is more motivated to vote and should carry the day?

ACCORDING to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the UK now imports 40 per cent of its food (1). At the same time, food prices have already risen more than six per cent over the last year (and may later increase by ten percent). And this is at a time when oil prices are pushing prices up – seemingly on a daily basis. At this rate, how long will it be before some of us can’t afford to eat?

Surely it’s time to start reversing these trends before it’s too late.
At the moment far too many people live in flats in cities and towns with no access to gardens, allotments or any open space. That’s why we’ve got ourselves in the situation whereby 75% of the food we buy comes from four massive supermarket chains – Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

In an ideal world, as many people as possible will own their own homes and land. They will have enough land to grow a fair proportion of food to feed their families. Smaller, family-run farms should make up the rest. We should cut imports down to very bare minimum.

That’s our dream.

However, it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to be a long-term task. For starters, the multinationals who own the big supermarkets will not take it lying down! They’re not going to give up the basis of their economic power without a fight.

So what do we do in the meantime?

For starters, we should put pressure on local authorities to allow people to use common ground and unused land to grow food on – either individually or on a co-operative basis. We also need to support independent stores, farm shops, farmers markets, veg box schemes, and the like. Home growers should also be encouraged. Even ‘Guerrilla Gardening’ could be considered.

Anything has to be better than bowing down to the corporate might of the supermarket.

(1) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/8404852/

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