Today is the 797th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta Day (Great Charter). It is viewed as a symbolic act that acknowledged that people have, or should have, the right to Liberty. Yet, despite all the lessons of history, Governments and institutions seem to have a tendency to want more power and control over their ‘subjects’. Our Government proposes to allow the Police to monitor ALL our communications in order to help, they say, their fight against crime and the ever present bogeyman, the Terrorist.

David Davies MP says that these Government moves would create a ”nation of suspects” and suggests that, actually we should be curbing not extending surveillance. We agree. It is necessary therefore for those of us who cherish our individual liberties to fight for them. Below we reproduce our press release detailing some of the measures we would take to do so if in Government. In response to the present Government’s suggestion that their proposals are designed to keep us safe we would quote Benjamin Franklin; They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

To coincide with the 797th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta (Great Charter) and to mark it as a symbolic day of liberty, members of the National Liberal Party will be adopting (or planting) trees in various parts of the UK by decorating them on Magna Carta Day, this Friday (15th June).

Known as a ‘Liberty Tree’ ceremony, it embraces the tree as a symbol of life and liberty, being the foundation for most of our basic needs. Indeed without them life as we know it, let alone liberty, would die.