LIAM CLARKE – aged 19 and based in South Derbyshire – is yet another new young supporter of the National Liberal Party. It was Liam’s long interest in politics that attracted him to our movement. Through research he discovered the similarities between true or ‘pure’ nationalism and liberalism. He was therefore attracted to the NLPs fusion of classic nationalist and liberal ideas and our position of ‘Neither Left Nor Right’.

Written in a highly resonal and passionate style, this is his first article as a guest writer for our web-site. As usual, we will reproduce this on both of our Facebook sites (National Liberal Party https://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Liberal-Party/160937907279184 and National Liberals https://www.facebook.com/groups/52739504313/) and would ask our members and supporters to leave feedback on our National Liberals Facebook page.

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The Agenda

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David Lloyd George (17 January 1863 - 26 March 1945) was a Liberal MP and British Prime Minister during the First World War. He was socially very progressive and introduced the famous 'People's Budget' which introduced the Old Age Pension, and was responsible for the Parliament Act of 1911 which restricted the powers of the House of Lords.

AS WE go about our daily business most of us are oblivious to the collision course on which the British train is set. A collusion course which is programmed by factors which stare us in the face – and laugh!

Since the end of the Second World War, Britain has set itself on the path to suicide. However, every so often we’ve allowed ourselves to escape the grasp of the ‘black dog’ which grips our nation.

One such escape was the introduction of the National Health Service (NHS). For this, we actually have to thank the work of the Liberals in the years preceding the Great War. The NHS is perhaps the greatest system of health care that any government, thoroughout the world, has ever introduced. (For a very brief appreciation of Ernest Brown who, as a Liberal National Minister of Health, commissioned the Beveridge report that ultimately led to the NHS, see here: http://nationalliberal.org/educational-outreach-2)

However, the Labour Party would love to forget the work done by Lloyd George and what I consider to be his his fine government. Why? Because they fear nationalism.

To them nationalism is the hand of racism and dictatorship. Therefore it’s evil. Indeed, not only does just the Labour Party fear nationalism: just the very word nationalism strikes fear into the hearts of many people today.

And it is easy to understand why.

Unfortunately, many ‘brands’ of nationalism are based on racism and dictatorship. Indeed, those on the ‘left’ (socialists and communists) see it as the epitome of all evil.

However, I find this ironic as I believe that these socialist and communists represent perhaps the most evil force brewing in this world today. They would love to see the downfall of Law and Order and loathe all that is Liberal. They shout from the stage ‘freedom of speech’, ‘freedom of the press’ and ‘freedom of religion.’ However, they only endorse (or tolerate) all of these freedoms as long as they fit in with their ideal of unrelenting control and power.

But let us not be blind. What modern ‘nationalism’ evokes are visions of racism, intolerance and death. This is the same the world over – look at the recent history of the Balkans.

These are just a few dangers posed by both the left and right. What left and right extremism can breed is sickening to any sound minded Liberal.

Nonetheless, I believe that liberalism has now also given birth to its own brand of evil. The liberalism of Lloyd George and our forefathers has been grasped, diluted and perverted by both left and right. By their actions they have tried to destroy true liberalism.

It would seem then that any form of nationalism or liberalism is all inherently evil, would it not? By no means! Indeed, I believe that only a synthesis of nationalism and liberalism can save Britain.

Properly harnessed, true nationalism and liberalism can pull us out of this pit of degradation, evil, extremism and self destruction. But only nationalism and liberalism in their ‘pure’ or ‘true’ forms.

When I talk of ‘true’ nationalism, I talk of pride, faith and strength in our country, in our history. We should not be ashamed to shout ‘Britain’ from the highest rooftops! We should not be scared to proclaim the greatness of our country in UN buildings and to the foreign governments of this world.

Ernest Brown (27 August 1881 – 16 February 1962) was another socially progressive Liberal. As a Liberal National Minister of Health, he commissioned the Beveridge report that ultimately led to the NHS. Brown was also responsible for the Unemployment Insurance (Agriculture) Act, 1936 which extended social security to nearly all workers in agriculture, forestry and horticulture

And why is this? Is it because we loathe anything different, fear co-operation with others, fear comradeship? Not in the slightest!

I believe that true nationalism is not formed by racism, intolerance or atheism. It is formed by the belief in the beauty of our nation, in the greatness of its past, and in the hope we have for its future. There is no religion, no ethnicity, no creed which can impede on this nationalism.

My nationalism is one of unity, of brotherhood, of belief that nothing and no one is greater than this country. The Synagogues, the Churches, the Mosques, the Gudwharas (and, indeed, those who have no faith at all) are all united in this pride we have for the Union flag.

My dear friends, what I describe here is not only nationalism, but liberalism.

Complete freedom of faith is essential to the strength of the integrity of our nation. The rise of fringe parties such as the British National Party (BNP) and the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) represent a direct attack upon true nationalism. Indeed, the latter have been very successful in hiding their intolerance behind a veil of false nationalism. Nigel Farage launches his tirades of evil on the nation’s TV and people swallow it. His loathing of Eastern Europeans is something to fear. You think I am overreacting? If you think that, then you cannot call yourself a national liberal.

I accept that Britain is so much better without the European Union, which threatens our national identity. Again, I must stress I do not mean by ethnic character but by our culture. Juxtaposition? Not by a long shot. We are bound by our belief in true nationalism to tolerance, to principle, to liberalism and with all our strength against all who seek the destruction of pride in our nation. That is culture. That is liberalism.

For me, true liberalism lies at the very heart of true nationalism.

Despite having found my political home with the National Liberal Party (NLP), I fear. I fear because, without wishing to offend, we are slow. We are apprehensive about making a stand because we do not believe in ourselves.

For instance, take this from the NLPs web-site: “We do not believe that any one party is likely to be able to make a serious challenge for power for many years, if at all, under the present system.” Whereas, this may sound like sound judgement and intelligent thinking, it is not by any stretch of the imagination what we should be saying. How long must we wait to bring this country back off its knees, before we make the decision to derail the suicide train which the left and the right have placed us on?

I agree that this sounds revolutionary and dangerous, but lest we forgot what Robert F. Kennedy once said “Only those who dare to fail greatly will ever succeed greatly.”

For too long in my short life I have witnessed the intolerance of the many, the ignorance of the far left and the far right, the mindless bickering between the big three parties, neither of whom differs from the other nor has the answers to solve the country’s crisis.

The answers are written in the formation of the state. The state which I hold so dear – the state which we were so proud to show off at the opening of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Never was there such a false pride in this country. People have forgotten what it means to be a nationalist in this country, it means of course to be a liberal.

But I believe that we can win through the collective action of national liberals, through recruitment of new members, through organised action and displays of strength and unity against the tide of falsehood and evil which today grips the nation in an iron hand.

As national liberals we should be bound by our principles, by our morals and by our belief and pride in Britain. I personally would never be afraid to cry ‘Rule Britannia!’ in the streets, or to proclaim the sacred words of ‘Long Live the Monarch.’ Because no matter what retaliation you receive, whatever attacks you find yourself, stand tall and proud because you are what this country is, you represent this nation, its past, its present and its future. For as long as I live, as long as I breathe, I will never be ashamed to proclaim the greatness of my country, or to carry the sword of liberalism to every corner of the land.

I am not afraid to carry the NLP banner, and I shall end with telling you my trick why I will never be afraid to carry this banner. Because I vow to thee my country, my heart and my soul, my unrelenting love and faith and all that it stands for, summed up in two words: National Liberalism.