[Politics] The Liberal Democrat thread

[TomandJerry]

A broad thread where we can discuss the Liberal Democrat party's policies and manifesto, with 72 MP's (gaining 61) I feel like they are under represented

A link to the 2024 manifesto:

https://www.libdems.org.uk/manifesto

So I'll start with a few points that I like the look of:

Putting a dedicated, qualified mental health professional in every school

Establishing a new National Body for SEND to fund support for children with very high needs.

Introducing a Sewage Tax on water company profits and Setting legally binding targets to prevent sewage dumping into bathing waters and highly sensitive nature sites by 2030.

Merit-based system for work visas

Work with our allies to help bring security and stability to the Middle East and Sudan

Introduce proportional representation for electing MPs

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It will be interesting to use this thread as a sounding board as the Lib Dems evolve their policies as an alternative to Labour, Tories and Reform....

 

[chickens]

There’s a lot of positive stuff in there. If they can bring peace to the Middle East then you have to credit them with God/Trump like levels of power though.

My historical concern with them was watching their work on tuition fees in the Clegg years. A breathtaking u-turn at a speed I couldn’t compete with even when I was driving my 205 GTi.

I was glad to see them acknowledge the need for tax rises, and where they planned to raise the money needed. It wasn’t soaking us lot for once. Whether it would raise what was needed remains to be seen, but at least the thinking was in the right direction.

 

[highflyer]

Meh.

That's it from.me.

 

[Mustafa II]

Lots of new support proposed for minority groups, but not men. Are we invisible? Why should misogyny be a hate crime, but not misandry?

Why persist with the triple-lock? The wealthy pensioners aren't the ones in desperate need of help right now in our society

Why should 16-17 year olds be able to vote? They're literally children with no adult life experience.

Remove the benefits cap for the two child limit? Great, the people who we don't want to have more children have more, while the people we want to have children still have none.

...and no thanks, rejoining the EU would be an absolute disaster.

...and so on. LABOUR for the WORKING British people that keep this society running.

 

[JBizzle]

Lots of new support proposed for minority groups, but not men. Are we invisible? Why should misogyny be a hate crime, but not misandry? I'm a man, I don't feel invisible and feel very much supported by centuries of keeping minorities and women in their place. See no problem at all with redressing that balance.

Why persist with the triple-lock? The wealthy pensioners aren't the ones in desperate need of help right now in our society It's a vote winner

Why should 16-17 year olds be able to vote? They're literally children with no adult life experience. They're old enough to pay tax, so should have a voice in how it's spent. Either that or exempt them from taxable income until they turn 18

Remove the benefits cap for the two child limit? Great, the people who we don't want to have more children have more, while the people we want to have children still have none. Why do you get to decide who has more children or not?

...and no thanks, rejoining the EU would be an absolute disaster. In your opinion. Leaving has been pretty rubbish so far

...and so on. LABOUR for the WORKING British people that keep this society running. Be nice if some of Labour's policy decisions backed that up. Still, 4 years to go on that one

Just a few of my opinions in response to yours. A healthy disagreement, if you will.

 

[Eeyore]

Lots of new support proposed for minority groups, but not men. Are we invisible? Why should misogyny be a hate crime, but not misandry?

Why persist with the triple-lock? The wealthy pensioners aren't the ones in desperate need of help right now in our society

Why should 16-17 year olds be able to vote? They're literally children with no adult life experience.

Remove the benefits cap for the two child limit? Great, the people who we don't want to have more children have more, while the people we want to have children still have none.

...and no thanks, rejoining the EU would be an absolute disaster.

...and so on. LABOUR for the WORKING British people that keep this society running.

Are men a minority group now ?

I find myself perfectly happy as a man and I don't need any proposals. Mental Health, yes, but I think that is getting well addressed finally.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The State pension is less than the minimum wage, and not all pensioners are wealthy. I’m reasonably happy to give up my WFA but need my pension to keep up with inflation just to pay council tax, and heating bills.

 

[Mustafa II]

I'm a man, I don't feel invisible and feel very much supported by centuries of keeping minorities and women in their place. See no problem at all with redressing that balance.

A man and woman shouts sexist abuse at each other. Man goes to prison, woman doesn't, as misogyny is a hate crime.
I don't have much of an issue with misogyny being added to the ever-growing list of hate crimes, but surely in the name of fairness, misandry should be included too.

They're old enough to pay tax, so should have a voice in how it's spent. Either that or exempt them from taxable income until they turn 18

Interesting idea. If people who pay tax get the right to vote, and those who don't, don't - then this would be an interesting way to run a democracy. Don't have a job? Lose your right to vote. You know what, I'm on board with that.

Giving a precious and important right such as voting to ALL kids above 15 is an absolutely moronic way to run a democracy though.

Why do you get to decide who has more children or not?

I don't, but democracy can.

We could continue this direction of our best, most intelligent working people not having children because they're sensible enough to realise they can't afford it - while stupid, unemployed idiots have as many as they can as a career choice.

But here's a spoiler - this way of running society will not end well.

 

[Is it PotG?]

The State pension is less than the minimum wage, and not all pensioners are wealthy. I’m reasonably happy to give up my WFA but need my pension to keep up with inflation just to pay council tax, and heating bills.

You might even get your WFA back if Two Tier chucks the handbrake on and U-turns.

 

[A1X]

Are men a minority group now ?

I find myself perfectly happy as a man and I don't need any proposals. Mental Health, yes, but I think that is getting well addressed finally.

I think technically men are a minority, 48% of the population IIRC

 

[Eeyore]

I think technically men are a minority, 48% of the population IIRC

Fair point, well made. I'm sold.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Are men a minority group now ?

I'll ask my wife....

 

[amexer]

It is so easy to run the countyy when not in power

 

[pigmanovich]

Work with our allies to help bring security and stability to the Middle East and Sudan

Bold stuff, working with allies to bring peace to the world!

Is that really a policy or a platitude?

 

[TomandJerry]

Bold stuff, working with allies to bring peace to the world!

Is that really a policy or a platitude?

It's in the manifesto that I linked, so policy

 

[pigmanovich]

It's in the manifesto that I linked, so policy

Yeah no

 

[GT49er]

Bold stuff, working with allies to bring peace to the world!

Is that really a policy or a platitude?

It's a platitude. It's pretty much what every contestant in a Miss World contest would spout as one of her ambitions back in the day.

 

[pigmanovich]

It's a platitude.

And my question was rhetorical

 

[Kit Napper]

There’s a lot of positive stuff in there. If they can bring peace to the Middle East then you have to credit them with God/Trump like levels of power though.

My historical concern with them was watching their work on tuition fees in the Clegg years. A breathtaking u-turn at a speed I couldn’t compete with even when I was driving my 205 GTi.

I was glad to see them acknowledge the need for tax rises, and where they planned to raise the money needed. It wasn’t soaking us lot for once. Whether it would raise what was needed remains to be seen, but at least the thinking was in the right direction.

I find it intriguing that the Lib Dems still get so much flak over tuition fees. Their manifesto for the 2010 election did include a pledge to abolish tuition fees but they became the junior partner in a coalition and weren't in a position to dictate terms.

Fair enough, you could argue they could have refused to join a coalition over this point but it wasn't really a U-turn, they just didn't convince the Tories. It was, after all, a difficult sell given the need to cut a massive public defecit at the time.