What Liberal Democrats believe

From the Preamble to the Liberal Democrats' constitution:

"The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals, we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of conscience and their right to develop their talents to the full. We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity. We believe that the role of the state is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute fully to their communities and to take part in the decisions which affect their lives.

We look forward to a world in which all people share the same basic rights, in which they live together in peace and in which their different cultures will be able to develop freely. We believe that each generation is responsible for the fate of our planet and, by safeguarding the balance of nature and the environment, for the long term continuity of life in all its forms. Upholding these values of individual and social justice, we reject all prejudice and discrimination based upon race, colour, religion, age, disability, sex or sexual orientation and oppose all forms of entrenched privilege and inequality."

Comment:

In the mass of claims and counter-claims of politics, among the calculations about how many people will benefit from an income tax cut or which roads should be enlarged, among the compromises of coalition or electoral calculation, it's easy to lose sight of the fundamental beliefs that unite and inspire a party, especially a radical one that wants to change the nature of our society and political system. Perhaps Liberal Democrats don't refer often enough to the excellent summary of our beliefs in the preamble to our constitution.

That quote above is what we're about.

Simon Banks

Chair, North-east Essex Liberal Democrats