Airstrip One

Liberal Liberal Democrats?


Lack of consistency must be a lib dem strongpoint. The ability to leap from their nasty statist policies of tax raising and bureaucracy of the last election to a sensible and probably popular policy today. While according to The Sunday Times 1 in 4 probably think that we need more government the rest of us who suffer and support the burden of the state should encourage Charles Kennedy's new idea to prune back central government.

The merging of the Scottish/Welsh office etc is a welcome sign which could lead to greater independence and possibly total separation. Cutting down on other offices might make government more transparent.

Unfortunately Kennedy and his party do not have much of a reputation for being liberal. If this policy survives then although I doubt it will help the lib dems. who would believe them? It could however have the effect of bringing ideas like this topic of discussion into the open. Right wing and libertarian websites are full of explanations of how excess state control costs and injures the poor more than allowing them to deal with their own affairs. But the Tories would never be able to come up with this policy on their own. The left wing clamour and lies would drown out rational argument and they would have to back down discrediting sensible policy in the process. Adopting a policy from a left wing party is very different though. It removes a whole arsenal of statist ammunition.