James Belchamber

While the Tories 'Jack off, Liberals lead on what matters

In the latest attempt to get one over on a squirming Left, this government is reportedly issuing guidance to see "the Union Jack flown on UK government buildings every day  - not just on designated days as is the current practice". This is clearly part of a wider culture war, waged by a resurgent new right and, in an attempt to neuter it, adopted wholesale by the Labour Party. Of course, you can hear the Liberal response..

..ugh, fine?

Is this what you're going to do to solve the country's problems? Wave flags? Well get on with it - quickly - and then get back to these substantive issues that really matter to the electorate - like housing, supporting small business, and ensuring our COVID heroes in the NHS get paid fairly.

Liberals build houses

Lib Dems have been strong on housebuilding - pledging to build 300,000 new homes a year at the last election. But what you might not know is that they are also building houses (where they are in power) - and they're attacked for it, regularly:

Eastleigh Lib Dems aren't the only ones to have drawn the ire of their local opposition, with other Local Parties attacked for "overdevelopment". The thing is.. aren't the Tories promising to build more houses at a national level? Well actually, yes - in fact, they promised 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s.

With local Conservatives promising to block developments at a local level, what's a few flags gonna do? Is there some new land to claim somewhere?

(Don't give them ideas, huh)

Liberals support small business

Businesses get a bad rap - large, multinational corporates seem to hoover up resources and appear heartless to parts of the world they have no incentive to care about. The antidote to this is small business - individuals and small organisations embedded in their communities and dedicated to serving them.

Both are important, but in the pandemic, large corporates got the bulk of the help, with three million people - mostly small businesses, including freelancers and the self-employed - locked out. Liberals have been fighting for these people since the start, and have this week committed to making this part of their platform.

But we have bad news: after a quick search of the policy motion:

Zero mention. For shame.

Liberals pay fair

After previously promising £350 million a year to the NHS, Johnson has offered (along with a hearty clapping of hands) a "pay rise" to our COVID heroes that actually amounts to a real-terms cut. All the while putting together plans for a £120 million "Festival of Brexit" (flags at the ready, everyone!).

In response, Lib Dems passed an emergency motion this week to campaign for a "proper and substantial pay rise above inflation in 2021".

But no claps, and no flags - and definitely no Brexit parties.

But cool, wave the flag a bit more I guess

So go on, Tories - get that flag waving nice and high if that's what you got into politics for. The taller, and wavier, the better - huh? It won't improve people's lives in any substantive way, but it's sure to get you some support from the culture warriors that define this iteration of your party.

Liberals have no interest in flagging. Liberals will deliver substance.


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