LIBERAL TALK
Progressive Pact - Printable Version

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Progressive Pact - Stone de Croze - 10-12-2016

There are prominent people in the Greens and the Labour Party who would like to see a 'progressive pact'. I expect this would take the form of a pre-arranged deal to defeat the Tories, and without PR this is possibly the best way. It could even open the door to PR.

Back in the early 1990's I looked at the General Election results and combined the Green and Liberal vote together. Admittedly back then I think the Liberals were a slightly bigger political force and the Greens were on their way down from the highs of the 89 European Elections. However the combined figures were very impressive.

Today any 'progressive pact' is likely to bypass the Liberal Party and simply involve Labour, Lib-Dems, Greens, the SNP and possibly Plaid Cymru. Nevertheless there would have to make massive negotiations for this to happen, something I see as unlikely prior to 2020. But what would stop the Liberals working with candidates from other parties to build their own pact in local elections? I am sure there is common ground with some Green and Labour candidates and in Cornwall Mebyon Kernow.

It would be interesting to see how others feel, as it would not detract in any way from building the Liberal Party. In fact in these non-PR days additional dialogue and co-operation could see the party grow.


RE: Progressive Pact - NigelGB - 11-08-2016

This is something I think we should certainly consider. If effectively implemented it would probably result in a house with no overall majority which would be a good base to get proportional representation as the Greens and LibDems both support it.


RE: Progressive Pact - RadicalLIB - 11-18-2016


An Election Pact with the Whigs may have advantages at a General Election 


Alternatively, there is the National Liberal Party UK. I have no idea who they are.


The Greens are in bed with Labour. 
The Labour Party are idealistic Old Labour or Tory Blairites - not possible.

Jo Grimmond saved the Liberal Party for extinction - video



RE: Progressive Pact - NigelGB - 11-19-2016

With respect to the Greens I tend to agree very much with what RadicalLib wrote. They are too close to Labour. The Whigs are a definite possibility for co-operation. Actually the more I look at them the more I am thinking of leaving the Liberal Party and joining them. What I see of them fits far better with my idea of Liberalism than what I am seeing in the Liberal Party at the moment.

The National Liberal party gives me a slightly uncomfortable feeling. There is something about them that does not seem quite right though I cannot put my finger on it.


RE: Progressive Pact - Stone de Croze - 05-01-2017

As someone that's very environmentally minded, I must admit, I'm torn between the Liberal Party and the Greens. My main concern with the Greens is they are often too green, tending criticise anyone that eats meat or has a passion for classic cars or motorcycles. As for being too close to Labour, I would tend to disagree, as they are not welded to 1970's socialist economics and offer more community based politics. Therefore I could actually see some sort of arrangement actually working. Likewise I could see an arrangement nationally with the Whigs or Mebyon Kernow in Cornwall working.

The National Liberal Party promote national liberalism as their ideology. Their founders have a history of far right involvement, however I would not consider them to be a far right party, and their founders definitely seem to have distanced themselves from the far right. However, having looked at their facebook page, their main focus seems to be opposition to radical Islam, Brexit and immigration - and not a focus on liberalism. Could the Liberal Party work with them? I think there would be difficulties and conflict on the issue of immigration and nationalism (as the NLP proclaim themselves as a nationalist party).


RE: Progressive Pact - NeilT - 05-01-2017

I have a very good working relationship with the local Green Party, and we already have seen some deals being done for the June 2017 GE But these are going to be few and far between and will not really make a difference to what the final outcome is going to be.
This is a interesting read



RE: Progressive Pact - Brummie - 08-10-2019

The Green Party of England & Wales is sometimes referred to as 'Watermelons' - Green on the outside but red on the inside. There is an opposing (non-affiliated) group of party members called 'Kiwi & Lime' which campaigns against the Socialist elements in the party, (mainly the 'Green Left' group).


RE: Progressive Pact - JEBaker1892 - 04-09-2020

I think a progressive pact could work well if implemented properly especially with Starmer now labour leader with labour moving back towards the centre of politics again. I am also ok with a pact with the Green's as I feel they may start to gain some momentum and they could provide a surprise soon. Only concern I would have is being too associated with left leaning politics because as the last 20 years or so have shown, populist movements are on the rise and the idea of national identity is changing and to miss out on this change could be a missed opportunity.


RE: Progressive Pact - Stone de Croze - 04-27-2020

I think people's outlook may change following Covid-19. It could very easily be a different world and many more will demand a different type of politics. Pacts, where there is a lot of common ground, could work. Mergers, certainly wouldn't.

Regarding Starmer's election as Labour leader, I think there is still a great deal of confusion as to where he will take them. A return to any form of Blairite vision will put the Liberal Party to the left of them. Liberalism has always been to the left, yet has been about opportunity. If we remember the great leader, Jo Grimmond and his words "The Liberal Party has always been on the left". I think when we look at the term 'Left' there are various definitions. I definitely consider myself firmly on the left, yet celebrated St.George's Day and am patriotic. Such things are shunned by many on the left, yet I found myself nodding to many of the items on Corbyn's Labour shopping list. The problem I had was how quickly these things could be introduced. Liberal's should be the thinking left, not the shopping list left and not the narrow minded left who feel any display of patriotism is wrong.