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Liberal Party NEC Statement – The Independent Group
#1
The Liberal Party notes the recent migration of Labour and a smaller number of Conservative MP’s to the newly formed The Independent Group.

The Independent Group is not a full-fledged political party, instead a grouping of Parliamentary members with common cause over the handling of the BREXIT debate, and for labour members the ambiguous response to alleged anti-Semitism in their former party.

The Liberal Party sees no similarity with the 1981 creation of the SDP, and notes that the motivations of those Labour participations include dissatisfaction with their party’s leadership, and the political direction the party has drifted.

We also note the lukewarm reception the grouping has given to co-operations with the LibDems, the party which emerged from the subsequent merger of the SDP-Liberal Alliance, a merge which those who perpetuated our own party were unwilling to endorse
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#2
It's perhaps notable that since this statement was posted there have been some developments regarding the Independent Group, which then became Change UK. A number of the group members have left, including Chuka Umunna, who has now joined the Liberal Democrats. Also worth noting is the fact that there still exists a Social Democratic Party (SDP) apart from the Lib Dems. The SDP has recently seen a growth in membership and has set out a new declaration. Its current leader is William Clouston. Perhaps The Liberal Party should highlight what it is that sets it apart from the SDP.
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#3
I can say with a degree of certainty that the Liberal Party and SDP as are now have no intensions of forming any sort of alliance.

They are a firmly stated Socialist party and we are a centrist, moderately Eurosceptic party. The circumstances that ultimately led to the shotgun marriage that created the LibDems will hopefully never occur again.

I have had some contacts with the SDP, but we have agreed that the two parties are like chalk and cheese and have their own manifesto’s to pursue and I respect them for that.
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#4
I would suggest that the term 'Socialist' should be applied loosely with regard to the current SDP as there has been some shift in their ideals (read their New Declaration). While their social policy tends more left leaning the party does delare to be pro-Brexit, patriotic and appears to be strongly in favour of the monarchy.
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#5
Much has changed since the formation of the Independent Group/Change UK and its eventual and catastrophic absorbing of members into the Liberal Democrats. As a Lib Dem candidate and then councillor at the time I was horrified to see people joining the Lib Dems whose voting records helped impose hardship upon many people and who possessed not an ounce of liberalism of any strand. For me personally this was as bigger betrayal as the Lib Dems role in coalition as once again it sold the heart of any founding principle, turning the preamble into a fairy story.

Regarding the SDP, and having compared the policies of the Liberal Party to their reincarnation, I feel there is not many areas of similarity. I do agree with Brummie, there is very little socialist or left leaning in the present-day SDP, with the party firmly being on the centre right of politics.
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#6
I would have to agree the SDP has certainly moved away from the center towards the right but to the left on such things as nationalisation and promoting national champions in industry. I understand it now supports also capital punishment which the Liberal Party certainly does not.

Although it continues to claim it is recruiting new members its performance in the General Election last December was disapointing and suggests that like many minority parties its voice was drawned out by a certain slogan.
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