Kennedy sets out stall for a liberal society
August 2, 2004 12:00 AM
Charles Kennedy, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, has set out an agenda for a liberal society for the 21st century, in a keynote speech at the Commonwealth Club in central London.
In a wide-ranging speech, Kennedy rounded squarely on Tony Blair's attacks on the liberalism of the 1960s, before moving on to present the party's vision of a new liberalism for the new century.
Kennedy said, "For much of the 20th Century, people in this country were characterised as being 'small c conservative'. But in this 21st Century, it's the characteristics of the 'small l liberal' that are beginning to dominate.
"We are less deferential; more inclined to think for ourselves; more open about sexuality and equality. For example, how many people care these days whether their local MP is gay or straight? What they ask is whether this person is effective. We are no longer a nation of one church; we are a nation of many faiths. We are no longer a nation with one family structure. We are no longer a nation of one colour and, increasingly, we welcome diversity. Although, given his latest salvo against the sixties' liberal consensus, the Prime Minister is beginning to sound alarmingly like Norman Tebbit on a bad day."
"The Prime Minister simply would not have dared deliver those remarks about departing from the sixties' liberal consensus if Roy Jenkins had still been alive today. And I know for a fact exactly what Roy's response would have been to Blair's words on Monday of this week. He would have replied in exactly the same way as he replied to similar sentiments from Norman Tebbit back in the eighties. He would have challenged Blair to specify just what socially progressive reforms he was hinting at wanting to reverse. Remember, the Tories under Mrs. Thatcher didn't dare try to reverse any of them - despite the rhetoric."
"Why doesn't the Prime Minister turn his attack on aspects of the eighties? The lack of compassion, the excessive greed, the loadsamoney mentality, the warped view encapsulated in the infamous comment that 'there is no such thing as society.' Why is he happier to dump on Harold Wilson than Margaret Thatcher?"
"We prize freedom of the individual underscored by a safety net for the vulnerable in our society. We are stout defenders of the public services, free at the point of use. We are internationalist in outlook - pro UN, pro Commonwealth and pro Europe. Our Liberal background makes us wary of an overmighty state and dedicated to civil liberties. We are dedicated enthusiasts for the green agenda. Our number one priority is quality local public services: a good school and hospital near you."
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