Lib Dems prepare for snap election with 'radical' manifesto
Monday, 17 September 2007 12:00 AM
By the end of the Liberal Democrat conference on Thursday the party will have its most "radical" manifesto yet, a senior Lib Dem strategist said today.
Steve Webb, chair of the manifesto writing group, confirmed the party is working towards a snap election and will have a draft manifesto ready for Menzies Campbell by the end of the week.
Dramatic steps will be taken to protect civil liberties, tackle inequalities and combat climate change, he promised.
Mr Webb is set to meet with every member of the Liberal Democrat shadow Cabinet over the next two days. After conference the manifesto will be put online and Liberal Democrat members invited to contribute to a final version.
A decade after Tony Blair achieved electoral success with his vision of New Labour, the Liberal Democrats are hoping to gain power by promising a New Politics.
Tapping into the current trend towards cynicism and low voter turnout, Mr Webb said the Liberal Democrats would offer a new kind of politics which was both liberal and democratic and dedicated to returning power to voters and local groups.
The Liberal Democrats plan to use this year's conference in Brighton to present themselves as a third party alternative offering a genuine choice for voters.
Mr Webb promised the Liberal Democrat policies would be markedly different from Labour and the Conservatives', who are playing "snap" with politics as they prepare for a possible snap election, he quipped.
He said it was often difficult to tell the difference between Labour and the Conservatives in the House of Commons, when Labour ministers are extolling the virtues of private finance initiatives and the Conservatives are pledging their commitment to the NHS.
He told delegates: "People I meet are fed up with the kind of politics that has bedevilled this country. Whether Labour or the Tories have been in power it has been the same: short-term gimmicks, centralisation and secrecy."
The MP added: "Someone said to me recently that choosing between Labour and the Tories is like choosing between McDonalds and Burger King - same unhealthy meal but a different plastic toy."
Mr Webb spoke of the role of new media in shaping this new politics, including the ubiquitous Facebook, where he now list more than 1,000 young people from his constituency among his friends.
He said: "When I respond to people who contact me and I get things done for them, they are often amazed that a politician is even interested in them.
"Younger people in particular are cynical about politicians and if we are not careful they will never see the political process as a way to bring about change.
"That is why I believe that it is vital that we harness the power of the internet- with all its limitations - to lower the barriers between politicians and the people who elect them."
Chris Rennard, chief executive of the Liberal Democrats, has told the party to be prepared in case Gordon Brown uses next week's Labour conference to call a general election.
Leaked Lib Dem memos reveal strategists believe there is "more than a one in three chance" Mr Brown will hold a poll in October, although opinion polls over the weekend indicate the odds of an autumn election are receding.
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