Newsletter: A Fightback for Freedom and Democracy

Barely two weeks on from the dreadful Election results, four things are clear for our electoral reform movement:

1. 
   
2. With a majority Tory Government, decisive moves on electoral reform are virtually certain to take place after 2020 at the earliest.
   
3. There are now more parties than only us stinging from the results of our anti-democratic system (welcome all - we know how you feel!). A variety of different voices are now calling for change . Also, by its polarising over-exaggeration of support for SNP in Scotland and the Tories in England, first-past-the-post is putting artificial but tangible strain on the union.
   
4. From Nick's resignation speech on, there has been an uprise in support for liberalism - our 11,000 new members for instance. We know that individual and civic freedom lies at the heart of liberalism; and that electoral reform, in increasing the choice and voice of the voter, is core to enhancing that freedom. The principled argument is ours to make.
   
5. Continuing devolution and constitutional change mean opportunity for electoral change, After all, despite the ongoing blind support for FPTP, no-one in living memory has been stupid enough to inflict it on any of our new assemblies and parliaments.
   

So surprisingly perhaps, only one of those four factors is a negative.

LDER is renewing the power of its message within and outside the party in the coming months, leading to the Bournemouth Conference. We will maintain our push for local government and Lords reform; and make the case for replacing the undemocratic FPTP.

Here's what you can do -

• 
  
• JOIN us - if you are not already an LDER member
• 
  
• send this mail to your friends within the party; encourage them to join us
• 
  
• do you know any of our 11,000 new members? Some of them will have our cause as priority; get them aware and joining up too.
• 
  
• Lobby Tim's and Norman's campaigns to ensure our new leader knows the importance of electoral reform to our party and its core stance
• 
  
• Send us any ideas you have about other steps to take.
• 
  

Keith Sharp

Chair - Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform