• The party should commit itself to the goal of reducing income inequality over the next parliament. Proposals to reduce public spending should be assessed in terms of whether they further that objective.
• Tax increases for the richest members of society should take the greater part of the strain in reducing the budget deficit in order to protect vulnerable users of public services, like housing, health services and social care. In 1993 the Clinton Administration faced with a big structural budget deficit expressly chose to use tax increases rather than spending cuts as the major means of deficit reduction.
• We should be the party of fair, redistributive taxation. We welcome the proposal to include a 0.5% property tax on mansions over £1 million and see this as an addition to our reconfirmed policy of replacing the Council Tax and replacing it with a Local Income Tax.
• Immediate action to further the transition to a sustainable, low carbon economy is essential and this goal should substantially influence tax and spending policies. A global climate change agreement should be based on the principles of contraction and convergence.
• Reducing youth unemployment should be another priority for the next government. Academic evidence has shown that youth unemployment generates serious losses in lifetime earnings that can persist up to twenty years after a period of unemployment. In the last two recessions large numbers of people out of work for long periods became stigmatized, depressed and hard to place – a phenomenon known as ‘scarring.’
• The abolition of tuition fees is important so that students from working class communities do not face the re-imposition of barriers at university level. Our policy on fees has been reaffirmed at the Harrogate Conference and by FPC. The policy is right and is popular.

We believe applying the principles outlined above to policy development would make a reality of calls for progressive austerity.

The Social Liberal Forum Executive

With Parliament now in recess for the rest of the summer, the Social Liberal Forum is gearing up for the conference season. We are also looking to growing our network, especially outside London. But to do that, we need your help. Would you like a speaker for your local party or student group? Would you like to know if there are any other social liberals living near you? Now is the ideal time to get involved.

A Fresh Start – what do you think?

The Lib Dems’ pre-manifesto A Fresh Start for Britain: Choosing A Different, Better Future was published last week. Over on Lib Dem Voice, Social Liberal Forum Director Matthew Sowemimo offers his view.

As this document will form the basis of the party’s next general election manifesto, it is important that it is thorougly and widely debate. If you have a view, send it to freshdebate@socialliberal.net and we will consider publishing it.

Building our network

The Social Liberal Forum has set up a new social network to help us keep in touch, develop activities across the UK and open up the organisation. It is still in the early stages of development but you can help it grow. Please register on it and say hello.

The new social network can be found at: http://socialliberal.ning.com/

Want a speaker?

If your local party or student branch would like someone from the Social Liberal Forum to speak at one of your meetings this autumn, please email speakers@socialliberal.net and we will do our best to meet your request.

The party’s pre-election manifesto – A Fresh Start for Britain – is based around strong themes and ones that have the potential to give Liberal Democrats the distinctive profile we need in 2010. The outline democracy, green economy and fair taxation agenda is something that will be welcomed across the party.

However the impression is being given that many of the spending commitments debated, and scrutinized within the party over a period of years are being indefinitely effectively set aside as ‘aspirational’. The language that has been reported in the media about key commitments, like widening access to university by abolishing tuition fees and expanding social housing, is also derogatory. If we appear to be dismissive of our own policies, how much easier will it be for our opponents to attack them as irresponsible?

You can read the full article here.