For the last 65 years British Politics has bounced between Labour supported by the unions and Conservatives supported by the upper class.  Both of these party’s supporters have vested interest in politics and neither of those sets of interests look after the hard working man or woman.  The local person with a mortgage, 2.4 children and ever rising utility bills. 

The Liberal Democrats were born in the 1980s to look after this very family.  Our history goes way back to the time of the formation of the Liberals in 1859.  Though some suggest it goes even further back to the time of John Locke in the 1600s.   In June 1859 Whigs, Peelites and Radicals met to form a new Party “The Liberals”.   122 years later, in March 1981, a gang of four Labour MPs broke away from the tired old Labour Party to for the SDP.   Just over five years later the SDP and Liberals gave birth to the Liberal Democrats.

Historically the Liberal Democrats have always been the local Party, the people’s Party, the reforming Party.  130 years earlier Gladstone, known for his prudent financial innovation – not unlike Vince Cable – started the redistribution of income and established Parliamentary accountability for government spending.  Liberal Democrats reformist values of liberalism and social democracy are what the country needs now.