Director of Europe & transatlantic partnerships Max von Thun writes on the opportunity for the UK Liberal Democrats to position themselves as the party serious about taking on concentrated economic power. 

After more than a decade of disastrous government under the Conservatives, Britain is ready for change. Yet while the Tories are imploding, and despite the lack of much enthusiasm for Keir Starmer’s Labour party, the Liberal Democrats, whose annual party conference is underway in Bournemouth, have so far failed to capitalise.

Labour is unwilling to embrace the bold policies needed to get the UK out of its deepening rut. The closer the country gets to an election, the more eager the party has been to abandon the progressive measures it was previously committed to, from raising taxes for the wealthy and tech giants, to investing heavily in green infrastructure and abolishing the Conservatives’ cruel welfare policies. And despite the growing backlash against Brexit and the huge damage it has caused, Starmer – who once campaigned for a second referendum in Jeremy Corbyn’s cabinet – now refuses to consider rejoining the single market and customs union.

People are crying out for a real alternative. For the Lib Dems, Labour’s timidity is an opportunity to provide the optimistic and radical vision that Britain’s political debate is sorely lacking.

The party’s current strategy is to play it safe, focusing on a handful of target seats while avoiding saying or doing anything that might rock the boat. While this has yielded some successes, including impressive victories in recent byelections, the party has failed to cut through on the national stage. Voters ready to boot out the Conservatives either don’t think about the Lib Dems or, if they do, see no compelling reason to vote for them rather than Labour.

To regain relevance, the party needs to be more ambitious. With modest poll ratings and a small number of MPs, the Lib Dems can afford to be bolder than Labour, who have more to lose. And with a hung parliament a very real possibility following the next election, the Lib Dems could push Labour to be more progressive in a coalition or other informal governing arrangement.

So what would a progressive liberal agenda for the UK look like? At a high level, it would consist of three pillars: reintegration with Europe, redistribution of economic power, and a comprehensive green industrial strategy.

On Europe, the right course is clear. As the party that led the fight for a second referendum on Brexit, the Lib Dems have the legitimacy and authority to campaign for Britain’s reinstatement into the EU’s common market. While the public (and the EU for that matter) may not be ready to reopen the thorny question of membership, mounting regret for the Brexit vote suggests that voters would respond positively to much deeper economic alignment – something that Labour’s opposition to rejoining the single market and customs union makes practically impossible.

Read full article here.