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The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open
society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality
and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or
conformity. We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals,
we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of conscience and their right to
develop their talents to the full. We aim to disperse power, to foster
diversity and to nurture creativity. We believe that the role of the state
is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute fully to their
communities and to take part in the decisions which affects their lives.
We look forward to a world in which all people share the same basic rights, in
which they live together in peace and in which their different cultures will be
able to develop freely. We believe that each generation is responsible for
the fate of our planet and, by safeguarding the balance of nature and the
environment, for the long term continuity of life in all its forms.
Upholding these values of individual and social justice, we reject all prejudice
and discrimination based upon race, colour, religion, age disability, sex or sexual
orientation and oppose all forms of entrenched privilege and inequality.
Recognising that the quest for freedom and justice can never end, we promote human
rights and open government, a sustainable economy which serves genuine need, public
services of the highest quality, international action based on a recognition of the
interdependence of all the world’s peoples and responsible stewardship of the earth
and its resources.
We believe that people should be involved in running their communities. We
are determined to strengthen the democratic process and ensure that there is a just
and representative system of government with effective Parliamentary institutions,
freedom of information, decisions taken at the lowest practicable level and a fair
voting system for all elections. We will at all times defend the right to
speak, write, worship, associate and vote freely, and we will protect the right of
citizens to enjoy privacy in their own lives and homes. We believe that
sovereignty rests with the people and that authority in a democracy derives from the
people. We therefore acknowledge their right to determine the form of
government best suited to their needs and commit ourselves to the promotion of a
democratic federal framework within which as much power as feasible is exercised by
the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. We similarly commit ourselves
to the promotion of a flourishing system of democratic local government in which
decisions are taken and services delivered at the most local level which is viable.
We will foster a strong and sustainable economy which encourages the necessary
wealth creating processes, develops and uses the skills of the people and works to
the benefit of all, with a just distribution of the rewards of success. We want
to see democracy, participation and the co-operative principle in industry and
commerce within a competitive environment in which the state allows the market to
operate freely where possible but intervenes where necessary. We will promote
scientific research and innovation and will harness technological change to human
advantage. We will work for a sense of partnership and community in all areas
of life. We recognise that the independence of individuals is safeguarded by
personal ownership of property, but that the market alone does not distribute wealth
or income fairly. We support the widest possible distribution of wealth and
promote the rights of all citizens to social provision and cultural activity.
We seek to make public services responsive to the people they serve, to encourage
variety and innovation within them to make them available on equal terms to all.
Our responsibility for justice and liberty cannot be confined by national
boundaries; we are committed to fight poverty, oppression, hunger, ignorance,
disease and aggression wherever they occur and to promote the free movement of
ideas, people, goods and services. Setting aside national sovereignty when
necessary, we will work with other countries towards an equitable and peaceful
international order and a durable system of common security. Within the
European Community we affirm the values of federalism and integration and work for
unity based on these principles. We will contribute to the process of peace
and disarmament, the elimination of world poverty and the collective safeguarding
of democracy by playing a full and constructive role in international organisations
which share similar aims and objectives. These are the conditions of liberty
and social justice which it is the responsibility of each citizen and the duty of
the state to protect and enlarge. The Liberal Democrats consist of women and
men working together for the achievement of these aims.
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