A lively discussion at the recent Beverley and Holderness Liberal Democrat Association meeting was led by Ben Jones and colleague.
Ben chairs the national working party on Europe. Members were given a unique insight into policy making from grass roots to manifesto. The Liberal Democrat ministers and MPs are increasingly effective in actioning well thought out policies. In spite of being the smaller party in the coalition the Liberal Democrat MPs are punching above their weight. A big success is the raising of the tax threshold that has taken the lowest paid out of paying tax and many others paying less. Being in coalition means sometimes accepting some policies we don’t like as part of a deal to push through ones that are rooted in Liberal Democrat principles. Opinion polls suggest that the electorate is becoming used to coalition politics and appreciating the moderating impact the Liberal Democrats are having.
A wide ranging discussion on Europe considered a number of aspects including the position of Norway, the country that pays a high amount per capita but as a non-member has no say in EU decisions. While the EU clearly needs updating and reforming, the Norway solution is not the answer for the UK. Ben pointed out that one of the many advantages to being in the EU is the cross border cooperation on criminals- essential in these days of international terrorism.