Tim Farron will Rekindle Flame for Social Justice

Cllr Rabi Martins: Liberal Democrats Councillor Monday 27th July 2015 10:11 EDT
 

A study by the respected Runnymede Trust has revealed that the first Conservative budget free of any constraints from the Liberal Democrats risks widening Britain’s racial divide by making millions of minority ethnic people poorer at a faster rate than their white counterparts. They say a staggering four million black and minority ethnic people could be left with less income and that hardest hit will be British Asians

It is against this back cloth that Tim Farron takes on the leadership of the Liberal Democrats. His challenge is to rebuild a Party that suffered a monumental defeat in the general election and then went on to recruit an unprecedented number of new members within weeks of that defeat.

I think The Liberal Democrats members chose Tim Farron over Norman Lamb because he displayed an uncompromising passion for social justice and equality When viewed against the above message from the Runnymede Trust they have chosen wisely

Tim is a man on a mission to make every citizen of this country feel equal, free and protected from undue intrusion into their private lives by government Tim’s vision is of a fairer, greener, freer Britain, A liberal society in which diversity and individuality are not just tolerated but actively supported.

He promises to stand up for freedom – to protect the right of people to live their lives as they wish to and not as the government tells them to. Unlike in Cameron’s Britain of control and surveillance in Farron’s Britain people will be to say what they think and to protest against what they dislike, free to live their lives according to their values, free of a controlling, intrusive state and of a stifling conformity.

Tim says Equality is important because poverty and ill-health, poor housing and a lack of education are all the enemies of freedom. Tim believes that out-of-control inequality creates disharmony and can be a threat to democracy

He is also concerned by the threat our democracy. Cameron and Osborne seem to regard democracy just as a mechanism for counting heads when in reality its should be about a spirit of equality, openness and debate. A coming together of all communities to decide our future together fairly and justly

Under Tim Farron’s leadership we can see a concerted effort to build a state that supports freedom A country in which power is dispersed as widely as possible and built up from below. A country built on people power not government controls.

We can also expect Tim to re-launch the campaign for the Proportional Representation election process This is a battle the Liberal Democrats have hitherto had to fight alone but after the crazy outcome of the last election where the Tories were ale to secure an overall majority with just 37% percent of the vote there is every likelihood the other minor parties, and even Labour could come of board

Notwithstanding all of the above for many Liberal Democrats the greatest concern is Cameron’s determination to kill off the Human Rights Act. This Act lies at the heart of Britain’s commitment to protect hard won individual freedoms and liberties That is why it must be defended at all costs Without the protection of the Human Rights Act we could easily move towards the creation of a authoritarian state which many suspect is what Cameron, Osborne and Teresa May are driving us towards. There are some things no government should ever be allowed to do to anyone simply because the Home Secretary or Prime Minister of the day decides it would be a good thing to do just in case some-one some where might be a threat

In a civilised society everyone has a right to expect entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. That is the hallmark of a fair and free society That is true social justice.




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