Sunday, September 09, 2007
What the Welsh Liberal Democrats are for - revisited
While I was away I notice that Vaughan Roderick has commented on my pamphlet. Sanddef has very kindly translated the post here. Vaughan concludes that it is hard to see anything unique in my message and he is right.
Originality was not one of the virtues that I have ever claimed for this pamphlet. In fact I published it with the express intent of starting debate by setting out very much where the Welsh Liberal Democrats stand at present both in terms of political position and policy. What is distinctive about the effort in my view is that it pulled together a number of themes and policy ideas in a way that got people talking about the Welsh Liberal Democrats again.
I have had a number of responses from people who, having read my small offering, acknowledged that they did not know what we had stood for as a party before but at least now they were beginning to understand. That was partly due to the failure of our communication efforts within Wales over recent years.
Yes, it was all in the manifesto, but who read that? Even those who are paid to peruse such documents were complaining that the Welsh Liberal Democrat manifesto was too long and too impenetrable. It needed to be because it was meant to be the basis for a coalition agreement, but there was no escaping the feeling that we were more obsessed with the minutae of policy last May than with the way people lead their daily lives.
This is not to say that my pamphlet is any better, but as a media event it at least drew attention to us at a time when we were not having to compete with others for the limelight. The challenge now is to build on that through debate to refine the distinctiveness that I believe we hold as the only Welsh liberal party.
So far five themes are emerging from the discussion and my own personal reflection on which we should be doing further work:
Originality was not one of the virtues that I have ever claimed for this pamphlet. In fact I published it with the express intent of starting debate by setting out very much where the Welsh Liberal Democrats stand at present both in terms of political position and policy. What is distinctive about the effort in my view is that it pulled together a number of themes and policy ideas in a way that got people talking about the Welsh Liberal Democrats again.
I have had a number of responses from people who, having read my small offering, acknowledged that they did not know what we had stood for as a party before but at least now they were beginning to understand. That was partly due to the failure of our communication efforts within Wales over recent years.
Yes, it was all in the manifesto, but who read that? Even those who are paid to peruse such documents were complaining that the Welsh Liberal Democrat manifesto was too long and too impenetrable. It needed to be because it was meant to be the basis for a coalition agreement, but there was no escaping the feeling that we were more obsessed with the minutae of policy last May than with the way people lead their daily lives.
This is not to say that my pamphlet is any better, but as a media event it at least drew attention to us at a time when we were not having to compete with others for the limelight. The challenge now is to build on that through debate to refine the distinctiveness that I believe we hold as the only Welsh liberal party.
So far five themes are emerging from the discussion and my own personal reflection on which we should be doing further work:
- The need to play to our strengths as champions of freedom, civil liberties and individual empowerment. Not so easy in an entirely Welsh context but certainly there are issues about ID cards and whether they will be used to access services, the way we are policed, the DNA database and the management of personal information by government and its agencies which can be used as the basis for campaigns.
- The need to make the most of what is left of European funding to create a knowledge-based economy in which we have a proper science policy, in which investment in research leads to the creation of high quality jobs, encouragement for the growth of indigenous small businesses and where we take the green agenda and offer greater support for businesses which are developing environmental technologies, particularly renewable energy. We should also look at how we are developing recycling and ensure that there are mainstream markets for recycled products as well as facilities here in Wales to carry out that process.
- In the area of social justice we should concentrate on removing the barriers that prevent people fulfilling their potential including inaccessible health care, bad housing conditions, a poor environment, inadequate educational achievement and lack of training. We need to create opportunities for those individuals by putting in place a support structure that will enable them to grow. This will include better child care, preventative health measures and the ability to access education and training without a punitive financial burden being imposed on them.
- Safer communities are also a major issue. We need to provide the resources so that neighbourhoods can be adequately policed but also we need to tackle anti-social behaviour directly by working with young people and providing facilities for them so as to assist the police in encouraging them to vacate the streets.
- Finally, we need to empower communities and the individuals that live in them by opening up government, making it more transparent and accountable and giving people a greater say in the decisions that affect their lives and that of their family. In particular we need to work with communities to maintain vital local services such as the local Post Office that helps to provide cohesion and a focal point for community life. We also need to ensure that governance structures are fit for purpose, accountable, transparent and representative. That requires as a minimum fair voting for local government.
The broad narrative here is one of the Welsh Liberal Democrats as an effective opposition, in touch with the needs and views of local communities. A party which can make the Assembly work better because we understand people's concerns and are able to turn them into workable policies that will deliver more benefits for them. A party that has already made a success of government once and will do so again.
Comments:
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HERE's a direct link to my translation.
Talking of which, perhaps you would like to give your opinion on the use of such translations?
Talking of which, perhaps you would like to give your opinion on the use of such translations?
# posted by 
: 3:09 PM
: 3:09 PM
There is already a direct link Sanddef. I linked to you twice, once to your blog and once to the article.
I find these translations very useful. Not only does it enable me to keep up with what is being said in the Welsh blogosphere but also it enables wider discussion in the English medium as well. If an RSS feed were possible it would be very useful.
I find these translations very useful. Not only does it enable me to keep up with what is being said in the Welsh blogosphere but also it enables wider discussion in the English medium as well. If an RSS feed were possible it would be very useful.
Yes, I noticed the link as soon as I had posted my comment (doh!)
There is now as of today an RSS feed on technorati ("Translations from Welsh")
There is now as of today an RSS feed on technorati ("Translations from Welsh")
# posted by : 3:35 PM
: 3:35 PM
Hi Peter
As you will have seen Vaughan has raised this post on his blog and has commented the list of 5 lacks a strong USP. I've just responded to his blog to agree with that in broad terms, but thought it courtesy to also share that opinion with you (for what it's worth!)
I think this particular pledge is problematic:
"In the area of social justice we should concentrate on removing the barriers that prevent people fulfilling their potential including inaccessible health care, bad housing conditions, a poor environment, inadequate educational achievement and lack of training. We need to create opportunities for those individuals by putting in place a support structure that will enable them to grow. This will include better child care, preventative health measures and the ability to access education and training without a punitive financial burden being imposed on them."
Not because it isn't laudible (or achievable?!) but because it seems so broad and well meaning that I'm sure every main party would I agree with it.
You could counter of course that they might agree but they do not deliver on such an aspiration, but then you're almost into political knockabout.
Sorry this sounds so negative, but I'm sure the "USP" aspect of the party's message/branding is something that has concerned you too.
Maybe as well as saying what you are, saying what you are not might help differentiate you in such a crowded field?
As you will have seen Vaughan has raised this post on his blog and has commented the list of 5 lacks a strong USP. I've just responded to his blog to agree with that in broad terms, but thought it courtesy to also share that opinion with you (for what it's worth!)
I think this particular pledge is problematic:
"In the area of social justice we should concentrate on removing the barriers that prevent people fulfilling their potential including inaccessible health care, bad housing conditions, a poor environment, inadequate educational achievement and lack of training. We need to create opportunities for those individuals by putting in place a support structure that will enable them to grow. This will include better child care, preventative health measures and the ability to access education and training without a punitive financial burden being imposed on them."
Not because it isn't laudible (or achievable?!) but because it seems so broad and well meaning that I'm sure every main party would I agree with it.
You could counter of course that they might agree but they do not deliver on such an aspiration, but then you're almost into political knockabout.
Sorry this sounds so negative, but I'm sure the "USP" aspect of the party's message/branding is something that has concerned you too.
Maybe as well as saying what you are, saying what you are not might help differentiate you in such a crowded field?
Thanks Daran, that is very helpful. I think points one and five can form the start of a USP, as well as part of point four. But you are right we also need to say what we are not without ruling out future coalition options. That will come as we stake out our position in the Assembly on a day by day basis as an opposition.
I think Vaughan's problem is that he has looked at each point one by one instead of taking them together. I think that as a combination there is the makings of a distinctive position that we can build on through hard work and community engagement.
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I think Vaughan's problem is that he has looked at each point one by one instead of taking them together. I think that as a combination there is the makings of a distinctive position that we can build on through hard work and community engagement.
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