Leading LibDem appeals for trust

A leading Shropshire Liberal Democrat today appealed to party members to trust their national leaders despite the "serious doubts and questions" that remain over the coalition.

The call has come from Martin Beardwell, chairman of the Shrewsbury and Atcham Lib Dems, and a former county councillor.

"Many of us who have fought for years in Shrewsbury and Shropshire against local Tory policies and illiberal attitudes, will feel initially very uneasy about the formation of this coalition government," said Mr Beardwell.

"Equally many local Lib Dems would have thought that some alliance on the left of politics with Labour would have been a more natural outcome of the General Election.

"But it seems clear that at national level some key Labour figures, who appear to have conservative rather than progressive views, would rather go into opposition than to face the challenges of creating a progressive reforming government."

Challenges

Mr Beardwell said Lib Dems had to hope that the nearly seven million people who voted for the party, would recognise that there could be a "new form of politics" to meet the immense challenges facing the country.

He added: "Serious doubts and questions will remain for a long time but, at this early stage, we must trust our national leaders in the Liberal Democrats when they state that we have moved forward in pursuing our stated political aims of fairer taxes, particuu1arly for poorer people, a fairer start in life for every child, a new approach to banking reform, a commitment to invest in green technologies and carbon reduction, and this commitment to reform our political structures.

"For the first time in nearly 80 years we have a government that represents more than half of the people who voted in the election and that gives it a legitimacy.

"We must now get behind it in its work whilst keeping our personal commitments to the values that are the basis of the proud traditions of the Liberal Democrats."