George Kendall 🔶

Chair, Social Democrat Group. @socdemgroup Liberal Democrat. Writes in a personal capacity

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

My new piece on @LabourUncut:
Some used to argue the first past the post kept extremists out of politics
The opposite is now true
If Labour moderates want a legacy they can be proud of, they should support PR
https://t.co/QK4qk2IGAv
@Labour4PR @jreynoldsMP @SKinnock @socdemgroup

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@worgztheowl @SP_Duckworth Mark, on a world-wide scale, we're all extremely privileged.

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@SP_Duckworth At a local level, it depends on the kind of Liberalism.

IMO, Liberalism is about the worst defined political term.

For example:
- "tolerance" versus "intolerance of the intolerant"
- or big tax rises versus big tax cuts.

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@SP_Duckworth I know there are many different definitions of social democracy. What's yours?

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@SP_Duckworth That said, I'm pretty sure all social democrats in the Lib Dems have individual rights as a secondary focus. 3/3

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@SP_Duckworth However, I think there is a difference between social liberalism and social democracy.

As I see it, social democrats have poverty reduction as their primary focus. Whereas social liberals I've spoken to don't have a single focus
Theirs are poverty reduction and individual rights

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@SP_Duckworth But too many who call themselves socialists treat nationalisation as a higher priority compared to poverty reduction, pragmatism and responding to public opinion. 2/2

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@SP_Duckworth Socialism has no single definition, like all political terms.

If socialism is just a synonym of social democracy - poverty reduction, pragmatism, and responding to public opinion rather than narrow ideology - I too am a fan. 1/?

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@SP_Duckworth @unherd When an organisation recognises its lack of independence and neutrality, that's fine.

Less good when they deny it. Sadly, a common fault.

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@SP_Duckworth @unherd If you mean this piece, then I agree. The article was good.

What I disliked was the headline, which seriously misrepresented what the article was trying to say.

https://t.co/psaqOwfWbb

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@SP_Duckworth @unherd Unherd is useful for the liberal-minded who want to stray outside their herd, to understand the thinking of the conservative herd. I certainly use it for that.

But sadly, I fear @unherd is no less a herd follower than its competitors.

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@SP_Duckworth @unherd But then, unherd is edited by ex-Tory researchers, and I suspect driven by the financial need to appeal to mostly Tory and Leave subscribers.

Doesn't mean that unherd isn't worth reading. It's useful for anyone who wants to understand these people.

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@GeorgeMonbiot Thanks to @SP_Duckworth for pointing me to this thread.

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@GeorgeMonbiot But if we continue to condemn rather than engage,
if we lack to humility to admit we might sometimes be wrong, and if we encourage others to do likewise,
we are part of the problem.

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@libdemlife I've no idea whether Eastleigh Lib Dems building houses will be electorally popular - but I don't care. Morally, it's absolutely the right thing to do. Well done!

[George Kendall 🔶 @georgetsk]

@SP_Duckworth True.
I can't think of anyone who has acknowledged that they are fighting a culture war. That's other people - they say they are fighting for justice.