You welcome the public spending proposals of the Liberal Democrats and praise in particular their Treasury spokesman, Dr Vincent Cable, for making “real progress in reconciling his party’s fiscal stance with the real world” (leading article, March 5).

If this recognition of economic reality is now shared by their party faithful, it removes the only remaining political difference between new Labourism and Lib Demism. Both have almost identical values, expressed in their party constitutions. Both have roots in working-class liberalism. And both emerged, rebranded, as a result of the indirect influence of Roy Jenkins’s vision of social democracy.

I am a Labour Party member living in a constituency (Romsey) which in effect will choose between a Lib Dem or a Tory. In the South East there are many similar constituencies. Yet many Labour members would never vote Lib Dem. And there are Labour Party organisers who still insist on standing no-hoper candidates.

Because the ideological affinities between Labour and the Lib Dems are firmly established, and because there is now an agreement on the economics, is it not time for all “social democrats” to take full control of the centre ground? Yours faithfully,

MIKE ALLOTT,
14 Tansy Meadow, Chandler’s Ford,
Eastleigh, Hampshire SO54 4LH.
March 7.

From Mr Andy Mayer

Sir, I take issue with one remark in your otherwise balanced leading article that “the bulk of Lib Dem activists do not share Dr Cable’s admirable instincts”.

A vocal minority of Lib Dem activists are suspicious of economic liberalism, but they are overshadowed by the bulk of quiet, hardworking members and ordinary activists, who are more level-headed on such matters and want us to be a party of government, not just a pressure group. The portrayal of the Liberal Democrats as left of Labour is rather more a result of our willingness to allow open debate and failure adequately to scrutinise policies passing through conference than a real reflection of the party in the country.

We are at heart a coalition of liberals, of the Left and Right. The rebalancing of our policy agenda to reflect this can only strengthen our party.

Yours sincerely,
ANDY MAYER
(Member, Liberal Future),
Flat 7, Florin Court,
70 Tanner Street, SE1 3DP.
March 7.