Libdemmery reading list

This is today's snapshot of an evolving repository. A reading list almost randomly thrown together of articles, books and statements which will help to understand what Libdemmery is all about. If you join Diigo and log in (it's worth it) you can annotate these items in a Diigo outliner, and join in discussions about them. If not, just read them; your time will be amply repaid.

Additions are always welcome. It's a living list.

• Liberal Democrats Believe
  A tumblr page with the ideas of many thoughtful LibDems about their beliefs and their party
• Our Constitution
  The preamble is a must read. The rest -well, it's a constitution. It has some good bits. But do read the preamble.
• It's About Freedom: what the Liberal Democrats believe
  The most recent statement of the party's philosophy, 2002. Sets out the history of liberal and social democratic ideas, and how they come together.
• An Intelligent Person's Guide to Liberalism (Intelligent Person's Guide Series): Amazon.co.uk: Conrad Russell: 9780715629475: Books
  Probably the best simple statement of liberal philosophy. Standing up to bullies everywhere. (I'm not buying from Amazon at the moment, due to their stance on both low pay and taxes, but the book is difficult to get hold of now, and I can't find a better description.)
• Mill, John Stuart. 1869. On Liberty
  Classic, classic, classic.
• Fawcett, E.: Liberalism: The Life of an Idea. (eBook and Hardcover)
  History of liberalism, interesting because it pays as much attention to liberal ideas in the USA as in the UK.
• Orange Bookers. Social Liberalism. What's it all about?
  Mark Pack attempts, largely successfully, to outline the differences between "social" liberals and "economic" liberals. Not that those differences ought to exist, but in recent years, they have done.
• Paul Scriven writes… Be very clear about who we are
  Some thought provoking ideas about what we stand for and what we don't stand for.
• birkdale focus: Facing up to political tribalism by reclaiming the alternative liberal agenda
  Challenging thoughts about where liberalism should go now, particularly on the issue of redisttribution.
• The Theory & Practice of Community Politics
  Classic campaigning text - how the LibDems built and cemented power in local communities. Still relevant, but how to make it work under post Thatcherism?
• New Left Project | Alternative Liberal Solutions to Economic Inequality
  I nearly didn't put this link in, because of the label. I've nothing against left wing people, I just hate delineating us as either left or right. We are much more complicated than that, and I'm pretty sure that a convincing and real description of our political position will not include the words "left" or "right" in it. We lack yet a vocabulary to do that. Maybe the upcoming review will supply it. Anyway, I did include this in the end because it has lots of thought provoking stuff in it, and links to lots more. it will keep you busy for hours.
• Progress and Poverty by Henry George
  From 1879. Long but satisfying. Worth dipping into in different places, which is helped by a really good contents list on the front page. It may be best to start with the AfterWord right at the end, which sets the context. Also, helpfully, each page has a "listen" link, which enables you to hear the text being spoken.
• #NewMembersDay: A Liberal Democrat Reading List
  Jennie Rigg's reading list, compiled soon after the election. Jennie is always worth reading in her own right, and she finds plenty to comment on. This list partly overlaps mine, and includes other stuff which is both thoughtful and entertaining.