The Liberal Democrats are possibly most well known for their failure to adhere to their promise of abolishing tuition fees. Though this incidence has certainly waivered trust, especially within student communities, the Lib Dems do seem to be looking out for LBGT people. Nick Clegg, the leader of the party, is quoted as saying, ‘No matter who you are and who you love, we are all equal. Marriage is about love and commitment, and it should no longer be denied to people just because they are gay.’ And, to this claim, they followed through – the Lib Dems were the first major political party in the UK to openly support same-sex marriage, and were at the forefront of the recent and successful campaign for marriage equality.
Following this, Clegg has undoubtedly made efforts to show his support for our community. When the Conservative party planned to scrap the Human Rights Act, the Liberal Democrats opposed – fighting to preserve a source of protection for LGBT people. The party also has a sub-group named ‘LGBT+ Liberal Democrats’, which claims to be an organisation working to promote policies relating to sexual and gender minorities.
However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows (pun intended) when the Liberal Democrats are under pressure. Evidence shows that previous elections have prompted the Lib Dems to resort to homophobic language. The 1983 General Elections saw the Lib Dems describing themselves as ‘the straight choice’, in opposition to openly homosexual Peter Tatchell. Interestingly enough, Simon Hughes, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, later came out as gay.
Several years after apologising profusely for the smear-campaign, further accusations of homophobia rose, this time in Kingston-Upon-Thames in 2012. In this instance, the Liberal Democrats were accused of using similar language in a leaflet, by stating that it was a ‘straight fight’ between them and the Conservative party. Needless to say, the Lib Dems denied that the slogan was of a homophobic nature, however, it does ring eerily similar to the tactics used in the 1980s.
Concerning the E.U, it is widely accepted that the Liberal Democrats are the most pro-EU party running in the elections. They claim they are ‘the only party of in’, arguing that continuing our membership will protect three million jobs, contrary to what parties such as UKIP would have you believe. The latest polls indicate that 15.1% of voters support Lib Dems, which is slightly more than UKIP. I think it’s fair to say that this is, at the very least, slightly heartening.
But, can we really trust a party who has betrayed the young generation in such a catastrophic way? Will the Liberal Democrats stay true to the promises laid forth in their manifesto, or will they simply change their minds…again?
Thursday will show if we can forgive and forget, and, if they are voted in, time will tell if the Liberal Democrats have learnt a lesson about honesty.