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Here is a short piece of mine published on Lib Dem Voice.  In it I argue that Murdoch is part of scrap amongst right-wing newspapers which those of a liberal persuasion can observe without taking sides.  It attracted a few comments, but of pretty poor quality.  Mainly it was from people who so loath the Murdoch empire that they automatically oppose anything thing he does.  Somebody launched a rant against the BBC licence fee.

I have a wider concern.  By focusing so much on Mr Murdoch liberals are in danger of losing a bigger and more important argument; they are attacking the messenger rather than the message.  It’s a sort of displacement activity for people uncomfortable with the right-wing press.

This blog has been long in gestation, so here’s hoping that lives even longer in execution.

It is a platform to express my thoughts on the issues of the day.  My interests are pretty broad, but the idea is to concentrate on politics, with a special interest in the economy and public services.  I’m no expert (a mere BSc in Economics doesn’t get you beyond the lowlife in the economics profession); still less am I an insider, drifting around the outer fringes of the Westminster village.  I hold no public political office.  But I’m a free agent and I will not feel bound to any party line, though I am no political neutral.  And I’ve been around quite a long time, and I’ve done some interesting things (well, I think so) – I think I have some interesting insights to offer.

Another thing I am not, is a journalist.  There’s no particular virtue in being quick off the mark at the expense of insight.  The best insights take time to emerge.

What do I mean by “thinking liberal”?  I’m a political liberal; I want people to be free to take the course they choose and say what they like, so long as they don’t harm others.  I believe that society should organise itself so that as many as possible have the practical freedoms that come with their basic physical and emotional needs being met, and a decent education.  Thinking is a big part of what I’m trying to do.  Emotional reactions and partisan advocacy have their place, but not here.  I want to promote insights and understanding.  I want to find a better way.

And there’s something else.  I want to be constructive.  So much of what passes for comment is negative, telling us what’s wrong with an idea, without trying to put up an alternative.  Of course alternative ideas will usually have flaws – but the only way to find the best ideas is to keep trying.  Which means being brave enough to be wrong.