For Liberals, economics must always be the servant of society rather than its master. Of course, there will always be arguments on economics, but to elevate them to the expression of ideology is to fall into the false trap set by parties of the Right and the Left over generations. I now fear that the untrammelled intensification of laissez-faire capitalism and the spread of market values into all areas of our life is endangering our open and democratic society. The main enemy of the open society, I believe, is no longer the communist but the capitalist threat. How typical of Conservatives to find a way of getting so many poor people to tax themselves voluntarily each week in order to make a few individuals rich, whilst virtually nationalising gambling, harming the ability of charities to raise their own funds, and making good causes increasingly dependent on a grant from national public bodies.
Liberals recognise the danger in all concentrations of power, whether economic, social or political.
First, the advance of technology and of mechanisation has contributed enormously to the disappearance of jobs for millions of workers who could once have looked forward to apprenticeships in key trades and, with pride, to practical jobs in productive industries. This transformation of the past twenty years or so has had serious consequences for society. Unemployment, and, specifically, the lack of hope of future employment, has contributed significantly to the alienation of a whole sector of society, particularly amongst young people. It is in the interest of the whole society that the means to offer a worthwhile and productive future to all are available. Second, the ecological imperative requires urgent global action.