Why Young Liberals should join the Radical Association
Opinion piece by George Potter, one of our founders, about the reasons why Young Liberals should consider joining the Radical Association. First published on 29th July 2025.
Introducing the Radical Association
We are a Lib Dem internal group that believes in actually getting shit done.
We are a network of grassroots Lib Dem campaigners and members who recognise that the only way the rising threat of right-wing populism, fascism and climate catastrophe can be defeated is by our party offering real, bold and radically liberal solutions for Britain's problems.
The way we work is by focusing on three key areas (Policies, Values and Activism) and providing a network and infrastructure which our supporters can use to connect with each other and make change happen within the party and in the real world.
TL;DR why you should join us: It’s free, and we’ll help you make a difference within the party.
Boldness, not timidity
There are so many urgent issues in society and politics that are crying out for a distinctive and unapologetically liberal voice to offer a credible alternative to the status quo.
But on too many issues our party seems scared to risk taking a stand and putting forward the serious solutions needed, out of fear of negative media coverage or upsetting centrist voters in affluent constituencies.
On so many issues, all the evidence points to big solutions being needed to tackle big problems whether that’s the unaffordability of housing and the cost of living crisis, climate breakdown, or the undemocratic influence wielded on politics across the western world by the super-rich and financial vested interests.
To be credible the party needs to offer big solutions, but even when party members vote for big policy proposals at conference, those proposals usually get buried by party strategists.
Housing
Young Liberals, in particular, have done excellent work in focusing on the unaffordable cost of housing, successfully ensuring that the party remains committed to high levels of housebuilding.
But the policy on housebuilding passed by conference, thanks to YL activism, was left out of the party’s general election campaign because strategists were worried about potentially upsetting voters in affluent home county constituencies (which we ended up winning by hefty margins anyway).
This was a deeply shortsighted move, because housing unaffordability is the biggest driver of the real-term decline in people’s standard of living, and because it is the root of so many problems in society. Staying quiet might save us a few votes in the short term, but it sacrifices our long-term credibility as a party.
Young people in particular are at the sharp end of the lack of stability and financial security that comes from unaffordable housing and short-term renting - is it any wonder that fewer young people are starting families or putting down roots in communities when they can’t get an affordable roof over their heads? And what future will the party have if young people turn their backs on the Liberal Democrats because we aren’t offering credible solutions to the problems they face?
Trans Rights
The Labour government is destroying fundamental rights for trans people in a way that puts even Donald Trump to shame. Right-wing American politicians are now looking towards the UK as a model to emulate when it comes to implementing anti-trans policies and legislation.
This is an issue which is at the very core of the Lib Dem belief that no one should be enslaved by conformity, a question of fundamental Liberal values, but the party’s main approach on this issue has been to keep its head down rather than to take a stand.
We know that Lib Dem members and voters, and young people in particular, are overwhelmingly unhappy about the attacks on trans rights, and can already see how this is being, and has been, used successfully by right-wing elites to undermine LGBT+ and women’s rights in general, and it is young people again in particular who are at the sharp end of this.
Labour has reintroduced Section 28 for trans people in schools, the right of young people (rather than their parents) to make decisions on their own medical care is under threat, and the new online “safety” protections are already being used to restrict access to lifesaving LGBT+ resources, branding queer content as “obscene” and locking it behind (insecure and privacy-invading) adult verification filters.
Now obviously we’re not going to claim that trans rights are going to be a massive vote winner for the party in the same way that a campaign against local potholes might be, but if we can muster the energy as politicians and activists to be outraged about potholes, then can’t we have the courage to muster the same outrage and strength of conviction about a right-wing onslaught on the right of our fellow citizens to be supported in their identities, to play sports, and to pee in peace?
If we don’t stand up in defence of liberal values on something as important as human rights then who else is going to do it? You lose 100% of the battles you choose not to fight, and LGBT+ rights are one of several battles the party currently seems to be afraid to even attempt fighting.
Other issues
The same principles above apply to many other emotive and important issues that so many people care deeply about: Genocide in Gaza, intergenerational inequality, the demonisation of immigrants and asylum seekers, the climate emergency, and more.
On all of these issues it’s not that our MPs aren’t necessarily voting the right way or don’t believe the right things, but the party as an institution is failing to take a public stand and failing to put our well-honed campaigning machine behind making the Liberal arguments on these issues to the public.
Potholes, sewage in rivers and saving the local community centre are all important, but our party needs to be more than just ultra-local issues, it needs to also be about fighting for Liberal values and for building a better future for us all.
That’s the reason why most of us joined the party, and what we need is for the structures of the party to work in service of that cause as well.
Because if we don’t then the very real risk is that the future of our country will be written by those whose values are absolute anathema to everything we hold dear.
What we do
So what does the Radical Association actually do about these issues?
Well, much like YL and other internal groups, we push for and support policies to fix the problems facing our country. In particular the RA has consistently mobilised in support of social justice and tackling economic inequality; such as our successful push to get the party to adopt a detailed and credible policy for a universal basic income (which was promptly memory-holed by HQ).
But we also fight for values within the party, because we recognise that good policies on paper won’t mean anything if the party’s elected representatives and campaigners don’t believe in those policies and aren’t prepared to advocate for them to the general public. This is also why we have always been, and always will be, resolutely opposed to racism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism and misogyny. No ifs, no buts.
That means making the argument for these values and policies within the party at all levels. It means engaging and working with elected representatives to get them to take a stand on the issues that matter in the right way. It means supporting those who share our values in getting elected and it means helping Liberal Democrats to enact change once elected to public office. It means working to fill the gaps in the party’s strategic direction, and it means helping like-minded activists to link up with each other and work together on the issues they care about.
What joining us means for you as a younger person
It’ll cost you nothing - at some point we want to introduce ways for people to give us money, but we will never charge for membership, so all you will ever need to join us is an email address
You’ll be connected with other like-minded Lib Dem members across the country - including through our whatsapp community
You’ll have access to the experience and support of slightly older campaigners within the party who have fought many of the same battles as you before and will be in your corner and happy to help when you fight the same battles
We will want to hear your ideas and suggestions for what we should be doing as an organisation, because we value your ideas, experiences and insights, and because our organisation doesn’t belong to any member more than any other
We won’t try to appeal to you with gratuitous emojis, memes and tiktok videos just because you’re under the age of 30 - and that’s a Lib Dem pledge 😉