What do the Liberal Democrats stand for?

The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. 
We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals, we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of conscience and their right to develop their talents to the full. 
We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity.  We believe that the role of the state is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute fully to their communities and to take part in the decisions which affect their lives.

Party Leader - Nick Clegg

It’s time for real change in Britain.  Families are struggling and the economy is in a mess.  Only the Liberal Democrats have the fresh ideas you need.
We’re offering real solutions to the problems you face every day.  Lower taxes for ordinary families, a green future for your children, and public services we can all be proud of.  Together we can make it happen.

Shadow Chancellor - Vince Cable

Liberal Democrats have long warned that the British economy was unbalanced and over reliant on a consumer borrowing spree and fantasy house prices. That the mountain of personal debt would come crashing down and that the housing bubble would burst. That a heavy price would be paid for the Thatcherite destruction of mutual building societies and the weakness of bank regulation.
I don't claim that we got everything right; but, unlike the Tories, the Liberal Democrats consistently identified the structural weaknesses of the house that Gordon built.
For their part, the Tories give the impression that they are absolutely loving every minute of this crisis.
They calculate that the worse it is, the easier it will be to obliterate the memory of the two Tory recessions and the easier it will be, once in office, to make savage cuts in public services.