Liberal Party

The Liberal Party (Doggish: Livrel Partij, LP) is a liberal political party in Doggerland, currently led by Saber. It is both socially and economically liberal, and has been described as being in the center of the political spectrum, with factions ranging from center-left to center-right.

At of the January 2021 legislative elections the Liberal Party was committed to implementing a universal basic income of 500€, maintaining a social market economy, free trade, a point-based immigration system, fully legalising cannabis and sex work, holding a referendum on legalising euthanasia, abolishing the death penalty, universal free at the point of use healthcare, fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate change emergency, and a referendum on the status of the monarchy. The party has changed considerably but not majorly from its original stance remaining a strong supporter of a social market economy and social progressivism.

As of June 19th, 2021, it had 17 registered members. It was the largest party in the National Assembly during the February 2021 Doggerland legislative elections, and remains the has consistently been the largest party outside of the left. The LP leads the current opposition coalition. It is headquartered in Leestrom.

In server
The Liberal Party has had many highs and lows during its tenure. Starting as the second-largest (January), to largest (February), and consistently staying the fourth-largest party after March struggling to regain its vote share. It has, however, had two Prime Ministers: Triangle and Saber.

Overview
The ideology of the Liberal Party has been labelled as being socially centre-left and economically centre by its current leader Saber, and its frequent motto during the May election was "Freedom and Altruism" believing in individual liberty and assisting those lacking opportunity. The party has never shown any major divisions or factions forming within the party, although certain divergences do arise. This is due to everyone in the party maintaining a broadly progressive stance in Dogger politics often exhibiting culturally liberal values and sharing positions ranging from centre-right to centre-left stances on economic issues. This tends to result in the Liberal Party's greatest strength as it rarely shows major divergences in policy.

If two major factions can be labelled it would be discerned between more left-leaning social liberals and right-leaning classical liberals. Individuals like InsertUsernameHere can be considered to belong to the more left-leaning wing preferring to work with centre-left parties like the LWP, while Baveland and Malarkinator can be considered belonging to the more right-leaning wing, with Baveland Moss notably having been a classical liberal both having preferred to work with the CU and LBT. The incumbent leader Saber is considered more centrist than most leaning left and right on several occasions expressing both more left-leaning social liberal views and right-leaning classical and conservative liberal views. Overall the party remains united over the core ideals of liberalism, particularly cultural liberalism.

Social policy
The Liberal Party officially remains consistently socially progressive. Officially supporting euthanasia, LGBTQ+ rights, anti-discrimination against all minorities, and has a pro-choice stance on abortion. Although its official stance and likely shared by most other members, some members have reservations, however, this has never resulted in any major conflict within the party.

Centrism
Although not an official ideology its members have consistently shown a centrist approach to politics preferring to find middle ground and working with parties from both the right and the left. Its centrist nature has also led the party to do its best in its rejection of working with extremist or more radical parties, albeit the party itself is not above cooperating with parties like the IDP, DL, and CP. However, recent developments within the left of the National Assembly has led to the Liberal Party having an increased preference to cooperate with more right-wing parties due to its rejection of left-wing economic policy such as the Socialist Reform Bill and REST BILL initiated by the Forward governments.

Economic policy
The Liberal Party has consistently maintained firm support for a market economy opposing anti-capitalist measures of punitive taxation and high spending on welfare. Its main approach to the economy can be summarised in elevating social status by providing more opportunity for those in poor socioeconomic status and supporting businesses, big and small to foster competition. Although not always to the extent of the CU or Lbt it does favour keeping taxation low and is generally opposed to deficit spending. Its approach to UBI is to not provide a living wage but rather to help citizens have a reduced burden on finances and increase spending to spur the economy.

The party also consistently supports long-term supply-side policy favouring investment in human capital such as education and healthcare coupled with innovation.

Europe
The party is neutral or pro-European in its stance with regards to the European Union.

Senate
After the Senate was established the party initially remained ambivalent towards it but after the death of Triangle the party vehemently opposed its existence. The party was one of the main proponents of its abolishment. Recently it has trended towards the support of its return with some changes to the Senate's powers.

Environment
The Liberal Party maintains a firm environmentalist stance favouring carbon neutrality and making Doggerland more green.

Labor Workers' Party
The LP was originally most open to working with the LWP due to the LWP's centre-left social democratic status which made it more appealing for the LP to work with due to the strong left-leaning sentiment between January to February under Triangle's leadership. However, after March and the LWP's increasing tendency to work with the Doggerland Left and Communist Party showed that the LWP now had an increasing preference to work with more radical left and extremist left forces the LP turned towards more right-wing parties.

The LP still remains very open to working with the LWP, consistently approaching them first after a new election, but the open vitriol the LWP often shows against even liberal policy itself particularly in economics has led to additional doubt, albeit never to levels that prevent cooperation.

Civic Union
Although very different with regards to social policy the Liberal Party tends to be the closest party to the CU with regards to economics and general handling of affairs. And after the entrenchment of 'Forward!' the CU and LP grew significantly closer in cooperation with regards to government formation.

Doggerland Left, Communist Party
The LP is extremely rare to even consider cooperating with the DL on matters of government formation or even providing confidence-and-supply. It only cooperated with them after entering a caretaker government coalition after the April 2021 Doggerland legislative elections due to Beady's fraud. This strong sense of opposition stems from the LP's centrist roots and particularly after the Socialist Reform Bill it grew to oppose working with the DL in any government coalition. Although never outright ruling out cooperation on economics the two parties are irreconcilable.

Relations with the CP is also similar outright refusing to work with the party except in extraordinary circumstances due to irreconcilable differences in ideology and approach to policy.

Libertarian Party, Reform Party
Initially reluctant to work with the LBT and Reform Party, due to the LP's growing inclinations to the right it now has higher preference to work with the two parties when forming government coalitions. It does remain strongly divergent against social policy and although the LP is generally economically liberal it is rarely to the level of the LBT or Reform.

Electorate
(all in-lore so subject to change)

The Liberal Party rarely has a fixed level of support from any group but its strongest support comes from young adults and the middle-aged with moderately strong support from businesses. It gets its strongest support in high population areas across the country such as Leestrom and areas in Brun-Nord, albeit in close competition with other left-wing parties.

Advantages
The LP overall has a broad level of support across the nation particularly in the south and moderate support in the north. It has a particularly high support rate from men and women in their 30s and 40s, and among youth it has been gaining in levels of support. They also do well among business owners particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.

Disadvantages
The party suffers within the age group of 50s and above especially within the north due to its stronger conservative stance. The LP also struggles to gain a foothold within left-wing youth particularly in the urban areas of the west and the staunch left-wing provinces of the south. This difficulty to break through the populism has at times been the bane of the party.