UKIP and the Liberal Democrats: don't worry, be liberal!

Watching the media hunt as a pack on the question of "Whither UKIP?" is not my idea of a perfect Sunday morning. Fortunately, most of their attention is on the dilemma facing the Conservative Party. "Move to the right!", "Agree to a referendum on Europe!", "Get rid of the Old Etonians!", the cries are many and slightly silly.

For, in truth, UKIP are doing well because they aren't the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats or Labour, and the public don't like politics. Or, more precisely, politicians. And, in a world of difficult questions, easy answers are seductive.

There is a catch, however. It isn't enough to say that, if exposed to a little sunlight, they'll go away. They might, they might not. Instead, as political activists, we need to be true to our stated principles. As liberals, we have a particular view of the world, and we need to express that view., via leaflets, via a presence on the doorsteps - in other words, the things that we used to be good at. It also means that we need to tell people what the liberal solutions to their problems are.

We also need to take a view of affairs that extends further than a week. I worry that politics is about tomorrow's headline, about dealing with today's crisis. And so I find myself in agreement with Simon Titley (not something that I say every day, it is true) when he says that we should "stop worrying about UKIP and learn to love Liberalism".

I would be personally happier to espouse a positive vision for my village, my community, my county and my country, rather than spend my time attempting to scare people into not voting for someone else. By all means highlight their contradictions and their failings, but say what I'd do instead and why, and if my political adversaries want to publicise their own ideas, they can bloody well put out a leaflet, or knock on some doors and say hello.

It's time to renew a conversation with the public, to address their problems but not compromise in terms of our answers. You've got to believe in something in politics, and I just happen to prefer liberalism.