Nobody likes an apologist. So why are the Liberal Democrats apologising for every decision the Coalition takes? Continue on this road and the party is heading toward electoral annihilation.

This apologist outlook has stemmed from the strategy the Lib Dems have operated with since 1997, namely, attacking the government from the left. The strategy must be broadly viewed as a success. Only a month prior to the election the party were ahead in the polls, and although they suffered a net loss in regard to seats, the party gained a notoriety amongst the public not witnessed for over 80 years.

But the strategy is now an albatross around the party’s neck. The problem was that policies became points of principle, obscuring the true values of the party. The previous strategy provided a demarcation with the Labour Party, but it was one largely based on opportunity rather than philosophy. This led the party into its current perilous position, into having to make u-turns on promises they couldn’t possibly keep were power to come. However, all is not yet lost. Positive aspects of the previous strategy can be kept, but only the parts which were based upon the party’s core principles, not those opportunistically based on the public mood of the time.

The new strategy of the Liberal Democrats should be founded upon three points. Firstly, the majority of the public support deficit reduction and recognise it is necessary. This means the leadership should concentrate less of its focus on pandering to the minority who disagree with any public spending cuts - that battle is already won.

Secondly, the strategy should be based on principle, not populist policies. A clear demarcation from the two other parties can be built upon the party’s commitment to civil liberties and freedom. It should not break from its pledges in this regard. It should vote for the removal of control orders, and continue its progress on removing unnecessary state interference into the lives of its citizens. People support politicians who trust them.

Thirdly, it should plough on with political reform. It is untrue that this is not a ‘vote winner’, as the more crass politicians put it. More than half of the population live in ‘safe seat’ constituencies, if the party wins the argument that it has removed the entrenchment of MPs, it will gain a lot of support and can truly be considered a reformist party.

The crucial point to the strategy is the focus on civil liberties. This provides a clear dividing line from Labour and highlights the Liberal Democrat role in the Coalition. It will attract the voters from the left, if more is done to repeal Labour’s stifling legislation, such as the Digital Economy Act, support currently lost to the Labour Party will return. At a time when China is on the rise, and the internet becoming the main forum for political dissent people will not stand for attacks upon their freedom in these new spheres. Simon Hughes should not be arguing in favour of an unchecked housing benefit budget to speak for the ‘soul of the party’, he should be speaking out for the party’s grounding in the principle of freedom for the individual from the state. If the majority of the public links the party to individual freedom and the drawing back of the invidious state, it will be able to see the party’s guiding philosophy in the coalition. It will recapture the party’s identity.

This strategy will, initially, be hard, but in the long run it will provide the carrot to party activists to stay with the party, and remind them why the Liberal Democrats are a party of principle. The reforming force for good and freedom in UK politics.