Liberal Democratic Party

In 1981 a new party was formed to try to break the dominance of the Conservative and Labour. Some Conservatives and extreme right wing of Labours left their own parties to join the new Social Democrats. The new party agreed to fight elections in alliance with the small but long-established Liberals. After unsuccessful results of the 1987 Election the Liberal Party merged with the Social Democratic Party (1988) to become the Liberal Democrats. Its aim is to attract the votes of the middle ground between Labour and the Conservatives and opponents of both parties, of those who are disillusioned with their policies. But there parliamentary representation is almost insignificant so far (26 % of vote but 8 % of MPs in 2001 General Elections). That is why it campaigns for a system of proportional representation in Parliament. But the Party plays a certain role with the possibility of tipping the scales between the two largest parties.

The Liberal Democratic Party aims to build a liberal democratic society in which every citizen shall possess liberty, property and security and none shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.

Notes to the text:

to tip the scales – склонить чашу весов, решить исход дела

conformity – конформизм, приспособленчество

Task 16. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations: прервать господство, крайнее правое крыло, бороться на выборах, быть разочарованным чем-либо, представительство, незначительный, поэтому, проводить кампанию, играть определенную роль, невежество.

Task 17. Guess the words used in the text by their definitions: to join together, unimportant, being poor, lack of knowledge, person with full rights as an inhabitant of a country, to plan to do, protection against criminals, way in which people are organized.

Task 18. Answer the questions:

1. What is the origin of the Liberal Democratic Party?

2. What aims does the Party have?

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20