An unexpected outbreak of liberalism

Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland, has come out against the euro and would urge his constituents to vote against!

He emphasises the "desperate need" for his party to re-appraise its approach to Europe, adding: "For too long, otherwise highly intelligent people have simply abandoned their critical faculties where the EU is concerned."

Arguing that the Lib Dems ought to be at the forefront of scepticism about Europe, he advises: "Liberal Democrats should always be sceptical of government - especially where it is in the firm grip of the unelected official - so why not the European Union?"

"Liberal Democrats should always be sceptical of government", he says. Most Lib Dem voters see the party as some sort of mid-point between Labour and the Conservatives. That was probably true in the 1960s, but nowadays a majority of Lib Dem activists are firmly in bed with the state. Mr Carmichael is sceptical. Good for him. Could it be that other Lib Dems may "come out" against big brother?