Reply #10: Small 'l' liberal tends to mean in Britain a stance on social issues, not economic

[muriel_volestrangler]

So Tony Blair complained about what 'liberals' did in the past, meaning things like making divorce easier, or making prison sentences less punitive, and more rehabilitative. The death penalty, abortion, homosexual rights, civil liberties and similar things would be called liberal issues (Blair was liberal on homosexual rights, but not civil liberties).

The Liberal Democrats are liberal in that sense; economically, you'd probably place them as 'mainstream Democratic politician'. Labour has a larger range, economically - the leadership is a little further to the right, on the whole (think DLC), while some backbench MPs and supporters are true socialists, and would nationalise much of industry if they could.

But the American usage of "'liberal' = 'in favour of government programs'" doesn't really apply here.