LIBG is part of the world federation of liberal political parties - Liberal International. Founded in 1947, Liberal International has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the strengthening of liberal democracy around the world. There are a number of common principles which unite all liberal parties from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe; human rights, free and fair elections and multi-party democracy, social justice, tolerance, social market economy, free trade, environmental sustainability and a strong sense of international solidarity. Naturally in the application of these principles in different national circumstances there is diversity among liberal parties.

The British Group of Liberal International publicises the work of Liberal International, arranges overseas visits, provides hospitality for visiting liberals and keeps Liberal Democrats informed of liberal activities world-wide. It also arranges meetings and seminars, produces regular newsletters and raises funds for Liberal International's work. The British Group is represented at Congresses and Executive meetings of the Liberal International.

LIBERALISM

Liberals are committed to build and safeguard free, fair and open societies, in which they seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one is enslaved by poverty, ignorance and conformity. Liberals champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals. We acknowledge and respect the right to freedom of conscience and the right of everyone to develop their talents to the full. We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity. The freedom to be creative and innovative can only be sustained by a market economy, but it must be one offering people real choices. This means that we want neither a market where freedom is limited by monopolies or an economy disassociated from the interests of the poor and the community as a whole. Liberals are optimistic at heart and trust the people while recognising the need to always be vigilant of those in power.

Graham Watson was born in March 1956 in Rothesay on the Scottish Island of Bute. The son of a Royal Naval Officer and a Teacher, he was educated at the City of Bath Boys’ School and at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, from which he gained an Honours degee in Modern Languages. He is fluent in English, French, German and Italian and speaks some Mandarin.

His 45-year professional career has spanned interpreting and translation, higher education, banking and – predominantly – politics. He served for twenty years as a Member of the European Parliament, chairing its Committee on Citizens Rights, Justice and Home Affairs (1999-2002), leading its Liberal Group (2002-09) and chairing its delegation for relations with India (2009-14). From 2011-15 Sir Graham was the President of the European Union’s Liberal Democratic Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. He is also a founder member and twice Chairman of a network of legislators committed to climate action called The Climate Parliament and currently serves as Vice President of the European Cyclists' Federation and Chairman of the World Cycling Alliance.

Sir Graham has published ten books and has written numerous papers and articles on politics, history, energy, the environment and security policy for national newspapers, think tanks and academic journals. His major work, Building a Liberal Europe (John Harper Publishing, 2010) has been translated into Romanian and Bulgarian. He is researching to write a biography of Lord Russell-Johnston. 

He has been an occasional lecturer at the Universities of Aberdeen, Bath, Bournemouth, Bristol, Exeter, Gloucester, London (LSE and Royal Holloway College), Oxford, St Andrews and Strathclyde in the United Kingdom and at the Universities of Barcelona, Bratislava, Bremen, Bruges (the College of Europe), Brussels, Budapest, Chisinau, Den Haag, Gibraltar, Kaunas, Louvain, Ljubljana, Paris, Pisa, Maastricht, Nicosia, Den Haag, Riga, Rome (Roma Tre), Sofia (St Klement Ohridski), Tbilisi, Thessaloniki, Verona, Yerevan and Zagreb. He has undertaken extended lecture tours involving ten universities in each of Germany and the Republic of China. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Symbiosis School of International Studies at Symbiosis University in Pune, India in 2022. Since 2023 he has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, where he was previously a Distinguished Visiting Fellow (2021-22).

Sir Graham holds honours from the United Kingdom (Knight Bachelor, 2011), Taiwan, Gibraltar and the Republic of Georgia.

Sir Graham is currently Chairman of the Liberal International's British Group.