Tributes to Richard Holme
Written by The Voice on 6th May 2008 – 5:38 pm(From a party email)
Former Liberal Democrat Leaders Paddy Ashdown and Menzies Campbell have paid tribute to Liberal Democrat peer Richard Holme, who has died at the age of 71. Lord Holme, who was the party’s Northern Ireland spokesman during the 1990s, and a member of the joint consultative committee with the Government on constitutional issues, died at home in West Sussex after a long battle with cancer. Lord Ashdown described him as a “man of outstanding talent”. Sir Menzies said the late peer was “one of the most perceptive analysts of politics in this country”. Current leader Nick Clegg said Lord Holme had made a “huge contribution” to the party.
“I do not believe there have been many British liberals, elected or unelected have enjoyed a wider range of respect, had a more varied life, or achieved a greater influence, not just on the course of liberalism, but also on the course of government and politics in Britain, than Richard Holme,” saidy Paddy Ashdown.
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7th May 2008 at 12:17 am
Lord Holme’s contribution to the Northern Irish peace process should not be overlooked. He chaired the fringe meeting at the 1995 Brighton Conference which was the first time that Sinn Fein (represented by Mitchell McLoughlin) and the UDP (represented by Gary McMichael) had sat at the same event. Also in the audience were the PUP’s David Ervine and also Vincent Hanna.
7th May 2008 at 8:52 am
Indeed, he was a Patron of NICIE, the Northern ireland Council for Integrated Education, where I now work, and from his early days as NI Spokesperson was one of the main advocates of the kind of shared future he felt integrated schools could contribute too.
7th May 2008 at 2:06 pm
Richard was no “cease fire politician” - he supported grass roots peace building in N Ireland when it wasn’t seen as the “right” or politically correct thing to do. He was a long time advocate and friend of all of us in the movement for shared schools and his wisdom will be sorely missed. He is no longer with us but his passion lives on in those parents who still struggle to have their children educated together in schools. Thank you Richard.