I read Rob Blackie’s post on Tuesday. Well written, but none of this is new. The difference now is that the warning lights are flashing everywhere, especially in London.
Let’s tell it straight. The party has a serious problem in urban Britain, and pretending otherwise will only make it worse.
We keep branding the Greens as “extreme” because they are attracting attention and energy we can currently only dream about in many inner-city areas. The Greens spoke to communities in plain English. One word summed up their offer: change.
Meanwhile, too often we sound cautious, managerial, and disconnected, speaking largely to the same narrow demographic. That is not enough in modern London.
What struck me most during the recent elections was the diversity of Green candidates across London, particularly in Lambeth, Southwark, and Lewisham. They looked like the communities they wanted to represent. That matters. Representation matters. Visibility matters. Engagement matters.
The 2020 General Election Review led by Baroness Thornhill could not have been clearer. It warned that failure to genuinely engage minority communities would eventually cost the party dearly at the ballot box. Yet years later, in too many boroughs, we still concentrate activity almost exclusively in affluent white areas. Tower Hamlets and Kensington & Chelsea are obvious examples where we have only campaigned in the more prosperous wards.
At the same time, we have the usual keyboard strategists insisting we can win here or there while effectively bypassing large sections of the non-white vote. It is an omni-shambles when viewed across the major cities.
Lord Woolley of Operation Black Vote said over a decade ago that if Black and brown communities were better organised and recognised the collective value of their vote, they could reshape the outcome of numerous elections. The Greens understood that. They listened. Then they acted on it across London and other urban centres.
Now some people call the Greens “extreme” for doing what every serious political party should do organise, engage, and include.
Even more worrying is the growing sense that parts of our leadership believe little can be done about the Green surge in urban communities. If that is true, then we have either tapped out politically or, worse still, accepted the disengagement of minority communities as somehow inevitable or electorally manageable.
That should alarm every Liberal Democrat.
We say we want to become the official opposition. If we are serious about that ambition, we must represent all people, all communities, and all parts of modern Britain not just the comfortable and familiar parts.
The truth is that years of lip service are catching up with us. Labour suffered from similar complacency in the past. We should learn from that, not repeat it.
There is also a dangerous complacency inside the party following the success of the 2024 General Election. Some are acting as though we have “cracked it”. We have not. At the next General Election we will be the hunted, not the hunters. Other parties will target us relentlessly.
The evidence already suggests major problems ahead.
Membership has reportedly fallen from around 135,000 to roughly 57,000. That matters. Elections are not won by spreadsheets alone. They are won by people knocking doors, delivering leaflets, and building trust locally. Where exactly are the future foot soldiers coming from?
The consequences of getting this wrong are enormous. If the party loses ground at the next General Election, the financial impact will be severe. Fewer MPs means fewer resources, fewer staff, and serious questions about long-term viability.
All of this despite repeated warnings from internal reviews the Alderdice Review, the Thornhill General Election Review and the Turner Review commissioned by LDCRE. Different reports, same broad message: broaden engagement, build trust in minority communities, and stop assuming old electoral formulas will keep working forever.
Instead, too often, the party appears obsessed with picking up soft Tory voters. Some of those voters will eventually drift back home unless we build something deeper and broader.
We are repeatedly told not to worry about opinion polls and to focus only on ballot box results. That line works for a while. But eventually reality catches up.
People seem to think we can “turn water in to wine” Using the current election results as an example somehow I don’t think so.
The data is there. The warning signs are there. The political landscape is changing quickly.
There are, however, some green shoots of hope the work of Anton Georgiou in Brent, Gary Malcom in Ealing, Rabina Khan in Shadwell Tower Hamlets. Along with the LDCRE Action Days lead by Janice Turner and Humaira Sanders in London. I am no shrinking violet. I left my sick bed to lead action days outside of London because I care.
LD HQ has a diversity department that does good work and has helped LDCRE help the party engage people that the party needs to make sure it looks like the people it wishes to represent, however, it is understaffed. Thank you to the lone wolf Nicole Turner for the work that you do.
Are we serious about diversity as I said earlier, has the party tapped out?
The question is simple, what do they do and we at LDCRE do right? You tell me.
Bottle it. Share it. Replicate it.
Because time is running shorter than many people in the party seem willing to admit.
I’m afraid I have to leave you with this.
I would not let anybody “pee on me” from the tallest building and tell me it is rain. I’d check and so should you. The election success of others is a call to wake up and smell the coffee before we get squeezed out of the game, by just being in the middle. Being in denial could end in oblivion.
Thank you Rob Blackie for having time to start a discussion people are thinking and talking about but not saying it publicly.
* Roderick Lynch is Chair of the Liberal Democrat Campaign for Race Equality.
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29 Comments
I agree with Roderick.
“One word summed up their offer: change.”
Yes, Reform and the Greens are both being successful as they offer radical change to voters who are angry about the way things are in the country and their communities. Voters are increasingly frustrated by parties who offer only slow or gradual change then fail to deliver either that.
Our challenge is to both advocate radical change to attract these voters but, in so doing, not also alienate too many of our voters.
I completely agree with Roderick, & goodness knows many of us have been repeating this core message for many years. Labelling all Green voters as extremists is bizarre. Not long ago many of them voted Lib Dem. A strange way to win people back. The party I joined in 1997 was keen to engage more with people from diverse backgrounds, people of colour & urban communities. That’s clearly not the case anymore. Targeting those considered soft Tories & now soft Reform, will only take us so far.
We are now seen as the party for the white middle class, & affluent people of the South East, or ‘middle England’
❤️
Any Lib Dem with half a brain should agree with Roderick. The problem is that the party has been hollowed out, and is now relevant only to the Greater Cotswolds. I am coming to the terrible conclusion that the we have reached terminal velocity in regards to the possibility of looking like a party the Preamble suggests.
Any hope of avoiding oblivion is going to need the 72 to be brave and to act with a ruthlessness that we are not known for.
This article is spot on.
@Meral Hussain-Ece: I haven’t heard any LD spokesperson label Green VOTERS as “extreme”. There are a few elements of Green policy that ARE ill-thought out and “extreme”.
Some good points by Roderick, and Rob, but a couple of points into the mix:
First, the Greens won big in some diverse areas, but the swing towards the Greens was far from uniform, with significantly less of a swing away from Labour in diverse areas where the Green ground game was less strong. My conclusion is this shows a lot of Black votes were lent to rather than sold on the Greens, and now we await delivery and reward. The Greens do not have a plan to tackle systemic racism but they are in a position in 4 Councils to retrospectively invent some policies in this area. I hope they do. If so, other parties will need to at least match that, in terms of tangible policies to make a difference.
Second, it’s obviously to many that the Lib Dems don’t “get” why Black people would vote Lib Dem in the first place, and so Black activists remain a novelty with no real effort to really listen to them and learn something. This is why the LDs go through cycles of reports like Alderdice every few years, prompting the briefest period of handwringing without much change. The real question isn’t “were you listening?” but instead “why weren’t you listening?” That switch of framing invites reflection on why these problems remain, so there’s an honest diagnosis before we get to the medicine. This is a process in and of itself.
@ChrisMoore Ed Davey has referred to both the Green Party and Reform UK as “extreme” or “extreme populist”
Many thousands of £ spent on Birmingham.
MPs and the leader attended, if we had this in Worcestershire I am convinced we would have won more seats last year.
Birmingham result = zero change. 12 seats, last in pecking order.
Greens = gain 17 seats taking them to 19.
LBC political analysts “Palestine was a big issue in Birmingham”
That’s now a green vote, no doubt about it. If the genocide is one of your big concerns – you vote green.
@Nick Perry refers to the party having been hollowed out. Roderick reminds us that we have only 57,000 members left. Spin the election results as you wish, this is not good.
I have been pondering the state of the party recently, reflecting on the journey since I first joined the SDP in the mid 1980’s. Our party is like a fast food franchise. The image and much of the marketing is done centrally, but ultimately the public experience depends on the local franchise and if the food is cold and the tables are rarely cleaned there’s not much future. I recently moved to a town with a Lib Dem Council. I thought the local party would be vigorous. On the contrary. All the activists are councillors, some at three levels (county, borough, parish), they did all the deliving in the recent election but they are busy enough and as a result the local party itself is hollow. We need to rebuild our party from the bottom up. Strong active local parties who can run campaigns, energise local people, build membership further and THEN win seats. Our house is built on sand.
The Greens here in Southwark have achieved in one election in Harriet Harman’s backyard what the Lib Dems have failed to achieve in 20 years in the local elections..knocking out both the longest serving and the 2nd longest serving Labour councillors. Regrettably, we still suffer from self-belief when it comes to a diverse electorate.
@ Meral Hussein-Ece: exactly. He’s said nothing about Green voters.
Meral Hussein-Ece 15th May ’26 – 4:24pm:
Ed Davey has referred to both the Green Party and Reform UK as “extreme” or “extreme populist”
Behind the curve. He might learn something from this weeks essay by Gabriel Elefteriu…
‘How Farage made it through the danger zone’:
https://brusselssignal.eu/2026/05/how-farage-made-it-through-the-danger-zone/
I agree with Roderick’s comments that successful engagement models already exist in places like Brent, Ealing and Tower Hamlets, but the party has failed to properly scale or resource them. Leaving diversity work to “lone wolves” while political demographics rapidly shift is risky. The warning is clear: parties that fail to reflect and engage changing communities will eventually lose relevance, regardless of how comfortable they feel in the political middle ground.
As always Roderick holds up a huge mirror, he speaks with boldness based on evidence. But the risk is that whilst Roderick has been busy talking Truth to Power, who in power is taking action? We have hit a demographic reality that means we need people of Black and Asian heritage to do more than lend us their vote. We need to reflect and amplify with an authentic voice the issues that matter to them (us). From a fairer deal for small businesses to opportunities for equity of access to education and a better deal for the many who work in health and social care. Progress is being made by Lib Dems on inclusive politics – trouble is our ability to engage with communities and get that message out isn’t improving fast enough. Roderick is right to not just ask why? -but is brave to suggest an answer and solution in one! It’s time to get real.
I entirely agree that, as a party, we must do more. We must improve how we engage with diverse local communities and sustain that engagement.
Our business is people. This means that we need to engage with them, and canvassing works.
It is how we find our potential supporters and can encourage others to join our party. It is how we find deliverers. It is how we find wholesalers. It is how we find new members for our executives. More importantly, it is how we find potential new local champions to stand in an election.
Where there is a diverse population, such as people of colour, we need to engage with them. If this means finding someone who can speak their language, then this is what we need to do.
It isn’t just London. There are larger areas elsewhere in the country which have large populations of non-white people. They, too, have been struggling.
All this starts by making small changes in our local parties. Starting the campaign early. Canvassing everyone, including those who haven’t voted for a long time, or at all.
I agree Rod. I am so worried to read that we think we have little to say in urban areas. We are a national Party and absolutely must speak to all people.
You’re quite right Roderick. The first stage of solving a problem is to own up to it.
And if we had been successful in these elections we would have taken some good steps towards a more representative party. But sadly the party’s national messaging fell short – and let us down.
Rod is absolutely correct. This neglect (by which I mean a deliberate neglect of all those people who do not display middle-class values) is not only hollowing-out the Lib Dems but steadily weakening its image and its impact. Sadly this comes down to the leadership – not only Ed Davey, but the coterie of people around him whose horizons are limited to the wealthier sections of the population. Those of us who were active in Liberal politics in East London (Tower Hamlets and Newham in my case) and the South London (Southwark in particular) during the 1970s and early 1980s have seen the distain with which the Liberal Democrat hierarchy has treated active campaigners in those areas, prefering to lavish the party’s resources on securing ‘soft Tory’ voters of which many will return to the Conservatives when that part moves back towards the centre ground (as its more right-wing elements gradually move over the Reform). We also need to accept the fact that the majority of Green activists are essentially of the same mentality as those who flocked to support the Liberal Party half a century ago – those who seek a radical liberal solution to the economic inequalities and injustices of society.
@ChrisMoore- Meral Hussein-Ece: exactly. He’s said nothing about Green voters.
Nearly 2m people who voted Green, apparently voted for an extremist party.
The party has failed to make meaningful progress in recruiting, integrating, and supporting ethnic minority members despite multiple reviews and stated commitments. Previous recommendations, including those from the Alderdice Report, were not properly implemented, resulting in missed opportunities for reform.
At the same time, ethnic minority voters are increasingly disillusioned with the major parties, yet the Liberal Democrats are failing to present a compelling alternative. Many are turning to the Greens, risking the loss of another generation of support, despite ethnic minority communities now influencing outcomes in over 240 parliamentary seats.
The core issue is not only recruitment but also the party’s weak and unclear messaging. While voters may see the Liberal Democrats as a strong community-focused centrist party, few clearly understand what the party fundamentally stands for.
Although there is genuine goodwill within the party, intentions alone are insufficient. Real progress requires consistent commitment, better understanding of diverse communities, and a clear pathway for ethnic minority members to join, develop, and succeed within the party — something that currently does not adequately exist.
Agreed.
All Parties seemed to have said “change ” at some time.
The ones that are doing well just now are selling a, highly unlikely dream. If either of them achieve their “dream ” – the majority of the people will pay for it, because: their dreams are too focused – and this should be explained.
I’m sure that any change in a party comes from the top.
I’m afraid that Ed – although a really nice chap, has little imagination and dynamism!
The Libdems have changed so much for the people of this country, right from from being Liberals to being Liberal Democrats.
I may be a bit wrong; but weren’t we/they involved in ; the first benefits when out of work; the first to recognise the Unions; Pensions; the N.H.S. ; lowering the tax threshold, right to The Pupil Premium etc etc.
So, our Leader should show the true “change” direction that our Party has always had and as actually achieved – along with an exciting and achievable, “Vision” of the future – if we get enough power to achieve it.
I absolutely concur, and as you say some of us have been banging on about this for a while. It is not only politically expedient for us to work in cities where voters are more diverse, younger, and often renting – groups we don’t typically appeal to, but it is also morally the right thing to do. I don’t want to see another jolly jape whilst running myself ragged trying to support families living in overcrowded conditions, or communities whose primary schools are closing and where crime and ASB is off the charts.
Let’s get serious and start the business of being a party that truly represents all of the country including its urban communities.
Absolutely and it goes further. Society is fed up of politics in it’s current form so imagine… If inequalities have been growing for a while and we persist in focussing on the white, middle class who vote for us only to stop others, then we are not even seen. Just part of the current establishment. This joke with Crowning Burnham, not even elected as an MP, as prime minister has made the ultimate mockery of a system much despised by the population.
Labour shouted change but had no plans. The Greens and Reform talk some sort of talk but also have no plans. The Liberals historically were the party with new ideas… We have none and anything we dress up as new is dressed poorly.
Each year that goes by with no change on our part, the harder it is to overcome.
As someone relatively new to the party I can understand the frustration of many long serving members. There are large numbers of people who don’t engage with voting but are politically minded. For example I was recently asked to explain the local elections to a racially minorotised community who wondered if Reform were good as they had black and brown candidates. Representation does matter as people want to feel a sense of belonging and connection if they are to be persuaded to cast a vote or join a political party. Hopefully during a period of time when people are calling for change a clear strategy to engage with diverse communities can be implemented before more members become disenfranchised and choose other parties
It’s even worse than that. If you don’t own a home, have secure employment or a final salary pension, what are the Lib Dems offering you? The Greens are offering more council houses and redistribution of wealth plus they aren’t owned by Israel: they are occupying ground that should be ours.
@Paul The Greens and Lib Dems both promised 150 000 social homes. The difference is that the Lib Dems promised 380 000 new homes overall while the Greens have a raft of policies to make private renting harder.
Firstly, I want to thank Roderick for putting this down on paper. Many of us in London have been warning for some time that the Greens were the party we needed to watch, but all too often those concerns seemed to fall on deaf ears, both within local parties and with those in higher echelons.
It’s now over a week post elections, and I still cannot quite believe how empty and low I feel about what has happened. Despite all the warnings, we still seem shocked by the outcome.
I have much more to say on this subject, and I’m still collecting my thoughts, but one thing is becoming increasingly clear to me: diversity within the party appears to be shrinking, not growing. We talk a great deal about inclusion and representation, and we have some fantastic diversity AO chairs pushing this work forward, but too often diversity and minority communities do not appear to be truly centre stage in how we organise, campaign, and build for the future.
Representation matters. Visibility matters. Engagement matters. Communities need to see themselves reflected in the people asking for their vote.
What frustrates me most is that the warnings were already there. Reports, reviews, campaigners, and activists have all been saying similar things for years. Yet we still seem hesitant to confront the scale of the challenge honestly.
As Rod said, we need to stop burying our heads in the sand. Politics is changing quickly, particularly in London and other urban areas, and if we continue ignoring the warning signs, we risk becoming the dodos of 21st century politics.
More to come from me soonish, but right now I am frustrated, upset, and deeply disheartened by where we find ourselves.