Author Archives: Antony Hook

This autumn I will reach 25 years as a member of the Liberal Democrats, which causes me to reflect on the last quarter century (I was 18 when I joined) and think about the next 25 years for the party (by when I shall by 68 and just eligible for my state pension). 

This reflection has led me to seven questions that are key to what our party’s future will look like.

I write this article knowing (in fact, intending) that some people may disagree with some of what I say.  I am interested in starting a debate about the future for the party and its long-term strategy. You cannot start a debate that leads to meaningful action by saying things that are easy, or which everyone will agree with. Debate drives progress.

I am immensely grateful for the opportunities the party has given me. Firstly, to meet hundreds of fascinating, inspiring people. Secondly, to give me the honour of representing the public briefly as a Member of the European Parliament and currently as a County Councillor, Group Leader and previously as Town Councillor.

In the last 25 years we have elected 1000s of councillors, 62 MPs at the 2005 peak, entering coalition government in 2010 and the achievements of all of those elected officeholders in their roles. 

Back in in 1998, I am sure I hoped that by the 2020s we would have more substantially closed the electoral gap with Labour and the Conservatives and possibly have regained our place as being one of the two main parties. We have not achieved that and we (as a party or as part of a broader liberal movement in the UK) have lost strategic political battles such as EU membership and not won significant progress on rebalancing power through constitutional reform. 

Some party members take the view that big electoral objectives are not a high priority and the most valuable role the party can play is influencing the debate, moving the Overton Window and contributing to better legislation and national policy in the long-term from Opposition. This is a respectable view, although I find it hard to identify a very long list of policies and laws we have influenced this way in recent years.  In the past we led the way on, for example, Common Market membership, opposition to Apartheid, legalising abortion, gay rights and acting against genocide in Bosnia which over time influenced other parties to move our way.

Liberal Democrat MEPs have always led the way on transparency and personal accountability.  They have set a high bar, which others have repeatedly failed to match.

Chris Davies in particular led the way on reforms and changes in the Parliament that eliminated some abuses.

There is a specific commitment to make available any claim over £25 on the General Expenditure Allowance (the main sum of money that MEPs receive as expenses):

Liberal Democrat MEPs make receipts for items spent under the General Expenditure Allowance (GEA) in excess of £25 available either on their websites or on request in their constituency offices.

You can …