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Tickets for this event are available via the Social Liberal Forum website.

The Challenge We Face

Nine years have passed since the Brexit referendum divided our nation. The narrow Leave victory, driven primarily by the “left behind” communities in Wales, the Midlands, and Northern England—areas that felt abandoned by decades of economic neglect—set us on a path that has fundamentally reshaped British politics.

Those of us who supported Remain were left grappling with profound questions: How do we understand what happened? How do we respond constructively to the concerns that drove that vote?

The 2024 election brought hope that Labour might finally deliver for these “left behind” communities after 14 years of Conservative mismanagement and Brexit failure. Yet early signs suggest this promise may go unfulfilled. The result? Growing disillusionment with mainstream politics, with voters either staying home or turning to Reform UK—a dangerous trend we’ve witnessed across the democratic world, from Trump’s America to populist movements throughout Europe.

This presents a stark warning for the next general election expected in 2029: unless we act decisively, Britain risks following the same destructive path toward authoritarian populism.

The Liberal Democrat Opportunity

The Liberal Democrats now with 72 MPs can offer something different. But seizing it requires fundamental changes:

• Higher national profile so that voters know what we stand for
• Ambitious economic policies that directly tackle inequality and public sector decline
• A compelling vision for Britain’s future where voters can feel that their vote makes a difference

We have reached a key moment in British politics. The recent local election results show that the two party system is well and truly broken.

Of course we have been claiming that for many years, but the scale of the losses for the two main parties – both at the same time – were, according to John Curtice, unprecedented for local elections.

A lot of that was down to big Liberal Democrat gains, but most of that was down to the anti-liberal Reform UK party, who are now threatening to destroy the Tory party and to take away Labour’s working class base.