When the histories of modern UK liberalism are written – and the tally of inspirations, ideas and motivations are drawn up… then the name of David Boyle (1958-2025) should feature.

It was lunch with Cllr Lord Greaves of Pendle, I think, when we agreed that local government and the Liberal Democrats needed an injection of energy. Tony’s reply was without hesitation: David Boyle. Cllr Richard Kemp had seen David speak at a conference on mutuality and ecology-led economies and had recently become leader of the Lib Dem Group at the Local Government Association (LGA): he also wanted to mobilise David’s talents.  In no time at all I had the privilege of offering David a contract to write an account of Liberal Democrat councils who were in control and positions of power: Power Actually.

And so began an LGA funded programme with David as he surveyed, met, interviewed and researched what Liberal Democrats were doing locally when they were in positions of power. Power Actually: a study of Liberal Democrat localism in action (2007) was followed by Greening Actually: environmental action through the local perspective (2009).

What David had enabled as a manifesto of achievements and with it a transformation in our approach to local government. Saying what we did, why we did it and what difference it made. That work and its legacy will stand the test of time and it is there for all to read. David was rightly pleased with both publications.

When ‘Power Actually’ came out David was immensely proud at the reaction – it was his compilation and collation of ‘our’ story. I recall at the launch Council Leader, the late Cllr Serge Lourie paying tribute to David – “David not only heard what we said, but he listened to what we were trying to say.”

David was not new to the Liberal Democrats – a longstanding activist and indeed former Young Liberal – he knew our political landscape.  When the Editor of Liberal News, Mike Harskin, died suddenly in 1992 David was asked by Chris Rennard to take over as Editor. David rose to the moment and was to be there for six years, editing a weekly paper that was driven by its diverse readership and reflecting both geography and quirkiness that it entailed.

And after he served as editor he served four years on the Federal Policy Committee where he was a calm, genial and inspiring source of ideas and wisdom.

Within the Cowley Street staff team David was widely liked by all and indeed was much missed when he chose to move on. Throughout his tenure – and this was true of all he turned his hand to – his principles, his loyalty and his ability to make acquaintances feel like dear friends was a special trait indeed. His warmth, his sincerity and his optimism always shone through.

I recall one conference when a round of elections had seen us wiped off of a particular council where once we had been strong. The former Leader and former Councillor was present at an ALDC event and was quite annoyed, robust and indignant. David and I watched the scene from the sidelines.  At an appropriate break David whispered “perhaps they had forgotten how they had got there and that votes have to earned and the voters aren’t fools. If I was elected I think I would want to show some humility and appreciation. And if I lost I would listen.” His instincts were wise as always. But he was not to be an elected councillor himself.

Many of the books of modern political liberal democracy talk of how to gain power, some talk of what is different afterwards: David articulated what people could, should, and had done to achieve that change. He travelled to Bristol, Pendle, Adur, West Berkshire, Sutton, Richmond, Lewes, Three Rivers, Newcastle and Leeds and more besides. He saw it for himself and he wrote honestly and truthfully of what he saw. And he liked talking to Liberal Democrat councillors – “they have a sincerity of purpose” he would say.

When we launched the second of the LGA booklets – we invited David to the LGA conference and to the Lib Dem dinner. There was the expected after dinner speaker (usually an MP or Peer) but we asked David to be the main speaker. It was Richard Kemp’s idea and I recall saying if this goes wrong, it all your idea. Richard had made the right call: David spoke without notes, from the heart, to Liberal Democrat councillors about what they did and why they should. It over-ran but it was brilliant and was a tour de force and he received a deserved standing ovation from the unlikeliest of audiences: Lib Dem Councillors. “All I did,” he said afterwards, “was tell them about themselves and they deserve all the praise I gave them.” It was true, but crucially he chose to stood alongside them as a friend and as a raconteur of their story. It was never about David, it was always about others.

It seems almost trite: but the element that stood out for me was that David was just so nice, so lovely, almost self effacing to work with and to know.  I noted so many small things about his manner of working that made an impact. He wrote in pencil and always had a rubber to hand, he was busy but always keen to meet, he paused and thought before replying to questions: it was charming and it was very much him. But more than this was his steely belief in communities, in activists, in resident-led change. And he was committed to the Liberal Democrats as a vehicle for this in neglected and marginalised parts of the UK.

Outside the hamstring of party politics David was an advocate of alternative currencies, localised solutions, challenging big thinking and advocating for the little people. He was, slightly incongruously, something of an expert on medievalism, Richard the Lionheart and King John and could cite the most obscure French literature unexpectedly.

Known and respected by the Treasury and Cabinet Office he often featured at Conferences and was a thoughtful addition to any discussion panels. More recently David was a co-founder of Radix the radical centrist think tank and a director of the mutual New Weather Institute. His friends and networks made his insights varied and always worth hearing. Few people mustered new ideas and new thinking with such ease – for David with his charm and light-touch – he simply carried the joy of free thinking into all he taught and advocated, and he willingly shared it with others.

When I saw David at the funeral of the late Maggie Clay in Stockport some years back I introduced him to a friend as ‘my favourite liberal philosopher’. David was really touched by the tag: “I might be a reluctant philosopher – it’s better than radical economist I guess.”  That was also the time, when I reduced him to tears telling him the age old joke in Stockport politics was ‘if you think we (Liberal Democrats) are sh**, you should see the other lot.’  We could neither of us decide if that was a low bar of the lowest denominator or the highest possible expectation.

In short, David Boyle was a joy to know and to work with. And when things went well, and that project was a success there was a little twinkle in his eye, a giggle in his voice and almost a skip in his step. Positive about change, constructive about problems and willing to explore new ideas and new approaches. We should all learn a little something from David Boyle.

* Ed Fordham is a councillor on Chesterfield Borough Council and runs Brockwell Books of Chesterfield, selling many thanks, not least ephemera he bought from Liber Books over the last 25 years.