For the last couple of years, around this time, we’ve asked you to name your Liberal Democrat Stars of the year. Little did we know that in 2013, what we thought might be an interesting comments thread for a day or two would turn into a six part Liberal Democrat Roll of Honour with some really lovely tributes to some fabulous people. This year, we’ve had a few nominations already!
Last year, my introductory post talked about 2015 as the worst year ever to be a Liberal Democrat. It certainly was a stinker. This year, we find our own fortunes improving, but our core values of human rights and international co-operation under threat as never before. We’ve voted to leave the EU after a horrendously mendacious Leave campaign and a limp, disjointed Remain effort that didn’t even enthuse passionate EU-philes, let alone the general public. We have a massive job of work to do in the years to come to prevent our country, our continent and the wider world throwing away the gains of the last 70 years and descending into hatred and prejudice as s substitute for genuine social justice.
It’s going to be tough. No doubt about that. This is why, more than ever, we need to acknowledge and appreciate those amongst us who help to us along the way. These are the people who inspire us to do more than we ever thought we could, to go out in the wind and rain with yet another bundle of leaflets, to make more phone calls, to give up another weekend.
This isn’t just about honouring the Great and the Good, although they are as eligible as anyone else. It’s about appreciating anyone from grassroots activist to Cabinet Minister (and we still have one of those, in Wales) who has made your Liberal Democrat journey easier, more stimulating and satisfying or who has provided comfort and inspiration for the future.
You can make your suggestions in several ways:
- in the comments to this and other posts in the next few days
- by emailing [email protected]
- by tweeting @libdemvoice
Just tell us who you are nominating and why.
I’m going to kick things off with a nomination of my own. Step forward Liz Barrett from Perth. Liz has been involved in the party for decades and is a brilliant organiser. Nowhere was this more evident than back in 2006 in the aftermath of the Dunfermline by-election. While I got to grips with casework, Liz, as a volunteer, set up Willie Rennie’s office and put systems and processes in place that really worked for us. She has campaigned all over Scotland, most recently in the North East for Christine Jardine and, during the Scottish elections, in Willie Rennie’s successful campaign in North East Fife. It was during that last campaign that she fell over and broke her wrist while leafletting. That didn’t keep her from phoning though. She just keeps going whatever. The Scottish Parliament Dunfermline by-election in 2013 came not long after she’d had a major operation on her hip yet she showed up and did a power of work there.
Not only that, but every year she and her husband Pete host the annual Perth Strawberry and Fizz party in their garden. Liz’s baking would give Mary Berry a run for her money. Delicious little pancakes, perfect little meringues, cream scones with strawberries on the top. Yum.
Who do you want to acknowledge and appreciate this year? Let us know and we’ll tell the Lib Dem World.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
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18 Comments
Top of the list for me is Liz Leffman. From the morning after she was selected when we did photos and media in Chipping Norton with Tim, through to the count, Liz did everything that was asked of her without complaint and showed genuine positive leadership throughout. That picture of her laughingnext to grumpy Robert Courts at the count said it all.
And I nominate the volunteers who turned up in that first week of the Witney campaign. They came in such numbers that we immediately raised our expectations about what could be achieved.
Too many to name individually but Candy Piercy, Ian Morton, Stephanie Ouzman, Penny Silva and Dawn Glatz were among those who helped get the campaign moving and then turned up repeatedly throughout.
Neil, you are not the first to mention Liz:-). One of the best by-election candidates I have ever known. Brilliant on the doorsteps, fantastic to all the volunteers who turned up to help her, a fantastic performer at the hustings. Everything you would ever want in a candidate.
There are many people I could nominate that have been so kind and helpful to me in the last year, as not only a new(ish) member of the party I was also selected to stand as a candidate for Edinburgh City Council. To say I knew nothing is an understatement but luckily several very experienced individuals joined my team and with their incredible help we are really making some progress. I would first like to mention Alex Cole-Hamilton and Kevin Lang to thank them for their strong leadership and their generosity, sharing their vast experience and incredible patience. Next Mike Gray who not only manages the finances but is a champion Focus deliverer. Tom Utting a very determined and positive campaign manager, without whom I would be lost. But my actual nomination goes to Gregan Crawford a man who knows Connect and has designed the most fantastic runs that make all of our lives so much easier. He has given so much not only to me but to so many other Candidates. In the short time I have known him he has updated all my delivery runs, printing easy to understand instructions for deliverers new and old, trained my assistant in the complexity that is Connect, printed, folded and organised three 12,000 Focus deliveries and many more things. The man is quite simply a legend and that is why with so much competition he gets my nomination.
Hal beat me to nominating Gregan Crawford so
I’ll just second her on that one. I’d also like to give a shoutout to my agent Gillian Gloyer, who a) really encouraged me to stand in the first place and b) took on all the heavy lifting and bureaucracy for a slightly confused and very busy first time candidate!
Thanks for the kind comments Hal!
I’d like to also back the nominations for Gregan Crawford. He is the “Mr Connect” for the whole of Edinburgh and the oil that keeps our city campaigns going. He sorts the delivery runs, marked registers, mail merges, we simply couldn’t do it without him.
If I could nominate one other person, it would be my best mate Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP. He has been the living embodiment of the LibDem fightback this year, finally winning election to parliament after difficult losses in 2007 and 2011. He’s a born leader, enthuses and inspires others to help and always remains upbeat and positive.
This is a political party.. Everyone does what they can when they can. This is not the X Factor.
Martin Land, that was a miserable comment. Why not celebrate effort or success?
I nominate Duwayne Brooks for many reasons. Aside from being among the best expertise in the party on policing and criminal justice, he is someone who other members would have nominated in past years. But because he’s saying it how it is people don’t want to know now. He represents the dream aspiring politicians of colour are told when they’re being strung along. I also nominate Ibrahim Taguri, who we all loved when he was a brilliant PPC in Brent but quickly forgot when he was stiched up by the press. And I also nominate Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera, EMLD chair, for overcoming and overturning an unjust suspension for whistleblowing in Newbury.
I agree with Martin Land. This is all well-meaning but not appropriate in a serious political party.
I think this is a great idea. Not sure I could pick just one person to nominate TBH. Martin’s right that we all do what we can when we can – but sometimes we lose sight of that, and by shining some light on the everyday heroes of the party, not just the Parliamentarians, it can show others that there’s a new way they can get involved.
I’d rather have this sort of peer group recognition tha our flawed honours system! And Lester Holloway himself deserves a mention for his sheer perseverance and determination, whatever the obstacles and the climate. Locally I have to say my next-door neighbour PPC Daisy Benson has done an amazing job enthusing and inspiring across the South-West, and wider still through Lib Dem Newbies. And Adrian Sanders for bouncing back too, and showing he can stick it to the Tories just as hard as a Councillor as an MP!
With all due respect to Martin Land and Tony Greaves, one of the best ways to build teams is to recognise those who go beyond their brief, who inspire others and set the bench mark. I love watching what other inspirational Lib Dems are up to (and take huge pleasure in thanking them for what they do). They keep redefining the possibilities. For example, I don’t believe we would have had a Richmond win without the energy generated in Witney. The Witney team fired thousands of imaginations, injected huge amounts of positivity. So, ‘recognition’ is an essential part of the team building process and I think it should be embraced by the Lib Dems. We are building formidable teams across the country and everything should be done to encourage this. Are we not the party of aspiration?
Far from not being appropriate in a serious political party, Tony, giving public thanks to hard-working volunteers or staff should absolutely be part of one. If you’re serious about the party, you should be serious about thanking and praising others.
On which note – I’d add Charlie Mollison, who works for the party on the sort of crucial data roles that rarely get noticed except if something goes wrong but which make life for the rest of us so much easier and more efficient. Thank you Charlie!
The negative comments from Martin Land and Tony Greaves seem to have put the damper on this thread, but hardworking volunteers and hardworking staff members certainly should get the recognition that they mostly do not seek but which they all deserve. In this context I was seriously impressed to read in the Christmas newsletter of a friend of ours born five years before the outbreak of the Second World War that having never previously been involved in politics he tramped the pavements of Richmond and Kingston delivering and canvassing on Sarah Olney’s behalf – and as such is an example to us all, whatever our age.
delivering and canvassing on Sarah Olney’s behalf in
Sorry for the Christmas related delay. I want to nominate the mighty Kevin Lang. As well as steering my campaign to victory in May, he has consistently set the bar in terms of obsessional campaigning with a laser beam focus since his own campaign for North Edinburgh in 2010, he’s running one of the highest intensity campaigns I’ve ever seen in his tilt at Edinburgh city council for next May. Kevin is one of our party’s engine rooms and a key part of its future.
My Liberal Democrat Stars of the Year were the wonderful London Liberal Democrat Staff Team from this year’s Mayoral Election.
Step forward Becky Carr, Nick Carthew, Henry Compson, Simon Drage, Julia Fletcher, Marcus Foster and Sarah Morris. A special mention too for Pete Dollimore who may as well have been staff!
Colin
Having had the privilege to see the London team in action, I second what Colin said
I am particularly inspired by the work Bradley Hillier Smith has done in helping the refugees in France, helped of course by Roger Roberts, Shas Sheehan, Tim Farron and his local party in Camden, London.