Editor’s Note: In November party members will be voting to elect our next Party President. At Lib Dem Voice we welcome posts from each of the candidates – one to launch their candidature plus a maximum of one per week during the actual campaign.

I have been told that Yorkshire folk are known for straight talking, so let me start there. I am not from Westminster and it’s not the norm for me to be at think-tank lunches or in the shadow of Big Ben. My political training ground was the streets of Yorkshire, armed with a stack of Focus leaflets and a very questionable sense of direction.

I joined the Liberal Democrats before I could grow a proper moustache. At seven years old, I was already delivering leaflets, probably the only Liberal Democrat in history who liked street level letterboxes! 

Since then, I have worn many hats: solicitor, managing partner, campaigner, regional chair, parliamentary candidate, husband, and dad to brilliant (and occasionally exhausting) kids.

And now, I’m standing to be our next Party Vice President, because I believe this role should mean more than a polite nod from the top table. It should be a real link between our members and leadership, a voice that speaks for members, not sending messages from the top to them.

For too long, the Vice President role has been seen as ceremonial, the party equivalent of cutting ribbons and smiling for photos. But we’re a party that believes in empowerment, in grassroots activism, and in shaking up the establishment. It’s time we brought that same energy to our own structures.

That’s why I’ve come up with what I call, Kam’s 6 to Fix, not because I fancy myself as some political handyman, but because the party internal workings need a few screws tightening and a bit of fresh paint.

1. The voice of members to the leadership

We need to give power back to the members, not just at conference but all year round. That’s why I’ll listen to you and be your independent voice back to the leadership.

2. Supporting candidates and local parties

I have spent years helping build campaign structures across the country. It’s time we make that support consistent and practical, so every candidate, whether in Cornwall, Clydebank, Conway, or Calderdale, feels part of a winning machine.

3. Identifying real solutions for real people

We are great at policy papers, but people want potholes fixed and buses that turn up. From Shetland to St Ives, let’s offer real Liberal answers that make life better, not just leaflets that make us feel better.

4. Building a team of winners

We shouldn’t select people because of who they know, but because of what they can do. Merit over networking, that’s how we win elections and trust.

5. Mentoring and supporting candidates

Politics shouldn’t feel like an exclusive club. We must mentor new candidates from all backgrounds, so the next generation sees politics as something they belong in, not something done to them.

6. Beating Labour, Reform and Green 

Yes, the Tories are on the ropes, but if we want real progress, we’ve got to be taking on Labour, Reform, and Green too. I want us to be a Liberal force in every part of our nations not just a party of middle England.

At the heart of it, my campaign is about breaking down barriers, the invisible ones that stop talented people from getting involved because they don’t have the right accent, connections, or confidence.

Diversity isn’t about ticking boxes; it’s about opening doors. It’s about building a party where everyone feels welcome, where no community is left behind and no voice goes unheard.

We have done incredible work in recent years, but I believe we can go further. We can be the party that listens, that empowers, and that enjoys seeing people climb the ladders of opportunity that we have helped to make.

So, when you cast your vote, don’t vote for the status quo. Vote for a fresh start, a different kind of leadership, one that comes with Yorkshire tea and a record of reaching out and getting people involved. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a few leaflets to deliver, three kids to round up for bedtime, and a cold cup of tea with my name on it.

Vote Kamran Hussain to make your voice and values heard and acted upon. Thank you. 

* Kamran Hussain was a candidate for Vice President in 2025 and is a managing partner/solicitor.