Just like so many people, I went through much of my life following the politics I grew up with. Growing up in Wales, this was nationally Labour.
After years of following the Labour ideology without questioning it and spending many years involved with student politics, it was the Brexit vote that made me think. The morning the Brexit result was announced, my young daughter turned to me and said, “That’s rubbish, what are you going to do about it?” This was my turning point.
I soon found out that my political home was not Labour, and the personal views I had struggled with for years are actually those of a Liberal: liberty, equality, democracy, community, human rights, internationalism, and environmentalism.
The evening after the Brexit vote, I joined the Liberal Democrats and closed a 20-year chapter of active involvement in Labour. Not wanting to let my daughter down, I became actively involved in the early years of the anti-Brexit campaign and continue to do so until this day. My paternal grandparents would be horrified, as they had done the opposite decades previously, taking a lead with the anti-Common Market campaign.
A few years ago, I moved from a very active Lib Dem area to one that was less so, and surrounded by a coastal community very angry with all political parties. I continued to show my liberal colours and encouraged those around me that there were alternatives to the divisive politics of Nigel Farage.
Having grown up in a neglected mining village and a coastal town in decline, I could understand why the East Yorkshire coastal communities feel so neglected and left behind by Labour and the Conservatives.
I also started to see why the direct politics of Nigel Farage and his party were attracting those who feel politically homeless. It is often not the substance of what is said, but the way they say it that moves someone to back Farage: simple words said with conviction, but no substance.
The Covid pandemic provided a welcome distraction from the scary world of politics, or so I thought. I soon found myself working with all Liberal Democrat MPs and many across party lines to campaign for millions of zero-hour/agency/casual council workers with regards to the furlough scheme.
Many people do not realise that without the work of the Liberal Democrats, millions of people would have been excluded from the furlough scheme by the Conservatives. Liberal Democrats stepped up to defend some of the poorest in society, whilst Labour and the Unions looked the other way. I regret we could not help everyone and continue to support ‘Excluded UK’.
Watching Reform’s rise online, I became increasingly concerned that there was about to be a once-in-a-century seismic shift in the political landscape of the UK. Unfortunately, the May 2025 local elections proved this right.
Unfortunately, the Liberal Democrats and other mainstream parties have remained sleeping whilst Reform grew an online presence that dwarfs every other party.
Whilst traditional campaigning remains vital for the core traditional vote, reaching beyond that and to a younger demographic puts social media at the heart of campaigning.
In September 2025, I launched Liberal Action as a way of bringing together and promoting the Liberal Democrats’ message. The aim is to act as a one-stop for all the key messages from across the Lib Dem community in the UK.
This involves sharing posts from our amazing MPs, articles from Voice, and producing new material highlighting some of the amazing work our local councils and councillors are doing.
- Facebook: Liberal Action (https://www.facebook.com/share/181VvDPyKG/)
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@liberal.action
Within two months, Liberal Action is reaching over 250,000 views a month across the platforms and increasing engagement.
I truly believe that as a party, by becoming more professional in our social media, we can break through our current vote share glass ceiling.
If anyone finds themselves in the same position as me—time on their hands and eager to share the Liberal Democrat message—please feel free to get in touch: [email protected].
* Tim Holden is a campaigner and Lib Dem activist from East Yorkshire. Founder of Liberal Action. Brexit made him question his core values and he found his 'true political home as a Liberal Democrat'.
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2 Comments
This is a very interesting organisation you’ve started here! One thing I often talk about with some of my friends in the party is out lack of good social media campaigning, I think you’ve made the right move here in doing it yourself.
Two minor critiques I have is, for one, the usage of obvious AI artwork on your socials, which is unlikely to appeal to the youth vote who are staunchly anti-AI; there’s a good number of volunteers in the party (such as myself!) that would happily do some of that design work for you for free. Alongside this, I noticed you often interact with bait in your comments – such as those saying to vote for Green or Reform instead – who are by-and-large seeking to get a reaction out of you, and are probably are less worth responding to than the positive ones who will actively appreciate your engagement.
Aside from that, I’m excited to see where you take this!
Thanks for the feedback Rosemary Runswick, much appreciated.. Artwork is down to time.. The more people get involved, the more the idea can grow.
At the moment, I’m running the whole project off a mobile phone 🤣, so that just shows how this could move with more volunteers etc.
Ultimately, I see Liberal Action as a point to share our from.
But believe it of not, some the highest ratings have been from original articles about activities of Liberal Democrat councils. I personally believe they are one of our most wasted resources as a party.