Happy September 1st, folks.

And if it’s the first Monday in September, the return of Parliament, and the start of the new political season, it must mean the return of your favourite column by a Lib Dem, gay, Christian, (anti monarchist) Republican, Woke, progressive former Councillor… er, that’d be me then.

But seriously I’m delighted to be back in this space after a month off; rejuvenated, revitalised, and ready to give my forthright but hopefully also well informed and nuanced views about the Lib Dems and politics more widely as head towards Conference season, a possible Government reshuffle, the Budget, internal party elections, and lots more.

So, where to start?

Well, as we all know, the summer has been dominated by the issue of migration, small boat crossings, flags, patriotism, hotels, and protests. And what a deeply unedifying spectacle it had been.

Some in our country, in our media (both old and new) appear to have lost the ability to talk about potentially contentious issues in a way which deals with facts and from a place of care, rather than with falsehoods and from a place of hate.

On Saturday evening I made my debut on GB News. Now I appreciate that is very unlikely to be the channel of choice for most readers of this column, but we have to face the reality that lots of people do watch/listen to it and we as a party need to be trying to communicate with them as much as any body else; we shouldn’t just write them off as ‘not our people’ or ‘beyond the pale.’

I was chuffed to be invited on the debut edition of ‘Alex Armstrong Tonight,’ to talk about the flags issue. Or, more specifically, the alleged ‘hypocrisy’ of Lib Dem run Portsmouth City Council having apparently said that it’ll clean away the St George’s crosses painted on roundabouts in its locality whilst at the same time having previously agreed a rainbow pedestrian crossing.

On the programme I said, “In terms of the rainbow pedestrian crossing, that will have had to go through safety checks, and been agreed by the Council, and be voted on. That’s a bit different, isn’t it, to people taking it upon themselves to paint stuff on a roundabout.”

Later in the segment I said, “The rainbow flag represents diversity, it celebrates modernity, it celebrates the right to be different, and I just worry that there’s something much darker going on in terms of some of these people that are painting the St George’s Cross. I’m really concerned about it. I think it’s supposed to stoke fear, it’s supposed to stoke resentment, and I believe it’s starting to do that.”

Of course people put up the English and UK flags for lots of different reasons, including sporting occasions, national days and so on, and that is of course entirely as it should be. I question the motive of some, and I stress some, of those who are painting/putting up English/British flags at a time of (largely media fuelled) heightened tensions.

As for me, well, I have been, am, and will likely remain very liberal on immigration.
I believe, and international law agrees, that people have a right to seek asylum and seek a better life. And, indeed, the vast majority of asylum applications are approved.

Immigrants make an immense contribution to our country: economically, culturally, and socially. From the NHS, to the hospitality sector, across the professions, and so on, immigrants are, in many ways, the backbone of our country. I celebrate them and their contribution.

I wish our party would stop running scared of Tory voters and would offer a more full throated celebration of immigration and immigrants.

They are the best of us.

Liverpool’s Liberal lion!

I recently had the very great honour of going up to Liverpool to interview our party’s leader in the city, Councillor Carl Cashman.

Carl has had quite a bit of national press coverage and has even been dubbed ‘the sexiest politician in Britain’ after his occasional shirtless gym pics on Instagram. But Carl is much more than just a strong jawline and a set of abs. He is, in my humble opinion, just about the most interesting personality in our party at the present moment. He’s humble, decent, funny, smart – a strong Northern and working-class voice in a party with all too few of both.

So I wanted to write what I believe to be the first full length profile of Carl (which you can read in the next edition of Liberator magazine) and thought I’d share a couple of Carl’s insights from that interview here.

I asked him about his background.

When I was younger I grew up in a council house, which is an upbringing that I was always really fortunate (to have). I know some people might look down on that kind of upbringing but I absolutely cherished being in a council house and being brought up by my gran and granddad who gave me the morals I’ve got today. So I’m really appreciative of that upbringing. Even though it wasn’t that we had a lot of money. Quite often gran and granddad would have a bag of chips and that would be tea. I don’t look back at that and think there was anything wrong with that. I look back on that quite fondly. That shaped me as a person and then when I was eighteen I watched the 2010 general election debates and at the time I was swept up in that… I ‘agreed with Nick’ (Clegg) and I know it’s probably not a popular thing to say now but I was very much swept up in Cleggmania. It gave me an introduction into Liberalism and what being a Liberal was about.

In the full interview Carl speaks to me about his vision for Liverpool if, as we hope, he becomes leader of the City Council next time; what he really thinks about the Coalition government; what the party needs to do to win again in big cities; the attention he’s garnered for those shirtless gym pics; his political heroes and much, much more.

Make sure you’re subscribed to Liberator, so you don’t miss it!

Leicester Pride!

It was fab to be at Leicester Pride this past Saturday, a wonderful day of colour, diversity, inclusion, celebrating difference, a much needed reminder of a decent, celebratory, dare I say it liberal Britain that I still believe us at heart to be.

As a Leicestershire lad, born in Leicester, it also of course made me proud of our city and county.

I marched with Amnesty International UK. Rarely before has the fight for LGBT+ rights in particular and human rights more widely been more urgent and more important, especially in regards to the dignity and rights of Trans, gender fluid and gender nonconforming individuals and communities.
I stand with them yesterday, today and tomorrow.

And so must our party…

* Mathew Hulbert is a former Councillor, is a regular commentator on TV and Radio, and is Co-Host of the Political Frenemies podcast.