I write these words on Monday afternoon, back in Hinckley and Bosworth after a whirlwind (not even) 48 hours in Bournemouth for days one and two of Autumn Conference, reflecting on how different the feeling is being outside the conference bubble – dare I say it – back in the real world, compared with being inside of it when it can feel like the most important thing in the world and something which, surely, must see the media and the wider public glued to our every utterance from the platform in the main auditorium.
Well… not exactly.
To say we’ve not exactly reached maximum cut through is very polite way of putting it.
What was on all the news channels as I flicked through this morning? Yup, you guessed it, a certain Mr Nigel Farage droning on about, yup you guessed it, immigration. Another Monday Reform UK press conference live, taking over the airwaves.
Is it fair? No. Should we strongly protest the unequal coverage? Yes. But is it also our present reality? Yes. So I totally get that, in that context, we’re reduced to doing things like Ed walking into conference with a marching band (don’t get me started!).
And then we get to the flags.
Oh deary me, the flags.
There I was, with hundreds of others, in the main auditorium of the Bournemouth International Centre, mid evening on Saturday, enjoying the Rally when it happened, Tim Farron was on stage doing his “patriots love their country, nationalists hate their neighbours” thing when, suddenly, as if from nowhere, Union Jacks were produced from under seats; Tim unfurled a large St George’s Cross on stage; Land of Hope and Glory was blared out of the speakers and it was as if we were at a naff version of ‘Last Night at the Proms’ or, and much worse, we were at a pound shop Reform UK event.
I sat up the back, flag very much not on hand, wishing I could crawl under my seat.
It was the most mortifying spectacle, for want of a much less polite word, I’ve ever been physically present at, deeply cringe-worthy and profoundly embarrassing. To be frank, it felt smug, self-satisfied, patronising, and, perhaps most shamefully at a Lib Dem Conference, illiberal.
Whilst some may have enjoyed it, many other members, I’ve subsequently seen on Facebook etc, were horrified. Some saying they’d have walked out if they’d been there.
Love of country is fine, but it’s how it’s expressed that’s at issue. I gently suggest we best do so by trying to right the many injustices in our nation and, indeed, the wider world.
- By fighting for LGBT+ equality and especially the rights and dignity of Trans people.
- By arguing for properly funded public services paid for, yes, by asking the ultra rich to contribute a wee bit more.
- By arguing for human rights and a rules based order.
- By giving individuals and communities the tools they need to thrive.
- By calling out the genocide currently taking place in Gaza and for the international community to do much more to ensure Ukraine remains intact and as victorious as it’s possible to be against the aggression of Purim’s Russia.
- By fighting for the areas we’re proud to live in and represent…by ensuring cleaner air, better community facilities, safer streets, and so on.
This is how we show ‘love of country.’, by being Liberalism in action, not by wrapping ourselves in a flag or flags which we well know are seen increasingly as tools of division.
I very much hope we see no repeat of Saturday evening’s performative nonsense. We’re better than that. Or, at least, we should be.
Championing choice at the end of life
I was very privileged and proud to chair Dignity in Dying’s fringe at conference yesterday and to see a packed room of Lib Dems who support the need to give terminally ill, mentally capable, adults a real choice about how they wish to see their lives end.
In my words at the start of the session, I said:
For me it’s about respecting the individual and giving choice to people whose suffering is indescribable and intolerable to make the decision, should they wish to do so, to choose a more dignified death than might otherwise be the case.
I went on,
And we Liberals and Liberal Democrat’s have never shied away from being at the very forefront of social change-from reproductive rights to the same sex marriage legislation.
We had a stellar panel, including Andrew George MP; DiD CEO Sarah Wootton; senior Clinical Nurse working in palliative care Joe Phillips; but for sure the most touching, personal and moving contribution came from Catherine Eden who spoke of her beloved sister Claire’s death from cancer and how she suffered so much and should have had the right to end her life on her own terms.
It is my sincere wish that the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) clears all of its parliamentary hurdles soon and is signed into law.
Youth Work Works
I was also proud as punch to speak in the debate on the need to re-invest in youth work, moved by the brilliant Max Wilkinson MP and summated by the equally brilliant Josh Babarinde MP.
As regular readers of this column will know I’m not afraid of speaking uncomfortable truths to our party and this was no exception.
Part of my speech went thus:
I note that in lines 11 to 13 the motion states ‘persistent under-investment in youth work in recent years has seen many youth centres close and many youth workers leave the sector.
Tis so. A true tragedy. But you could read that and believe it’s all the fault of those dastardly other parties. So, some facts which may be difficult to hear Conference.
The union Unison, of which I’m a proud member, says that research its conducted via FOIs found that funding cuts have led to the closure of of more than two thirds of Council-run youth centres since 2010 from, and I quote, ‘2010/11 when austerity began under the Coalition government’ up to 2022/23.
So, yes, whilst there’s certainly plenty of blame to spread around, I put it to this Conference that we as a party can’t begin to put right what we don’t seem able to admit we played at least a part in getting wrong in the first place.
I ended my speech like this;
Let’s invest in youth work. Let’s re-open youth centres up and down the country. And let’s employ lots more youth workers who are properly paid and recognised as the skilled professionals that they are.
Our young people deserve nothing less.
A hair cut..in the exhibition area!
One thing I didn’t expect to be getting at Conference was a hair cut…and in the exhibition area, no less. But I was very proud to do so in support of and in shining a spotlight on men’s mental health.
As we know, and truly tragically, around 80 men a week take their own life; suicide being the biggest killer of men under 50 in this country.
So thanks to the Movember team for doing such fantastic work… and for making me look much more presentable.
For a video of me, new haircut and all, filmed just before I left Conference yesterday, please check out Mathew on Monday – The Video Edit on my YouTube channel.
* Mathew Hulbert is a former Councillor, is a regular commentator on TV and Radio, and is Co-Host of the Political Frenemies podcast.
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16 Comments
…… “something which, surely, must see the media and the wider public glued to our every utterance from the platform in the main auditorium”.
As a matter of information, I notice this afternoon on the live stream less than 140 hardy souls (including me) were actually watching Conference. Gripping the electorate it apparently isn’t, though I thought Callum Miller made a good speech….. one for the future if he can keep his seat next time.
Flags – are we really trying to compete with the 110,000 who marched through London for Tommy Robinson?
Cringeworthy indeed!
My thoughts and feelings entirely. Very, very embarrassing.
Mathew, A massive thank you for your contributions. I always enjoy reading your columns, but you have surpassed yourself this time, with the flags at the conference observation. Absolutely priceless. I remember the 3 Liberal Party Conferences I attended, in Margate ’79, Blackpool ’80 and Llandudno ’81. There was always a bucket passed around after the leader’s speech for party funds. I think it would have had another use if the flags had been displayed . . . even then!
Mathew you are a tonic.
It’s not a binary choice you know…pursuing your list of laudable objectives or waving flags. It is possible to do both proudly.
Tim’s speech gave the reason why he is a patriot. Because we are a country of toleration, politeness, fairness, equality and welcome to strangers.
Waving a flag in that context seems not only OK but a fitting response to the current flag mania in other quarters.
I think you’ll find many people in the hall waved the flags enthusiastically – in the context of Tim’s passionate and well argued speech.
It was the conference rally, after all. It is known for over-the-top rah rah antics.
That said it was optional and many people didn’t wave the flags. Part of me found it ever-so slightly skin crawly. I don’t usually wave flags (my dad said they should hoisted properly on a lanyard) except in the context of the Eurovision Song Contest, which seems to bring out my inner vexillophile.
I couldn’t disagree more with Mathew. It’s time progressives took back the flag from the fascists and racists. Our flag represents diversity, equality and inclusion. We should be proud to sing songs celebrating our version of the UK.
Out of curiosity, will Lib Dems now go round and spend their time festooning public lampposts with flags to try to out-Reform Reform?
And, if so, will Lib Dems follow the example of Northern Ireland where in some areas it was “mandatory” to also paint the street kerbs in your “national colours” as well as put up flags to demonstrate your “patriotism”?
There are far too many nasty flag displays on roundabouts and kerbs. We all know what they mean – “Nigel Faridge’s mob woz ere, and they’re rubbing it in yer face”. Councils should pull them down, and a few police cautions would be good too.
Paul Walter, I agree we can both show the Union Flag and speak of our objectives to move this country forward. It got us some good attention and that is something we desperately need. Most people know nothing about all the good things we say in Pariament for example, so lets reach outside our bubble.
It wasn’t a St George’s Cross flag, as anyone with reasonable eyesight could see it was a Blackburn Rovers FC supporters’ flag. As Tim Farron is a lifelong fan of Blackburn Rovers it is quite appropriate that he chose it. Many football teams in England have similar supporters’ flags, which should not be confused with the flag carried by people on Stephen Yaxley-Lennon’s march.
I send both @Paul and @Nigel
I was undecided about the flags because I wish we just threw in some EU flags in there to show our internationalist outlook. But, I dont want to be ashamed of the flag. I want my flag back. We should be doing a #itsmyflagtoo campaign. And I thought Tim did it justice. And to suggest the way the LibDems did it is somehow sinister and almost comparing it to a Reform rally it just not right.
And like Nigel its got us media attention and I can say that my friend who is a politically homeless person has now joined the LibDems because he is proud to have a Party to call themselves patriots without the ugly nationalistic aspect.
So, in rare disagreement with Mathew Ive gone from being on the fence to now no, it was a good idea. Ticked up the social media views and got us media attention.
I disagree with Mathew Hulbert.
While a flag is only a symbol, symbols matter.
Look at the reverence with which US soldiers fold the US flag into a small triangle after it has draped the coffin of a fallen soldier and present it to a member of the deceased’s family.
It would be a catastrophic mistake to abandon our country’s flag to the far right. However that would be the consequence of Mathew’s attitude, whether he intends it or not.
I wear a Union Jack lapel pin on my jacket at all times. See my more detailed reasoning on my website at the link below.
https://www.mohammedamin.com/Community_issues/Union-Jack-lapel-pin.html
” Councils should pull them (St Georges and Union Flags) down….”
Doing this only reinforces the arguments of those on the far right that we on the left aren’t patriotic. There is a germ of truth in some of these accusations. I’ve had discussions, cum disagreements, with my much more liberally minded wife, about the merits of supporting the England football team even when we were playing a lowly ranked team such as Iceland or Andorra.
My line is that this is fair enough and certainly doesn’t mean we have any antagonism towards anyone from these countries.
I would say that the majority of the working class would agree with my take on this. Most supporters will take an interest at how the players they support at club level will fare at international level, hoping they will do well, regardless of which country they represent. It’s not a problem.
Of course being patriotic isn’t confined to support of sporting teams. It means we all want our country to do well in everything. Such having an excellent publicly funded health service for example.
Disowning the flag, or be seen to act in ways that can be interpreted as such, is only going to push more of the disaffected working class into the clutches of the far right.
Anyone who believes that choreographed flag waving at a political event is a sign of patriotism is either already in the Reform party or a Tommy Robinson fanatic..,,
I’ve made a similar comment elsewhere but I very much disagree with this view on the flag stunt. I’m not really a fan of big performative patriotism and flag waving like this, but there is a time and a place for it and I think this particular moment is one of them. Many people have talked to me about the flags and how it has made them feel — some are frightened, especially those who were directly targeted; others are angry that they don’t feel comfortable using their own flags lest people think they are expressing a racist or xenophobic sentiment. I’m resentful that a symbol that I and my fellow immigrants have every right to claim as our own is being used in an attempt to intimidate us.
The flag waving stunt was a bit silly and cringe-inducing, as all good Lib Dem stunts are, but I think that is actually one of the things that makes them effective. It’s hard to make a symbol seem threatening and exclusionary when it’s being waved around by a mixed crowd of jocular, welcoming people. I take the point that some people would have liked to see other British flags included, but since the Union flag in theory represents the whole country it seems like an acceptable choice.