EXCLUSIVE: “We need to be bold, we need to be relevant, and we need to show people that we’re serious” – party figures react to news of strategy review

This weekend news broke, via PoliticsHome, that the Lib Dems are conducting an internal review of policy after concerns that had previously been kept mostly behind closed doors became public, with figures including former leadership candidate and current Chair of the Commons Health Select Committee Layla Moran speaking to the outlet about a “frustration” that the party’s been talking about the same things and that we “weren’t really moving forward.”

Despite achieving the party’s best result in a century in 2024, 72 seats in the House of Commons, it’s widely felt that since then we’ve been lost in the shuffle and all too easy to ignore.

Since the news of the review became public I’ve been speaking to people throughout the party, from parliamentarians to grassroots members for this column, about their reaction and what they want to see from the review.

Lib Dem MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough Tom Gordon, who was also quoted in the PoliticsHome piece, told me:

The political landscape is shifting fast, and voters who are frustrated with the status quo are actively looking for somewhere to go. The Lib Dems have a real opportunity here, but we have to be willing to step up with a distinctive, ambitious offer that speaks to the whole country.

He added,

We need to be bold, we need to be relevant, and we need to show people that we’re serious. Our members will not forgive us if we miss the boat.

There’s been increasing concerns that our messaging seems to only be aimed at the once Tory leafy shires, with nothing to appeal to previously Labour dominated cities. On that point, Councillor Victor Chamberlain, leader in Southwark and the new Deputy Leader of the local Council following the announcement of the new Green/Lib Dems administration in the Borough, agrees;

The strategy review needs to confront an uncomfortable truth: the Liberal Democrats have an urban problem. We now run more councils than the Tories and are delivering liberal policies across Britain, yet too much of the party’s focus remains shaped by our parliamentary success rather than the cities where millions of potential supporters live.

He continues;

In Southwark, we did everything the party says wins elections, but still felt held back by a national offer that didn’t cut through. If we’re serious about becoming a party of (national) government, we need to attract more young people, more diverse communities and more urban voters. The opportunity is enormous if we’re willing to adapt.

Added to this are questions about whether we are, in any meaningful sense, really a national party any longer. Former Councillor and East Midlands Mayoral candidate Helen Tamblyn-Saville, from Nottinghamshire, says we no longer appear to have a national strategy beyond us being local champions, telling me:

Liberal Democrats are excellent at community politics, and our councillors are hardworking people who gets things done. Community politics is one of the best traditions of our party. Yet somewhere along the way, it appears to have become a substitute for a national strategy. Community politics is integral to our party. It’s how we serve people. The problem is, without a strong national strategy, we’re vulnerable to political tides beyond our control. Even the best councillors can see their support disappear when national politics shifts.

She continues,

Here in the East Midlands we have hardworking champions who work incredibly hard for their communities, yet we have no parliamentary representation. In Nottinghamshire, we don’t even have county representation. The answer cannot always be to knock on more doors and work harder.

The party acknowledges that in May, the Greens made gains despite not doing much of the traditional campaigning that we do. Yet voters are clear on what the Greens stand for. They have a clear national message and a strong focus on social media, meaning that they are reaching younger voters in a way that we are increasingly struggling to do.

For too long, the party appears to have looked at a campaign strategy through the lens of strong southern seats, and underestimates the realities in places like mine, where community politics alone is not enough to break through. If we want to be a genuinely national party, we need to ask why voters know what populist parties such as Reform and the Greens stand for, but struggle to explain what we stand for.

That’s something which party member and activist Andy Chandler, from Stoke-On-Trent in the West Midlands, agrees, asking:

Do we see ourselves as a national party, or are we in danger of relegating ourselves as the Tory-shires version of Quebec’s Bloc Quebecois, an unofficial regional party of the South-West and parts of the South-East, devoted to that small electorate.

Andy tells me that we need to strengthen our offer on the big challenges facing 21st Century Britain:

Housing, Europe, defence, economic renewal, and combating populism. But I increasingly worry that our party lacks the vision, boldness, and confidence needed to meet these challenges.

As someone who regularly speaks to voters, friends and family as a grassroots member, I hear the same criticism time and again: people know what we’re against, but they don’t know what we’re for. We have become effective critics but ineffective storytellers. We are losing the battle for attention because we are failing to offer a compelling vision of Britain’s future.

And finally let’s hear from my favourite ever Lib Dem, the always wonderful Lynne Featherstone, now part of our Lords team and, of course, when an MP, the architect of the landmark same sex marriage legislation enacted by the Coalition which extended liberty and justice for millions and if that’s not the very definition of Liberalism then I don’t know what is.

She tells me:

I want a strategy of hope. Of a national message that moves people-a message that ‘no one shall be enslaved by ignorance, poverty or conformity’ – a decent future for a decent nation.

Hear Hear to that!

Good Policy, Invisible Politics

This item rather follows on from the one above. Lib Dem Deputy Leader, and our Treasury spokesperson, Daisy Cooper’s announcement of a new “Essential Energy Guarantee” is exactly the sort of policy the Liberal Democrats should be championing. At a time when millions of households remain anxious about rising bills, the proposal would provide every household with a basic allowance of discounted energy, alongside additional support for families with children and those on lower incomes.

It is a practical, liberal response to a real problem, recognising that access to affordable energy is not a luxury but a necessity.

Yet there is a deeper problem. I support the policy, but I had to actively search for coverage of Daisy’s announcement. Eventually I found it on BBC iPlayer, but after a lot of scrolling. That should concern all of us.
The challenge facing our party is not a lack of good ideas. It is that all too often these ideas fail to cut through. We can produce thoughtful, credible policies, but if voters never hear about them, then the political impact is limited.

Daisy is one of the most capable performers in British politics. The policy is sound. The question is why announcements like this still struggle to break into the national conversation. Until we solve that problem, we risk remaining a party with excellent answers that too few people ever hear.

Congratulations, Roger

And finally for today, congratulations to Roger Harmer on becoming the first ever Lib Dem leader of Birmingham City Council. It is a genuinely historic achievement and a testament to the hard work of party campaigners and councillors across the city for many years.

The Second City faces immense challenges, from restoring public confidence in local government to rebuilding services and securing its long-term future. Roger, who leads a Lib Dem-Green-Independents minority coalition-and his colleagues inherit no easy task, but they do so with an opportunity to demonstrate the values of community politics, competence and constructive leadership.

I wish Roger every success as he takes on one of the most demanding jobs in elected local government. Birmingham matters enormously to the West Midlands and to Britain. Here’s hoping this marks the beginning of a new and positive chapter for the city.

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