The launch of “Your Party” over the weekend – the Jeremy Corbyn/Zarah Sultana-backed left-wing challenger to Labour – was hyped as being a show of unity, clarity, and a bold new politics. Instead, it descended into exactly the sort of chaotic spectacle that leaves most voters even more weary: factional infighting, activists and organisers being banned within hours, claim and counterclaim splashed across social media, and a level of internal turmoil that normally takes years, not mere minutes, to ferment.

For a party that’s mere days old, and that hasn’t contested a single election yet, it was an extraordinary, almost surreal mess.
And that matters – not because “Your Party” is posed to storm the political landscape (it isn’t), but because it reveals something deeper about the current state of British politics. Across the spectrum, there is a hunger for an alternative to a Labour government that – not even eighteen months into office – feels increasingly managerial, defensive, and exhausted far earlier than anyone expected.

There is a desire for something more hopeful, more principled, more genuinely radical than what Sir Keir Starmer’s team have delivered but equally, people want a party that is serious, credible, competent – not another protest movement that collapses into its own contradictions before it has even begun.

That is where the Liberal Democrats must step up. Because Liberalism – real Liberalism – is radical. It is transformative. It is about a meaningful redistribution of power: to communities, to individuals, to those all too often shut out from the decisions that shape their lives.

It is about defending rights and liberties at a time when both of the old parties (and Reform too) seem all too content to trade them away. It is about strong, properly funded public services; a compassionate and workable asylum system; about Rights for all and the defence of minorities; and a forward-looking, internationalist vision for Britain’s place in the world.

But Liberalism is also about responsibility. About rigour. About evidence-based policy making rather than vague slogans and factional purity tests.

And whilst Labour, the Tories, and Reform continue to play out their own dramas – one in government, the Tories still struggling to define what they stand for and Reform failing to move from a ragtag of Right-wing culture war rabble rousers to any kind of credible political force – it falls to us to present a politics that is both ambitious and grounded.
That balance is our unique offer, as a party of the broad Centre.

We can and must be the party of bold ideas and the party of sober competence. We can call for fairer taxes, stronger social care, a greener future, and a humane immigration system whilst also demonstrating exactly how those goals can be delivered. We can champion radical constitutional reform while showing we actually understand how Parliament works.

And, crucially, we can speak to and for voters who want a clear change in direction without wanting to gamble on a movement that can’t even run its own launch event without descending into turmoil or, indeed, turning to the Greens who advocate leaving NATO and somehow having a rental system without landlords.

Your Party’s chaotic debut is not the main story of British politics – but what it symbolises just might be. Voters want something better. Something steadier. Something that is both principled and plausible.

The Liberal Democrats can be that alternative, if we seize the moment!

Reform UK: the party of Tory Retreads

Yet more evidence today that Reform UK is less a “movement for change” and more like a political retirement home for former Conservative politicians – with yet another tranche of ex Tory MPs signing up.

Jonathan Gullis, once the Tory Party’s deputy chair; Lia Nici, former Tory MP for Grimsby; and Chris Green, ex Tory MP for Bolton West; have all defected to Reform.

That brings the total of former Conservative MPs who’ve jumped ship – including high-profile names such as Danny Kruger, Andrea Jenkyns, and Maria Caulfield – to double-figures. So much for Reform’s claim to represent a break from the “same old uni-party” of Labour and the Conservatives.

When its ranks are swelling with Conservative retreads seeking a new ticket, the only thing genuinely changing is the name on the door -not the politics, nor the motivation.

In praise of… Andy Chandler!

This weekend reminded me just how powerful friendship can be. I spent it with my dear friend – and fellow Lib Dem – Andy Chandler, whose kindness, humour, and unwavering support have carried me through more moments than he probably realises.

Politics and political commentary can be exhausting, even overwhelming, but time with Andy is grounding, fun, and joyful. He has that rare gift of making you feel seen, heard, and understood, whether we’re talking policy or putting the world to rights over a cuppa.

In a world that often feels fractious, friendship like mine and Andy’s isn’t just comforting – it’s life-affirming.

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