It’s not often that a football club stops, the fans stand and they give a rousing round of applause for a timed minute for anyone – but this was exactly what Cheltenham Town Football Club did for former Liberal Democrat MP Nigel Jones who recently died.

An avowed community activist Nigel was a subscriber to the view that community politics – Tony Greaves-style – was a political philosophy and not a political tactic. He believed that Focus leaflets kept people informed and in touch and he stood by the Penhaligon mantra ‘put it on a piece of paper and put it through their letter box’. Indeed that phrase was rarely far from his lips during an election campaign. It was and remains an approach that has cultivated, nurtured and sustains Cheltenham Liberal Democrat to this day.

Nigel served as the Liberal Democrat MP for the town of Cheltenham from 1992-2005. The 1992 election was not kind to the Liberal Democrats but in securing five gains, Nigel was personally deeply proud that his beloved Cheltenham was one of those highlights, and he considered himself a loyal member of Leader Paddy Ashdown’s ‘Barmy’ Parliamentary Party (his words).

In his maiden speech on 15th May 1992 he paid tribute to his predecessors’ professional careers as producer of humbugs and noted that he, Nigel, held the ward of Park in Cheltenham as a councillor, a ward Sir Charles Irving MP had also previously represented. The speech marked Nigel out as something of a wag with a dry wit – something known to those who frequented the bar of Party Conference or attended the fringe meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beer.

There are many Lib Dem constituency teams and have been many parliamentary staff but Nigel was one of the very few MPs for the Party who invested every penny of his office staff costs to his constituency – no London staff for him during his tenure as the town’s MP. It was all about Cheltenham and it was an approach to stand him and the party in good stead. It was also a team who knew and trusted each other and Steve Jordan, Andrew Mackinlay, Andy Williams, Zoe Forbes and David Fidgeon were outstanding and impressive in their commitment and length of tenure for the party in Cheltenham under Nigel.

Once elected his dry and almost laconic style was instantly apparent: he once did an MP visit for me to Stoke-on-Trent – he held a front bench portfolio on Culture, Media and Sport or as Nigel dubbed it: Beer and Football. A visit to a local hostelry and Stoke City and we secured the coverage we needed and indeed I subsequently won my ward on Stoke-On-Trent City Council.

He had an often understated approach but was driven by deep burning passion and determination. It wasn’t that he hated Tories, but he vociferously hated the impact and effect of Tory policies. Nigel saw with clarity the cause and effect of underfunding, of interference and national political meddling in the work of schools, the NHS and indeed the very fibre of local government.

It was the NHS however, that was to feature in Nigel’s tenure as an MP in the most gruesome way. On 28th January 2000 a constituent went to see Nigel at his office in Cheltenham and drew a samurai sword. In the ensuing melee Nigel’s casework officer Cllr Andrew Pennington was murdered and Nigel was admitted to hospital for 57 stitches It was an event that stunned the town and made Nigel an unlikely national household name. Cllr Pennington was posthumously awarded the George Medal for civilian bravery.

In the aftermath of that awful murder I arrived in Cheltenham as the campaigns officer for Western Counties to lead a small team: Kevin Dawes, Mark Chivers and the legendary Erlend Watson. It was whilst there that local activist Andy Williams asked Erlend if we would win the Romsey by-election which had been delayed to coincide with the local elections. “Oh we will win tonight” said Erlend confidently. “How do you know”, enquired Andy. Erlend replied if we weren’t going to win the by-election of Romsey we would not be here in Cheltenham, we would have been moved to Hampshire.” As Nigel (himself in hospital) would dryly point out afterwards – this was one of the many occasions, too numerous to record, on matters of elections when Erlend was right.

Despite the horror of the murder, Nigel recovered and sought re-election in 2001 – “Andy Pennington would have wanted us to” and he was re-elected with a solid majority of 5,255.

One of the challenges for Liberal Democrat MP’s is handing on a parliamentary mandate, yet in 2005 Nigel stood down and he was delighted to be successfully succeeded by Liberal Democrat MP Martin Horwood.

In 2005 Nigel’s close friend and the then Party Leader Charles Kennedy had him elevated to the peerage and to his eduring delight he became Lord Jones of Cheltenham. With his trademark cheeky glint he would poke his finger at you “Mrs Jones is a lady now, don’t you forget it.”

Having married Katy Grinnell in 1981 at The British Embassy in Abu Dhabi they went on to have three children Sam, Lucy and Amy, all of whom survive him and the family were recently joined by his grandson Zachary.

His crest as member of the house of Lords was gently hilarious and reflected him in brilliant and in formal detail:

A demi Black Rhinoceros Vert armed and supporting with the feet a Welsh Triple Harp.
Escutcheon – Per pale Gules and Vert three Mice sejant Argent supporting with the forefeet an Abacus.
Supporters – On either side a Hippopotamus statant erect and with mouth agape that on the dexter Vert and that on the sinister Gules both tusked and gorged with an Ancient Crown attached thereto a Chain reflexed over the back.
Motto – STRENGTH THROUGH KNOWLEDGE.
Symbolism – mouse and abacus represent a computer. Hippos and rhino were a personal preference and the Welsh harp represents both Wales and the grantee’s love of music.

Last month having seen his newly born grandson Zachary, Nigel proudly texted the photograph around his friends and colleagues. Nigel tragically passed away soon after, and whilst it an awful loss for his close family it was also an occasion of sad gratitude and remembrance for his family. Were it not for the bravery of Cllr Andrew Pennington on that day in 2000, Nigel would not have enjoyed the last 23 years.

There are many occasions to raise a glass
In respect of a friend or an event, but this drink should be a pint from a local brewery and the toast should be to Andy and Nigel, Cllr and MP, best friends and colleagues, now re-united in the electoral division they have named Valhalla – they will be planning a campaign to beat the Tories and and the late Erlend Watson will probably volunteer to be the agent.

Nigel Jones, Lord Jones of Cheltenham, born 30 March 1948 in Cheltenham, died 7th November 2022 aged 74.

Oh, and as for that football match. Cheltenham Robins beat Wycombe Wanderers 1-0. Nigel, as the occasional Cheltenham football commentator for the local radio station, would have been delighted.

* Ed Fordham is a councillor on Chesterfield Borough Council and runs Brockwell Books of Chesterfield, selling many thanks, not least ephemera he bought from Liber Books over the last 25 years.