A longstanding and committed Liberal for sixty-five years, Barbara Lindsay died on 21 November aged 83. She was someone I greatly admired and whose company I enjoyed. Once she had decided intellectually and by personality at the age of 18 that she was a Liberal that was it for Barbara and she became a consistent campaigner and feminist activist. Life was not easy for Barbara and the cost of politics bore heavily on her, particularly when her car needed repairing – seemingly all too often!

She was also passionate to be a writer and regularly wrote articles and comments which she then struggled with great determination to sell to relevant journals – as is the case with all of us freelances! She also wrote many pieces for numerous Liberal publications.

Barbara moved from Chester to Cheadle in 1988 and became much involved with the Cheadle Liberal Democrats, particularly with the late Patsy Calton and the general election campaigns of 2001 and 2005. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 but carried working in local campaigns, later doing more clerical work.

Her funeral will be at the Cypress Chapel, Stockport Crematorium, on Friday, 13 December at 12.45pm. Barbara’s daughter, Antonia Swann, is happy to be contacted on 07906 157898 or via [email protected]

* Michael Meadowcroft joined the Liberal Party in 1958. He has served at every level of the party organisation. He was a Leeds City Councillor, West Yorkshire Met County Councillor and MP for Leeds West, 1983-87. For 25 years he led or was part of electoral missions to 35 new democracies on four continents.