When I first started going to Lib Dem conferences, we had fewer MPs than we have now. So, those MPs that we had were run ragged charging from fringe meeting to fringe meeting to speech to TV interview, as they were rather thin on the ground. It always seemed to be our Don Foster who was really doing loads of stuff. I did wonder how he kept going.

At the Liverpool conference, last weekend, Don appeared at this fringe meeting:

CentreForum
Will the electorate ever love coalitions at
Westminster?
Speakers: Don Foster MP, Deputy Chief
Whip; Baroness Randerson; Professor
Andrew Russell. Chair: Neil Sherlock.
ACC, Room 4 AAs usual, Don was at his most pithy and wise. He pointed out that this was his final conference, as he will be retiring after the election.

May I take this opportunity, on behalf of all conference goers over the years, Don, to thank you for all your enormous hard work on the conference circuit, for your punchy and erudite contributions, and for your excellent good humour and loyal support to the party shown at conferences. We will truly miss you!

Don left the conference circuit with a song, though. He very succinctly summed up the answer to the question “Will the electorate ever love coalitions at Westminster?” with the words of Stephen Stills:

And if you can’t be with the one you love, honey
Love the one you’re with

* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.