I, like 20,000 others, was inspired by Nick Clegg’s resignation speech on the 8th of May.
Fear and grievance have won. Liberalism has lost. But it is more precious than ever and we must keep fighting for it.
A month later, I became a Liberal Democrat.
Joining the #LibDemFightback on June 4th was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Nick was right when he said “The Liberal Democrats are a family…” I have never met a group of people as ambitious or as diligent or as assiduous as the Liberal Democrats. We can have our internal disagreements and differences but still we remain united – something that other parties are unable to do. I am proud to be part of one of the biggest come backs in British political history.
The Liberal Democrat approach to politics is different. It’s one of selflessness and optimism. Liberal Democrats lead by example, demonstrating that politics doesn’t have to be the dirty world that so many perceive it to be. We show that good can be achieved in power; that taking the difficult path reaps the best rewards. Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party’s win at the Canadian election 2015 should be our inspiration for wanting to return to government.
At the forefront of our great fightback is the one and only, Tim Farron.
…so when Mr Cameron turns his back on the needy and turns his back on our neighbours. I want the world to know, he does not speak for me, he does not speak for us, he does not speak for Britain.
There is definitely something different about the way Tim leads compared to other party leaders. For Tim, leadership is not about doing what’s best for him and his political ‘career’. It’s about serving the people who have elected you and it’s about being the voice for the voiceless. His interview on Russell Howard’s Good News went down really well with Lib Dems and non-Lib Dems alike – Russell even referred to him as “the wonderful Tim Farron”. Of course his leadership won’t be without its difficult moments, the most recent being the Syria airstrikes vote. However, I am encouraged by how many successes we’ve had already. For example, getting Osbourne’s tax credit cuts scrapped!
My proudest moment as a Liberal Democrat so far has to be taking part in the Solidarity with Refugees rally in London. Marching alongside Tim and hundreds of fellow members, publically demonstrating the compassion I have (and we have) for refugees – because they are welcome here – was an incredible experience and made me realise how hard we have got to fight for freedom and social justice.
2015 was the year that saw us suffer one of the biggest election defeats in recent history. But 2015 was also the year that marked the birth of our great Lib Dem Fightback. Let’s continue this fight into 2016 and let’s continue to make differences to people’s lives.
* Amy Wearring is a new member and secretary of the Liberal Democrat federalist group.
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15 Comments
This is a really lovely article to read. Thank you for writing it, Amy.
😀 you are braver than me.
Welcome
Liberalism is more precious than ever and we must keep fighting for it and to make differences to people’s lives… #IagreewithAmy
Very happy to have you and your enthusiasm in our party, Amy. Just one quibble – I don’t think the 20,000 new members after the election were all specifically inspired by Mr Clegg’s speech!
But that doesn’t matter. What we now need to do is to be much clearer to ourselves and to everyone else just what we are fighting back for…and then understand we have to go out and campaign for what we believe.
Tony Greaves
You’re welcome, Jennie 🙂 Thank you guys for commenting, I appreciate all your comments. And thanks too for the hashtag!
Thanks Amy. Having been a party member for two thirds of my life now I’m far from being a ‘newbie’, but your story, and that of the rest of the 20,000 others who have joined, has been inspirational.
“Liberal Democrats lead by example, demonstrating that politics doesn’t have to be the dirty world that so many perceive it to be.”
This is contradicted by Alistair Carmichael’s leaking of confidential information to embarrass a political opponent and his subsequent dishonesty about it. He demonstrated that Lib Dem politics can be just as dirty as everybody else’s, which is why that affair is potentially so damaging for the #LibDemFightback.
Thanks Neil! 🙂
Thank you for your comment, Peter. There will be times when we as a party make mistakes – the coalition wasn’t perfect. In regards to Alistair’s case, I have forgiven him for what he did (although this does not mean that what he did was okay).
Certainly as Tony says not all the new members were inspired by Nick Clegg’s resignation speech, but many were. However, they were people who already thought Liberal Democrat and most of them already voted Liberal Democrat. The shock of the election result and then the resignation speech caused a very Liberal reaction: “It’s not enough for me to just vote. Putting this right is MY responsibility as much as anyone’s.”
What I’ve found noticeable is that while the new members are generally younger than the veterans, their motivation and values are very similar.
I agree with you, Simon 🙂
Nick Clegg did not inspire me to rejoin, I did it once he had resigned. Still that is history.
Re this term “Fight Back”. Do not think it serves any useful purpose other to remind people how far we have fallen, and in any case it has not served any advantage at the ballot box, judging by our continuing parlous state of voting returns. Best approach is to highlight and concentrate on the personality of the leader, that means PR, PR and more PR.
I have been a Liberal/Liberal Democrat member for 38 years. We have seen the good times, the bad times. I am not quite ready to put my head in the oven. Articles from Amy and other new members is the best shot in the arm I could wish for. So much so, I am now working in my new ward in Southampton.
I enjoyed reading this article Amy. I welcome new blood and your perspective on events within the party.
Having seen others within the party taking pot shots at each other, its refreshing that you are positive. I am fed up of the negativity as all it does is drags us all down.
Why do some Lib Dems now seem to want to emulate Labour and attack others within, whilst the “enemy” is elsewhere.
ANYWAY, Amy…. welcome. And I have copied it onto the Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire Liberal Democrats Facebook page. We are 4 constituencies in West Wales. Anyone is welcome to go and like our page as we wish to build up our social media profile.
Keep writing and remain positive! Happy Christmas/Nadolig Llawen.
You’re welcome, Peter. Enjoy working in your new ward!
Thank you, Andrew! I am fed up with the negativity too, especially on Twitter. Happy Christmas!
Great post Amy…!
There can be no doubt that there is a certain future for Liberalism and (Liberal Politics) as all the shades of it reach for a society that is attractive to most people.
I find it much less certain that Socialism and all the hard left “isms” to the left of it along with Democratic Socialism has a future.
Simple reason is that the society envisioned by these ideologies appears be to envisioned as a ‘the means of production, socially and collectively owned or controlled, alongside a politically democratic system of government’.
In other words, such a ridiculous top-down economy which has never, ever, worked, anywhere.
Social Democracy? Weeeell, possibly.
But only if confined to welfare state for those who fall through the cracks rather than a life style, redistributive sufficient to ensure that all have equal opportunities to grow and progress from ‘down there’ to ‘up there’.
– And certainly not if it is an attack on business, commerce and wealth-creation.
Yes. For me. Liberalism wins hands down. And I do feel the best USP we have is our Liberal ideology.