Promote the values of liberalism up and down the land

Published on Thu 17th May 2007

First, thank you. Thousands of you as members and supporters have just come to the end of some of the busiest weeks of your lives. May 3rd was certainly important for all Liberal Democrats up and down Great Britain. To those who won, thanks and congratulations. To those who lost, thanks and commiserations. As I write the final political outcome in Scotland and Wales is still unclear. It was certainly frustrating in both countries that all our efforts were not rewarded by an advance in seats. But in any event in both countries we will definitely play an important role in the years ahead.

In England, congratulations first to our six splendid gains - Caradon and Eastbourne, Hinckley & Bosworth and Hull, Northampton and Rochdale. Congratulations next to our seventeen stalwart holds - Cambridge and Chesterfield, Durham and Eastleigh, Lewes and Liverpool, Newcastle upon Tyne and North Norfolk, Oadby & Wigston, Pendle and Stockport, South Lakeland and South Somerset, Three Rivers and Watford, and West Lindsey and Vale of White Horse. And commiserations of course to our ten losses.

In all the places where the results did not give an overall majority for one party, some of you will this very week be making decision about who runs the council and whether we are going to be in or out of the administration. This year's results make several things abundantly clear. The first is where we run a council either on our own or with others it is often a certain type of decision which we shouldn't have made which comes back to haunt us and sees us thrown out on the next occasion. First, decision on allowances have to reflect the public mood and the political reality. Where there is not all-party agreement we should be very wary of proposing more than other parties do. Second, decisions on council building and planning applications. In the words of the old Church of England wedding service, decisions on these matters should 'not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand unadvisedly, lightly or wantonly'. And third, a new runner in these stakes, the frequency of council services such as refuse collection. On all these issues it is wide to tread softly or else you tread on your dreams.

Now is the time for each council group, with local party members, and absolutely not without them, to decide on the political priorities for the coming four years if it is a four year council or the coming twelve months if elections are due again next May. Campaigning priorities can always be revised but no local party should ever be without them.

Nationally, when much focus will be on the Labour leadership election and then the new Labour leader we must on the one hand hold our nerve as we go through a period of more intense focus on the two other parties in British politics, but be reassured the party centrally is absolutely focussed on having clear campaigning priorities and activities before during and after our conference in Brighton in September and from then up to the general election whenever it comes.

If anybody has a go then remind them that we regularly poll over a quarter of the vote in local elections, and have never had a broader or larger base across England, Scotland and Wales. Outside London only five of the largest twenty cities and towns in England now have a Labour overall majority and only two have Conservative majority control - Liberal Democrats run four.

We have a really strong base north of Hadrian's Wall, west of Offa's Dyke and across every region of England. In the lovely weather which is promised for this summer, now is the best time to campaign and sign up members old and new and promote the values of liberalism up and down the land.