L for Liberal

Centre-Left revival in the 1980s

On 25 January 1981, leading figures from the Labour Party (Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Shirley Williams and Bill Rodgers, known collectively as the "Gang of Four") launched the Council for Social Democracy. The event had been preceded by a considerable volume of discourse in UK political circles about the need for a realignment of the centre left. As someone who had voted Liberal ever since I was old enough to take part in elections I was enthused by the possibilities this seemed to open up. I immediately sought out the local branch of the Liberal Party and joined it.

Within a short while I became actively involved in negotiations on two fronts. Firstly, recent boundary changes produced a situation in which an area to the south of Cleethorpes had been removed from the former Louth constituency and became instead the southern part of the new Brigg and Cleethorpes constituency. The process of disentangling the constituency organisation and assets from Louth and creating a new organisation in partnership with members from the other district was far from easy. At the same time, the Party had agreed at National level an electoral pact with the newly formed SDP under which only one of the two parties would stand a candidate in each constituency in parliamentary elections. This could mean that some local Liberal parties would campaign not for a Liberal candidate but for one chosen by the local SDP membership.

I was also actively involved in campaigning, beginning with lessons learned whilst accompanying one of our candidates in a council by-election in Grimsby and continuing with canvassing on my own behalf as a candidate in the county council elections that May. In meetings with other candidates from around the county I contributed to the texts of some of the common literature we used in our campaigning.

This first bid to become a county councillor failed. It was no surprise since I had so little experience. I had lived in the district for less than two years at this stage so few of the potential voters knew me. The experience did, however, provide an adrenaline

rush that ensured my determination to do better next time.

Meanwhile the idea of two parties working together for the general good of the country was gaining in popularity nationwide. Both parties had by-election successes over the next while, including Roy Jenkins in Glasgow and Shirley Williams in Liverpool. I remember canvassing for Ms. Williams one weekend and being surprised by her small physical stature which in no way matched her enormous intellect.

There were other activities required of someone serious about helping the Liberal Party to achieve political success. There was no state funding for our campaigning. The cost of running elections fell to local fund raising pursuits. Among the most important of these in Cleethorpes was the Liberal Club. This was a place where members and non-members could meet socially and enjoy a drink, proceeds from the sale of which were an important source of income. The club was run by a committee of the most active members of the local party, many of whom, myself included, acted as unpaid employees behind the bar and working on cleaning and maintenance.

The transfer of assets of Liberal Clubs in Louth and in Barton-upon-Humber, one departing the constituency, the other joining, had to be carefully negotiated. For this I was merely and observer and, as secretary of the new constituency party, recorder of discussions.

The neighbouring district councils operated different election schedules. Local government elections are held on the first Thursday of May every year with councillors serving a four year term before having to stand for re-election. In the case of the county council and Cleethorpes District council, elections were held every four years with a two year gap between the two. In Grimsby elections were held every year except the one in which the county council election took place. One third of that district's councillors were elected on each of these occasions.

The county council election having taken place in May of 1981, no elections were planned for 1982 in Cleethorpes. However, it was expected that we would assist with the campaigns of Liberal and SDP candidates in Grimsby and we did.

Then, in May of 1983 came the election that could potentially completely change the political make up of Cleethorpes District council. Once again I put my name forward for election and contributed to the campaign literature. Once again I failed to garner sufficient votes. Liberals did, however, increase their representation on the council including with the addition of at least one SDP councillor.

Immediately before and during the local elections there was much media speculation about the possibility of a parliamentary election being called as soon as they were over. This speculation became reality and there was no time for a rest from campaigning. On the contrary, it continued with greater intensity for the next month, culminating with the general election on June 9^th.

With the elections finally over activists like me were exhausted and disappointed – at least by the low number of seats gained – but sought consolation in the large share of the vote obtained. Like many, I resolved to continue campaigning. I also participated in a good deal of self education by subscribing to periodicals and fringe organisations that ensured I was well informed about the issues that the centre left of UK politics deemed important. The environment, education, health and social services were high on this list.

There was also, in the Liberal Party though not the SDP, a significant faction opposed to nuclear weapons. The women's peace movement at Greenham Common had included members of the Liberal Party from its beginning in 1981. It was a movement with which I sympathised.

By the time of the 1985 County Council election I had become what many would regard as a 'policy nerd'. But I had also met many other activists from further afield via my attendance at meetings and conferences. This had helped develop and improve campaigning techniques and contributed to the design and contents of campaign literature.

After the polls closed on the evening of 2^nd. May we gathered at Cleethorpes town hall for the counting of votes. Carried out by a mixture of council officials and other clerical types recruited for the purpose, the counting was also observed by members of each party. First came the tallying up of the total votes. Next the votes for the sitting Labour candidate were separated and counted. To everyone's surprise she had received only one third of the total. I was convinced that the Conservative candidate would not have received more. It seemed, therefore, that I had won. The wait for confirmation of this fact was excruciating. When it came I greeted it with mixed emotions. There were congratulations and jubilations among my fellow local party members. Personally it seemed like a new adventure.

I was a county councillor. What about the rest of our large county? There were 75 seats, all being contested. How many other Liberal or SDP candidates had been successful? Some time after midnight we learned that I was one of just four. Of much greater significance, Labour and Conservative had 36 and 35 respectively. For the next four years we four would be in the powerful position of being able to choose which set of policies we would support. How we went about that is a story for another occasion. So is the question of how far this taste of public office would take my political career and what it would mean for my personal life.

Of potentially greater importance was the question of what this and other successes that May meant for the future of the Alliance between Liberal and SDP. For now, suffice to say that, in the course of many ups and downs during the last 39 years, the Liberal Democrats have tasted coalition government and, since July 4^th this year have the largest number of MPs since the 1920s, a fact that, in my opinion, can only be a good thing for the UK.