Questions I’ve been asked during my time in politics

What made you join the Liberal Party? – I read the 3 party manifestos from the 1979 General Election and decided I was a Liberal. Liberalism was clearly the way forward to me.

Front cover of 1979 Liberal Manifesto

 

Who would you vote for if there was no Liberal-type party in the UK? – I’d  establish a Liberal Party.

Have you ever voted other than Liberal? Yes, in my first ever vote, for Park Ward – Sefton Borough,  I put an X next to the Labour candidate. I have voted for independent candidates too in local elections where no Liberal/Lib Dem candidate has been standing.

Why don’t you support Labour? - They’re mostly to the political right of me as a Social Liberal. Labour are also authoritarian of nature i.e. the exact opposite of Liberalism which puts the individual at the heart of everything.

How left wing are you? – I’d say I’m a radical, progressive leftie and I think I’m probably the most left leaning Leader of Sefton Council to date.

Aren’t some Liberals right-wing? Yes, some are and this is where the distinction between Liberalism and Libertarianism can be found. Libertarians don’t see us all being a part of a society, I call them ‘me first’ politicians. They will usually be found in the Tory Party. A true Liberal will virtually always be progressive, radical and left of centre.

Which Liberal/Lib Dem politicians do you admire? – Joe Grimond, Charles Kennedy, Paddy Ashdown, Shirley Williams, David Penhaligon, Richard Wainright.

What national policies do you think should be a priority? – Tackling Climate Change, eradicating poverty, building far more Social Housing, proportional representation voting, community policing and rebuilding quality public transport.

Do you hate Tories? Hate is a terrible word that is used far too often in everyday conversation; I try not to use the word or indeed hate anyone. Tories for me are all about making the rich richer, the days of the reasonable One Nation Conservatives are long gone.

What politics did your parents follow? – Dad was from a working-class Conservative background whilst Mum was more a Chapel Liberal. I recall Mum being quite disgusted that women could not be members of the Conservative Club my Dad was director of and she refused to attend the yearly Ladies Night.

Were you paid to be a councillor? - As a Town and Parish Councillor I received no remuneration at all except for a small allowance in the year I was Mayor of Maghull. As a Borough Councillor I was paid a basic allowance plus additional amounts during my time as a Cabinet member and Leader of Sefton Council. All payments to councillors are on public record.

Why do some voters think that money changes hands to get planning permissions through? – I’ve heard this said many times but personally I was only ever aware of one such incident which, I was told, involved someone offering to do a favour for councillor if he could sort out their planning application. The councillor concerned reported the matter and the police visited the person concerned. Other than that one hearsay incident I can honestly say I know of no others.

Don’t you think it odd that a Liberal like you was also a trade union officer? – Not at all, there’s a long history of Liberals working within the trade union movement. I enjoyed every minute of being a lay trade union officer but found that some union officials from a Labour background could often be too socially conservative for my liking. It would manifest itself in reluctance to see situations other than from a Working-Class perspective when a wider perspective was really required.

Did you have any friends across the political spectrum? – Yes, I tried hard to get on with councillors with differing political views. I considered Dave Martin, for example, who led the Labour Group on Sefton Council for many years a friend. We probably hit it off as we were both from a trade union background.