90 Report Oliver Liberal Leaders and Leadership Sept 2015

May 1963 local elections and the party would have stayed in three- party contention. As it was, the REPORTS Orpington effect slowly dissipated and by 1970 the party was in deep electoral trouble. Even Orpington was narrowly lost, although Eric Liberal leaders and leadership Lubbock slightly increased his vote. His cousin, the 3rd Baron Avebury, Conference fringe meeting, 20 September 2015, with Simon died in 1971 and, as his heir, Eric Hughes and Paul Tyler; chair: Lynne Featherstone had to make the difficult choice of accepting a role in a House of Report by Douglas Oliver Lords whose basis he strongly disa- greed with or disclaiming the peer- he Liberal Democrat vote collapsed in association with age and hoping to come back into History Group convened the hard left – and first served the Commons at some indefinite Tfor its fringe event at the alongside David Steel. Paul Tyler future date. He decided that it was autumn Federal Conference in was first elected for Bodmin in better to continue with his parlia- Bournemouth to launch and dis- 1974, during the colourful period of mentary work and he used his seat cuss its new book, British Liberal Jeremy Thorpe’s leadership, serv- in the Lords for forty-five years Leaders: Leaders of the Liberal Party, ing for only a few months before to espouse many civil rights and SDP and Liberal Democrats since 1828. losing during that year’s second human rights causes. With the party at its lowest ebb general election, but subsequently On his election for Orpington for many years, following the dis- returning to parliament in 1992 as Eric Lubbock immediately dropped astrous electoral showing in May Tory fortunes faded in Cornwall. into the parliamentary routine and 2015, and with Tim Farron’s narrow Simon began his discussion with was appointed Chief Whip in 1963. leadership win in July, the question praise for a ‘fantastic book which He was a superb ‘fixer’ and did the of effective political leadership and had lots of insights, and would pro- job exceptionally well for seven positioning was at the forefront of vide a competitive edge for any long years. In January 1967, when most delegates’ minds. As well as internal party quiz!’ Organising Jo Grimond retired, Lubbock made hoping that the book might offer his limited time, Hughes chose a quixotic bid for the leadership, the new leader tips on the effec- to focus on the three leaders who on the basis of ‘anyone but Jeremy His first les- tive performance of his difficult were before his era but had shaped Thorpe’, but he did not have the role, the History Group felt that him the most politically, as well personality for such a task and he son was that the principles of Farron’s forebears as on those contemporaries he only secured the support of two of might act as signposts for the par- had worked directly with, and by the nine MPs who were not candi- Liberal lead- ty’s future philosophical direction. examining the parallels he sought dates – Richard Wainwright and ers had a Lynne Featherstone, former to draw lessons for the present. Michael Winstanley. MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, His first lesson was that Lib- Eric increasingly demonstrated strong ten- as well as former head of Norman eral leaders had a strong tendency that he was an instinctive Liberal Lamb and Chris Huhne’s unsuc- to be resilient and energetic. From and took on many unfashionable dency to cessful leadership campaigns, Gladstone onward, it was notable causes, such as gypsies’ rights, even chaired the discussion and opened that party leaders had great stay- when his health began to decline in be resilient by musing upon the ‘madness’ of ing power in parliament, and not later years. At one time it seemed any one person actively seeking the merely as leader. The Grand Old that whatever country I turned up and ener- role. After a decade in Westminster, Man was an MP for an epic sixty- in on a pro-democracy mission he the former coalition minister (in three years, and David Lloyd would be there making forceful getic. From both DfID and the Home Office) George for his own half century in representations on behalf of some reflected on the immense personal different eras; but even more-recent ill-treated minority. Thrust into Gladstone commitment that any leading leaders like Kennedy and Ashdown the limelight by the chance of a his- political role demands – and all the were in Westminster for relatively toric election, he carved out a polit- onward, it more so for the person tasked with long stints before and after they ical career and earned the respect of leading a party in the centre ground were leader. Despite variable per- colleagues on all sides of the politi- was notable of British politics. sonalities, outlooks and political cal spectrum. She was joined on the panel by contexts, there was, Hughes argued, that party two former Liberal parliamentary a hidden steel that linked these lead- Michael Meadowcroft was Liberal MP veterans who had first come to the ers – and that was a tendency for for Leeds West, 1983–87. leaders had party before merger with the SDP, hard work and stringency. great staying and had met and worked with a Hughes went on to conclude 1 The two key published essays on the wide range of party leaders from that a strong sense of political posi- by-election are: Donald Newby, power in par- Jo Grimond right through to Nick tioning and direction was critical to ‘The Orpington Story’, New Outlook, Clegg and now Tim Farron. Simon any party leader. Hughes said that March 1963, and, Ken Young, ‘Orp- liament, and Hughes was famously elected in in his view – which he accepted not ington and the “Liberal Revival”’, in the Bermondsey by-election in the all in the party shared – the party Chris Cook and John Ramsden (eds), not merely as spring of 1983 – benefitting from had ‘performed best’ when it stood By-elections in British Politics (UCL the largest-ever political swing in a from the centre-left, rather than the Press, 1997). leader. Westminster election, as the Labour centre-right. Furthermore, Hughes Journal of Liberal History 90 Spring 2016 31 REPORT: LIBERAL LEADERS And LEADERshiP argued, the greatest dangers for the neglected by the big two parties. perspective, and noted whimsically party have come when it has sought Furthermore, Thorpe was shrewd, how much had changed as cam- to represent the ‘centre ground’, and Hughes felt he was correct to paigning methods had changed. which he felt was too indistinct to turn down Edward Heath’s over- Early Liberal Prime Minister Lord hold significant political strength. tures to share power in 1974. Palmerston had been told never Looking back to the towering Despite policy agreements to visit his own constituency, the giant of Victorian politics, William with the last leader of the origi- Isle of Wight, by his wealthy local Gladstone, Hughes said that three nal Liberal Party, David Steel patron, for fear of disturbing the core lessons could be drawn from – such as over nuclear disarma- locals – an amazing contrast to the his incredibly wide and long career: ment – Hughes felt that the Scot- contemporary campaigning stand- radical policy, social commitment, tish Borders MP was able to get the ards epitomised by Simon Hughes’ and an ability to ‘wow the crowds, big message across to the voters. commitment to Bermondsey. in an effective and innovative way’. Steel was also helped by a calm dip- Nick Clegg was one of three Lloyd George who was distinc- lomatic approach which enabled surviving Liberal leaders inter- tive in many ways, had a similar him to manage party disagree- viewed and included in the book breakdown of capabilities: progres- ments and to reach out to pro- and it was his remarks that Tyler sive ideas, such as a decent budget, mote allegiances with members of sought to echo for the structure of state pension, etc.; strong social other parties. Hughes remarked his own remarks. Clegg remarked commitments and values; and his that Steel and Clement Freud had that ‘resilience, principled patience own charismatic sense of how to worked carefully together to help and perspective’ were key themes wow the crowds. Hughes’ fellow his own selection in Bermond- necessary for party leadership, Welshman Clement Davies – who sey in 1983. Despite his relatively and it was these characteristics led the Liberals during its 1945–56 quiet approach, Steel was a brave that Tyler identified in his original nadir – had a different kind of set of politician and gave loyal support to political hero, Jo Grimond, during strengths which enabled him, criti- parliamentarians. the Suez Canal Crisis in 1956. cally, to hold the party together Clegg Hughes said that Paddy Ash- Within his first year of leading during the bleakly polarised period down was unlike any other leader the party, the MP for Orkney and immediately following the Second remarked he had worked with, and would Shetland had robustly intervened World War. start work at 5 am and continue to describe the conflict as ‘unprinci- Hughes identified Davies’ suc- that ‘resil- with meetings and stringent targets pled, illegal, counterproductive and cessor, Jo Grimond, as one of his until 9 pm or even later. He was the a throwback to gunboat diplomacy’ key political lodestars when he was ience, princi- most hardworking and diplomatic within days of its commencement. himself emerging in politics as a leader we ever had. Ashdown also Whilst the Conservatives were young man. The man who led the pled patience garnered respect from having been responsible for a foreign affairs party as Britain left the straight- and perspec- in the services before he went in to shambles that was in many ways the jacket of 50s conformity, and politics.

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