At a time when the UK’s political system – historically viewed as an oscillating race between two oppositional parties – appears vastly open, the liberal democrats must capitalise on this opportunity.
This was the overarching message of the two-day Liberal Democrats Conference that took place in York. There is a fleeting chance for the party to seize a unique opportunity. To fill this gap, created by the perceived shortcomings of the Labour and Conservative parties, a strong strategy plan is needed. And so, town councillors representing boroughs all over Yorkshire sat down in small circles, to discuss one. The standard routine of going around the group and having everyone introduce themself proved there was a wide spectacle of MPs and town councillors in attendance, even if this procedure had a noticeable “corporate” taste about it.
“We’re getting ready earlier,” the Councillor for Coppice Valley and Duchy, Peter Lacey, advised in a tone bearing the same tenacity as that of an army general. With the May elections rapidly approaching, full force should be spent on getting people to the ballots, and then, as a wholly separate battle, getting people to cast their vote for the Liberal Democrats. Both of these come with different challenges, in their own right.
But with the Liberal Democrats’ re-focused lens on being methodical, Lacey said he knew the councillors were up to the task. He also floated around the possibility of bringing in someone to work on the social media campaign full-time. Since 16-year-olds are now able to vote, it’s important not to underestimate this new band of first-time voters, hungry to have their say, and perhaps more wide-eyed and optimistic for change.
Lacey set out a stretch target of 44 seats in North Yorkshire. An objectively ambitious task, considering they occupied just three seats pre-2022. But Lacey reminded the town councillors, eagerly hovering on the edge of their fold-up chairs, that the Liberal Democrats currently have strong pockets of support in local plots. Harrogate, Scarborough and Knaresborough have a strong following already, so “it’s just about getting the other regions in Yorkshire up to date.”
“This is a rare opportunity for us to do well, really well. We have this chance, and we have 419 days to capitalise on it,” he reminded the councillors, foreshadowing the sentiment of the conference’s top dog, Sir Ed Davey, in his closing rally.
Speaking with the people, was the main point of action for these town councillors. Knocking on people’s doors, and becoming a regular and reliable face in the community is a tried-and-true method of growing support. The Liberal Democrats, it seems, is still relying on these old tricks of proselytisation.
Lacey recommended speaking to people a few times a week, and converting like-minded active members of the community into the Liberal Democrats bubble. He said that there will be people who aren’t necessarily “political”, but do care very much about the community. So one task for these town councillors will be to recruit elementary candidates to stand for community-level election.
nd it’s important to reach out to them directly by keeping campaigning sharply focused on “community spirit”.
This might look like making sure that pub-owners feel protected, and that community spaces are well-funded. Another popular issue of contention in North Yorkshire is connectivity. Making sure trains and buses are connected, so that they don’t run at inconvenient times in relation to each other, should be a key part of any Liberal Democrat’s doorstop pitch.
One town councillor spoke about a new bus stop built outside a hospital, much to the short-lived joy of its residents, only to find out that the buses aren’t connected to pass through this stop, making the new bus stop effectively pointless. Dealing with contentious “dinner table topics”, such as this, will be high on their campaigning agenda, as will ensuring that clean water is always pushed, and that parents aren’t splitting up their children between multiple secondary schools.
Getting a consistent North Yorkshire policy framework will be key for the Liberal Democrats. To reach their goal of 44 seats, and their wider ambition of having a paper candidate in all constituencies, they are looking to focus on recruiting, whilst keeping the fundamental “community-spirit” element that underpins their party’s values.