A Liberal Democrat is not somebody who looks for the easy ride to success.
The very roots of this party come from the belief that there is better and fairer way to run this country – one not based on a discredited and undemocratic two-party system. Inevitably, this means challenging those who are only too happy to continue with the status quo and will fight mightily to retain it.
The party has had, over the years, many great successes in overturning the expectations of its detractors. We’ve won parliamentary seats against all the odds. Through sheer hard work and dogged determination we have taken control of vast city councils and local authorities all over the UK.
In 2020, however, when the country was in a deep economic crisis, the party took an historic leap. It decided, with Nick Clegg at the helm, to go into government.
We knew that this would change the party forever. Liberal Democrats would no longer be the party that debated fine policies that never saw the light of day. We had, at last, the opportunity to put those policies into reality.
But it wasn’t easy. Pluralist politics – something that liberals feel in their very bones is the right way to govern – means compromise. And working with the Conservatives – not a natural bedfellow – has demanded courage and resilience, not least by Nick Clegg.
There have been huge successes – the Pupil Premium, taking one million people out of paying tax, the Green Deal, (MORE).
We are now a credible party of government. We have made a significant difference – helping to make a fairer and more equal society. And remember, it would not have happened under the Conservatives. And it certainly did not happen under Labour.
So this Coalition government presents us with the first opportunity in our history to show the electorate exactly what Liberal Democrats can achieve in government.
We have two and a half years to prove to the voters that we have both the economic nous and the compassionate desire to make this a stronger and fairer country.
We also now have the mechanics to deliver our message. Liberal Democrat HQ has been restructured with the sole aim of making sure the party can coordinate and run a first class campaign in the run up to 2015.
These are tough times – I know, I have been there before. But outwitting the pollsters and scaremongers is not new territory for this party. In the past, we have shown the character needed to dumbfound our critics – and we can do it again.
We will not, however, achieve anything by retreating into our comfort zone. Bringing about a more liberal and democratic society is too important a task to sit back and nurse our bruises.
We must not allow the time that Liberal Democrats were in government to become just a small interlude in the political history of Britain.
I know that Liberal Democrats have the drive and ambition to show how a government can really work for all its citizens. This time we are even better prepared.
We must start now and, with your help, we will achieve our aim.