Peace, Freedom and Fairness - Priorities for the New Year
December 31, 2008 1:24 PM
By Simon Hughes
By Simon Hughes
As this old year gives way to new, after four very enjoyable and busy years, I pass the Liberal Democrat presidency to my good friend and colleague, Ros Scott. With everyone else in our party and many beyond, I wish Ros every success for her term of office.
After twelve months with Nick Clegg as our leader, our party is in good heart. We did well in the elections in May and have done well in many local by elections during the year. Our campaigning and organisation is stronger than ever. I have every confidence that under Nick's leadership our support nationally will continue to grow. Particular thanks are due to Vince Cable who has been such an impressive Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor over the past twelve months and who has earned huge respect up and down the land.
With the publication today of the new year's honours list I want to add my congratulations to Councillor Nick Stanton, Lib Dem Leader of Southwark Council, to Councillor Meral Ece, Chair of Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats and to Eileen Conn, a party member in Southwark, as well as to my friend Gideon Amos at the Town and Country Planning Association.
Nick and his colleagues have transformed Southwark in the six and a half years since he became the leader. In spite of the restraints on public expenditure I have no doubt that this improvement and transformation will continue.
Meral has not only been an impressive councillor in Islington and GLA candidate, but has led the Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats to start the new year in the strongest ever position.
Eileen Conn has a record of 30 years of community service in Southwark, not least on the police and community consultative group.
As we turn the page of the year, our hearts and minds are again preoccupied with the tragedy of the unresolved issues between Israel and Palestine. At this distance we must campaign, lobby and work as well as hope and pray that hostilities end as quickly as possible. When Barack Obama moves into the White House there must be a new and urgent impetus to reaching the solution that the region and the world desperately needs.
At home, I was privileged to spend Christmas Day with Councillor Eliza Mann, Mayor of Southwark, and others visiting all the patients and staff in Guy's Hospital, three voluntary sector Christmas parties catering between them for hundreds of people as well as two homes for the elderly, our local ambulance station, two police stations and a fire station. We owe a large number of our public servants a huge debt for their work and many volunteers our grateful thanks for all their efforts.
In 2009, as for the last 25 years, my colleagues and staff team with me will continue to work to support all the people in our communities. It will inevitably be a difficult year. The political imperatives must be to sustain the best public services and provide the maximum affordable housing as well as the largest number of sustainable jobs.
On my own behalf and that of my party we pledge ourselves to hold the government to account and to work energetically wherever Liberal Democrats have power and influence in Britain and around the world. Our perpetual aim is for greater fairness and freedom and the sustainable future that our people and our planet need.
Simon Hughes MP
Liberal Democrat Federal President (for the last time!)
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