My Political Biography

In a nutshell, here is my political biography :-

• In 1965 joined Young Liberals (Brighton & Hove) at age 19. Served as their Chair for a year.
• Also involved in the main Liberal Party, and at the age of 21 was joint-Chair of Brighton Pavilion Liberal Association
• Stood for election, as Liberal Candidate, to Brighton Council on three occasions. Unelected. However I can say that the first time I voted, I voted for myself!
• Become politically inactive for a few years.
• In 1975, active in the "Yes" campaign in the United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum.
• I joined the SDP (in Sittingbourne, Kent) in 1981 soon after its formation. Unlike most of its members I had never previously been a member of the Labour Party.
• I stood for election to Swale Borough Council on three ocassions. Unelected.
• In 1985 I moved to Birmingham. Initially policially inactive in Birmingham. Not a member of the SDP in Birmingham.
• By about 1990, under the Labour Leadership of Neil Kinnock, I became encouraged by the policies then being put forward by Labour, and so, for the first time in my life, I joined the Labour Party.
• I became active in the Labour Party, attending ward meetings and later Erdington Constituency meetings. In roughly 1998 I was elected Chair of Erdington Constituency Labour Party.
• I was pleased to be appointed to North Birmingham Community Health Council, and served on it for about nine years. I was the last-ever Chair of the local CHC, such bodies having been abolished by the Labour Goverment. In my opinion the NHS has gone steadily downhill since CHCs were abolished.
• Over the years I have served on a number of School Governing bodies. I currently serve on three, Gunter Primary School, on the Pype Hayes estate, Castle Vale Performing Arts College (as it will be known as from September), and John Willmott School in Sutton Coldfield.
• I held the position of Chair of Erdington Constituency Labour Party for about five years. During that time I had the duty to chair the rather stormy meeting of the whole local party, to appoint a candidate to succeed Robert Corbett, who announced he would not be standing again, not long before the 2001 General Election. Siôn Simon was selected, having previously been short-listed the previous day at a committee meeting of Labour's National Executive Committee, held in West Bromwich, which I attended, but merely as an observer.
• What particularly incensed local Labour Party members was that they were denied the ability to control the short-listing procedure, because Robin Corbett MP had announced his intention not to stand again, so close to the General Election. Thus at least one local candiate, and possibly more, were effectively denied the opportunity to be selected as Labour Candidate, a decision that has caused so much bad feeling over the years.
• I was initially very happy with the Labour Government, elected in 1997, but following the election of Siôn Simon as MP on a Manifesto that included no tuition fees, by the Autumn of 2003 I was very concerned by the change of direction of the Labour Government, on that and a number of other policies. Accordingly I resigned as Chair of Erdington Constituency Labour Party, and from its General Management committee.
• By February 2004 things had not improved and I therefore took the conscious decision, not to resign from the Labour Party, but deliberately not to renew my membership, which fell due in that month.
• In the Autumn of 2004 I was enthused by the policies of the Liberal Democrats, and so joined. After a short while I started attending meetings of the Executive Committee of the local LibDem party.
• A General Election was called in 2005. Birmingham LibDem Councillor Jerry Evans had been appointed as candidate, and with few other helpers, Jerry and I set about campainging in much of the constituency. Jerry finished a respectable third, and whilst Erdington was clearly not a winnable seat for the LibDems it was clear to me that he is an excellent campainer, and now he has been appointed as LibDem candidate in winnable Hall Green at the next General Election, I wish him every success in that election.
• In Tyburn Ward a Council by-election was called and the election took place in September 2005. I was appointed LibDem candidate. After a hard fight I came third with 334 votes. I stood again in May 2006, gaining 702 votes, and again in May 2007, getting 1112 votes, which gave us second place, and pushed the Tories down to third place.
• In May 2008 I did not stand for election. The reason for that is that one of the Labour Councillors, Ann Holtom, had defected to the LibDems, and she was up for re-election. Clearly Labour hoped to retain the seat, but LibDem Ann Holtom was re-elected, with 1652 votes. I acted as Ann's Agent. The Tories were again in third place.
• In June 2009 there was the European Parliamentary election. I was active in that, and attended both the verification count on the Thursday, and the main count on the Sunday. I was pleased that LibDem Liz Lynne was re-elected for another five year term.
• In July 2009 I started this website, initially to give an outlet to my research on the expenses of local MPs Andrew Mitchell and Siôn Simon.