Wednesday 27 May 2009

Baroness on the beat!

Residents of Cambridge Road in Hardwick probably didn’t realise that the lady with a twinkle in her eye, canvassing them with me last night, was none other than Baroness Ros Scott of Needham Market, Party President of the Lib Dems.

For all Lib Dems it’s a case of mucking in if something needs doing. Just ask my saintly mother who will tell you all about stuffing envelopes to the wee small hours of the morning during an election campaign! At the moment with all the press attention on the expenses MPs are claiming, it’s easy to forget that the vast majority of work at a constituency level is done by a behind the scenes group of dedicated volunteers. They do anything from knocking on doors, putting up poster boards in their gardens, delivering leaflets and calling people on the day of the election to remind them to vote. And trust me; we couldn’t do it without them!

Anyone who has met Ros will know what an extraordinary woman she is – tirelessly hardworking, witty and a gifted orator. She speaks from the heart and is always happy to respond to questions and look at new things. After her stint on the doorstep with me, we held a Q and A session with local people. It was interesting to hear her talk about what life is like in Westminster at the moment and the frustration of the party that the changes we have been calling for, for years now, are suddenly being lighted on by the other parties as the realisation dawns that the system really does have to change now – not at some magical time in the future.

We’ve been advocating these sorts of changes for years. Under the pressure of public disgust with the system they have perpetuated, the other parties are now toying with them. We all remember Dave’s green phase don’t we! And 12 years ago Labour swept to power on a pledge to reform the House of Lords. Well most of the life peers have gone, but we still have religious and non elected peers. Can anyone really trust the two other parties to finally deliver any part of what we’ve consistently been advocating for years now?

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