Hello Conference!

What a brilliant time to be a Liberal Democrat!

On the 7th May next year, London voters will make a decision of national and international importance. Who will be the next Mayor of London.

They will decide who they believe embodies the very spirit of London. Who will stand up for global, liberal, pro-European, warm-hearted and dynamic values. Who will reflect and reinforce the optimism, diversity and entrepreneurialism of our capital.

I believe Londoners will choose the Liberal Democrats. Londoners will choose me.

I’m asking people to choose me as their Mayor, so I want to tell you a bit about myself.

I’m the daughter of migrants. My mum was born in India. She came to England when she was just ten years old. With my grandma and her two siblings, she undertook a 6-week boat trip in search of a better life.

So much of what she tells me about her arrival and first months in London describes the London that I know and love – a charitable city that welcomes people, understands the value of community and supports the most vulnerable.

And my mum gave so much back to the city that had welcomed her. She worked as a carer and auxiliary nurse, always doing an extra last round in the evenings to check that her elderly patients were all OK.

My dad was also a migrant to London. Only he didn’t come from quite as far as India! He was born in a small village in Cornwall and came to London to work as a teacher.

My mum and dad are like hundreds, thousands of people across the capital and the country as a whole. Hard-working, law-abiding, kind, generous.

My mum and dad are like hundreds, thousands of people across the capital and the country as a whole. Hard-working, law-abiding, kind, generous.

There is something that the architects of Brexit are desperately trying to distract us from. 

Our planet is in crisis, balanced on a knife-edge at the point of no return. 

Our planet is in crisis, balanced on a knife-edge at the point of no return. 

Due to man-made climate change, global temperatures are soaring, the polar ice caps are melting faster than ever before, and whole nations are already facing the existential crisis of rising sea levels and extreme weather. Whole species of animals are being wiped out month by month, and global famine is a very real threat.  

This is something that we can only tackle if we all work together, collaborating with every single nation across the globe. No one will be unaffected, but, just like with Brexit, the poorest in society will suffer first and suffer most deeply.

Conference, it is an honour and a pleasure to be addressing you as a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament and as your Shadow Foreign Secretary.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making me feel so welcome.  I could not be more at home in the wonderful Liberal Democrat family.

The truth is, all the incredibly difficult decisions I have made on the journey I’ve been on this year were routed in my values and principles. I joined this party out of conviction.

As you know, I am a Remainer and proud of it – we have spent far too long apologising for being pro-European in this country.  Because you cannot be pro-Britain and put our national interest first without seeking to put Britain at the heart of Europe.

I am a Remainer and proud of it – we have spent far too long apologising for being pro-European in this country.

Be in no doubt: this is the battle of our time and it goes far beyond Britain’s borders.

In essence, the society we seek to build is one where if you work hard and play by the rules, you should be free to lead a happy, prosperous and secure life free of domination of either the state or the market. 

I grew up in world in which we took these values for granted.

As a family of mixed heritage – English, Irish and Nigerian – our back story, alongside that of millions of others, stands as an example of Britain’s liberal, open, internationalist spirit.

The notion that we all share the same basic rights and should live together in peace, regardless of background is something we will always fight for. 

This is the Britain we know and love – and Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and the peddlers of hate and division in our country better know that this is what we will fight for at the coming election. 

It is our job to make sure this country’s heart beats in a liberal and internationalist direction; not nationalist, populist authoritarianism.

It is our job to make sure this country’s heart beats in a liberal and internationalist direction; not nationalist, populist authoritarianism.

Make no mistake: there is something that the architects of Brexit are desperately trying to distract us from. 

Our planet is in crisis, balanced on a knife-edge at the point of no return. 

Our planet is in crisis, balanced on a knife-edge at the point of no return. 

Due to man-made climate change, global temperatures are soaring, the polar ice caps are melting faster than ever before, and whole nations are already facing the existential crisis of rising sea levels and extreme weather. Whole species of animals are being wiped out month by month, and global famine is a very real threat.  

This is something that we can only tackle if we all work together, collaborating with every single nation across the globe. No one will be unaffected, but, just like with Brexit, the poorest in society will suffer first and suffer most deeply.

Vince began by thanking everyone who had helped him during his time as leader, and saying what he’d be doing next:

“I have fought ten national elections over half a century. I couldn’t have done that on my own without the emotional and practical support of my wife Rachel and my late wife Olympia. And without my dedicated team of volunteers in Twickenham and in Parliament led by Dee Doocey.”

He spoke proudly of our time in government and commented on the current state of politics in the country, “We now see Labour and the Conservatives putting party before country and they will suffer for it – permanently.”

He paid warm tribute to the late Paddy Ashdown and spoke of his confidence in our current leader, “It would be great to be able to claim that I have led you from the wilderness to the Promised Land. But the journey out of the wilderness started with my predecessor, Tim Farron, and I am confident will be completed by my successor, Jo Swinson. Jo has hit the ground running and we have every reason to say to the world that she should be the next resident of Number 10.”

Vince acknowledged our recent triumphs electorally and in the polls, “I did, however, get us to the safety of an oasis, in the successful local and European elections; and then onto some fertile high ground where we are consistently polling around 20% or more.”

He praised our clear stance on Brexit, “Our recovery has come from speaking with clarity and consistency on Europe.  We have been faithful to an internationalist, pro-Europe tradition which goes back, via all my predecessors, to Jo Grimond six decades ago.  70% of our members joined us to fight Brexit.”

He drew attention to our record on voting reform, “Liberal Democrats have long demanded fundamental reforms to the distribution of power: proportional voting, decentralisation, an elected second chamber.  We need no less than a democratic revolution.”

He lambasted Boris Johnson, “We see Mr Bean trying to become Stalin” and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, “For three years Jeremy Corbyn and his allies have cynically sat on the fence on the biggest issue of our generation…A generation of young people in particular have been betrayed.”

He welcomed our newest MPs and predicted that there would be more to come, “Within the next few weeks and months I hope and expect that the trickle from both sides will become a flood.”

He also expressed hope for the future, “people who are liberal and outward looking in their values, who see themselves as Liberals, Social Democrats, One Nation Conservatives or Greens – are coming together in the same political family, with us at its heart.”

He addressed the other parties’ failure to address problems with tax, mental health and the NHS, “These aren’t new issues but they desperately need new solutions and fresh determination to deliver them in government.”

And finished off his speech by expressing confidence in our future and our leader, “The Liberal Democrats are in a unique position to lead. Jo is ready to steer us back into government as our new captain – and, now, I am full of confidence and hope for our party and for our country.”

You can read Vince’s full speech here.