Over the past three years, I have been proud to help lead the calls for a People’s Vote in the belief that the challenge of Brexit required not only the strong leadership provided by the Liberal Democrats but also for us to work together with people of all parties and none.

I never imagined that I would be able to say that Michael Heseltine and Alastair Campbell voted the same way as me, but our message to stop Brexit brought together voters from all corners of our politics.

I think this movement of people giving us a fresh look is reflective of the fact that our two-party politics is fracturing. The hard-right Conservatives are running off courting voters they’ve lost to the Brexit Party, and hard-left Labour has departed the field entirely, unable to bring themselves to pick a side at all. But there are good people in the abandoned wings of each party with whom we can, and must, work.

Our two-party politics is fracturing.

Over recent days, this has included speculation that some of the former Change UK MPs may join the Liberal Democrats. I have worked with a number of these MPs and greatly respect them and admire their bravery in leaving their broken parties behind. I also believe passionately that to advance our causes in politics, we have to be willing to reach beyond our current membership and bring on board people who are liberal, but not yet Liberal Democrats.

Over the next few months, there will no doubt continue to be speculation about whether MPs, whether sitting as Independents or not, will seek to join the Liberal Democrats. I have been clear that if those people share our vision for the country, then they would be welcome. If they can read that famous pre-amble of our constitution and find themselves nodding along, then they are welcome. If they believe that we need to fight for our place in the EU, if they believe immigration is a good thing and they want to transform our economy so that it promotes well-being alongside profit, then they are welcome.

But, under my leadership, this will not be a decision taken solely by the Leader, the parliamentary party, or Federal Board. Our members and local parties will play a vital role in any decision to accept new MPs.

Ask any elected Liberal Democrat and they’ll tell you that our members aren’t just a part of our party, they ARE our party, so I want them involved in that process too.

We have to be willing to reach beyond our current membership and bring on board people who are liberal, but not yet Liberal Democrats.

They have welcomed thousands of people into our party in the last three years, and more than 20,000 in the last few days alone, and many of these ‘newbies’ have now gone on to become hard-working local Councillors, Parliamentary candidates and even new MEPs.

We are the party of Remain, and we are also the party best placed to take on the division and populism of the Brexit Party. To do this, we need to build a liberal movement that can build a better society. And as the thousands of new members will attest, our party is a welcoming place for those who want to build a liberal movement to take on the growing forces of nationalism and populism.

Under my leadership, the Liberal Democrats will be the rallying point for the movement that this country desperately needs. I am ambitious for our party and want to see us continue to grow with our members, old and new, integral to our success.

I’m running to be Leader of the Liberal Democrats – but your choice could be about far more than simply who leads our Party.

The tectonic plates of British Politics are shifting, and its the most volatile I have seen it in my lifetime. With the Liberal Democrats on 20% in the polls, two main Parties crumbling from the inside, and a re-alignment of political allegiances across the country, we have a golden opportunity to cement our place as the leading force of Remain.

The impending reign of chaos by these Brexiteers also brings the shadow of a possible General Election – and looking at our recent polls I can see us making some serious gains

There is also serious talk of a Government of National Unity. Its purpose would simply be to make revoking Article 50 the default, rather than crashing out without a deal. This option is looking increasingly appealing to anti-No Deal MPs of all parties who are terrified by the thought of Boris Johnson or Dominic Raab in Number 10. I’m clear that as Leader I would support this. Liberal Democrats should be leading the way, working with other parties, in avoiding no-deal like we are in stopping Brexit.

The impending reign of chaos by these Brexiteers also brings the shadow of a possible General Election – and looking at our recent polls I can see us making some serious gains, with both the Tories and Labour potentially failing to gain a majority.

For these reasons, its therefore quite possible that members like you are not just picking the next Leader of our Party, but also a future Prime Minister.

We’ve had a tough few years. Too many hard-working Liberal Democrats have lost their seats since 2010 despite making such a huge contribution to their local community. But our members have embodied the sort of spirit that has meant we have survived for so long in a brutal First-Past-The-Post system – they have never given up. Now, look at what we have achieved.

I’ve got the relationships with MPs from other Parties needed to get a block to No-Deal through the House of Commons.

Over 700 new Councillors. 15 new MEPs. That is down to every member who has knocked on doors, delivered leaflets, or supported us on social media. That hard work has now put us in the position we could decide the future of our country.

It’s a huge opportunity. I know that as Leader I would make the most of it.

My negotiating skills have been honed over 20 years in Parliament, in Cabinet and at climate change talks at the EU and UN. I’m a proven media performer who has been making the case across print and broadcast media that the Liberal Democrats are the strongest pro-remain Party. I’ve got the relationships with MPs from other Parties needed to get a block to No-Deal through the House of Commons.

I know I am the right person to lead our Party – but I need your support to do so. If we get this right we can save our Country from a ruinous No-Deal, stop Brexit, and transform our country for the better.

That’s why I’m asking you to support me in my bid to become Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

This month is Pride month. This year, June is also 50 years on from the pivotal Stonewall riots. We’ve come a long way, yet still couples in Northern Ireland are still denied the right to marry the person that they love.

Internationally, huge progress has been made when it comes to the rights and freedoms of LGBT+ people. Just this summer, Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage while Botswana decriminalised homosexuality in a landmark ruling. But we still have so far to go. In the UK many LGBT+ people still face a grim reality in which discrimination, both socially and in the eyes of the law, blights their everyday reality. The shocking image of a young lesbian couple covered in blood having been subjected to violence on a bus in London this month was a stark reminder that bigotry and prejudice persist.

The shocking image of a young lesbian couple covered in blood having been subjected to violence on a bus in London this month was a stark reminder that bigotry and prejudice persist.

That image made me sick to my stomach. It also strengthened my resolve to fight for equality for all. We cannot let hate win. It will not win. Liberal Democrats have always been clear that LGBT+ rights are human rights and that these rights are at the core of who we are as a party. It is why we pushed forward the amendment to repeal Section 28, it is why we legislated for same-sex marriage, and it is why we are now continuing to campaign for same-sex marriage to be expanded to Northern Ireland.

The murder of journalist Lyra McKee was heart-breaking and deplorable. This heinous act not only put the tensions in Northern Ireland into stark relief but also served as a painful reminder of this government’s failure to roll out same-sex marriage to the whole of our country. After Lyra’s murder, her partner spoke out, urging the Conservatives to ensure that couples in Northern Ireland can marry the person they love at home and have that marriage legally recognised, regardless of gender.

It is clear that Westminster must act to help give couples in Northern Ireland the rights and freedoms those in the rest of the UK have.

Frustratingly her calls, along with those by countless other campaigners, have so far fallen on deaf ears. Earlier this year, I co-sponsored a Bill in Parliament that would bring same-sex marriage laws in Northern Ireland in line with those in England, Wales, and Scotland. While I would prefer that local politicians in Belfast take this decision, with the collapse of the Assembly it is clear that Westminster must act to help give couples in Northern Ireland the rights and freedoms those in the rest of the UK have.

Earlier this month Liberal Democrat Leader Vince Cable did a video for Pink News where he reiterated the Liberal Democrats’ clear support for same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. I am proud to be in a party that has been unequivocal in our support for equality and I know that whoever takes over from Vince as our party’s next Leader will ensure that the fight for equality remains at the top of our agenda. This Pride month, let’s celebrate how far we’ve come, celebrate our sexual and gender diversity, but let’s also recommit to tackling discrimination and prejudice wherever it exists.

In the UK currently seven million people are carers. That is one in ten people and the figure is only rising as demographics change and people live longer with more disabilities and illnesses.

Three in five of us will be carers at one point or another in our lives.

That is why it is so important this week, Carers Week, that we understand and recognise the contribution carers make to society.

Carers are more likely to suffer with mental health and physical health problems. Young carers miss days of school. And carers are more likely to struggle financially and have lower rates of employment.

Yet in the UK one in three carers have missed out on benefits they are entitled to because they did not realise they could claim them.

That is why I am using Carers Week to challenge the Conservative Government. This week in the House of Lords I asked the Government what steps they are taking to ensure unpaid carers receive the support to which they are entitled.

We need to being doing much more for unpaid carers across the UK.

The Liberal Democrats have also repeated called for the Carer’s Allowance to be raised and for the number of hours required to qualify to be reduced. We would also make it a legal duty for the NHS to identify carers to ensure unpaid carers have access to support and flexible visiting hours. We would develop a Carer’s Passport to ensure carers are informed of their NHS rights.

Liberal Democrats demand better for unpaid carers. We all need to be doing much more to support some of the most hardworking and undervalued people in our society.

Leaving a political party is never an easy decision – nor one that one makes lightly. I know that from my own experience nearly 40 years ago! 

Tonight, Chuka Umunna announced that he has joined the Liberal Democrats.

And I am delighted to welcome him to our party, as the Liberal Democrat MP for Streatham.