Tim Farron MP: At last a brave politician

I just made it in time to be in Glasgow at the Lib Dem conference to hear Liberal Democrat President Tim Farron’s speech. It lifted my soul. Farron is not a grand orator in the Rev Jesse Jackson, or even Tony Blair mode, but yesterday he combined passion, bravery and decency in a speech that will speak to hundreds of thousands of Africans, Asians, Caribbeans and the many recent migrants to these shores. His message was simple. He said:

Thank you to those migrants who come to our shores and make our country great.”

Like all politicians, Farron is not advocating an open door policy on migration, but he chose to swim against the tide that is the toxic immigration debate. A debate that has seen Ukip pandering to people's worse racial prejudices, with other parties too often sheepishly following.

Farron told the party faithful, we’re better than this. He said:

These people make Britain great, we should celebrate them not demonise them.

Britain’s future relies not on turning away the best and the brightest from our shores.

Our future relies not on attacking migrants. Migrants who make a net contribution to our economy. Migrants who are less likely to claim benefits than our own citizens.

Instead we should be grateful and proud that migrants have chosen to relocate their lives here and are working to build our economy.”

Continuing his theme, almost as a Baptist preacher he appealed for decency and fairness stating:

I believe that people know that Britain’s future is as an open, inclusive society.

And we have to win these arguments. Because the nationalism, isolationism and misanthropy of UKIP and the Tories is a serious threat and it needs to be treated as such.

Liberal Democrats alone in the European elections recognised that, and we took nationalism on. While Cameron pandered and Miliband panicked.

You can’t win an argument if you aren’t willing to have it. And the other parties had ducked it for far too long.”

Farron’s speech yesterday in Glasgow was, for me at least, the stand-out speech of all the the Party conferences. This was a man who spoke not to win cheap votes by demonising the least able to defend themselves, but instead argued for something that he believed passionately in, knowing full well that in many circles, not least in Clacton where Ukip are tipped to win their first parliamentary seat, his view is deeply unpopular.

Unpopular it may be for some, but in that speech alone Farron single-handedly brought decency back to politics.

I was there as a guest speaker for Merlene Emerson’s Ethnic minority Lib dem fringe meeting. And whilst other speakers too, such as Migrants Forum’s Don Flynn also applauded Farron, it was left to me to tell the room some very uncomfortable truths. The Liberal Democrat party, I said, is at all levels the most unrepresentative party in mainstream politics. And hiding behind, we’re a democratic party, and there are no safe Lib Dem seats - just won’t wash.

And whilst it has always had good credentials on migration, equality, and internationalism, the fact that they lack the political will to be more inclusive in all areas, leaves many thinking, ‘this is just not important enough for them to change’.

Senior Lib Dem grandee Andrew Stunnell was in the audience, and we spoke briefly afterwards. His conclusion to my remarks where, “harsh, but fair.”. He said:

Particularly when it comes to us having targets and achievable outcomes”.

In a upbeat note, he added:

But rest assured Simon, I won’t let this issue rest until we’ve cracked.”

“You don’t have to convince me Andrew,” I replied, “It’s those hundreds of thousands of BME voters in those critical marginal seats you have to win over.”

Simon Woolley