I first got interested in Politics after the summer of 1988.  At the time the weather was considered to be ‘freak’ but that year awakened my interest in environmental sustainability. 

I wanted to ‘get involved’ and ‘change the world’…. And I knew the best way to do this was through a politcal party. 

I looked around and Neil Kinnock and his friends were way too ‘Totalitarian’ for me.  The culture of the Labour Party at the end of the 80’s (And early 90’s…. indeed even today) was alien to a great deal of what I believed.

Tories?  YUCK!  After Thatcher there was no way I would touch them with a barge pole…

Being born and brought up in Stroud I naturally considered joining up with the Greens.  I seriously considered it until I realised that their strength was only in a few scattered areas.  They were not a national force.  Although I shared many of my principles and beliefs with them I couldn’t see them winning Stroud and no way could they implement their policies at Westminster.

Along comes Mr Ashdown.  Eastbourne Byelection put the ‘Social and Liberal Democrats’ make on the map.  I saw that the Lib Dems had been campaigning for ‘Sustainability’ for years.  In 1991 I went to the Party’s ‘youth conference’  and listen to Simon Highes MP talking about ‘The Polluter Pays Principle’ 

The Lib Dems had campaigned on Environmental issues for years but also they had MPs!  Nineteen members of Parliament when I joined.  Now we have 60+ … the choice was a no-brainer!….  I joined a movement with a desire to implement Social, Environmental and Political Justice in our country and abroad. 

I don’t want to run down the Greens because they are sincere in what they do. I just think every political party needs to be ‘Green’…. It’s essential to build a partnership from every hue and colour of the political spectrum.  That’s grown up politics and that is what I beleive in!