Adam I's Speeches to the Liberal Democrats Conference

On allowing non-MPs to run for leader

16th March 2019, York Barbican

Thank you Chair, and good afternoon Conference.

I wanted to briefly raise a few concerns about part 2B of this constitutional amendment, on the grounds of how it relates to another constitution, that is, the UK's unwritten constitution. Specifically, I worry how we can seriously call ourselves a potential party of government - which we should be - with a leader who isn't an MP. As a party of government, our leader is supposed to be our candidate for Prime Minister. The Prime Minister needs the confidence of the House of Commons, and I don't see how a leader who isn't themselves an MP could expect that.

Furthermore, I fear that a non-MP leader would receive even less attention from the press - as if that were possible - as they wouldn't be able to speak at Prime Minister's Questions or comment in the Commons in the aftermath of major votes.

Indeed, it would be the separate Commons leader who would get all of this attention, thus splitting the focus of the press and the public between the official party leader and the Commons leader. This would seriously weaken our ability to present a coherent message. Also, we need only look to our history as a party to see the danger of having essentially two leaders. In the 1920s, Asquith was the official Liberal Party leader - at one point not an MP - whilst Lloyd George led a breakaway group in the Commons in coalition with the Tories. The two developed a rivalry which almost destroyed the party. I'm not saying that would happen again, but it seems clear to me that having basically two leaders who don't work well together could cause us serious trouble.

In short, I worry that this change will reduce the Liberal Democrats to the status of a protest party, like UKIP or the Greens, rather than a party which is serious about government. Thank you.