He may not have managed to take the Henley seat, but Stephen Kearney is using his vast experience of community development to help us build this party.
Tonight Bermondsey and Old Southwark Liberal Democrats have Stephen and Julia Olson as their guest speakers following their AGM (8pm at the South London Mission).
During the late 1980s Stephen and Julia set up a charity that creates networks of individuals who take a role in changing the way public services are delivered and changing the priorities of politicians through social action. In 1993 they trained in Citizen Organising with Ed Chambers and Ernie Cortez from the Industrial Areas Foundation in the States, the same organisation that trained Barack Obama to be an organiser. Tonight they will be speaking about how they could apply their unique organising process and training to equip the most energetic "agents of change" in the Liberal Democrats, to transform and shape British politics in the next 5 years.
I am sorry, that since I am only slowly emerging from my duvet chrysalis I will miss it, but I know Stephen and Julia are committed to sharing their knowledge with the wider party and I am excited about the impact they can and will have on our grass roots organisation.
Showing posts with label Stephen Kearney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stephen Kearney. Show all posts
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Kearney on Opik............
No one who went to the Henley by election can fail to have been thoroughly impressed with Stephen Kearney. His decision to get more involved with the party I believe will contribute enormously to our future success. So I was delighted to have the opportunity to interview him about Lembit's role in the Northern Ireland peace process.
You have been a close friend and colleague of Lembit's including during the time he was NI spokes, can you tell us a little about his role in the peace process?
Lembit has never really got credit for all the work he did in the peace process, simply because, by the very sensitive nature of the talks, it was not the sort of thing you could broadcast without harming the negotiations themselves. He used to discuss these things with me privately, and I was amazed at the level of influence and trust he had at the centre of the events which led to the Good Friday Agreement, and later the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly. I know he set up a number of the key meetings about 8 years ago. Also, he spent a huge amount of time just talking, in large part to the organizations that used violence themselves. He could do that because he was under the radar in a way the ministers weren’t, and that helped everyone.
What were the particular qualities and skills Lembit brought to the table?
Lembit has an infinite ability to listen to people holding unreasonable points of view. He has an almost idealistic belief that if you engaged with someone long enough, they've got to see sense. I say idealistic, but in truth it is an approach that works for him. There are people who most of us would have regarded as dangerous and violent but actually he saw the good and worked through that to encourage them to come in from the cold. Mo Mowlam had the same quality, and that's probably why the two of them worked so well together. Lembit's also a good communicator. He chaired meetings brilliantly with a clear process that people were comfortable with. That structure helps to keep the heat down when things get tense. The other thing is his optimism. He ALWAYS said the peace process would work, even when the Tories and others were saying it was lost. He was right, they were wrong. Another of Lembit’s qualities is his compassion, empathy and understanding of people’s needs. These special qualities helped him to deliver effectively in his role as Northern Ireland Spokesperson.
How do you see those qualities and skills being utilised as party president?
There is tension ahead for our Party, especially if there's a hung parliament. I don't know of anyone else in the Party who's better equipped to keep the show on the road if things get sticky in that sort of situation. It is astonishing that some of his opponents can't see that. They are ignoring his achievements and experience in Northern Ireland, that equip him for the role. Some of Lembit’s colleagues choose to ignore this fairly obvious fact. I fear that they believe what they read in newspapers which is worrying and surprising. Lembit's natural ability to reach out and engage isn't a skill you can learn or buy. He's just got it and as President he'd basically have the space to connect us up to people and organisations who should be working with us but aren't. When I was the Henley By-election candidate, I saw him do exactly this in the constituency. It was an impressive to watch and made a difference to my vote.
Nearly everyone I talk to about Lembit's role in Northern Ireland is surprised, he has said so little about it, why do you think this is?
As I say, he never wanted to compromise the peace process itself and he felt if he started blowing his own trumpet instead of focusing on a literally life saving initiative, he'd be acting in bad faith to his brief. It confounds the accusations that he seeks publicity for the sake of it. I do know Lembit has felt somewhat frustrated by his colleague’s apparent refusal to recognise the work he did there, even though it's clear Lembit is held in huge regard at very high levels of the Government. I remember a couple of years ago he tried to highlight his work at Shadow Cabinet, but he felt that there was no willingness to listen. Lembit used to say the portfolio was one of the most "real" and also one of the most "invisible!" All the same, you don't have to look far to see him re-applying those same skills in other areas. The deaths of young recruits at Deepcut Army Barracks is a good example. He is tenaciously pursuing the truth on behalf of his constituents.
I wanted to focus on Northern Ireland because so many of us knew so little of Lembit's role in forging the peace process, what else would you highlight as examples of his unique qualities?
His work in helping to develop a better devolution settlement in Wales. His relationship with Peter Hain when Peter was Cabinet Minister for Wales was strong, and delivered good results. Lembit is also a Trustee of RE:generate. He has been at the forefront of planning the development of the charities work to alleviate poverty and engage people much more actively in volunteering and public life. In the last two years alone the organization has recruited over 125,000 members in Zambia. The trust is supporting people to develop social enterprises that are direct responses to the concerns people have. We have supplied water strategically to villages that are being the most enterprising in terms of tackling their own issues. 40,000 people are now connected to drinking water supply for the first time. This is the first and most important part of the local projects development strategy. The team in Zambia has purchased land to develop a hotel, conference centre and retail units. Profits will go towards developing social enterprises and action all over the country. They have been donated 3500 ha of farm land where they intend to develop a holistic farm of best practice that will link agriculture and food security with our process of capacity building that will lead to the development of a wide range of social enterprises – projects and businesses that are responses to concerns. Lembit is part of the team that that has achieved this. Lembit produces for communities and that is why he is popular.
You have been a close friend and colleague of Lembit's including during the time he was NI spokes, can you tell us a little about his role in the peace process?
Lembit has never really got credit for all the work he did in the peace process, simply because, by the very sensitive nature of the talks, it was not the sort of thing you could broadcast without harming the negotiations themselves. He used to discuss these things with me privately, and I was amazed at the level of influence and trust he had at the centre of the events which led to the Good Friday Agreement, and later the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly. I know he set up a number of the key meetings about 8 years ago. Also, he spent a huge amount of time just talking, in large part to the organizations that used violence themselves. He could do that because he was under the radar in a way the ministers weren’t, and that helped everyone.
What were the particular qualities and skills Lembit brought to the table?
Lembit has an infinite ability to listen to people holding unreasonable points of view. He has an almost idealistic belief that if you engaged with someone long enough, they've got to see sense. I say idealistic, but in truth it is an approach that works for him. There are people who most of us would have regarded as dangerous and violent but actually he saw the good and worked through that to encourage them to come in from the cold. Mo Mowlam had the same quality, and that's probably why the two of them worked so well together. Lembit's also a good communicator. He chaired meetings brilliantly with a clear process that people were comfortable with. That structure helps to keep the heat down when things get tense. The other thing is his optimism. He ALWAYS said the peace process would work, even when the Tories and others were saying it was lost. He was right, they were wrong. Another of Lembit’s qualities is his compassion, empathy and understanding of people’s needs. These special qualities helped him to deliver effectively in his role as Northern Ireland Spokesperson.
How do you see those qualities and skills being utilised as party president?
There is tension ahead for our Party, especially if there's a hung parliament. I don't know of anyone else in the Party who's better equipped to keep the show on the road if things get sticky in that sort of situation. It is astonishing that some of his opponents can't see that. They are ignoring his achievements and experience in Northern Ireland, that equip him for the role. Some of Lembit’s colleagues choose to ignore this fairly obvious fact. I fear that they believe what they read in newspapers which is worrying and surprising. Lembit's natural ability to reach out and engage isn't a skill you can learn or buy. He's just got it and as President he'd basically have the space to connect us up to people and organisations who should be working with us but aren't. When I was the Henley By-election candidate, I saw him do exactly this in the constituency. It was an impressive to watch and made a difference to my vote.
Nearly everyone I talk to about Lembit's role in Northern Ireland is surprised, he has said so little about it, why do you think this is?
As I say, he never wanted to compromise the peace process itself and he felt if he started blowing his own trumpet instead of focusing on a literally life saving initiative, he'd be acting in bad faith to his brief. It confounds the accusations that he seeks publicity for the sake of it. I do know Lembit has felt somewhat frustrated by his colleague’s apparent refusal to recognise the work he did there, even though it's clear Lembit is held in huge regard at very high levels of the Government. I remember a couple of years ago he tried to highlight his work at Shadow Cabinet, but he felt that there was no willingness to listen. Lembit used to say the portfolio was one of the most "real" and also one of the most "invisible!" All the same, you don't have to look far to see him re-applying those same skills in other areas. The deaths of young recruits at Deepcut Army Barracks is a good example. He is tenaciously pursuing the truth on behalf of his constituents.
I wanted to focus on Northern Ireland because so many of us knew so little of Lembit's role in forging the peace process, what else would you highlight as examples of his unique qualities?
His work in helping to develop a better devolution settlement in Wales. His relationship with Peter Hain when Peter was Cabinet Minister for Wales was strong, and delivered good results. Lembit is also a Trustee of RE:generate. He has been at the forefront of planning the development of the charities work to alleviate poverty and engage people much more actively in volunteering and public life. In the last two years alone the organization has recruited over 125,000 members in Zambia. The trust is supporting people to develop social enterprises that are direct responses to the concerns people have. We have supplied water strategically to villages that are being the most enterprising in terms of tackling their own issues. 40,000 people are now connected to drinking water supply for the first time. This is the first and most important part of the local projects development strategy. The team in Zambia has purchased land to develop a hotel, conference centre and retail units. Profits will go towards developing social enterprises and action all over the country. They have been donated 3500 ha of farm land where they intend to develop a holistic farm of best practice that will link agriculture and food security with our process of capacity building that will lead to the development of a wide range of social enterprises – projects and businesses that are responses to concerns. Lembit is part of the team that that has achieved this. Lembit produces for communities and that is why he is popular.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
My Night of Passion with Lembit!
Last night, it has to be said, was something else! Regular readers will know that I have agonised about who to support in the Presidential elections. Ros is such an inspiration, and as a woman I would very much like to see a champion within the party to ensure women are seen and HEARD. But Lembit is also an inspirational character, which is why I had such a hard time deciding. However, last night I was left in no doubt of why I think now is the right time for him to be President of the party.
Of course the internal shenanigans of the party are hugely important, but as Nick has pointed out, now is not the time for contemplating our navel, now is the time to be reaching out, to be "speaking human" - and in my opinion that is what Lembit does best. I don't buy the "lite weight" jibes - a view confirmed by listening to him last night at the Epping Forest Pizza and Politics evening hosted by our own Neil Woolcott. The food and company was excellent, augmented by a passionate speech from Lembit that left us all encouraged, enthused and ready to go out there and build this party!
I met up with Lembit and Stephen Kearney at Portcullis to travel over to Loughton...........it has to be said, a tube journey with Opik/Kearney is something else......not sure if I was the rose between the thorns or the thorn between the roses! It was a great laugh, but it was also really inspirational, these are two people who are deeply committed to making our party a driving force in this country. We arrived to leaflet at Loughton station and were almost immediately told we should move back "behind the red line" away from the station. This we dutifully did - then another supervisor came out (had no idea London Transport had so many staff) and again asked us to keep back "behind the red line". I explained to him we had already been asked, and given we were not really in the market for ASBOs we would of course comply. He explained that they had had a problem with the Tories who had gone right into the entrance of another tube station, put up a huge banner and a table! Gosh we are so much more gentile in the Lib Dems eh? Then finally, they apparently got guidance from their manager, and were frankly told to push off.....which we did, off to Neil's to listen to Lembit.
Lembit started by talking with real authority and expertise about the current economic climate, the horrendous level of personal debt and the scandal that in what is one of the richest countries in the world, there are 1.2 million households waiting for housing. He showed us how seriously he takes the business of politics, not about point scoring but about making a real difference to people's lives. But his real challenge to us was about "evangelising" - we can't build this party if we are not prepared to really begin to engage with our communities. This is an issue Stephen Kearney has a great deal of expertise in and he will be working with the party to help us develop the grassroots networks that we need if we are going to have an impact.
There were lots of questions, of course including the Big Brother one, which as Neil has already pointed out, he squashed absolutely. What came across strongly was Lembit's conviction that we have to take risks, be bold about our policies and prepared to take the flak if we are being true to our values. But what touched me particularly was to hear of Lembit's significant role in the Northern Ireland peace process. He has been far too modest in this and it was Stephen Kearney who enlightened us all (more about this later). Here is a man who is able to use his undoubted people skills to make a REAL difference. While we talk about "Making it Happen" he HAS made it happen. While we talk about reaching out, he has it built into his DNA. While we complain about not getting the media profile, Lembit can rightly ask "what are you on about?"
We travelled back with Jonathan Fryer, who told the tale of when I had been visiting for dinner, a journey which should have taken 5 minutes from Canary Wharf, which inexplicably turned into an hour and a half! (OK it may have had something to do with the fact that I got on the right bus but going in the wrong direction!)
Then on to one of Stephen's favourite pubs, another mixture of serious political debate and laughter.
I know that there are concerns that because of his character and media profile, there are dangers in Lembit becoming President. Yes, fire is dangerous, water is dangerous, travelling is dangerous - but in all those cases when the power is channelled and directed it is always a force for good. Lembit hasn't had the best of years, but I believe it has given him an opportunity to review where he is and I believe the undoubted talent he has can and will be channelled for the benefit of the party, but far more importantly, for the benefit of the people we seek to serve.
Lembit says politics should be fun. I agree, an ability to combine humour with gravitas is a huge challenge, but one Lembit is more than capable of meeting, not least because of his undoubted passion and unquestionable commitment to the human race. I for one look forward to far more passionate nights with him!!!
Of course the internal shenanigans of the party are hugely important, but as Nick has pointed out, now is not the time for contemplating our navel, now is the time to be reaching out, to be "speaking human" - and in my opinion that is what Lembit does best. I don't buy the "lite weight" jibes - a view confirmed by listening to him last night at the Epping Forest Pizza and Politics evening hosted by our own Neil Woolcott. The food and company was excellent, augmented by a passionate speech from Lembit that left us all encouraged, enthused and ready to go out there and build this party!
I met up with Lembit and Stephen Kearney at Portcullis to travel over to Loughton...........it has to be said, a tube journey with Opik/Kearney is something else......not sure if I was the rose between the thorns or the thorn between the roses! It was a great laugh, but it was also really inspirational, these are two people who are deeply committed to making our party a driving force in this country. We arrived to leaflet at Loughton station and were almost immediately told we should move back "behind the red line" away from the station. This we dutifully did - then another supervisor came out (had no idea London Transport had so many staff) and again asked us to keep back "behind the red line". I explained to him we had already been asked, and given we were not really in the market for ASBOs we would of course comply. He explained that they had had a problem with the Tories who had gone right into the entrance of another tube station, put up a huge banner and a table! Gosh we are so much more gentile in the Lib Dems eh? Then finally, they apparently got guidance from their manager, and were frankly told to push off.....which we did, off to Neil's to listen to Lembit.
Lembit started by talking with real authority and expertise about the current economic climate, the horrendous level of personal debt and the scandal that in what is one of the richest countries in the world, there are 1.2 million households waiting for housing. He showed us how seriously he takes the business of politics, not about point scoring but about making a real difference to people's lives. But his real challenge to us was about "evangelising" - we can't build this party if we are not prepared to really begin to engage with our communities. This is an issue Stephen Kearney has a great deal of expertise in and he will be working with the party to help us develop the grassroots networks that we need if we are going to have an impact.
There were lots of questions, of course including the Big Brother one, which as Neil has already pointed out, he squashed absolutely. What came across strongly was Lembit's conviction that we have to take risks, be bold about our policies and prepared to take the flak if we are being true to our values. But what touched me particularly was to hear of Lembit's significant role in the Northern Ireland peace process. He has been far too modest in this and it was Stephen Kearney who enlightened us all (more about this later). Here is a man who is able to use his undoubted people skills to make a REAL difference. While we talk about "Making it Happen" he HAS made it happen. While we talk about reaching out, he has it built into his DNA. While we complain about not getting the media profile, Lembit can rightly ask "what are you on about?"
We travelled back with Jonathan Fryer, who told the tale of when I had been visiting for dinner, a journey which should have taken 5 minutes from Canary Wharf, which inexplicably turned into an hour and a half! (OK it may have had something to do with the fact that I got on the right bus but going in the wrong direction!)
Then on to one of Stephen's favourite pubs, another mixture of serious political debate and laughter.
I know that there are concerns that because of his character and media profile, there are dangers in Lembit becoming President. Yes, fire is dangerous, water is dangerous, travelling is dangerous - but in all those cases when the power is channelled and directed it is always a force for good. Lembit hasn't had the best of years, but I believe it has given him an opportunity to review where he is and I believe the undoubted talent he has can and will be channelled for the benefit of the party, but far more importantly, for the benefit of the people we seek to serve.
Lembit says politics should be fun. I agree, an ability to combine humour with gravitas is a huge challenge, but one Lembit is more than capable of meeting, not least because of his undoubted passion and unquestionable commitment to the human race. I for one look forward to far more passionate nights with him!!!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Out on the "Shandy Run" with Lembit and Stephen
One of the attractions of the Henley constituency has to be the picturesque villages, liberally sprinkled with equally picturesque pubs, so it was fun to finish my day there yesterday joining Lembit and Stephen Kearney on the "Shandy Run" - touring said establishments until they closed. Apparently it was Lembit who recruited Stephen to the party and they have been friends for 12 years.
As you may expect Lembit's high recognition rate meant he was instantly engaging with the punters, but what was more impressive was that nearly as many people recognised Stephen and were happy to talk about the issues he has been raising. For those of you wondering whether or not it is worth the trek to Henley I would say here is evidence of the undoubted impact the campaign is having - every little counts and there is no doubt the Tory vote is soft. Even those who confess to always having voted Tory, the very people you would expect to by buoyed up by a resurgent party, are not sure if they will support them.
There is no doubt that everywhere we went people will be chatting about "guess who was in the pub last night?" but more importantly will also be able to talk about Stephen and how impressive he is as a candidate.
So, let's get out there and rattle the Tory cage - we have a great chance to do it, but it is a case of all hands to the pump.
As you may expect Lembit's high recognition rate meant he was instantly engaging with the punters, but what was more impressive was that nearly as many people recognised Stephen and were happy to talk about the issues he has been raising. For those of you wondering whether or not it is worth the trek to Henley I would say here is evidence of the undoubted impact the campaign is having - every little counts and there is no doubt the Tory vote is soft. Even those who confess to always having voted Tory, the very people you would expect to by buoyed up by a resurgent party, are not sure if they will support them.
There is no doubt that everywhere we went people will be chatting about "guess who was in the pub last night?" but more importantly will also be able to talk about Stephen and how impressive he is as a candidate.
So, let's get out there and rattle the Tory cage - we have a great chance to do it, but it is a case of all hands to the pump.
Monday, June 09, 2008
How long til the Cameron bubble bursts?.............
.......17 days?
The world is an unpredictable place. We are fortunate to live in a part of the globe where there is more stability than in most countries. But, in relative terms, we are being shaken. The "credit crunch", falling house prices, rising oil, fuel and food prices - all are contributing to a feeling of insecurity. And then there is the terrorist threat.....hmmm that hot potato, 42 days, ID cards, islamaphobia. Add to the mix a smidgen of xenophobia, demonising of young people, fear of crime, dirty hospitals, failing schools, oh.....and don't forget that great demon Europe.
At the heart of all our relative insecurity is a deep cynicism about politics and politicians. No one, from any party, can surely deny that this has got worse. That cynicism was aptly displayed in Crewe and Nantwich. How will it be displayed in leafy Henley?
The smart money may be on a Tory victory, after all, there is no doubt the Tories are resurgent. In Crewe and Nantwich it was clear they were a shoo in. But in Crewe and Nantwich it was a Labour seat. We were third. In Henley the landscape is very different. Of course, the Tories may well consolidate and increase their share of the vote, but let's not forget, the cynicism isn't only about Labour and Gordon Brown, it is also about politics in general. The local elections and recent by elections have demonstrated that. As Lib Dems we have made some brilliant gains from the Tories. This for me makes me believe we could do really well in Henley. The Henley electorate can't send much of a signal to a Labour government by voting Tory.........but they can send a message to the political establishment by voting Lib Dem!
I am a great fan of chaos theory....you know, the butterfly flapping its wing in Brazil ultimately influencing the course of a tornado. We live in "interesting times". As a party that has at its heart the belief that no one should be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity..........all too often we rely on that very conformity!!!! Ds and Ps, yes?!
So, back to Henley. As I said yesterday, we have the kind of candidate in Stephen Kearney who can throw the rule book up in the air. I confess, I didn't have that sense of optimism in Crewe and Nantwich. I am frustrated that we pretended it was winnable and now have the problem of a "cry wolf" backlash. However, to those of you who may be feeling downhearted, worry not! We are serious contenders in Henley, it is worth every second, minute, hour you can put into this. Every little will help.......who knows if it is your straw that will break the Tory camel's back, your "grain of sand" that will tip the balance?
Dear oh dear, I sound very melodramatic about this, but regular readers will know, I am not a great fan of spin. I was quite prepared to air my concerns about Crewe and Nantwich, if I thought we were banging a hollow drum in Henley, I would be the first to say so.
So, back to Mr C. Don't forget this time last year. He was unpopular with his grass roots (may still be so from my intelligence). He was struggling to find a foothold with Brown (who started well remember?), it is the incompetence of Brown that has puffed up Cameron. Where is the substance in Cameron? Where does Cameron stop being Blairlite? Our challenge is to highlight the clear fault line between Cameron and his party, "Liberal" Dave has a party that is still, conservative, rightwing, to its core!
A huge bubble has developed around DC. But, like a bubble, it may be big, but it is fragile, it could burst at any moment. My hunch is, this could be on 26th June..............
The world is an unpredictable place. We are fortunate to live in a part of the globe where there is more stability than in most countries. But, in relative terms, we are being shaken. The "credit crunch", falling house prices, rising oil, fuel and food prices - all are contributing to a feeling of insecurity. And then there is the terrorist threat.....hmmm that hot potato, 42 days, ID cards, islamaphobia. Add to the mix a smidgen of xenophobia, demonising of young people, fear of crime, dirty hospitals, failing schools, oh.....and don't forget that great demon Europe.
At the heart of all our relative insecurity is a deep cynicism about politics and politicians. No one, from any party, can surely deny that this has got worse. That cynicism was aptly displayed in Crewe and Nantwich. How will it be displayed in leafy Henley?
The smart money may be on a Tory victory, after all, there is no doubt the Tories are resurgent. In Crewe and Nantwich it was clear they were a shoo in. But in Crewe and Nantwich it was a Labour seat. We were third. In Henley the landscape is very different. Of course, the Tories may well consolidate and increase their share of the vote, but let's not forget, the cynicism isn't only about Labour and Gordon Brown, it is also about politics in general. The local elections and recent by elections have demonstrated that. As Lib Dems we have made some brilliant gains from the Tories. This for me makes me believe we could do really well in Henley. The Henley electorate can't send much of a signal to a Labour government by voting Tory.........but they can send a message to the political establishment by voting Lib Dem!
I am a great fan of chaos theory....you know, the butterfly flapping its wing in Brazil ultimately influencing the course of a tornado. We live in "interesting times". As a party that has at its heart the belief that no one should be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity..........all too often we rely on that very conformity!!!! Ds and Ps, yes?!
So, back to Henley. As I said yesterday, we have the kind of candidate in Stephen Kearney who can throw the rule book up in the air. I confess, I didn't have that sense of optimism in Crewe and Nantwich. I am frustrated that we pretended it was winnable and now have the problem of a "cry wolf" backlash. However, to those of you who may be feeling downhearted, worry not! We are serious contenders in Henley, it is worth every second, minute, hour you can put into this. Every little will help.......who knows if it is your straw that will break the Tory camel's back, your "grain of sand" that will tip the balance?
Dear oh dear, I sound very melodramatic about this, but regular readers will know, I am not a great fan of spin. I was quite prepared to air my concerns about Crewe and Nantwich, if I thought we were banging a hollow drum in Henley, I would be the first to say so.
So, back to Mr C. Don't forget this time last year. He was unpopular with his grass roots (may still be so from my intelligence). He was struggling to find a foothold with Brown (who started well remember?), it is the incompetence of Brown that has puffed up Cameron. Where is the substance in Cameron? Where does Cameron stop being Blairlite? Our challenge is to highlight the clear fault line between Cameron and his party, "Liberal" Dave has a party that is still, conservative, rightwing, to its core!
A huge bubble has developed around DC. But, like a bubble, it may be big, but it is fragile, it could burst at any moment. My hunch is, this could be on 26th June..............
Sunday, June 08, 2008
It's not just Henley that needs Stephen Kearney as their next MP...Its the Country!
Greetings from Henley, where, along with fellow bloggers Millenium Elephant, Alex Wilcock and Helen Duffett, I have just had the pleasure of interviewing Stephen Kearney.
Any one who knows me that there is one sure fire way to my heart........talk about young people and youth work.....did someone tell him?!
I got to ask the first question which was to ask Stephen what motivated him to get involved in politics. His answer was inspiring and, it has to be said, music to my ears!!!
Stephen told the story of how as a teenager he had got involved with a project called Focus. He and other young people had been hanging around on the streets and got to meet a youth worker, one committed to experiential learning - who worked with the young people to develop a Cafe and Theatre and other groups from a building they took over. He reflected that the young people themselves were empowered to run everything, they became directors, managers, developing a huge range of skills in the process. And then as the youth club fell into disrepair the youth worker worked with them to reflect about what had gone wrong and what they needed to do to resolve the problems - linking what we do to the impact it has and making the link between personal growth and actions. This learning had influenced the rest of the course of his life. Learning how you influence policy, support communities and encourage them to take action.
Through the work he was doing through Regenerate and his contact with politicians like Alex Carlile, Simon Hughes and Lembit Opik, he came to the conclusion that the Lib Dems were the party that listened most. Following a meeting with Peter Luff in Henley in 2002 he made a commitment to put his heart into politics and devote the next 20-25 years of his life to seeing the Lib Dems move from a third force in politics, to government.
Stephen's commitment to young people shone through, his understanding of their needs and our responsibility to take those needs seriously as a key to dealing with many of the underlying problems in our society was a breath of fresh air.
The other theme that ran through what Stephen said, was his understanding of and commitment to, listening to and empowering communities. Apparently he was trained in the 90's by the same people who trained Barack Obama and has clearly put a lot of that learning into practice in the way he has developed his charity and also, impressively, has a clear route map of how he would do the same in politics.
His challenge was that politicians had to up their game and that as Lib Dems we could head the way through not only listening to what people and communities were saying but also by creating networks of people within communities to help us deliver. One of his first priorities after being elected would be to create his own listening team within the constituency who would work with him to explore concerns and implement solutions. His first task on a Friday morning after returning to the constituency would be to meet with this team to report back on what he had been doing in parliament and to get feedback from them about what they were doing, reflecting on concerns and deciding on actions.
He said a lot more and I will drip feed some of the specifics, for example on policy, later. But to start with I wanted to get the message across very clearly that here is someone we absolutely MUST GET INTO PARLIAMENT!!!!! Seriously guys, if you were feeling demoralised after Crewe and Nantwich......now is the time to get your pecker up, dust down your walkin boots, polish up your Lib Dem rosette.........AND GET DOWN HERE - ASAP. Or if it is too far, pick up some of the telecanvassing. I am absolutely convinced Stephen can win this, he has the style, personality, drive......and above all a proven deep commitment to making life better for everyone. If elected he will be a breath of fresh air for our parliamentary party, but far more importantly a breath of fresh air for our country. In a climate where politics is stale, people are disillusioned and have lost faith, here is someone who can inspire them and show very clearly........it can be different!
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