General Election – What General Election?

My rosette has stayed in its drawer as I observe political neutrality as Lord Mayor of Liverpool

Well, the last few weeks have been extremely strange for me. In every other General Election since the one I participated in in 1970 the dissolution of Parliament was the starting gun for 5-6 weeks of frenetic activity. I was out there delivering and envelope stuffing and door knocking with the best of them. For the last 30 years I would have been doing this alongside my wife and fellow campaigner Erica.

This year there has been an eerie silence in the Kemp household. No leaflets, no trips over to seats the Lib Dems want to gain from the Tories, no hustings meeting to be abused at by supporters of other Parties. This is not because Erica and I have defected to another Party far from it. We met in the Lib Dems, and we will die in it! But this year’s election has coincided with our period of office as Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Liverpool.

It is a practice that has always been observed in Liverpool that Lord Mayors give up all their Party activity during their year in office having already given up a lot of politicking during their year as Deputy Lord Mayor. I have kept scrupulously to that practice because I believe it to be a good one. The job of a Lord Mayor or Mayor is to represent all the people of our area and that cannot be done whilst being partisan. I did not attend many meetings of the Group last year and will attend none this year. In that context the work is like that of the Speaker of the Commons who also gives up politicking.

Liverpool’s Lib Dem Party has been very good about this. No calls or emails demanding my presence, no entreaties to get out on the knocker. My Party has respected that neutrality of the position. I was surprised then when I was speaking to another Merseyside Mayor last night at an event who was complaining that their Party did not understand that and was continually on the phone for them to turn up.

Of course, politics does enter into my conversations. Everyone in Liverpool knows what Party I have belonged to for 50+ years. The only surprise would be a statement that I had left it. But others too have respected that neutrality. I do comment on what I see as an observer if asked but never positively promote the line of my own Party.

Even if I had not been politically neutered for the year, I just would not have had time this election. Because events go on, I have been turning up to meetings, openings, community events etc. If we take this week starting on Monday I will have had a total of 21 sessions. Three of these were long evening events lasting some 4 hours and involved getting home at 11.30. Some of these were just meetings at the Town Hall that lasted an hour. But others were specific community-based events. Tonight, I am going to an event with the Italian Community and tomorrow one with the German Community. On Sunday I will open the first producer market of the summer at the St Georges Hall.

Of course there is also my ward to consider. I am now the only councillor for Penny Lane Ward and that means that I still take up local problems and opportunities. On Monday and Tuesday (Monday was my only day off from LM duties) I spend 5 hours helping with the 10 community skips I had in place and litter picking!

So, this year I have been an observer of the electoral process rather than a participant in it. The day after the election was called, I asked the Town Hall staff how many events were likely to be cancelled because of. They looked at me as if I were a simpleton. None they said and they were absolutely right. It has affected the turnout at some of our events. For example, I held a campaign meeting for the Ukraine community the day after Sunak got drenched and my emails were full of apologies that morning from people who had intended to come.

What I have observed as an onlooker is how for most people, even the 60% that are likely to vote, are largely onlookers in the election process. Life goes on, events get held, people go to work, they go to parties, theatres, and events. I sense that there is more political discussion than normal but, in many cases, there is sadness about the whole process. I have not seen any of the TV debates, but people are telling me that they are banal and pointless. I have yet to meet anyone who has been canvassed. Only one person has yet had any literature through their door.

When I do return to the political sphere, I think that my abstinence will help me focus much more on the immediate face to face activity which is clearly more important than the television stuff and the snarling interactions. This General Election will have a low turnout because of this. We politicians must learn from this. The way we behave the way we respond to each other, the way from the debate is now turning people off and there isa thought that perhaps only 60% of the voting population will bother to vote.

Perhaps all politicians should have a sabbatical to enable us to observe the process from outside rather than be involved in the bull pit of politics.

So, whilst my friends are out delivering and door knocking in the rain this evening I will be singing along to ABBA at an Italian Community. As we sing, “The winner takes it all,” I promise that I will give no hint about who I think the winner should be although I must say I have always liked the colour yellow!!!