Simon Hughes’s Notting Hill Set

Some time back someone suggested — not entirely tongue-in-cheek — that I should do the equivalent of an Egon Ronay guide to Liberal Democrat social events in London, as I go to so many. Or maybe a ’Jonathan’s Diary’ social event review column for Lib Dem News, though the editor of that august journal (wickedly dubbed Pravda by some of its readers) correctly pointed out that this might cause mayhem amongst rival parties’ catering committees. Anyway, that is a long  preamble to a short report of this evening’s balmy annual summer party in a Notting Hill garden with a sumptuous buffet provided by members. Simon Hughes MP, who came on to the event from the 4th July (sic) reception at the American Embassy, was the entertainment between courses. Untypically, he had only three points to enumerate. First the economy (which Labour has brought into a pretty fine pickle), secondly the environment (we only six or seven years to save it) and thirdly the importance of ongoing campaigning — most pressingly in the Colville ward by-election on 22 July, in which the LibDem candidate is Carol Caruana — but also in the run-up to next May’s probably joint general and London local elections. Fundraising social events will be crucial in the interim, as the party relies so heavily on the money local associations raise for its campaigning. Which is why I spend quite a bit of time encouraging others to ‘eat for victory’!

Link: http://kensingtonandchelsealibdems.org.uk