Timeline: evening of Saturday, May 5, 2012.
Venue: Yuet Ben Chinese Restaurant, Upper Duke Street, Liverpool.
Occasion: dinner to celebrate the 40thanniversary of David Alton's election in 1972 to Liverpool City Council.
Guestlist: Sir Trevor and Lady Doreen Jones, Lord Mike Storey and MEP and one-time Liverpool housing chairman Chris Davies.
Topic of conversation: the collapse of the Lib Dem vote in the local elections just 48 hours earlier.
In what should have been a happy and historic celebration for Lord Alton in some ways became a bit of a wake.
On that May 3 massacre, veteran councillor Eddie Clein and the Lib Dem Leader on the City Council, Paula Keaveney, were casualties.
It was all a far cry from the 1960s when the Lib Dems – then known as the Liberals – were the new kids on the block, bidding for a chunk of the political action by challenging seats held by Labour and Conservative councillors.
A young student of 21, David Alton, was chosen to stand in as a city councillor in Low Hill, an inner-city ward based around Edge Hill. Labour had held it for over half a century, so the chances of this young rookie winning seemed less than impossible.
Against all expectations Alton was the victor. In this week's edition of the Catholic Universe, he describes his feelings at that historic win that would eventually propel him onto the world stage.
“I was daunted to find myself entrusted with the care of a community where half of the homes were without inside sanitation. In streets, some of which were lit by gas, there was chronic poverty but incredible generosity. Faith, family and friendship were in the DNA.”
He described how he was amazed and not a little humbled by the trust which people put in him, shocked by some of the situations with which they needed held.
Alton recalled his 1972 election leaflet in which he quoted a local resident from Prospect Street: “Lloyd George said he would provide homes and a country fit for heroes. Nowadays the condition of our homes means you have to be a hero to live in them.”
Making his maiden speech in the Town Hall, Alton was derided as a pavement politician, watching as half of the councillors walked out during his speech.
And it was that concept of pavement politics, championed by Alton's mentor, Trevor “Jones the Vote” Jones, that gradually took the Lib Dems to power.
Conversation during this potential 'Last Supper' – at least for a generation – is said to have included critical comments about Nick Clegg and his dalliance with the Coalition Government.
Sir Trevor told me this weekend the Lib Dems needed to get back to basics - its pavement politics strategy – to show people they are in touch and in tune with what they are looking for.
Nick Clegg
Will any of the Lib Dem diners at the Yuet Ben, or any of those Lib Dems dispatched at the ballot box, dare to stand up and tell Nick Clegg the price being paid is too high?
Probably not. They'll all hold hands and jump over the cliff's edge together.
Maybe a hint of that Yuet Ben gathering can be gleaned from the headline of David Alton's Universe article....Don't punish councillors for Coalition's arrogance.
He concluded: “Local government is a crucial part of the mediating structures of a nation. Authoritarian regimes will always attempt to subjugate it, which is why you should spare a thought for those councillors who will have paid a price for the follies of a Government which increasingly behaves as if ordinary people and their needs don't matter at all.”
Hope Nick gets to read that.
The Lib Dems have just 10 councillors on the city council, likely to become a single digit number when a local bye-election takes place soon in Allerton, with more onslaught likely in 2014 (unless there is a miracle). That could see just three Lib Dems, turning the clock back to the era when David Alton proved pavement politics was a winning formula.
