I lost my Montgomeryshire seat in Mid-Wales in 2010 for three reasons; one of which was my fault. Two factors were the national situation and demographic constituency changes. But under my control was my public profile. Bluntly, I didn’t anticipate the electorate’s antipathy towards my celebrity profile. I hadn’t sought fame, but I embraced it. It was fun and, at the time I thought, harmless. How wrong I was! Most constituents still supported me, but my profile energetically motivated my foes to vote, while dissuading my supporters from bothering. So, I lost. Game over. And that was that.
Mine was an unforced error – a needless end to my Parliamentary career. But in truth, if I had my time again, I would NOT live my life differently. I’d handle the publicity differently – separating political messaging from matters not relevant to my role as an MP. Instead, it all got mixed up and I paid the price. Unfortunately, today, the Liberal Democrat leadership is making similar mistakes.
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