Richard Marbrow

I was a member of the Liberals in 1988 so I joined at merger. My initial driving issue was education and at the time the Liberal position (1p extra on Income Tax to pay for it) was distinctive and strong. Latterly my position on the environment, civil liberties and electoral reform have become steadily more important to me and these matters keep my commitment to Liberal Democracy fresh.

Politics isn’t a game and elections aren’t a way of keeping score. Who gets elected makes a real and significant difference to people’s lives.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat message has a large amount of unfulfilled potential to make the lives of people across Wales better.

I would like to help the Welsh Liberal Democrats move from potential to achievement and you can only do that by actively participating.

My main factor that distinguishes me in my experience.

I’ve been an active member for 36 years (I started when I was 14) and I have seen a lot. From our trouncing by the Greens in the 1989 Euro Election through slow growth in the 92-97 Parliament, the leaps forward in 1997 and 2005, the coalition years and the existential crisis of 2015-2019. I have been there for all of it and have helped the party navigate numerous aftermaths.

I have been a councillor for nine years in a large city council that we controlled (Liverpool), a parish councillor for 4 years, a regional treasurer, Local Party chair, 5 time Parliamentary candidate and 12 time council candidate. I was also a Euro election Agent in 2 D’Houdt elections giving me very relevant experience for 2026.

We need ways to measure success that allow every Local Party from a held Parliamentary seat to our most vulnerable Local Parties.

This would enable us to measure our progress in ways that are objective and fair and enable us to make better decisions on investment based on better data. I would also try to bring my experience to bear in transferring good practice from past lessons learned in fighting elections but also, importantly, in helping and progressing resilience in areas where we win. Holding a seat is very different from gaining it and having worked for newly elected MPs and MEPs I can help us to achieve that.

I would also like to help with finding and cultivating donors to help the finances of the Welsh state party.

The number of elections that I helped others to win, including multiple D’Hondt Euro elections in the NW of England.

This was an area where one seat was very achievable but two was wildly difficult. Twice we managed two seats.