I have, in the past, noted my respect (and not a little affection) for Sally Hamwee. She has been a key figure within the Parliamentary Party in the House of Lords, a valued President of the London Regional Party and, put simply, a nice person. She made my time as a member of the Regional Executive a little more enjoyable than it might otherwise have been. And, it should be noted, she and Ros worked closely together as frontbenchers over a period of years. Yes, I like the noble Baroness.
And so, when Ros mentioned that we had been invited to a gathering to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of her arrival in the House of Lords, I was at first surprised that it had been that long, and then keen to attend myself. It also meant that I could wear a favourite old jacket that now fits again, and renew old and valued acquaintances. What could be better?
The sun was shining, and Ros and I had drunk coffee before wandering over to the Liberal Democrat corner of the Lords, where nibbles and something to drink had been laid on, and the Parliamentary Party had gathered to mark the occasion. There was a speech by the Leader, Jim Wallace, saying how valued she was, and then Sally was prevailed upon to say a few words, before applause broke out.
It was a really pleasant evening, and whilst Jim Wallace did offer a toast to another twenty-five years, I would rather that she had an opportunity to do all of those things that she would rather like to do. She owes the Party nothing at this point - I might instead suggest that the Party rather owes her a debt of gratitude for being such a great proponent of liberal ideas and a keen observer of the all-important detail that bedevils bad legislation. It should also noted how effective she has been in the Home Affairs brief, a combination of sound legal knowledge and innate liberalism.
Thank you, Sally, it's been great. And so have you...
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