An  experienced party member and campaigner, well known for speaking truth to power – however unpalatable that truth may be.

First joined the Liberal Party as a Young Liberal in 1966, in his hometown of Orpington, where he learned his electioneering skills as one of the team behind hard-working Liberal MP Eric Lubbock.

A long and successful (indeed, award-winning) career in journalism, meant putting party politics on hold, broken just once as he was a Liberal SDP Alliance candidate in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in 1982.

Throughout his career, politics have remained in prime focus and have brought him face-to-face with and even sometimes confronting politicians of all levels, and parties, from local councillors to cabinet ministers.

DIVERSIFICATION and INCLUSION

Extremely passionate about the importance of, and need for, the wider involvement of all our communities, whatever their differences. We are all people and should be welcomed equally. Ian has a disability, living with multiple sclerosis and mobility problems, yet is secretary of his local party.

EUROPE

Fully supporting the party policy of re-joining the EU when the time is right, he says the only thing to really decode is when that is. For the sake of the UK and everyone who lives there, that time is now and feels the party needs to say so calmly but loudly. Living within the EU (in Spain), as he has continued to do since before the referendum, Ian is keen to capitalise on the Election Act’s re-enfranchising of many Brits living abroad. They will become UK voters and their support for LibDem parliamentary candidates could be difference between winning and losing marginal seats.

FEDERAL COUNCIL

Federal Council is to provide scrutiny in-between federal conferences, ensuring that board decisions are in line with party strategy as voted for by conference, and calling-in any decisions that seem to subvert this. With all his experience in politics and journalism, Ian is ideally suited to this role.

Congratulations to Sarah Green (right) and everyone who contributed to the stunning Liberal Democrat victory in Chesham and Amersham. But let’s not get to carried away. Much as I would love to believe otherwise, one by-election victory in a Tory heartland seat does not signify the beginnings of a great LD revival.

A similar upset was achieved 59 years ago when we, with then Liberal party candidate Eric Lubbock (below), overturned a Conservative majority of 14,760 to achieve our own one of 7,855.

Sarah received 56.7% of the votes cast with a 25.2% swing. In 1962, Eric received 52.9%, with a 26.3% swing.

What was in 1962? The famous Orpington by-election win. Like C&A, it was a true-blue seat that had never before elected an MP of any other colour.

Our Liberal MP held the seat for two general elections in 1964 and 1966 but the Conservatives regained it in 1970 and have held it ever since.

That is just one example of a notable by-election win, and there have been others, that were greeted as a turning point for us but were really the result of local factors including years of community activity and having a good local candidate.

There is no doubt that Chesham and Amersham, like Orpington, is a tremendous result but it needs to be repeated up ad down the country before we can claim it as the start of our fightback.

Historically, we do better in traditional Conservative seats than in Labour ones – the blue wall has been easier for us to undermine. But we need to do both.

Celebrate the victory, enjoy seeing Sarah Green MP taking her seat in the House of Commons, but please do not get carried away. We need to repeat this, again and again. Only then can we claim it to be a revival.