My meeting with late Liberal leader
LIKE many I was sorry when I heard the news that Lord Ashdown had died at the age of 77.
He was the former leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 – 1999 and someone that everyone knew in British politics, especially with his later involvement for his role in Bosniaherzegovina as its High Representative from 2002 – 2006, following his vigorous lobbying for military action against Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
Although an ardent Pro-european he styled himself as an “action man of politics” at the head of a party whose energetic and highly focused campaigning in by-elections and in local politics was the reason for much of his success.
My own personal experience with Lord Ashdown was during a backstage meeting when he was doing a successful tour of the country, when I saw him at Lichfield Garrick Theatre way back in 2012, during his “Evening with...” show. He talked frankly and freely about his colourful career in politics as well as life in the armed forces. He gladly took part in holding my scarf for my “Travels” book and also signed a copy of his book A Fortunate Life: The Autobiography of Paddy Ashdown. which I used in one of my charity sales. He was enjoying a small tipple and making notes from the very same book I had and even though he was due to go on within the hour I was able to talk to him for some time before bidding him farewell and capturing the moment for posterity.