Mark Pack

This lunchtime I was one of the speakers for an IPPR fringe meeting at Liberal Democrat conference, and in my opening remarks repeated a previously blogged observation about how the Liberal Democrats could learn something from John Prescott about how to be in power but anti-establishment and how to be in power but mobilise public opinion to assist campaigns.

However, making such an observation in a room with several Labour members and journalists means the comparison got a few legs this time both on social media and in an extensive write-up by the BBC:

Many Lib Dems joined politics to be a community champion against the establishment but that was rather more difficult when your party was in government, argued the former Lib Dem staffer and co-editor of Lib Dem Voice at a lunchtime fringe meeting…

The peer had been tipped off about Mr Pack’s modest proposal via the social networking site – but when he was told that his suggestion had gone down well with party activists, the old bruiser’s hackles rose.

“Did they wave their sandals?,” Tweeted the peer, just in case anyone thought he was going soft on his old enemies in yellow…

You can read the full BBC report about myself, John Prescott and the Liberal Democrats here.