Ben Mathis

Occupation
Party Hack
History of involvement with Liberal Youth
  • Converted to the cause by Paddy Ashdown talking sense in a PPB years ago, but finally joined in the 2006 leadership contest.
  • I ended up stuffing envelopes at the Bromley by-election opposite two LDYS members (one now a PPC, the other an irate Tory blogger), and so started visiting the forum.
  • Later, at a meeting I put my hand up to go to the toilet and accidentally nominated myself for the regional exec.
  • The rest, as they say, is history
Education
  • Briefly at UCL but gave it all up for a proper job
Which historical leader would you most like to be?
The Queen Mother. She taught the Dutch royals to shoot during the war: "If the bloody Germans parachute in we can at least take out a few on the way down"
What has been your most embarrassing moment in Liberal Youth?
When I finally realised that even most people in the Liberal Democrats aren't this geeky.
Favourite book
"Shame" by Salman Rushdie. The story of corrupt political dynasties and atrocities that crippled a newly independent Muslim state that, if he didn't explicitly state that it wasn't, would closely resemble Pakistan.
What area of policy are you most interested in?
Education. In the fullest sense of promoting understanding on all levels. You can't create a Liberal society without people having a stake in what you're doing and that requires education.
What's your star sign?
Aries, because I'm a sheep

 

 

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