Sandy 4 St Albans

Floella Benjamin of Play School and Play Away fame gave an absolutely knock out speech to a sell-out audience at yesterday’s St Albans Liberal Democrat dinner at St Stephen’s church hall on Watling Street (just opposite the house where we used to live).

Although she is most widely known for her children’s television work, her credits go much wider than that – including impressively Chancellor of Exeter University.  And she is proud to be a Liberal Democrat.

She delivered an impassioned speech about the importance of guaranteeing a good childhood, always giving the best start in life.  Her own childhood, having come to England from Trinidad at 10 years old, was scarred by a series of horrible incidents of racist abuse and assault – men exposing themselves to her, being shouldered deliberately in the street, being asked where her tail was.

She learned to control her anger and be a winner.  Now her passion is to ensure that today’s children, fifty years on, do not endure the same or worse.  She is deeply concerned that racism is on the rise and that we just don’t understand how terrifying it is for five- and six-year-olds.

The 80-strong audience listened in rapt attention.  It was one of the most powerful political speeches I have heard in a long time and a magnificent reminder of why Liberal Democrat values must always be fought for.