Liberator Songbook 2008: Lord Bonkers' introduction

Perhaps it is not his lordship's most impressive work, but completists will want to read his introduction to the Liberator songbook that was on sale at the Bournemouth Conference last month.

You can also read his earlier efforts from 2005, 2006 and 2007 on this blog.

Bonkers Hall
Rutland
Tel: Rutland 7

How quickly time slips by! It seems only a year ago that those amusing young people at Liberator magazine asked me to provide a foreword for their songbook.

Upon consulting my diary I find that it is only a year, but no matter. As a perusal of the ensuing pages will show, much has changed in the worlds of Liberalism and song over the past twelve months:

• Following the discovery of the Liberal committee room at Orpington by the moving television’s "Time Team", the long-lost final verse of "The Land" has been restored to its rightful place.
• The words of "The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)" have been tactfully omitted.
• At the time of going to press we had not overcome, but it may well be that we shall have done so by the time you read this.

If you still feel a compulsion to be one of those dreary people who ask why they are expected to buy a new songbook every year, let me just say that the proceeds from its sale go to support Liberator.

What better reply could there be? Without that estimable organ, how will you know whether the Liberal Democrats have elected another new leader this month? whether they stand for higher taxes or lower taxes? what Chris "Dry" Bones and his "commission" have come up with?

I hope you will all subscribe to Liberator. To do so, simply send a stamped addressed envelope to http://www.liberator.org.uk/.

In the mean time, I invite you to join me in a rousing chorus of "Woad" and to raise a glass of Smithson & Greaves’s Northern Bitter.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you "Liberalism and Song".