Dear John,

As Liberal Democrats, we know that getting rid of the Conservatives will not be enough to bring about the radical change we need.

Though absolutely necessary, it is nowhere near enough to solve the big, deep-rooted challenges in our country.

The change we seek, the change our party has always sought, is so much bigger than that.

Because, beneath the daily stream of crisis and scandal, lie much older and more fundamental problems, that neither the Conservatives nor Labour can tackle.

And underpinning them all is a broken political system that leaves millions feeling powerless and excluded, and makes it impossible to hold those in power properly to account.

Only we Liberal Democrats will fix it.

Labour and the Conservatives certainly won’t. They’ve made that crystal clear - the current system suits them just fine.

And so it falls to us to be the agents of change, once again.

That’s why cold hands clutch wet phones to canvass voters, worn-out shoes walk miles to put leaflets through letterboxes and tired mouths urge neighbours to lend us their votes.

Not just to beat the Conservatives – though beat them we must.

Not just to change who sits in power – but to change where power sits.

We must do nothing less than transform the nature of British politics for good.

We must hand back far more control to individuals and communities, and fight for a fair deal that empowers everyone and holds the already powerful to account.

We must smash the two-party system, reform our elections, and give everyone an equal voice.

Because that is the only way we can build a fairer, greener, more caring country.

That is our goal. That is our calling.

So happy new year, John. I’ll see you out there!

Best wishes,