Happy 50th birthday, Mark Littlewood!

Happy 50th birthday, Mark Littlewood!

I’m sorry to miss tonight’s birthday drinks at the Institute of Economic Affairs where Mark has been director-general since 2009, but I am in Ireland on business.

Mark has been a good friend to Forest, speaking at several events including our 40th anniversary dinner in 2019.

His support actually pre-dates his work at the IEA because he also helped launch the Save Our Pubs & Club campaign in 2009.

At that time he was running a classical liberal think tank, Progressive Vision, with whom we co-hosted a fringe event (‘Politics and Prohibition: how liberals can fight back against the nanny state’) at the 2009 Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth.

The previous year (2008) PV and Forest had co-hosted another fringe event in Bournemouth that I wrote about here.

Mark was also involved in an incident that was greatly exaggerated in press reports but was nevertheless very funny. According to the Mirror:

A senior Liberal Democrat MP yesterday decked a party activist in a seaside showdown.

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders knocked Mark Littlewood to the floor after a row over the result of the next general election.

Littlewood, the party's ex-communications chief, upset the MP after publishing a study predicting a Lib Dem wipe-out.

In actual fact Mark merely stumbled over some shrubbery but don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. Either way, he was thrilled with the publicity!

Mark was appointed director-general of the IEA in December 2009 and throughout his time in charge he has stayed true to his libertarian beliefs.

He and I also share an interest in football which is a relief because it means we have something other than politics to talk about.

Before the pandemic he invited me to watch his team, Southampton, at St Mary’s Stadium where he is a season ticket holder.

I enjoyed the match and the occasion and I was planning to reciprocate by inviting him to join me in Scotland to watch Dundee United clinch the (second tier) Scottish Championship.

Covid put a stop to that but the invitation to experience Scottish football culture is still on the table, Mark, if you fancy a weekend in Scotland.

Much as I enjoyed the pre-match meal at St Mary’s, nothing beats a pie and a Bovril on a cold afternoon at Tannadice.

A warm afternoon, with the sun shining on the silvery Tay, is even better.

Tonight, over dinner in Cork, my colleagues and I will raise a glass to Mark at the appropriately named Liberty Grill.

Sláinte!

Below: Mark, left, with Angela Harbutt and Shane Frith at the launch of the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign, June 2009