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Julian Huppert - on top of the electoral cycle

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26th July 2010

Julian Huppert recounts his two-wheeled campaign for Cambridge and the libertarian instincts that resonated with the university city

When did you get interested in politics?

I have always been somewhat interested in politics. To begin with my interests were mainly in the United Nations and international affairs. I joined the Liberal Democrats when I was 17. I have always been a Liberal – after reading the party literature it was obvious that they were the party for me.

What did local politics teach you?

How many services actually impact on people’s lives. People here tend to think in the ‘Westminster bubble’ and less about what exactly is happening at a local level.

Why did you decide to stand as an MP?

Increasingly the things I wanted to change needed to be changed at a national level, with councils becoming more and more agents of central government. Civil liberties is also something I have a strong interest in, and that is fundamentally a national issue.

What were the key issues in Cambridge?

There were a whole range of things, but mainly people were interested in specifically local issues. Transport around Cambridge was a major subject, as was the need for housing, while on a more national level, civil liberties came up a great deal. The best-attended hustings I spoke at was hosted by the NO2ID pressure group.

How did you find the campaign?

It was enjoyable and exhausting. I spoke at 35 hustings, which must be close to a record. That, along with all the knocking on doors, took a huge amount of time.

What about the night of the count?

It was a bizarre evening. I had expected us to do much better at national level, so that was disappointing, even though I won the seat. The count was a good chance to catch up with people, and after that I cycled on to a post count party. I expect I am the only MP to have cycled from their count, and I cycled everywhere during the campaign.

How did you find your first week?

The building really is a maze. It was an unusual time. Before working out where our offices were, how to use the phones or where to find the loos, we had to decide what sort of government we wanted to form.

How do you feel about the coalition?

We’re still trying to find out how it works. Some Conservative MPs are close to me on some issues, and some are rather remote.

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