I really was the only active member of the LibDems at Salford (one more than the Tories, who tried organising from outside, but were denied a stand a freshers’ fortnight because they couldn’t find a single bona fide Salford student to put in the request). But I didn’t do too badly in the election for president. I think I came third out of six, mostly because of the work I’d done in the Anti-Poll Tax Union (which earned me SWP support, and so leafleters, in those bizarre days) Amnesty and the Anti-Apartheid Movement. In truth I bit off more than I could chew. I was also running for national chair of the Student Lib Dems (I was international officer on the national exec) and should have concentrated on that.

The big controversy of my campaign was that I’d put out flyers saying ‘it’s a straight choice’ between Dermot and myself. They tried to make out I was homophobic, a charge I’m pleased to say was never going to stick. In the end it was a three way split between pre-Blair New Labourism, Catholic fundamentalism and a rather bizarre coalition represented by myself.