Better Ambition

‘I am passionate about my country and angry at the mendacity that has led to the appalling situation in which the UK and our people are heading for relative poverty and insignificance while our politics is offering bitter, unpalatable extremes. There has to be something better. In the absence of something better, we will have to build it.’ Tim FarronWriting with warmth, humour and compelling honesty, Tim Farron charts his rise to the leadership of the Liberal Democrats – from his childhood in Preston to his central role during the Conservative–Lib Dem coalition of 2010–15. Farron speaks openly about his role as Party President and the intense experience of leading his party through the 2016 EU referendum and the snap general election of 2017. He also reflects on the scrutiny he received because of his religious beliefs.So, having reached the top of his career, what made him voluntarily relinquish that honour? What does Tim Farron’s experience mean for those who hold to a liberal vision? Are there lessons to be learned about the role of religion in public life? And what are the prospects for true liberalism in the UK today?

‘Tim Farron tells a fascinating story of family, football, faith, music and politics. It is a story about private and public, highs and lows, passion, pressure and pain . . . Many of us can learn from this book. I am certain that, with gratitude, many will.’, ‘Those who know Tim Farron personally will not be surprised by this book. They know his anger at injustice and his generosity of spirit at first hand. I would recommend this book to anyone who knows him only from headlines. You may not agree with everything he says, but you will be a whole lot wiser.’, ‘Tim Farron knows better than anyone the stresses and challenges of leading a party in the febrile politics of our time. But this is not a conventional political biography. It reveals in frank and courageous detail the acute conflict between political loyalty and religious commitment.’, ‘A provocative read for many in politics who would rather all politicians thought the same.’, ‘Refreshingly frank, humble, faithful and full of grace.’

Born in Preston, Lancashire in 1970, Tim Farron was elected Member of Parliament for Westmorland and Lonsdale in 2005. He rose to become President of the Liberal Democrats during the Party’s time in coalition government. Succeeding Nick Clegg as Party Leader in 2015, he led the Party through the 2016 EU referendum and the 2017 snap general election.He lives on the edge of the Lake District with his wife Rosie and his children Izzie, Gracie, Jude and Laurie. He is a fourth rate fell-runner, a long-suffering Blackburn Rovers supporter and a pop music enthusiast.