Yesterday, Tim Farron was elected as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats. In a rally held to mark his election, Tim explained what he thinks the Liberal Democrats are for:

We are the party that sees the best in people not the worst. We are the party that believes that the role of Government is to help us to be the best that we can be, no matter who we are or what our background…..

That’s it. That’s our mission.

We see people as individuals not as opposing tribes, lined up against each other across borders. We favour co-operation over isolation – your failure is not my success. We stand up against the abuse of power, for entrepreneurship and individual endeavour.

We see immigration as a blessing not a curse and value the contribution every single individual has to make to this beautiful country of ours.

As the world changes around us, we see the opportunities and not just the dangers. Because we see the best in people. We trust people.

That’s why we stand up for the individual against the state. Why we stand up for the minority against the majority. Why we stand up for the outsider against the establishment. Because that is not just what we do, it is who we are!

You can read the full text of Tim’s speech here, or watch the video here: