There was a warm welcome from the Deputy Leader for the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, Lord Navnit Dholakia, PC OBE DL, at Admiralty House in Whitehall on Wednesday 22nd October 2014. He greeted everyone as they came in.
It was the Liberal Democrats’ Diwali event and Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg was the chief Guest.
The rooms were all packed, and the VIP guests were Mr Gopichand Hinduja, MPs Martin Horwood and Paul Burstow and Lord Raj Loomba.
There were other significant people present like the executive of the National Black Police Association.
Nick Clegg said in his speech that he was delighted to host the event in a venerable building “On behalf of my part of the coalition. I want to especially thank you for all that you do the rest of the year. All of you in one shape or form stand tall in your community. All of you are leaders in your own right. All of you are looked to provide leadership and guidance particularly in times of trouble and economic change and insecurity by so many people across the country and across your communities.
I want to thank you for the wisdom and leadership you provide to all those who look up to you for that guidance and leadership. It’s always a tough business but it’s an honour and a privilege to seek to show people how to move forward in a spirit of tolerance, generosity and empathy and I know you all do that and I want to thank each and every one of you very sincerely for doing so.
Secondly I don’t need to tell you how important Diwali is to many hundreds of millions of people across the world. Whether it’s Jains, Sikhs, Hindu communities, across the world, Diwali is such an important moment. It’s a moment of joy, of light over darkness, of good over evil, of families coming together. Of fireworks, of colour, of food, of sweets, it is a truly joyful moment and celebrated in such spectacular style. A gathering like this cannot rival the spectacular events in Leicester or Trafalgar Square.
I wanted to express my own best wishes to you at such an important time.
Mr Clegg then thanked Lord Raj Loomba for providing the sparklers and sweets that were in the going home bag also containing a publicity handout about Lord Loomba and his charity work.
Mr Clegg joked that in his role as chief government health and safety officer he could not allow sparklers in the building itself that had withstood many political and metaphorical fireworks in its time. So instead on this “Cold Autumnal evening with the winter closing in” the sparklers would be lit outside the building in the courtyard. “I invite you all to light the sparklers in the courtyard outside and bring light where there is currently darkness. Happy Diwali to you all.”
