Philip Hardstone writes about his liberating journey and what led him to found Liberating Yorkshire in 2024. He says I am not telling this story for applause but to encourage others who may be in a similar boat as I was.

Born to a respected family of shopkeepers. From being a small child, I faced a personal battle for liberation. I grew up in the face of quite severe learning difficulties, was naturally overweight and neither liked nor was any good at sports. I found it difficult to mix with people – I was a loner. On top of all of that – In my teens, I was attracted to the same sex at a time when it was socially frowned upon and, of course, illegal. I was the victim of bullying at secondary school, trapped in a world I dare not be honest about.

I grew up desperate for recognition. I decided to fight back, learned how to manipulate the system, joined the Labour Party, became the local Constituency Party Secretary, Chair of governors at my old school, and appointed a magistrate on the old Batley Bench – all of this before I was thirty. I desperately needed to prove my worth, not only to others but also to myself.