Federal International Relations Committee: new name, still an important task

Following on from the Federal Board, the Federal Policy Committee and the Federal Conference Committee, I’ll now turn to the final two bodies for which Liberal Democrat members are electing people.

First, the Federal International Relations Committee (FIRC). It has a slightly altered name under the new committee structure, and according to the official blurb:

Manages the Party’s relationships with sister parties internationally, and oversees the organisation and provision of training for sister parties outside the UK. In addition, the FIRC coordinates the work of internationally-minded organisations within the framework of the Party, and advises the Party on international policy where appropriate.

The Chair of the FIRC chairs its meetings and acts as the main point of contact with Sister Parties, alongside the International Office. The Chair is elected by the whole committee from among the directly elected members of the committee.

Two particularly good candidates I’d like to highlight are:

• Mark Valladares: there are many good things about Mark, but perhaps above all the fact that he does more to communicate the workings of the existing International Relations Committee to the wider membership than pretty much the rest of the committee’s members combined.
• Jonathan Brown: for the simple fact that his manifesto contains good, practical ideas for what the party can do to strengthen our internationalist approach whilst winning votes in the UK.

Then there is the ALDE Delegation:

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ALDE) is the European Political Party to which the Liberal Democrats belong.

The ALDE Party Council is the party’s second highest decision-making body and meets at least twice a year. Delegates of full member parties are empowered to speak and act on behalf of the ALDE Party. The Council approves membership applications, membership fees, the party’s annual budget and accounts and nominates the Secretary General.

For this, members are only electing four people, so I’ll stick to highlighting one candidate in particular – and it has to be Mark Valladares again, for the reasons given above. More communication with the wider membership from those who are most passionately stuck into our international work is a must.

Apologies as ever to everyone else not included, but I think there’s a real value in brevity in such lists and the wonder of STV means you can give a high preference to many people.