Liberal Democrat candidates for European Parliament elections
The Liberal Democrats have announced their list of MEP candidates for the EU elections on the 23rd May.
The diverse list of candidates sees 60% of the top-listed candidates being women and 10% BAME. That diversity, welcome though it is and an improvement on what the party has often achieved in the past in selections, was however lower than aimed for. Planned additional measures to boost diversity were dropped following threats of legal challenges to the party.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable said:
We’ve announced a strong, diverse mix of candidates, from those who’ve joined the Liberal Democrats recently to those with long experience of the European Parliament.
We will fight these elections on a clear message: a Liberal Democrat vote is a vote to stop Brexit.
Across the country, the strength of our membership of 100,000 is being deployed to prepare for both the European elections and for council elections on May 2nd.
From local communities to the EU institutions, Liberal Democrats are determined to give a voice to the millions of people who demand better than Brexit Britain.
Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Willie Rennie, added:
I am delighted to announce our list of candidates for the European elections. We have a strong group of people who are committed to protecting our place in Europe.
This election gives voters an opportunity to demand an end to the constitutional chaos we’ve endured for years. People are fed up with Brexit and listening to all the arguments. It has divided our country and damaged our economy for long enough.
A vote for Scottish Liberal Democrats is a vote to stop Brexit and will send a message to the SNP on their unwanted independence plans. Every MEP we gain in Scotland will help make the division and damage stop.
With Labour deeply split over Brexit and the Conservatives imploding, the chances of many of the following names being elected are looking increasingly good.
Turnout in the selections varied between 22% and 34%.
Liberal Democrat European Parliament candidates in England
East Midlands (5)
Bill Newton Dunn 1
Michael Mullaney 2
Lucy Care 3
Suzanna Austin 4
Caroline Kenyon 5
East of England (7)
Barbara Gibson 1
Lucy Nethsingha 2
Fionna Tod 3
Stephen Robinson 4
Sandy Walkington 5
Marie Goldman 6
Julia Ewart 7
London (8)
Irina Von Wiese 1
Dinesh Dhamija 2
Luisa Porritt 3
Jonathan Fryer 4
Hussain Khan 5
Helen Cross 6
Graham Colley 7
Rabina Khan 8
North East (3)
Fiona Hall 1
Julie Porksen 2
Aidan King 3
North West (8)
Chris Davies 1
Jane Brophy 2
Helen Foster Grime 3
Anna Fryer 4
Sam Al-Hamdani 5
Rebecca Forrest 6
John Studholme 7
FrederickVan Mierlo 8
South East (10)
Catherine Bearder 1
Anthony Hook 2
Judith Bunting 3
Martin Tod 4
Liz Leffman 5
Chris Bowers 6
Giles Goodall 7
Ruvi Ziegler 8
Nick Perry 9
John Vincent 10
South West (5)
Caroline Voaden 1
Martin Horwood 2
Stephen Williams 3
Eleanor Rylance 4
David Chalmers 5
West Midlands (7)
Phil Bennion 1
Ade Adeyemo 2
Jeanie Falconer 3
Jenny Wilkinson 4
Jennifer Gray 5
Lee Dargue 6
Beverley Nielsen 7
Yorkshire and the Humber (6)
Shaffaq Mohammed 1
Rosina Robson 2
James Blanchard 3
Sophie Thornton 4
James Baker 5
Ruth Coleman-Taylor 6
Liberal Democrat European Parliament candidates in Scotland (6)
Sheila Ritchie 1
Fred Mackintosh 2
Catriona Bhatia 3
Vita Zaporozcenko 4
John Edward 5
Clive Sneddon 6
Liberal Democrat European Parliament candidates in Wales (4)
Sam Bennett 1
Donna Lalek 2
Alistair Cameron 3
Andrew Parkhurst 4
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I am saddened by the whole process. Where did the candidates come from in the first place? I’m Lib Dem member and the first I seem to have heard of it when I was sent the lists to vote on. It was never made clear who selected these people we were being asked to vote on in the first place and on what basis they were chosen. I’m a passionate remainer. I tend to favour the Lib Dems because they were for Remain from the beginning and also because they proposed co-ordination of remain parties for the Euroelections. But I am uncomfortable with the way these candidates have emerged. Not like the Lib Dems at all – who generally I have found very clear and open.