My manifesto for Liberal Democrat Party President
Saturday is the day when voting starts in the Liberal Democrat internal elections, including the one for Party President. Included with the ballot papers is this manifesto from me (which is a bit different from my 1999 Federal Conference Committee effort):
Thank you
It looks like the party internal elections will just sneak in before a general election hits us This avoids all the complexity of re-arranging them, phew, but also means these elections are being run at a super-busy time for the staff and volunteers organising the ballot, the hustings and all the other elements of the contests.
So thank you to everyone who is finding the time to make these elections happen on top of gearing up for the general election.
Find out more
There’s more about my experience and my plans in my President campaign video:
Or see why other MPs such as Wera Hobhouse are also backing me:
How to vote
If the party has a working email address for you in the membership records, you should get an email on Saturday 26 October from elections@libdems.org.uk with online voting instructions for both Party President and also the various other party bodies up for election. Watch out in your spam/junk folder for this email if you don’t see it land in your inbox. It will have the subject line, “IMPORTANT: Your ballot paper”.
However, if the party does not have a working email address in the records, then you will instead be sent a postal ballot. These started going out in the post on Friday 25 October, second class, and so all should have arrived by Thursday 31 October.
If don’t receive your ballot paper, then you can contact elections@libdems.org.uk, and if necessary a replacement ballot can be sent to you.
You will have until 5pm on Friday 8 November to vote.
My biggest fear is that any upcoming General Election will be a single issue election on Brexit – Leave or Remain. There will be little if anything about party policies which are essential if we are to live with any elected Government for the next five years. Surely the only way to solve this is to have the Referendum (People’s Vote) at the same time as a GE. The the Remain leaning Coservative would have somewhere to go and, heaven forbid, the Labour Leaver would find a home. One problem would be “What goes onto the Ballot Paper”. Leave with whatever deal is hammered out through the current debate and Remain – End of Brexit. What is the current thinking on this?