Ros Taylor launched the Campaign for Gender Balance blog awards last month on Lib Dem Voice. Since then we have dozens of nominations – thanks to everyone who has made nominations so far! Nominations don’t close until 1 February so if you haven’t submitted yours yet, you still have time.

As these awards are meant primarily to be a celebration of women bloggers, I thought it would be good to publish a list of the nominations we’ve received already. By far the most eclectic category has been the award for best non-Lib Dem blog. As you will see below, our list ranges from councillors, MPs and Assembly Members from other political parties, actors, journalists, civil servants, artists, mums and even a 101 year old sex therapist (retired)!

Indeed, the list is so eclectic, we could do with some help narrowing it all down. The three most popular blogs in terms of received nominations are guaranteed on the shortlist, with each member of the judges panel (myself, Ros Taylor, Ros Harper, Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter, Olly Grender and token man James Graham), allowed to add another entry of their own choice if they wish. So even if your favourite blog has already been nominated, nominating it yourself will still improve its chances of getting onto the shortlist.

Without further ado, here are the list of nominees received so far:

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The media and public clamour surrounding excess packaging is growing. The Women’s Institute and The Independent are both running national campaigns against packaging, while companies like Lush Cosmetics have begun to see the economic sense of letting consumers buy the products they want, without unnecessary cardboard or plastic accompaniment.

The Government has failed to take the lead on curbing excess packaging, paying lip-service to the issue without offering strong, effective policies. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) Waste Strategy, published in May this year, passed up a golden opportunity to get serious about packaging, merely offering a handful of proposals limited in scope and ambition.

On Wednesday, 19th September (at 9am, for the early birds among you!) I will propose a motion to conference entitled Taking Action to Tackle Excess Packaging (full text below). The measures covered in the motion will set the Liberal Democrats on the front foot in the packaging debate. It combines straightforward solutions with innovative policies to provide a clear, effective approach on preventing excess packaging and reducing packaging overall.

The motion takes steps to strengthen and support Trading Standards offices, with whom the role of policing excess packagers lies. The creation of a new national body, to tackle large-scale producers of excess packaging in conjunction with local Trading Standards offices, is proposed. Some cases of excess packaging may be beyond the scope of regional Trading Standards offices, and in these cases a broader, more strategic, view is appropriate.

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