From the Lib Dems 4 Parliament site, here are the PPC selections closing during July:

* North East Hampshire – PPC (07 Jul 2009)
* Basildon and Billericay – PPC (10 Jul 2009)
* South Basildon & East Thurrock – PPC (10 Jul 2009)
* Thurrock – PPC (10 Jul 2009)

See libdems4parliament.org.uk/events/ for more details.

The Lib Dems 4 Parliament site brings news of two selections closing in June:

Plymouth Moor View
Plymouth Sutton & Devonport

Both close on 5th June. Details here.

The Lib Dems 4 Parliament site brings news of just the one selection closing in May (in addition to the two which closed on 1st May):

SKIPTON & RIPON (8th May)

Oh well, that’ll learn me. A fortnight ago, I reported in highly sceptical terms a story in the Carlisle News & Star about the involvement of Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Carlisle, Steven Tweedie, in an anonymous website “calling for Eric Martlew to be ousted as Carlisle’s MP”.

As I remarked at the time, the now-defunct www.byebyeeric.com (still available to view via Google’s cache here) was innocuous stuff, for example suggesting visitors “wish him good luck in his retirement or ask him what he intends to do about some of the key issues facing Carlisle”.

It was ill-advised …

The Lib Dems 4 Parliament site brings news of the selections closing in April:

BLYTH VALLEY – PPC (3rd Apr 2009).

POOLE – PPC (3rd Apr 2009).

West Midlands Region – PPC (3rd Apr 2009).

West Midlands Region – PPC (10th Apr 2009).

KENSINGTON – PPC (17th Apr 2009).

LEWISHAM EAST – PPC (17th Apr 2009).

LEWISHAM DEPTFORD – PPC (17th Apr 2009).

SOUTH WEST DEVON – PPC (17th Apr 2009).

… on being selected as Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Southend West, the seat of David Amess (the chicken-runner from Basildon).

Peter is a Lib Dem blogger, formerly with Liberal Review (in many ways the precursor to LDV), and latterly at his own Eastern/European blog.

The Southend Echo reports:

The Liberal Democrats have appointed Peter Welch to contest the Southend West seat. The party believes he will bring wide experience of politics at national and international level to a parliamentary seat they have always had hopes of winning.

Mr Welch said: “I am enormously pleased to be part of

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The Welsh Lib Dems website has the full story, “We can win,” says Welsh Lib Dem Euro candidate (and quite a lot of psephology):

Welsh Liberal Democrat members across Wales have selected Dr. Alan Butt Philip as their lead candidate for the 2009 European Parliament elections. And having won one election, Alan Butt Philip is confident he can lead the campaign to become the first Welsh Liberal Democrat MEP.

Based on the 2007 Regional Assembly Election, an election that resembles the European Elections in its proportionality, the Welsh Liberal Democrat’s only need a 2.45% swing from Labour to take

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Congratulations to Sarah Teather MP, who was unanimously re-selected on Sunday night as the Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for Brent Central at the next General Election.

Senior Returning Officer Jonathan Davies published some of these figures in a comment thread, but as they’re likely to be of some interest, here they are with some extra detail:

Eastern 42.7% (-1.6% on last time)
East Midlands 49.1 (+1.9)
London 50.9 (+2.3)
North East 63.9 (-2.7)
North West 57.9 (-0.7)
South East 45.4 (-3.8)
South West 50.3 (+6.4)
West Midlands 62.4 (+6.2)
Yorkshire & the Humber 49.4 (+3.2)

Average 52.4  (+0.9)

The party’s just published the results of the selections for our European Parliament election candidates in England. More details over on the main Liberal Democrat website.

Congratulations to Claire on her selection as prospective parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, the seat which has been held by the Lib Dems’ Phil Willis since 1997.

The Yorkshire Evening Post website has more.

Jonathan Davies, the party’s senior returning officer, has just posted the following message on LDV – it deserves flagging up:

Because of the delays in the mail, we have extended the deadline for the return of ballot papers for both the euro and London mayoral selection to 12 noon on Friday 9th November. The freepost envelope which was enclosed in the ballot paper mailing is second class, so you must post it no later than 2nd November. Or you can post your ballot paper first class post and post it until 7th November.

Please pass this information to other members you

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