We seem to have more of a problem now on BMEs than on women candidates.

On the upside, we seem to be getting (slightly) better at selecting women.

Sarah’s nomination certainly DOESN’T contradict the application process either.

We should be pressing for exclusion from one major parliamentary chamber if you’re a member of another. But I’d be very surprised if Sarah doesn’t agree with this. The House of Lords is a major anomaly, but I haven’t heard many (any?) of our LibDem peers argue otherwise.

“Members of the UK Parliament (House of Commons and House of Lords) are legally ineligible to be candidates for membership of the European Parliament. MPs may seek selection on the condition that prior to nomination day for the European Parliamentary elections, they resign their seat. Peers may not under current UK law resign their peerages but that may change if House of Lords reform proceeds. Peers may seek selection on the condition that prior to nomination day for the European Parliamentary elections, they resign their peerage if that becomes possible. If it continues to be impossible for Peers to resign their peerages then they cannot be candidates for the European Parliamentary elections. In that event, prior to the election (at a time to be determined by the Party’s Nominating Officer) a recount will take place to determine who should replace any Peers on the list and how the list should be re-ordered if necessary. In any such recount no candidates will be moved down the list as a result of the recount, but candidates may be overtaken by candidates in a lower position.”

Jonathan Davies
Senior Returning Officer

The short answer is because I can and I want to! The technical answer is that while the EU law banning simultaneous membership of a national as well as the Euro-parliament does indeed come into force for the UK in 2009, the government accepts that it has an obligation to ensure that peers can be freed to stand for election as MEPs in 2009.

One route would of course be through wholesale Lords reform, and thus the February 2007 white paper had a specific mention of resolving this problem. But if comprehensive reform does not happen in time, the government’s intention is to have a specific piece of legislation to enable peers elected to the European Parliament to put aside their Lords membership.

Obviously we in the Liberal Democrats are carrying out reselection 2 years ahead of the Euro-election. But what is important is the election timetable of the European Parliament and thus the focus is on having the necessary changes in place before nominations close in 2009.

The party has ruled that in these circumstances peers can stand/restand for selection (and as was mentioned, Robin Teverson is also doing so). If by any chance there is no ‘liberation’ of peers by the time of nominations in 2009, then internal disruption would in any case be avoided since there would simply be a recount to determine who should replace any peers on the list and how the list should be re-ordered if necessary. The ruling adds that in any such recount no candidates will be moved down the list as a result of the recount, but candidates may be overtaken by candidates in a lower position.

I hope that makes things clear, but please do contact me if you wish.

Sarah Ludford

http://www.sarahforlondon.org

Jonathan Davies
Senior Returning Officer

If a candidate is saying they only got 24 hours notice it sounds like they’ve missed out on some information.

Assuming your comment is based on a particular candidate’s experience, it might be worth getting them to get in touch with Jonathan to ensure that the right contact details are being used for communications with them about the process?

And the one that works is ugly. I suspect that Jonathan’s is deliberately blank until campaign start, but some of the others *shudders*

It costs virtually nothing to register your name as a domain, and have everything you need for your current activites there, build up PR and presence. People, especially wannabe candidates, will hopefully at some point learn this.