Personally, I was surprised when Chandila stood for party president, as an unknown to me, and my impression then was of someone who did not relate well to grassroots activism.

To have now decamped to the Tories seems to be a sign of someone looking to get power, not someone looking to serve people.

I’m comfortable with that route, and frankly would be more bothered about defections to the Green Party who share many of our values, and also seem to have policies, despite their lack of resources.

Right now, Cameron is still leading a populist campaign of saying nothing and letting Labour hand them power. How can we worry about someone who would defect that way, especially after the expenses mess. We should be relieved that we’ve lost someone who clearly is not a Liberal Democrat…

… or… perhaps they’re just heading that way as they think they can do some good from within…

Either way. It’s good for us.

WTF yourself.

What do you mean “Give and Receive”? You’re writing as if political parties have pots of money and professional people they can use to do this giving. They don’t, at least, ours doesn’t, that’s the point I’m making. Somehow we do need to get across the message that we are an organisation which runs on volunteers and voluntary donations, these are short on the grounds, and that’s why those of us who do care and do put in the effort to keep them going are often run ragged doing so. Do you know how much of my time and money I’ve put into the party over the years I’ve been an active member of it? When you say “give” are you saying I should dole out yet more money and time? Our party works only because people put in time and money to do things like get leaflets out regularly. If someone joins and wants immediately to be propelled to some nice position and thinks it beneath their dignity to have to put in hard work because that’s for the little people like me, and then goes flouncing off accusing it of racism or whatever because they weren’t immediately offered high office, what do you suppose I think?

I have, again and again and again, put forward the message in this site that we should change the way we promote ourselves so that we are more honest about what we are. We should do more to sell ourselves as an empowering organisation, to sell the benefits of membership, to say what active democracy means in terms of getting together in political parties not just voting very few years – we should be doing this in our publicity every bit as much as we do top down promotion making ourselves look like some consumer brand and asking only for the passive vote. This way perhaps we can recruit more members and get this party working as we should. So why don’t we? Because we have too many people from a Public Relations background at the top who can’t think beyond the idea of selling us like a brand of baked beans, and who anyway don’t really like the idea of “activists”. Mr Fernando with the ideas he put forward in his presidential campaign took this approach to its limits, which is why I feel good riddance now we’re shot of him.

You tell me to “wake up” when I’ve recently been devoting far more time than I really have available (I have a little as I’m not currently deeply involved as a local activist) to trying to promote this different vision I’ve always had for how our party could be. Do you suppose I’m not interested in more members? I certainly am, and I have been putting forward the way to get them – it means stop selling our party as the Nick Clegg fan club and start selling it as something you join because only by little people getting together and using the machinery that democracy provides can we beat the power of money and privilege which so pushes down all who are not part of the smart club in this country.

As for the US, I think you will find they don’t have strong participative political parties there either, and like us very little in the way of activist political culture. So I fail to understand the point you were making in your final paragraph addressed to me.

“[the Asian community's] political identity needs to grow so as not to grasp hold on to one party.”

So surely it should be seen as a good thing that they feel grown up enough not to remain members of one party purely for tribal reasons?

It seems like they all joined hoping the Lib Dems could be one thing, and then left when they realised it was another and wasn’t going to change.

You’re probably tired of hearing it but it does come down to the party not generally being known for what it stands for, having a clear message, etc.

Come on….??

WTF?

It’s a 2 way thing. Give and Receive.

Political parties need to get it through their ‘no one believes in parties anymore and only 20%(if that) of people actually are part of a political party’ heads that THEY need to work.

We’re entering the apathetic knowledge 21st century economy for godsake, wake up!

MH, if we’re in a place like the US are in terms of people simply being passionate and wanting to get involved, then fair enough, great point but we’re not. We’re not EVEN political!

Mark S

Same happened to me as well. Joined the national, then did with the EMLD and WLD. My local party didn’t get in touch until 4/5 months.

I was actually asking all the above to help etc and nothing.

I’ve delivered etc and now I’m involved in a recruitment campaign which I agressively pursued but I had to have tough skin because they were still not up for it, even if it was costing nothing!

I’m passionate about not just politics but about the fact that the Libs have realistically the ONLY policies to move this country (and others forward), point blank.

I’m not emotional, I’m pragmatic but it infuriates me the way not just local parties are (who get little support) and the national do not reflect what Clegg is saying in terms of being progressive…organisational wise.

A very good point. Personally, I joined the party via the national website, heard nothing from the local party for six months so started badgering them via email to find out if they had any events where I could meet other members. Eventually talked my local councillor into allowing me to help deliver focus leaflets during this years election campaign and am now officially ‘in’.

If we are this bad at utilising people who join the party, imagine how bad we are at getting suitable people to join the party in the first place!

You really enjoy reactionary responses to everything, don’t you Tony? Do you have any evidence of Chamali Fernando being a libertarian, or are you just assuming she was because her brother was in LV and you think the Tories are also somehow libertarian?

Any “failure to look like a diverse party” is nowhere near as bad as actually looking like a divided party.

So rather than looking at the colour of a person’s skin we should be turning this argument inside out and saying that what matters is the colour of a person’s beliefs.

The problem of representative balance goes further than political perceptions of candidates and members. In every area there are imbalances in voter participation, educational and economic success, criminality and everything else.

These aren’t just a party problem, it is a society-wide problem. So instead of navel-gazing and talking about internal problems I think we’d be better able to address our internal problems by explaining how they reflect society-at-large and be outlining what policies we are prepared to implement to improve conditions across the country in a way which will appeal to the underrepresented.

I think this article only addresses half of the equation. Where is the link to Lynne Featherstone (poverty and inequality are intrinsically linked) and Evan Harris’ (strongly against discrimination) contributions to the Equality Bill for instance?

If we can’t mention anything about the things we do do then it is a bit rich to grumble about what we can do better and it will never be a surprise that outsiders gain false perceptions.

What do we want to do?

Pick those who have a genuine commitment to the values of the party and can be relied on to do a good job as candidates.

How can we do that?

1) Give them a pile of leaflets and ask them to deliver it. Carry on doing this for a while.

If they can last this, next is:

2) Stand them as a paper candidate – their job then is to be a token, to keep quiet and not to moan when they aren’t given support – they’re not MEANT to be given support.

Now, anyone who can last this has shown the necessary strength and humility that I wish to have in a politician. I don’t want some pushy careerist who moans about being given menial jobs, who won’t be a team player who accepts being part of the team may mean the light falls on someone else, who thinks so much of themselves that they can’t bear anything except instant promotion to the top.

Doing this isn’t time consuming – being a paper candidate takes little time, doing a regular leaflet round is a few hours a month.

You’re far too kind, but I’m too old, too well-connected and politically restricted. And, in truth, not good enough or committed enough.

What I do know is that there are people out there who would benefit from the initiative, who potentially have the skills, the drive and the desire. We need to ensure that word gets out there that this exists, and then get behind it.

Lol! Yes!

Sigh.

Why is that? I always feel like I come in seeming like the anti-christ because I’m all about long term recruitment-(p2p, support, measuring, etc), instead of give the person a load of leaflets and ask them to deliver them!?

Archaic indeed!

Anyhow, as a BAME person-well woman, I can say from my perspective and I’m not sure if this is because I’m female but I would like to see more support/initiatives towards BAME people but it has to be good, like the posters above have clearly pointed out. It needs to be intelligent and perceptive recruitment, not nec quota filled because you may (as it has shown) get the wrong people on board…

Furthermore we make shitty headhunters…why wouldn’t Mark V be headhunted for this initiative?

This is what I mean and which is why I’m holding my breath regarding this. I am part of EMLD but was not even sent a letter/email to say they were thinking of setting this up and would be interested in feedback/ideas from all their members who are clearly…erm…BAME..

Talk about inclusion…

Like a person blaming their tools, its an excuse a pretty shoddy ne at that.

The real elephant in the room is the fear that discussing this properly may involve saying things about the attitudes predominant in different cultures which may be construed as racist. When my wife (who is BAME) describes someone (who may be of her own cultural background) as “very English”, we both know what it means, and it isn’t meant to be a compliment, yet it does imply amongst many things a certain sort of bloody-mindedness very often found amongst successful long-term LibDems.

There is a circular problem that the lack of high-profile BAME members leads to BAME people not considering us as an option, leads to a lack of high-profile BAME members, leads to … . I think we honestly want to break this, I don’t think anywhere in this loop is racism amongst our members stopping BAME members from progressing, or a lack of desire to recruit BAME members.

The great danger is that the short-term treatment of the symptoms in order to break the loop is itself causing problems – we are so anxious to see BAME members succeed in our party that we push them forward without asking questions we might of others. To me, this is behind this rash of defections, and I remember other cases from times further back or lower profile, fairly recently the loss of a BAME councillor in LB Lewisham who in retrospect ought never to have been put forward as a candidate in the first place.

The Fernandos did not seem to be particularly happy in our party, so I can’t accuse them as I have others of defecting purely for careerist reasons. Someone who changes party after a period of agonising which they are willing to share with colleagues is a better person than someone who just says all the right things and seems to be 100% in support of it one day, next day is bad-mouthing it from a position of being in another party. Chandila’s agonising came in the form of running for President with a very definite idea of what he wanted for the Party, but it was one which ultimately marked him out as more suitable for the party he has now (re)joined – so good luck for him there. I don’t remember Chamalie saying anything in particular, her London Mayoral bid seemed so tokenistic, there was just nothing in her career which marked her out as suitable for the post.

Un grand bravo pour votre place au top50

Voici le lien pour voir ce classement :

http://www.lameilleureinfo.fr/top-50-des-blogs-europeens/

Encore Bravo !

Guy

The Party’s aversion to quotas, rooted in the very philosophy of our liberalism, is occasionally overlooked by some of our London-based members, who are justifiably keen to see something actually happen. Persuading the Party outside those urban areas that something beyond support and encouragement is required is difficult.

I live in mid-Suffolk where, to be honest, non-white faces are few and far between. Ironically, our group on the District Council has a BAME member, so we’ve achieved whatever quota target might be set for us based on population. That’s not why Mohammed is on the council though, it’s because he was keen to do it and we were glad to have him.

And in many places, that’s how it works – we’re seldom innundated with offers to run as candidates. What we aren’t always good at (and there are a number of honourable exceptions) is recruiting people from across our diverse communities. Ironically, that often has nothing to do with ethnicity, it’s to do with the fact that we’re not very good at recruitment full stop. Asking people to join is bad enough, but asking them for money? But they might say no!

Without recruitment, you lose that base of interested members who might be your council candidates (and who knows what else) of the future.

I’ve always been a gradualist on these things. As a BAME member myself, I’ve been occasionally alarmed by the emergence of various ‘great BAME hopes’ and the way that the Party bends over backwards to provide them with a clear path, regardless of process issues. They seldom last. Meanwhile, out there, a small group of BAME councillors get on with their jobs, serve their electors and make our Party proud.

And it is this group who should be being encouraged. Not forced, just encouraged. Helping them by introducing them to people who might be useful, might have valuable information to pass on. In short, networking.

I wasn’t actually aware of the New Generations initiative, but now that I am, I’m keen to lend a hand if at all possible. And as the only BAME member of the English Candidates Committee, I’ll be working to ensure that our processes are open, transparent and, above all, inclusive. Not because I favour one group over another, but because I’m a liberal who believes that merit should be the key factor in deciding how we pick our standard bearers…

I am “technically” an ethnic minority, although the very term makes my skin crawl, any pigeon holing does.
I never did and never would join EMLD or any other organisation set up because of someone’s skin colour or ethnic background.
I have never understood to fate why we can condone these types of groups(or the Black police Association…why not white/tanned or slightly pale?) but would never countenance a white only/rich only/men only/people with big feet only(ok maybe that one) group…and rightly so.

Yes I know Merel and others will go on about the work they do and what they promote but frankly in undermines everyone.

People in the street or when you knock on doors don’t give a toss about this.
So lets stop wasting time on internal anguish about 2 very selfish, self promoting and dishonest(to their political beliefs & their party friends) and others and get on with the real problems…..and its not people joining a group that makes them feel the “belong” in some way.

One thing both Chamalie & Chandila got right(and many others) is membership of no group will help you up….you get out what you put in….they put in very little!

All groups have self interest at heart and most people out their know it.
So lets be brave, dispense with all the groups(Gay, Lesbian, EMLD…..)and be seen as one party, no matter who/what or where you are from…God knows we are not a big enough party to justify so many splinter groups!!

Within the last few weeks a mother with a young child told me she didn’t think she could be a target ward candidate, because she’d underestimated the time commitment. The local team and I had worked with her to make suggestions as to how she could support the team in ways that didn’t require her to be tramping the streets or evening meetings – both of which were difficult for her because of childcare issues – in the run up to the Euros. However, none of it ever really came to anything – and as much as anything, I think her reason for giving up was guilt that other potential candidates were doing more.

I’m pleased that my local PPC is a BAME candidate and two of our six potential target ward candidates are non-white (although both male) – but sadly, I feel this is more by luck than judgement on my, and my local party’s, part.

I should point out though, although I regret the defections of Saj, the Fernandos and Norsheen, if you look at their individual cases, it does often seem that their defections had more to do with opportunism than the reasons they gave for leaving (look at Chandilla’s reasons from defecting from the Tories in the first place).

Also, it might actually be the case the some people aren’t very liberal, which seems a good reason for them not to support the Liberal Democrats.

What is shocking is that either of them got as far as they did in the party, given their loony-right views.

I was very pleased to see them go. I hope the rest of their small group of crackpot friends will go too. (At least it won’t do us much harm in the activist department!)

Yes, I am all in favour of getting stuck in on behalf of black and Asian candidates etc, but be careful who you choose to support. I have no idea what the New Generation project may be but I do hope it is not as top-down and elitist as it sounds. If you want a revolution you have to work at it from the ground upwards. A bit of help would be a good thing.

Tony Greaves

Oh yes – I’m sorry if anyone is offended by my upper-class Oxbridge graduate delusions of entitlement! After all we can’t allow the plebs into their Lordships’ House can we?!!