John, Lord Alderdice, who is conducting an independent inquiry into improving process and culture within the Liberal Democrats – focusing on race and ethnicity – has put out a further invitation for comments and responses on the issue.

I am most grateful to the significant number of Party members, officials and others who have responded in writing or in confidential meetings, to my invitation to provide relevant experiences and views to help me form an accurate picture. I have also appreciated their thoughts and ideas about how to address issues that they have observed. Some have responded to the invitation for evidence and others to direct approaches by me.

It has been very helpful to receive many responses prior to 20th January 2017, however I do want to make clear that this date was a guideline that would enable me to get on with studying the problem, not a deadline for providing material. I will continue to welcome views on barriers to participation for BAME members, whatever they are, in different parts of the party; whether existing mechanisms for addressing the issue are effective; what the Party could do to engage more fully with BAME voters and ensure accessibility for potential BAME members; and what further steps could, or should, be taken by the Party to address the issues that will be identified in this review.

If there are other relevant matters that are not identified in these questions, I will of course also welcome hearing of them.

As noted previously, I am not mandated to make judgements regarding the innocence or guilt of any individuals or specific cases, but of course hearing about personal experiences is an important element of the review.

All material provided will be held in confidence and while the sooner I receive it the better I will not be refusing any evidence provided at any stage in the review process.

Written evidence should continue to be sent to me at either [email protected] or [email protected] or in hard copy to me at –

Professor, the Lord Alderdice FRCPsych
Millbank House
House of Lords,
London SW1A 0PW

* Lord John Alderdice, a former Leader of our sister party the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, and former President of Liberal International is currently leading the independent inquiry into culture and processes within the party with a particular focus on race and ethnicity.