Author Archives: Hannah Kitching

Hannah Kitching

Giving more support to our regions

By Hannah Kitching | Tue 18th February 2025 - 9:06 am

I wear many hats in our party. From being a councillor in Barnsley through to former Westminster candidate in both Yorkshire and the North West, and now, Regional Chair in Yorkshire and the Humber and the new Vice Chair of the English Party.

In every role I have taken up, I have done so to highlight problems and find solutions. As a Regional Chair, it is clear to me we are long-overdue change.

It is time our English regions were better supported to deliver their vital responsibilities.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 3 Comments
Hannah Kitching

Party reforms are crucial for our fightback

By Hannah Kitching | Tue 15th February 2022 - 10:52 am

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Our party has come a long way since the devastating general election defeat of 2019, when we lost many people including our then leader, Jo Swinson.

As someone standing in a Northern Leave-voting seat, I saw firsthand the effect of the mistakes that cost us so dearly in that campaign and which Dorothy Thornhill’s post-election review documented so clearly.

We must not make the same mistakes again – and that means fixing the party systems and structures that let us down in 2019.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , , and | 29 Comments
Hannah Kitching

Batley & Spen – Labour win is shock but Lib Dems kept Tories out

By Hannah Kitching | Fri 2nd July 2021 - 8:50 am

First – huge congratulations to Kim Leadbeater. Brand new to politics, she was absolutely thrown to the wolves in this campaign, but she survived it. The fight between Labour and Galloway was bitter and divisive, the last thing this community needed. I hope that Kim will be a compassionate and healing MP and I wish her luck.

Honestly, as someone who has been campaigning and knocking on doors in this election, the result has come as a huge shock. I thought the Conservatives would walk it. Perhaps that tells you something about the areas we targeted – our locally held ward of Cleckheaton and our adjacent target of Birstall and Birkenshaw are very much Tory leaning. Our campaign focussed on keeping that local election vote with us, rather than letting it slide back to the Tories.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 67 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Nick Hopkinson
    As usual another erudite article from William. Whilst I support the imposition of some taxes on excessive wealth, I would like to see the party focus primarily ...
  • Jenny Barnes
    How about joining in fewer discretionary wars. Stop the MOD wasting money. Cancel Ajax and the planned F35a purchase. Mothball or use for spares one of the airc...
  • Mick Taylor
    @Russell. The UK already has almost the worst state pensions in Europe even with the triple lock. We pay out millions in supplementary pensions, housing benefit...
  • William Wallace
    Jana: Investing in strong research and development in key sectors (which is where China is soaring ahead), rebuilding training, apprenticeships and early edu...
  • David Raw
    @ Russell "First, by dumping the triple lock". Are you sure you've posted this on the correct website, Russell ? In the meantime I sincerely hope you never ...