Author Archives: Rebecca Plenderleith

Recently there’s been a lot of talk of people defecting to other parties – namely the Conservatives and Labour – and their exits have been felt very strongly within the Lib Dem community and have caused a ripple effect. Whilst I respect 100% someone’s political opinion and their reasons for defecting, I felt the need to say why I became a Lib Dem and why I don’t see that changing in the foreseeable future.

Being involved with the BBC’s Generation 2015 panel surrounding the 2015 General Election opened up my eyes to something I’d never considered doing before, being a member of a political party. I sat there on the casting day and listened to people speak passionately about their party and that they’d been members since they were 14 and I couldn’t wrap my head around it. It came time for me to speak and I was asked my political affiliation and I went “Uh… I dunno? I’ve voted Liberal Democrat in every election I’ve been eligible to vote in but I’m not sure what my political affiliation would be.” It was met with laughter and calls of “tuition fees” and someone else saying “I hope you don’t make that mistake again.” But I did, and I don’t believe it to be a mistake.

The idea that we need to encourage more women in politics is not an uncommon one and it’s certainly not one I disagree with. As a woman interested in politics myself there are very few women in politics whom I can look up to. This is not because there’s a lack of talented women, it’s that for some reason they’re turned off to the idea. However, all-woman shortlists are – in my opinion – not the way to solve this issue. It’s said that since Labour implemented all-woman shortlists that a female candidate has never won against a male candidate on an open shortlist. If true, that really does not sound like a progressive and liberal way forward for the Liberal Democrats. That’s why it’s concerning to me that Willie Rennie has backed the idea of gender quotas and all-woman shortlists.