This caught our eye on Twitter this afternoon:
On my way to Westminster, where two Deputy Leaders of the Liberal Democrats are to be elected this evening…
— Mark Valladares (@honladymark) June 17, 2015
That’s right. The Parliamentary party in the House of Lords was electing two deputy leaders.
And, hot off the Twitter press, here is the result:
….Drum roll……
Ballot papers having been counted, I can congratulate Navnit Dholakia and @kateparminter on their election as Deputy Leaders in the Lords.
— Mark Valladares (@honladymark) June 17, 2015
Lib Dem Leader in the Lords Jim Wallace said:
I am very pleased to welcome both Kate and Navnit as my Deputies. Navnit has been my Deputy since I became leader and has served both our group and the wider party incredibly well over the years and I’m certain he will continue to do so in the future.
I am also pleased that in Kate Parminter we have added a high calibre woman to the leadership team of the Lords group and the wider party.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
3 Comments
Was the election run on the basis of 50% female representation, or is this just a coincidental good outcome of the decision to move to 2 leaders?
The rules of the Parliamentary Party were changed to include two Deputy Leaders, one of whom must be a woman. I can confirm that Kate Parminter was not the only woman to run though.
Ooh, thanks. A precedent set for gendered election in the party!