Category Archives: Selection news

Mark Valladares

10 October 2025 – today’s press releases (part 2)

By Mark Valladares | Fri 10th October 2025 - 11:15 pm
  • Scottish Lib Dems respond to Regan quitting Alba
  • Liberal Democrats respond to Plaid Cymru childcare announcement
  • Jamie Greene selected as Scottish Lib Dem candidate for Inverclyde
  • Rennie responds to EIS strike ballot
  • Cole-Hamilton responds to BMA strike ballot

Scottish Lib Dems respond to Regan quitting Alba

Responding to Ash Regan quitting Alba, Scottish Liberal Democrat Lothians list candidate Jane Alliston Pickard said:

Quitting two different political parties after failing to get elected leader is quite the political feat.

It looks like Ash’s dream of a giant independence readiness thermometer has been thwarted for good. That’s bad news for parliamentary sketch writers but good news for the Scottish public.

With Alba’s last parliamentarian now abandoning ship, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before their whole party winds up.

Liberal Democrats respond to Plaid Cymru childcare announcement

Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds said:

Families across Wales deserve more than Plaid are offering today.

For the last 18 months, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have been calling for an ambitious plan to deliver 30 hours of free childcare for every child from 9 months to 4 years old, a far more generous and life-changing offer than Plaid have set out.

Plaid Cymru’s proposal shows once again that they lack the ambition and vision needed to deliver meaningful change for Wales’s children and parents.

Jamie Greene selected as Scottish Lib Dem candidate for Inverclyde

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today announced that Jamie Greene MSP has been selected as the party’s candidate for the Inverclyde constituency at next year’s Scottish Parliament election.

Brought up in the Gibshill estate of Greenock and schooled in Port Glasgow, Mr Greene was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016. He has since served as the Member for the West Scotland region, getting re-elected in 2021.

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NewsHound

New Lib Dem Candidate for Mayor of Sussex: ‘We will win with unity, not division’

By NewsHound | Sun 14th September 2025 - 2:07 pm

Sussex Liberal Democrats have nominated environmental expert Ben Dempsey as their candidate for the upcoming election for Mayor of Sussex. The party says that with the Conservatives and Labour in free-fall, they are the only party that can beat Reform by standing up for unity over division.

The latest YouGov MRP poll shows Reform leading in Sussex at 24.4%, with the Liberal Democrats close behind at 22.8%. The Conservatives (19.7%), Labour (17.1%), and the Green Party (14.2%) trail behind. The Liberal Democrats have five Sussex MPs and lead several district councils in both West and East Sussex.

Ben Dempsey, 46, grew up …

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The Voice

Welsh Liberal Democrats announce candidates for two Senedd constituencies

By The Voice | Thu 21st August 2025 - 7:30 am

Mike Hamilton will head the Party’s list for the Casnewydd Islwyn (Newport and Islwyn) constituency at the 2026 Senedd election following a party selection process in the constituency.

Casnewydd Islwyn is one of the new constituencies for the 2026 Welsh Parliament elections, covering the Westminster constituencies of Newport East and Newport West and Islwyn.

Dr Mike Hamilton is a former Merchant Navy Engineer and archaeologist, who is well known in Newport for his community campaigning. He is a former Deputy Leader of Newport Council. Speaking following his selection, Dr Hamilton thanked local Party members for backing him, and said:

Wales needs change after 26 years of mismanagement. We need proper strategic management of the Welsh economy, not endless money wasting on vanity projects. We need to fix the fundamental problems with the Welsh NHS, where Welsh patients wait much longer than English patients for key operations, despite equivalent per-patient spending. And we need to ensure that Wales shows moral leadership on Gaza, where war crimes and human rights abuses have been met with a supine response by the UK Labour Government.

Mike Hamilton will be joined on the Party list for the constituency by John Miller.

Meanwhile, Kevin Wilkins will head the Party’s list for the Sir Fynwy Torfaen constituency at the 2026 Senedd election following a party selection process in the constituency.

Sir Fynwy Torfaen is one of the new constituencies for the 2026 Welsh Parliament elections, covering the Westminster constituencies of Monmouthshire and Torfaen.

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The Voice

Housing expert selected to represent Scottish Lib Dems in Central Scotland and Lothians West

By The Voice | Sat 26th July 2025 - 12:04 pm

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today announced homelessness and community campaigner Paul McGarry as their candidate for the Central Scotland and Lothians West regional list at the forthcoming Scottish election.

Made homeless at the age of 16, Paul was driven into politics by a desire to tackle the root causes of homelessness and support some of the poorest communities in his area.

For several years, he worked in youth projects across Scotland, including Lanark, Motherwell, East Kilbride, Falkirk and Hamilton.

He now works a senior Business Development Manager at a national training provider, helping organisations across the UK improve health, safety and wellbeing.

As the Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson for housing and homelessness, he is a longstanding campaigner for new schools, new community centres and more affordable housing.

Paul McGarry said:

I got into politics to make a difference. Becoming homeless at 16 showed me how fragile the system can be, how easily people can fall through the cracks and how vital it is to have someone fighting your corner.

Living in central Scotland, I see how much people are struggling. They feel like they’re stuck on a permanent waiting list, from NHS treatment to affordable housing.

As a Liberal Democrat, I am committed to giving people the representation they deserve. That means fixing our broken health service, tackling the housing crisis, lifting up local economies and delivering the best education for our children.

I don’t consider myself a typical politician. I’ve seen life’s challenges up close and personal, and that’s what motivates me as a parliamentary candidate. I want to change things for the better and get results for the people of Central Scotland and Lothians West.

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The Voice

Councillor and environmental campaigner tops Edinburgh and Lothians East regional list

By The Voice | Fri 25th July 2025 - 8:16 am

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today announced that local councillor and environmental campaigner Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has been selected as the party’s lead candidate for the Edinburgh and Lothians East regional list at next year’s Scottish Parliament election.

Sanne has lived in Edinburgh for 23 years. In her professional life, Sanne raises money for charities that provide educational opportunities, and helped to establish an ocean protection initiative. She has a strong record of community action, speaking out to secure better cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, more protection for Wardie Bay and to protect the Roseburn Path.

In 2022, Sanne was elected as an Edinburgh Councillor for Forth ward, topping the poll ahead of Scottish Labour’s then Edinburgh leader. She sits on the Finance & Resources and Policy & Sustainability committees. Sanne is also contesting the seat of Edinburgh Northern.

The other candidates selected for the list are counsellor and therapist Jane Pickard, charity chief executive Charles Dundas and Edinburgh councillor Lewis Younie.

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The Voice

Lib Dems pick charity chief exec and environmental campaigner to top South Scotland list

By The Voice | Thu 24th July 2025 - 2:02 pm

Scottish Liberal Democrats have announced that charity chief executive Duncan Dunlop and environmental campaigner Ray Georgeson will top the party’s list for the South of Scotland region at the Scottish Parliament election next May.

Duncan was born in Kinloch Rannoch on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. After studying at Edinburgh University, he lived in many places across the world and the UK, before returning to Scotland in 2008. He is a keen rugby enthusiast and coaches mini rugby.

Professionally Duncan is a qualified youth worker and an experienced chief executive who specializes in care system reform with over 25 years’ experience of working with and for vulnerable young people in the UK, New Zealand, West Africa, post-communist Lithuania and post-conflict Western Balkans.

For nearly a decade he was the Chief Executive of Who Cares? Scotland, which he transformed into a globally respected advocacy organization, refining its focus to boldly represent care experienced voices and champion their rights. Duncan led the case for reforming care in Scotland which created the Scottish Care Review (2017). He was the expert independent adviser to the English Care Review (2022) and New Zealand Review (2015).

Ray Georgeson is an award-winning recycling campaigner and experienced former local councillor and council leader. He has had a successful career in the recycling and resource management industries over many decades, with roles in the public, private and voluntary sectors. He is presently a senior manager in a major Scottish environmental organisation. Ray contested Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk for the Liberal Democrats in the 2024 General Election.

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Mark Valladares

Diary of a Returning Officer: Week 2 – some thoughts about diversity…

By Mark Valladares | Wed 2nd July 2025 - 9:05 am

So, having asked a bunch of questions designed to smooth the selection process, a Returning Officer’s mind turns to what the various parts of the Party want to see.

And that’s a particularly relevant consideration given the debates we’ve had about candidate selection this year. The debate in Harrogate revolved around two core themes:

  • Diversity – by including the Vice President responsible for working with ethnic minority communities, this would be built into the process and made a key priority. In addition, action would be taken to encourage greater representation of women amongst the candidate pool.
  • Scheduling – a co-ordinated, planned timetable for selections would enable better use of volunteer time to help run them, enable more action to be taken to improve the diversity of our candidates and better planning for and provision of training for newly selected candidates.

I admit that the detail was a bit vague – I may be being a bit diplomatic here – but the basic premises were pretty unarguable. The catch is that the new structures designed to deliver these things have no authority yet, given that only the Welsh Party have ratified the required constitutional changes.

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Mark Valladares

26 June 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Thu 26th June 2025 - 10:30 pm
  • Davey calls on Government to pull Welfare Bill before vote as “PM’s own backbenchers” can see the damage carers face
  • “Bungling Badenoch” urgently needs to clarify Conservative position on PM attending major summits after Pritchard criticism
  • Married couple Yi-pei Chou Turvey and Michael Turvey top North East list
  • Wendy Chamberlain MP and People’s Postcode Lottery respond to Government not lifting Charity Lottery Cap
  • Cole-Hamilton: Cancer patients deserve better than SNP failures

Davey calls on Government to pull Welfare Bill before vote as “PM’s own backbenchers” can see the damage carers face

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called on the Government to pull their controversial welfare reforms before a vote next week saying that “even the Prime Minister’s own backbenchers” can see the damage these reforms could do to unpaid family carers and those they look after.

Davey made the call as the Liberal Democrats have tabled their own Reasoned Amendment aimed at killing the Bill. It highlights the plight of unpaid family carers as a result of these cuts and instead urges the Government to fix the crisis in the NHS and social care, to get people off waiting lists and back into work to get the welfare bill down.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The Government needs to pull this Bill and go back to the drawing board. Even the Prime Minister’s own backbenchers can see the damage these cuts will do by leaving some of the most vulnerable without support and putting thousands of unpaid carers in impossible situations.

The Conservatives made a complete mess of our welfare system, but the way to bring the benefits bill down is not through cutting support for disabled people and those who care for them. It is by tackling the crisis in our NHS and social care, to get millions of people off waiting lists and back to work.

Family carers do tremendous work in often the most challenging of circumstances, taking huge pressures off our health services and helping loved ones. Taking support away from our nation’s carers is the worst kind of false economy.

I hope the Prime Minister listens and pulls this Bill instead of cutting vital support from thousands of vulnerable people.

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Mark Valladares

Diary of a Returning Officer: Week 1 – the Regional Candidates Chair has called, and I’ve said yes…

By Mark Valladares | Tue 17th June 2025 - 1:00 pm

There’s been a lot of debate, dare I say controversy, over the recent proposal to Federal Conference regarding how Parliamentary candidate selections are managed. But perhaps it might be interesting to see how the process actually works…

I’ve been a Returning Officer for the Party for a very long time, more than thirty years. My “patch” has generally been the South East of England, covering four of the Party’s Regions – London, South East England, South Central and the East of England. There was a time when I “had ballot box, will travel” but, for a variety of reasons, I’m not willing to take on too many these days. On the other hand, the modern processes don’t actually require me to leave my home office, so I can theoretically cover more territory.

A few days ago, I had a phone call from our Regional Candidates Chair. That’s not totally unusual, as I was foolish enough to stand for the Regional Candidates Committee which, of course, she chairs. And, as a veteran of the candidate selection processes, she apparently values my opinion – or humours me, you’d have to ask her that. She had a request, would I take on a selection? I thought about it for a moment, but agreed readily enough. She promised to put me in touch with the Local Party and, after a quick chat about general business, we said our goodbyes.

So, I need to do some preparation. First of all, there are new Selection Rules, approved by English Council in March. As I’m not a member of English Council, I hadn’t read them. And now I have. They are, it must be said, a streamlined version of what had previously existed which, in turn, was a streamlined version of its predecessor. The new version runs to just nine pages plus some Appendices, which cover another ten. They aren’t as daunting as they might have been.

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Mark Valladares

13 May 2025 – today’s press releases (Scottish edition)

By Mark Valladares | Tue 13th May 2025 - 11:15 pm
  • McArthur makes his final pitch to MSPs to support assisted dying bill
  • SNP failures all over decline in housebuilding and supply
  • Local campaigner Neil Alexander selected to take on Emma Roddick in key Lib Dem target seat
  • Greene demands statement on Glen Rosa news
  • McArthur welcomes victory for Assisted Dying bill at stage one

McArthur makes his final pitch to MSPs to support assisted dying bill

Speaking ahead of the vote on his Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, Liam McArthur MSP said:

This is an issue on which an overwhelming majority of people of Scotland believe a change in the law is required. Public polling is consistent across age range, political affiliation, disability status, geographic area and religious belief: Scots want to see dying people in this country given more choice at the end of life.

Drawing on international evidence, my bill would ensure people who meet the strict eligibility criteria are able to exercise that choice in a way that is robustly safeguarded.

Indeed, my bill would put in place safeguards that don’t currently exist, a situation that leaves many terminally ill people more vulnerable and more likely to take matters into their own hands. This shows that not taking action has serious consequences too, with more deaths that are painful and undignified, despite the best efforts of palliative care, and more traumatised families left behind.

Scotland cannot put off this conversation. And parliament cannot continue to leave this issue in the ‘too difficult’ box. It must, at the very least, allow time for amendments to be considered to see if a bill can be agreed that commands majority support and public confidence.

To my MSP colleagues, I say, if you have not yet made up your mind, my door is always open but most importantly I would urge you to listen to the voices of terminally ill Scots desperate for more choice, control
and dignity.

This bill has been a long time coming but it does now offer the chance to provide that compassionate choice for the small number of terminally ill Scots who need it.

SNP failures all over decline in housebuilding and supply

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today said that SNP decisions have made the housing crisis significantly worse after statistics confirmed dramatic falls in new housing supply and new build completions in the year to March 2024, despite an increase in the number of people seeking housing.

Official figures published today show that:

  • Between 2022/23 and 2023/24, new housing supply decreased by 16.4%, or 3,984 homes.
  • In the same period, new build completions decreased by 16.1%, a drop of 3,835 homes.
  • As of 31st March 2024, 177,264 applications were recorded on 26 local authority or common housing register housing lists. This represents 2,172 more households compared with March 2023.
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Mark Valladares

14 March 2025 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 14th March 2025 - 11:15 pm
  • GDP: Reeves’s plan for growth leaves “economy on life support”
  • Scottish Government refusing to say whether Gupta firms in breach of legal agreements
  • Adam Harley selected for Scot Lib Dem target seat of Strathkelvin & Bearsden
  • McArthur welcomes watershed moment in assisted dying debate as GPs vote to drop opposition
  • Jardine comments on SNP MPs approved for 2026 candidacy
  • Rennie responds to Glen Sannox pulled from service

GDP: Reeves’s plan for growth leaves “economy on life support”

Responding to GDP shrinking by 0.1% in January, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

The Chancellor’s wretched Budget has left our economy on life support so the Spring Statement must deliver a much needed shot in the arm.

Just as the Chancellor’s jobs tax is set to hammer small businesses and plunge high streets into despair, the Government’s refusal to negotiate a bespoke UK-EU Customs Union to unleash economic growth is baffling.

At the Statement, the Chancellor must admit that her Budget has failed to reverse the years of Conservative economic vandalism and put forward a new plan that unleashes the growth potential of small businesses up and down the land.

Scottish Government refusing to say whether Gupta firms in breach of legal agreements

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie has today piled pressure on the Scottish Government after a minister repeatedly refused to say whether recipients of millions of pounds of taxpayer-backed guarantees who have repeatedly failed to file accounts were in breach of their deals with the government.

It was revealed in October that the CEO of Liberty House Group, Sanjeev Gupta is currently facing prosecution over his alleged failure to file accounts for more than 70 companies. This follows years of media reporting that accounts for both the Dalzell steelworks – acquired by Mr Gupta from Tata Steel in a controversial back-to-back deal facilitated by the Scottish Government – and for the Lochaber aluminium plant – also owned by Mr Gupta and owing £7m in loans to Scottish taxpayers – have gone unfiled.

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The Voice

Liberal Democrats announce London Mayoral shortlist

By The Voice | Mon 17th July 2023 - 11:22 am

The Liberal Democrats have announced their shortlisted candidates for next year’s London Mayoral election. Rob Blackie and Chris French have been shortlisted and will now have the summer to win the support of London Liberal Democrat members. The result will be announced in September.

Rob Blackie advises startup technology companies, working on challenges such as accelerating cancer treatments and tackling climate change. In 2022 Rob founded the award-winning Breaking Putin’s Censorship Campaign – fighting Russian propaganda about the Ukraine war. Rob is number 2 on the Liberal Democrats London Assembly List for the 2024 elections.

Chris French is a community …

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Mark Valladares

So, you’re thinking about finding a PPC?…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 10th July 2023 - 3:02 pm

One of the quirks of recent General Elections is that, for a lot of constituencies, the process of selecting a candidate has been somewhat truncated. But time is getting on, and the new boundaries are out, so it’s probably time to make a start…

If you haven’t got a candidate in place already, you probably aren’t a target seat, but you almost certainly have some goals that you wish to achieve, and the right PPC can help you to achieve them. So, your first step is to agree to start the process at a meeting of the Local Party’s Executive Committee. …

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The Voice

Mark Williams selected to fight Ceredigion for the Liberal Democrats

By The Voice | Fri 12th May 2023 - 4:22 pm

Ceredigion Liberal Democrats have reselected Mark Williams as Liberal Democrats for Ceredigion following a vote of local party members. Mark Williams was formerly the MP for Ceredigion from 2005- 2017 and was the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. He and his wife Helen, who runs the local Community Hwb, live in Borth with their four children.

Since 2017 Mark has resumed his teaching career and has remained active in a range of local voluntary organisations and charities.

Commenting on his selection, Mark Williams said:

I am delighted to once again be our candidate in my home constituency, the place where we live, where my children have grown up and thrived, and in which I passionately believe has so much potential.

Ceredigion is a wonderful place in which to live, but all too often is overlooked by UK Government Westminster and the Welsh Government in Cardiff Bay.

That is why Ceredigion needs a strong voice to champion it in Parliament and why I’m going to be working hard to win back the seat and put Ceredigion’s interests first. Standing up for local communities has always been the defining characteristic of the Liberal Democrats.

The Liberal Democrats’ commitment to internationalism, protecting our natural environment, standing up for carers and reforming our democracy are things I’m really looking forward to talking to residents about on the doorstep.

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Simon McGrath

London members vote to choose the top of the list for the Greater London Assembly

By Simon McGrath | Tue 18th April 2023 - 9:50 am

Ballot e-mails will be going out shortly for members in London to decide the order of our candidates for the List election for the Greater London Assembly in May 2024. The Assembly has fourteen constituency members and eleven elected on Party lists. So, if our share of the vote gives us four people to be elected on the List, the top four on our list will become Assembly members.

We currently have two GLA members – Caroline Pidgeon and Hina Bokhari, though Caroline has announced she is not standing again.

There are eleven members competing:

  • Chris Annous
  • Rob Blackie
  • Cllr Hina Bokhari
  • Michael

…

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The Voice

Rodney Berman announced as Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Cardiff Central

By The Voice | Fri 25th November 2022 - 7:15 am

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have announced Rodney Berman as their candidate for Cardiff Central for the next General Election.

Cardiff Central is currently held by Labour but was previously held by the Liberal Democrats from 2005-2015.

Rodney Berman is a Cardiff Councillor in Penylan and served as Leader of Cardiff Council for eight years between 2004 and 2012, during which he oversaw a massive increase in the recycling rate and the money given to schools. He is proud to have been awarded an OBE for his services to local government and the community in Cardiff in 2013.

Rodney has lived in Cardiff for most of his life after taking up a research role at the university in the early 90s.

Currently working in health policy, Rodney represented the interests of doctors during Covid-19 and provides advice on public health issues and is passionate about reducing health inequalities.

Rodney Berman and the Welsh Liberal Democrats have stated that Labour has taken Cardiff for granted over recent years at all levels, presiding over failures in the healthcare system, the cladding crisis and public transport. The party believes that it can offer a positive alternative to both a Labour-dominated Wales and the chaotic mismanagement of the economy by the Conservatives.

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The Voice

Liberal Democrats Select David Chadwick as Candidate for Top Welsh target seat of Brecon & Radnorshire

By The Voice | Sat 24th September 2022 - 10:45 pm
  • David Chadwick selected as the Welsh Liberal Democrat candidate in the party’s top Welsh target seat of Brecon & Radnorshire.
  • The Selection follows major gains made by the Welsh Liberal Democrats in the Conservative/Liberal Democrat battleground of Powys during this year’s local elections, where the Conservatives were left with just a single councillor in Brecon & Radnorshire

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have selected their first General Election candidate to stand in their top Welsh target seat.

David Chadwick was selected by local party members as the Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Brecon and Radnorshire. David currently works as a cyber security consultant and has family ties to Builth Wells. David became interested in politics when his grandfather took him to see the steelworks in Port Talbot to see what it was like to work in a blast furnace stating it gave him an early insight into how politics, industry and communities are intrinsically linked.

In recent months, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have made major gains in Powys, becoming the largest group on Powys County Council and in Brecon and Radnorshire they topped the polls with 15 councillors compared to the Conservatives who were left with just a single councillor.

The seat of Brecon and Radnorshire has long been considered a Conservative-Liberal Democrat battleground with the area’s MPs and Senedd Members coming from one of the two parties since 1979. The Liberal Democrats would need a swing of just 8% to take back the seat.

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The Voice

Jackie Charlton selected as Welsh Liberal Democrat candidate for Rhondda

By The Voice | Mon 1st March 2021 - 11:02 am

Rhondda Liberal Democrats have selected Jackie Charlton as their candidate to contest the Rhondda seat at this year’s Senedd Election.

Jackie Charlton is a county councillor and community activist who has campaigned on disability rights, health and social care and on preventing a climate emergency.

Jackie is registered deaf and easily recognised by Lucie, her Hearing Dog.

Commenting on her selection, Jackie Charlton said:

It is a real pleasure to have been selected to contest Rhondda on behalf of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. On so many issues Rhondda has been overlooked and this has never been

…

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NewsHound

Alison Alexander selected as Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate for Montgomeryshire

By NewsHound | Tue 15th December 2020 - 9:24 am

Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats have selected local councillor Alison Alexander as their candidate to contest the Montgomeryshire seat at next year’s Senedd Election.

Alison lives in rural northern Montgomeryshire with husband Alastair where she is a Llanfyllin Town Councillor.

Alison has degrees in botanical horticulture from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and in Mandarin Chinese, French and Spanish from the University of Durham and is currently completing a Masters degree in Ecology. She paused her career in horticulture and community education to raise their son, who now attends the nearby village school.

Alison is co-founder of Repair Café Oswestry and Borders, a board member of the inclusive environmental group BRACE and a parent governor at her local school.

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NewsHound

William Powell selected as Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate for Brecon and Radnorshire

By NewsHound | Mon 14th December 2020 - 7:30 pm

The Brecon & Radnorshire Liberal Democrats have selected William Powell as their candidate to contest the Brecon & Radnorshire constituency at the Senedd Election due to be held on 6th May 2021

Cllr Powell, who grew up and lives in the constituency, has served as the Welsh Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Talgarth since 2004 and was Assembly Member for the Mid and West Wales region from 2011-2016. During this period, he was the Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on the Environment, Sustainable Development and Rural Affairs and chaired the Assembly Petitions Committee.

Before entering politics, he was a secondary modern languages teacher …

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The Voice

Winchester Liberal Democrats choose Paula Ferguson to be their PPC for Winchester & Chandler’s Ford

By The Voice | Tue 25th June 2019 - 12:31 pm

The Liberal Democrats are delighted to announce that local resident Paula Ferguson has been selected as their Parliamentary candidate for the Winchester & Chandler’s Ford Constituency.

Paula has lived in Winchester with her family for twenty years.

She currently works as a psychologist in education helping children who need support. Earlier in her career, she worked in banking and management consultancy.

She has always been actively involved in the local community and has set up a number of community groups.

In May she was elected to Winchester City Council for St Bartholomew Ward with 61% …

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The Voice

Mark Williams re-selected to contest Ceredigion

By The Voice | Sun 10th March 2019 - 6:40 pm

Former MP Mark Williams has been re-selected as the Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster candidate for Ceredigion.

Mark was the MP for Ceredigion from 2005 to 2017 and has remained an active local campaigner since, leading the protests against the closure of the Bodlondeb Care Home in Aberystwyth.

In 2017 the Welsh Liberal Democrats were just 104 votes behind Plaid Cymru, and the Party are determined to win the seat back.

Commenting on his selection Mark Williams said:

It’s truly humbling that party members have chosen me to contest the Ceredigion constituency once more and I am

…

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The Voice

Welsh Lib Dems select Lead Candidate for South Wales West

By The Voice | Tue 12th February 2019 - 12:37 pm

The Welsh Liberal Democrats launched their campaign to retake the Assembly seat they lost in 2016 to UKIP, with the selection of Sheila Kingston-Jones as the party’s lead candidate for the South Wales West region for the next National Assembly for Wales elections.

Sheila was selected by Welsh Liberal Democrats living in Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot, Maesteg and Bridgend and will be carrying the hopes of the party locally in the Assembly elections in 2021.

Swansea University Student Education Officer, Chloe Hutchinson was chosen as the second-placed candidate on the list, whilst Porthcawl-based businessman, …

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The Voice

London Liberal Democrats announce timetable for GLA/Assembly selections, positive action for BAME candidates

By The Voice | Mon 30th July 2018 - 8:15 am

The next known challenges for London Liberal Democrats are the Mayoral and GLA contests in May 2020. These are unique elections in British politics, with nearly nine million people electing one person to lead the City and twenty-five Greater London Assembly members (fourteen elected from constituencies, eleven from a top up list).

Being the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor is a high profile role needing a candidate of the highest calibre and we will have a rigorous process to ensure that our candidate will cope with the scrutiny that the election will bring.

The London Regional Executive places a great importance on …

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The Voice

Rebecca Trimnell picked as PPC for Gloucester

By The Voice | Mon 16th July 2018 - 11:40 am

Local resident Dr Rebecca Trimnell has been picked to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for Gloucester at the next General Election.

Rebecca, who lives in the Westgate area of the city, was chosen by Lib Dem party members from a shortlist of two at a selection meeting in the city on Saturday night. She will take on Conservative MP Richard Graham and Labour’s Fran Boait at the next General Election, which could happen at anytime between now and 2022.

Rebecca, 39, who lives in the shadow of St Oswald’s Priory, is a former researcher …

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The Voice

Liberal Democrats select new Parliamentary candidate for North Devon

By The Voice | Sun 3rd June 2018 - 9:00 am

North Devon Liberal Democrats have selected their new prospective parliamentary candidate to try and win the seat back at the next election, and the news is of particular cause of celebration for all of us on the Liberal Democrat Voice team

Kirsten Johnson – a county councillor, professional musician from Oxfordshire and Thursday Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice – was chosen at a meeting of party members in Barnstaple yesterday. She will be moving into North Devon shortly to enable her to devote maximum time and effort to her campaign.

Kirsten Johnson emerged …

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Paul Walter

The New European provides an inspiring read

By Paul Walter | Sat 11th March 2017 - 6:40 pm



That front page persuaded me to buy a copy of The New European newspaper this week, for the first time. It’s almost Private Eye-like. Some of the small print at the bottom is hilarious. Godmother, the film, it states is:

  • Featuring “Nigel Farage as the horse’s arse”
  • Filmed on location in “La La Land”
  • Based on a half-baked idea by David Cameron
  • Directed by Unseen Forces
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The Voice

Well, it is April 1st

By The Voice | Wed 1st April 2015 - 12:00 pm

We’re pleased many of you enjoyed our little prank today.  To maintain the joke we kept all most of the comments in moderation, but have now released them, so you can go back and see who fell for it.

For some readers the penny only dropped when they read our new comments policy for today.

Here is a round-up of some other April Fools that we liked across the media:

The Guardian tried to get us to believe that Jeremy Clarkson had turned environmental campaigner.

Pink News told us that Nick Clegg had joined Grindr for the duration of the election.

And scientists at Cern say May The Force be with EU.

Mark Pack had a beautifully crafted piece about how the party was using automated technology. The first part was almost plausible. we rumbled it at the robo-calling and the end is hilarious.

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The Voice

In the next month 21 seats will short-list their wannabe Lib Dem MPs

By The Voice | Mon 8th December 2014 - 10:25 am

Lib Dems winning hereHere’s the full list of selection contests in the coming month available for Lib Dems on the approved parliamentary candidates’ list, together with the closing date for applications.

The following seats have selections in progress and are currently advertising for candidates:

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Stephen Tall

Five vie to succeed Jeremy Browne as Lib Dem candidate for Taunton Deane

By Stephen Tall | Thu 27th November 2014 - 10:08 pm

There’s a short-list of five to take over from Jeremy Browne as the Lib Dem candidate for Taunton Deane, according to the BBC:

The successful candidate will be defending a majority of 3,993 over the Conservatives.

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