The Campaign for Gender Balance (CGB) and the Diversity & Talent Support Team are pleased to announce that this year’s Future Women MPs Weekend will be held on Saturday 4 – Sunday 5 March 2017 at the Jurys Inn Hotel in Milton Keynes.
Future Women MPs weekend is an intensive residential training weekend for any aspiring female MPs within the party; whether you are already an approved candidate or are yet to take that initial first step, this is the perfect way to kick start your journey to Westminster. Jo Swinson, Tessa Munt and Jenny Willott all started their successful quests for a seat in Parliament at a FWMPs Weekend, and so could you!
As well as expert advice on your political career you will also receive:
- Information and advice on all aspects of the process from selection to standing for Parliament
- Personalised advice and guidance from top party trainers and representatives
- A chance to ask any burning questions and address any concerns you may have
- A fantastic opportunity to network and make useful contacts with other aspiring women within the party
Previous attendees have described the weekend as “inspiring”, “empowering” and “‘Some of the best party training I have experienced’’
Spaces are limited so, if you would like to attend please email [email protected] to request an application form. All applications must be received by Sunday 12 February 2017.
The weekend will cost £75, covering accommodation, meals (breakfast, lunch & light refreshments) and training. This fee will be waived for those unwaged or unable to pay.
* Natalie Chindipha has been Diversity & Talent Support Manager since July 2016. She works within the Diversity Team at LDHQ to support and encourage diversity initiatives across the party.
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6 Comments
Totally misguided concept based on the fallacious assumption that all women are disadvantaged compared to all men.
@B.I.Nary
You’ve introduced a fallacy of your own there. Nobody is claiming that “all women” are disadvantaged compared to “all men”.
Women are disadvantaged compared to men on average. More to the point, women are also massively under-represented in Parliament.
B. I. Nary
There are some terrible ideas that are promoted in the name of “diversity,” this doesn’t appear to be one of them. This offers women some advice and an opportunity to get enthused at what they need to do, a positive effort if done well.
It could be counterproductive if it is badly delivered, but I wouldn’t assume that it was going to be that on the basis of the information provided.
Well good luck, I feel such things are troublesome to me really but as long as good talant is found.
I would like to see more of an effort in simply getting more BME into the party rather than pushing forward the few there are forward. Try the same with working class people too. If you can get diversity inside the party then you will get it in our MPs.
Anyway good luck
David, if you read some of Natalie’s previous articles, you’ll see she’s written about addressing other aspects of the party’s diversity. So you can relax, and stop worrying that this one article about one event doesn’t deal with all of our weaknesses in one go.
I’m not sure why anyone would object to this sort of event. No-one is being artificially promoted, and no-one is being shunned. All that’s happening is that a group that is embarrassingly under-represented within Parliament and in our party, is being given help to make them more likely to want to step up and represent us, and to be better at it when that happens. Seeing that this is happening gives me heart.
Hopefully some of those who attend this event will apply for Edinburgh West, a seat we used to hold, in recent memory, with a majority of over 13,000.
What will be needed is a candidate who can lead and inspire a team of activists, who will work tirelessly over several years in what is often miserable weather, (with some sunny days too), who will be true to themselves and not be a party clone or just happy to follow the official party line, who will be articulate on behalf of the community and, when elected, earn the respect of all in the constituency, not just Liberal Democrat supporters or voters.
With an all women short-list, men need not apply, no matter how able or capable they may be.