Do you want to be a candidate in the UK’s next national elections?

The selection process for our candidates for the 2014 European Parliamentary elections is now starting. The formal advert will be published next month, and the closing date for applications is likely to be 20 July.

All applicants must be approved European candidates by the date of the close of applications.

Anyone interested in being a candidate should apply for approval as soon as possible – you can get the necessary application pack from the Candidates’ Office at Party HQ: email [email protected]. Candidates who have been approved for Westminster elections but not for European elections need to undertake a brief Euro assessment/conversion – and should apply to the Candidates’ Office as soon as possible to do this.

Further information about the Selection process can be obtained from the Senior Returning Officer [email protected]

* Margaret Joachim is the Chair of the English Candidates Committee and Jonathan Davies is the Senior Returning Officer

2 Comments

Mark Valladares 31st May '12 - 12:35pm

Margaret and Jonathan,

Whilst I am pleased that you’re engaging in this manner, I’m disappointed that you should leave it until just seven weeks before the cut-off date to encourage potential new candidates, especially as you had decided in broad terms about the deadline in January.

English Candidates Committee needs to be better with its engagement, as it assumes that its target audience is already fairly well-informed. It isn’t, mainly because it hasn’t been very good at engaging in the past. Too many potentially talented people are missed because of an assumption that they have access to information, whereas my experience to smaller local parties is that they are unaware of our systems and processes, and thus their members are likewise unaware.

Ironically, the processes themselves are probably better than they have ever been, and much credit must go to ECC for that, but the next step is to reach out to the Party at large and flag up the opportunities that exist.
Jonathan Davies 1st Jun '12 - 10:59am

Mark,

This is actually the second pre-advert encouraging people to apply for approval. The first one was at the beginning of April (https://www.libdemvoice.org/choosing-the-best-team-for-europe-27935.html#utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email). Both that pre-advert and this one have been here and in Lib Dem News. All approved candidates have also had an email inviting them to apply for the Euro assessment/conversion.

Please do spread the word – there is still plenty of time for people who are not yet approved to apply.