The news has just this moment broken – via Twitter, where else? – that Elaine Bagshaw, chair of Liberal Youth, has resigned her post. The website carries Elaine’s resignation letter in full. Below is an excerpt:
Dear all,
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have to inform you that I will stepping down as your Chair, effective immediately.
This is not a position I wanted to be in, but unfortunately recent events have meant that I’m no longer able to give this position the attention it deserves, and to give all of you the Chair that you deserve.
I would like to thank you all for the amazing time I’ve had over the past 18 months. I leave you with higher membership levels than ever before; the most successful Freshers recruitment campaign in our history; a returned and revitalised Activate and new innovations such as Bootcamp and our Branch Development Grant program. I look forward to seeing my successor build on this success and continue the unprecedented growth and revitalisation that I have overseen and worked hard to achieve in my time in this role.
[…]
My parting advice to you, the members, is simply this: GET INVOLVED. For too long the leadership of Liberal Youth has been a small number of people – that’s improved but it needs to keep going that way. Come to conferences, go to action days, message and email your Executive with your ideas and questions – you are the lifeblood of this organisation and what will keep it going, and you are the ones who are irreplaceable, not the people at the top.
Liberal Youth has the potential to play a massive role in the Liberal Democrats and in the landscape of youth and student politics. We have secured a fantastic reputation in the Federal Party; increased membership to incredible levels; trained our activists; campaigned where and when needed and influenced all aspects of party policy. I believe that to be a good inheritance and a great opportunity. One in which I look forward to continuing to play my part.
See you on the doorsteps over the next few months… we have got an election to go and fight.
Thank you
Elaine Bagshaw
You can read the letter in full here.
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6 Comments
Congratulations to Elaine for all her hard work as Chair. However takes over will certainly inherrit an organisation in a much stronger position than the youth wing has been in for some time.
Thank you for the kind words Elaine, they mean a lot to me.
It has been an honour and pleasure to have worked alongside you since the very first day you became chair.
The way Liberal Youth has moved forwards under your leadership is second to none, and the organisation has gone from strength to strength.
Be proud of everything you have achieved and know that Liberal Youth is where it is today because of the hard work and dedication that YOU have put into it. Don’t let anyone take that away from you, not least those who have sought to undermine, threaten and upset you.
More so, I could not have wished for a better friend during the past 18 months. You have been nothing but caring and supportive, and have always been there for me even when I’ve been at my lowest ebb. I know we’ve built a lasting friendship (even if we do fall out and bicker incessantly).
I wish you the best for the future, and long may you bring success to the party and yourself.
James Shaddock
Liberal Youth Vice Chair Communications
I’d like to echo James’s remarks. Elaine has done a great job of being Liberal Youth chair – a job that too many people both under estimate and undervalue. Too often the chair is the first person to be blamed if something goes wrong and the last person to even be acknowledged when something goes well.
The success of Liberal Youth over the past few years, with it’s rebranding, professional image has quite rightly improved it’s standing within the party with along with it’s increased membership and campaigning levels.
I would like to add my thanks to Elaine for the tremendous job she has done as Chair.
This year (so far) has been hugely successful and this is in large part down to Elaine’s leadership and perseverence.
Good luck wih whatever you decide to do next Elaine.
Sounds like a job well done – but what exactly is the membership of Liberal Youth?
David – it’s around 3500, roughly.
This year’s Freshers’ Fair recruitment campaign was the best for a number of years.