The ever-energetic and helpful Dr Mark Pack, formerly of this parish, has published a very informative update this morning on the subject of the election of our Greater London Authority candidates:
Emails with online voting links have been landing in London Lib Dem members’ inboxes over the last day.
The emails are from [email protected] with the subject line The Liberal Democrats – London Mayoral Candidate and London List Candidates Selection Ballots 2015. If you think you should have received one but haven’t, it’s worth checking for emails matching this description in your spam folder.
The deadline for voting online is noon on 16th September.
You can read Mark’s full post, including the manifestoes of all the candidates here.
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4 Comments
I voted yesterday, with a lot of misgivings. We are in a very strange place right now; combining our weakest position since 1989 with our greatest opportunity since the 1930s. There is simply no space for us to do Politics as usual. For this reason I put Duwayne Brooks at the top of my assembly list & what one might call the “Establishment” – Stephen Knight, Rob Blackie & Caroline Pidgeon at the bottom.
With the mayoral ballot I voted to Re-open Nominations, ie run the vote again. This is simply on a matter of principle – even without Duwayne Brooks there 5 people who wanted to stand, there was never any need for a shortlist. An election with one choice is not an election.
Good point by Paul Barker.
At this rate I’ll be endorsing Tessa Jowell for mayor or maybe even the Conservative. Caroline needs to come out swinging. From what little I have seen I think that she works hard, but I’m concerned about her pro business credentials. Maybe this is unwarranted, but the idea that the government is “subsiding” gun licence fees is the same kind of logic that increases regulatory fees for small and micro businesses. Her manifesto for London doesn’t mention business either.
Regards
I am sorry that Duwayne has pulled out, but he has an opportunity to bring out a report that could strongly influence police / BME relations. Given his history of forgiving the police for the disgraceful way the police long continued to treat him as a suspect and not the victim he was, Duwayne is the ideal man for the task.
But it robs us of an excellent candidate for Mayor, well-known and well-liked. He would have shown that we can look like how much of London looks, which is important for a party that still fails to select or connect with the black and ethic minority communities.
His work as our spokesman on the GLA demonstrates his ability, more than any other candidate, to do the job should he actually win. But he can and is standing for the Assembly, and I urge fellow Liberal Democrats to give Duwayne a high preference — first if possible
I also voted for re-open nominations for mayoral candidate. To push ahead with an election with just one candidate is illiberal and amateurish. if CP is chosen it will be all to easy for her opponents to paint her as the undeomcratic weak link in the election. Always assuming we make enough of an impact for anyone to take any notice of her.
For Assembly candidates, I put my votes where my opinions are – all of the women, except CP who needs no more help, at the top. Then the none establishment men. One tiny step for gender equality in our party.