There was good news for local parties from yesterday’s English Council meeting .The proposals we told you about to retain the Membership Incentive Scheme were passed. This means:
- Net growth of between 1 and 10 members will qualify local parties to receive 18% of all their membership subscription fees paid during that quarter.
- Net growth of more than 10 members will qualify local parties to receive 33% of all their membership subscription fees paid during that quarter.
The following results of the English Party elections were announced.
Chair of English Party
Steve Jarvis
Chair of English Candidates Committee
Richard Brett
English Council Executive
Anders Hanson
Paul Hienkens
Geoff Payne
Paul Clark
Dawn Davidson
Rachelle Shepherd-Dubey
Antony Hook
Brian Orrell
Gerald Vernon-Jackson
Simon McGrath
Margaret Joachim
Justine McGuinness.
Representative on Federal Executive
Antony Hook
Representative on Federal Policy Committee
Geoff Payne
Representative on Federal Conference Committee
Geoff Payne
English Candidates Committee
Paul Clark
Dawn Davidson
Antony Hook
Jennifer Pinkett
Margaret Joachim
The new terms of office will begin on 1st January 2016 and will last for two years, barring any constitutional change which may come as a result of the Governance Review. Final decisions on proposals will be made at Federal Conference in Brighton in September.
The upper echelons of the English Party are not, as you can see, a particularly diverse group of people. In Scotland, out of our 8 office bearers, there will be at least 4 women pending other results. The committees won’t be so diverse but the committee conveners have a constitutional responsibility to make their committees more diverse using co-options.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social



4 Comments
Thanks Caron. One of the things which the English party needs to do is be far more transparent. I wrote to EC members last week suggesting a number of actions to improve this, which the Chair has agreed to:
The list of EC members, ECE members and officers should be put on the members section of the Party website ( with contact details unless they have asked for these not to be given out)
The dates of ECE meetings should be made available to EC members
A summary of the agenda items and major items discussed to be emailed to EC members within a reasonable time of each meeting – and to be placed in the members section of the party website ( clearly this will need to be done intelligently given the confidential nature of some of the items discussed)
A commitment to inform EC members about key issues as soon as possible after ECE meetings rather than wait until they are leaked
I would like to say thank you to those who supported me.
An English Rep on FE I represent not just those who attend English Council but all members in England (as do others represented on a Federal basis too).
Any members should feel free to contact me.
HOW was this ‘elected’, and who had the vote? As conference rep I didn’t get a ballot, but then what happened to OMOV..?
Peter – the election was from members of the English Council, who are elected by regional conf reps. They agreed a proposal for OMOV next year