Over the past few days, I’ve been suggesting some New Year’s Resolutions for Liberal Democrats to see us through 2016. Here’s number 5.

Pay attention to the Governance Review

There has been a group putting together proposals about the way our party is run. The last few years has given us many examples of where our disciplinary and other processes simply aren’t fit for purpose and it is difficult to see where  accountability lies. The Federal Executive will be drawing up a set of proposals for change. As an FE member, I do not want to see the power of members diminished or to see key decisions being exclusively taken by a small group of people, remote from members. We are a grassroots movement that believes in power being held at the lowest practical level and we need to live those values.

So, all I’m saying is keep an eye on what’s being proposed. If you are going to Spring Conference in York, come to the consultation session and if you aren’t, respond to the proposals with your comments. Above all, make sure your voice is heard. Constitutions may bore the hell out of you, but they set out where power is held. It’s important that we get that balance right.

It can be very easy to ignore constitutional stuff in favour of elections. It’s important that we campaign hard and burn some midnight oil making sure our party is run properly and according to our principles.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings