Calderdale Liberal Democrats punch above their weight when it comes to enhancing the internal democratic processes of the party.
Leading up to our conferences, we see Calderdale Lib Dems positively gushing forth with amendments to motions. They even offer to help other local parties with amendments if needed.
Local party chair Jennie Rigg is now helping party democracy in an extra way. Where she can contact them, Jennie is putting a series of questions to each candidate in the Liberal Democrat committee elections.
All answers that she receives are being published on her remarkable blog, here.
It’s worth reading the responses, as they help to give a little more information on the candidates.
Jennie told LDV:
Usually the elections for federal party committees are merely a beauty contest, because nobody knows who voted for what or who stands for what. This is my small attempt to change that a little and make the electorate a little bit more informed.
We should add that emailed ballot communications have recently started going to federal party conference representatives, who are the current electorate for these elections. However, that will change in the future, so it is probably worth all party members familiarising themselves with the candidates for this year.
* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.
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9 Comments
Thanks for this Paul; answers are still coming in 🙂
For example, Justine McGuinnness and Kat Bavage will be added when I get home from work.
* slightly blushy over your fulsome praise *
🙂
I’ve just completed voting electronically and it took me absolutely ages. Read all the candidates’ statements (helpful that some candidates for multiple positions submitted identical statements for them all, though I marked them down for that as I would any job applicant whose application showed no sign of relating to the job on offer. Check out attendance records. Look at any lobbying or guidance received. Make lists of the candidates so I can think about the order to put them in. Think. Vote, committee after committee. When this goes to all members, what will the reaction be? Just wondering.
One practical point: it would help if the e-mailing listed the candidates’ names somewhere separate from the statements and the form for actually voting. And deliberate jumbling of long lists to prevent alphabetical bias means the voter can spend ages looking for one name.
A good point: the information was informative – and when I’d finished, I felt a sense of achievement, as if I’d got to the crock of gold in a computer game.
I do not even have a vote but I have found Jennie’s Q+As to candidates really informative.
Excellent job well done.
Well done Jennie!
How do we get these I have not received anything?
It’s once again a great initiative. Thanks for doing this Jennie.
Hi Carl. Are you a federal conference representative? If so, you should by now (I guess – I received mine on Monday) have received an email from Electoral Reform Services. These are their details:
The Election Centre, 33 Clarendon Road, London N8 0NW
T: 020 8365 8909 (+44 20 8365 8909)
Visit our website at: http://www.electoralreform.co.uk
No I got that and voted but as a candidate I have not got the questionnaire from Jennie
Hi Jennie I’m standing for FCC but haven’t got your email – very willing to answer questions though!