The first Leadership hustings will take place this Saturday in London.
Why a hustings, I hear you ask, given that there is only one candidate? Technically nominations close next Monday, so until then the advice is that we cannot assume that there will not be a contest (although, of course, the chances of a challenge are minimal).
The Social Liberal Forum Conference is holding the hustings at 1.30pm at Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London, N7 6PA. Vince Cable has agreed to take part. If any other candidates do come forward before Saturday then they will, of course, be invited.
Whilst any party member is welcome to attend the hustings for free, we would love it if you could sign up for the whole day’s conference. In the morning the theme will be ‘The Retreat from Globalisation’ with some eminent speakers, while the afternoon will be devoted to more local issues including the Leadership election and a review of the General Election. You can register here: www.socialliberal.net/slfconf2017.
* Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems.
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8 Comments
This is a great idea, hope there will be more Hustings organised around the Nations.
Am Looking forward to Saturday and had already booked to come down to London for SLF conference ( unmissable 😀) but do hope Vince is going to do a tour of the regions to meet, listen to, and answer questions from members, and thus shape his vision for the party. It can’t be helped we have one candidate, but such a tour would give Vince a flying start, rather than it be dubbed a no alternative coronation
Eastbourne’s Jo Konta will be on Centre Court today, even if it rains, there is a roof. The ladies’ final is on Saturday. Will the conference have a large screen?
Where will be hustings in the north be held, Mary? As Vince comes from Yorkshire but has apparently spent more than 40 years living in London, hustings in, say, Leeds, might allow us to see if he has acquired the ‘Metropolitan Mindset’ which I think has somewhat afflicted the party!
The tour of the regions should include the deputy leader
Great idea. Please note Labour will be in attack mode all Summer [including attack on some or all of our seats]. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-labour-target-seats-visit-party-election-ready-theresa-may-minority-government-fail-a7835136.html
There are lib Dems even further north than Leeds who need to meet the new leader though !
Does this really have to take place in limbo? I desperately wanted a contest so that our new leader would have the added strength that comes from having their ideas debated with a respected rival at meetings across the country. But if none of our other MPs intends to stand, let them all say so now so that the hustings isn’t devalued by mischievous press speculation about a potential late challenger.