When you get your vote for the Liberal Youth elections, please use it wisely, don’t just vote for friends. Liberal Youth in the past few months has taken some real strides forward. If we want a strong vibrant and attractive youth wing, then there are clear choices. One of those is voting #1 Andrew Emmerson for Non-Portfolio Officer.
For many years I have sat on the side-lines being vaguely critical of Liberal Youth, but not done a whole lot about it. Now is time to change that. I am the candidate in these elections whose experience is varied and wide. This experience includes having served my student union for just less than two years as Ethical and Environmental officer. This meant representing some 6,500 students on a day to day basis. I’ve also held executive positions on one of the biggest local parties in the country, Winchester. As well as a wide experience of real life jobs and work experience, including crucially time as a fund raiser.
I want to take Liberal Youth forward by putting these acquired skills into action. As a NPO, I understand my jobs and tasks will be wide and varied, often being at the beck and call of other officers for as and when they need help. My wide range of experience in both my student union days and my professional experience will help me delver on all fronts. When this is combined with the current nature of my job (I own a Hardware store) I will have plenty of free time during the days and evenings to get jobs done.
However, I also believe that a good NPO should have their own projects in mind to work on. The most important priority for me is fundraising. Without Liberal Youth funds I’d never have been able to afford to go to Eastleigh, they’re vitally important to ensure we can campaign anywhere in the country. This is why I will use the experience I have and work with other officers to ensure Liberal Youths budget is enhanced by donations from the wider party. Having been a fundraiser, I know I can be successful.
My second project will be a skills audit. We need to find out exactly what skills are contained within our membership. This can help us better target campaigning requests. When it comes to elections many members feel guilty and isolated when they can’t do what’s being requested for them. With an understanding of skills, we can target what we ask for. Meaning a happier and more engaged base!
If you want experience, time, knowledge and fresh ideas that are not Liberal Youth same old same old then the choice is clear – vote Andrew Emmerson #1 for Non-Portfolio officer.
Voting in the Liberal Youth elections opens on Friday 3 May and continues until 12 noon on Wednesday 29th May. All candidates for the contested officer positions have been offered a 500 word piece on Liberal Democrat Voice to be published by the opening of voting. You can find out more about the elections and read all the candidates’ manifestos on the Libertine and if you are a member of Liberal Youth you can ask them questions on their National Liberal Youth Chatbox on Facebook. Discussion also takes place on the #lyelects tag on Twitter.
* Andrew Emmerson is a Liberal Democrat activist from the North of England
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11 Comments
Good luck Andrew
With all due respect, why should LY members vote for a man who a) resigned from the party in a strop less than a year ago and who b) called them idiots for voting for a policy he disagreed with at their summer camp? Given that kind of behaviour in the past, what kind of guarantee would members have that you’d be willing to work equally on behalf of both members who agreed and *dis*agreed with you?
Unfortunately, I can’t vote in these elections as I am no longer youthful. But I wonder how Andrew’s colourful language and manner would work for such a post. Perhaps he can be our own Nigel Farage. Good luck!
@Andrew Emmerson
I do think an explanation as to why you left the party (and returned!) would be appropriate, particularly as I can’t find one on your blog.
Firstly, I was waiting for George to pop in, I didn’t resign from the party in a strop, it was a long considered decision. Secondly, my point was it was idiotic to keep a free tuition fees policy considering political reality. Something which I very much stand by, Have I always been perfectly calm and rational about expressing that and my views? No. I’m human. Could I have done it better? Yes, yes very much so.,
@Andrew Martin – (There’s nothing on my blogs, because I choose not to make a big deal out of either decision, publicity wasn’t what I was after) I had originally intended to leave the party some time before I did, but was persuaded to stay., I was unhappy with the parties general direction, and my own politics were in flux. I want to be in politics to change things, not to spend our entire stopping the tories doing things. At the time, all the talk was of us being solely a brake, not an engine. – Both things considered, I decided I needed time away to consider my future.
It’s something I’m glad I did – it gave me breathing room to think, explore, read and consider views from across the spectrum. Ultimately I decided to come back because I found the Lib Dems still to be the best vehicle for my views. I was also pretty impressed with the fight against secret courts and other things like the pushing for the 10k personal allowance.
I’m not stupid, I know I’m a strong and divisive figure, but that’ why I’ve gone for the role I have. One where little ideology or policy comes into play. I see the NPO role as “getting things done” sorta thing, and I’ll happily work with anyone from across the spectrum to get Liberal Youth work done.
All I can be is honest,
Also, I’d just add, having been an Ethical and Environmental officer trying to balance an inherently left wing student union, and NUS influence, with an inherently right wing student body – I got pretty good at working and appeasing those from all wings to get things done. My second place in a national awards scheme (from being in the bottom 3rd) for one of the smallest universities in the country proves that one.
I’m very surprised, Andrew, that you don’t mention the fact that you are a small business owner!
Having a broad range of experiences outside politics seems to me to be a desirable trait in an executive member of LY, as all too often the exec has been dominated by current HE students.
I wish you the very best of luck in the election.
Cheers Alisdair!
Yerp, I own a small hardware store, which I benefited from the government start up scheme for under 25’s! It’s that wide range of experience, and the fact I’m not an HE Student which I think makes me a good candidate.
@Andrew Emmerson
Thanks for the GOOD reply. I like a realist.
@Andrew,
You’ll have to forgive me if I maintain that someone who has publicly called LY members “idiots” is unfit to be on the executive.
As is your right George.