In November party members will be voting to elect our next Party President. At Lib Dem Voice we welcome posts from each of the candidates – one to launch their candidature (like this one) plus a maximum of one per week during the actual campaign.
In my 30 years in the Lib Dems, there have been times of celebration and times when it felt as though I was one of a small band carrying the candle of Liberalism through the darkness. Our recent success is wonderful, but now we find ourselves in a place where everything we believe in is under threat from populism and nationalism. There is a lot at stake, and we need to be ready to fight for Liberalism harder than we have ever fought before. We are the cavalry: no-one is going to fight this battle for us. This is why I intend to stand to be the next party president.
My aim as president would be to enable the party to use its limited resources as effectively as possible, so that we can campaign successfully and maximise the influence of Liberalism to counter nationalism and populism. I also want to make sure that we put the party on as sustainable a footing as possible, so that we can have confidence we can continue that campaigning for the long term.
I would not be seeking to change the structures of the party. I think it is more productive to work on getting as many people as possible from all parts of the party to collaborate together and pool their talents and ideas, and to remove any unnecessary barriers that stand in the way of progress. That is about culture, not structure.
One area where we really do need to focus our attention is how we make better progress on improving the diversity of our party, particularly when it comes to ethnicity. We have had many initiatives over the years, but the fruits of those initiatives are sparse and unsatisfactory.
As part of building a more collaborative culture, I would also be seeking to try to ensure that people and bodies don’t act without understanding the full ramifications of their actions, or the implications for others. It is great to want to get on with things, but less great if you come to grief by charging ahead without thinking things fully through. That is a mistake that in my 30 years in the party I have seen happen only too often, at every level.
The varied roles I have held include chair of ALDC, Vice Chair of the English state party, Local Party chair, regional officer, chair of the English Candidates Committee, and Vice Chair of Federal Council. Those varied roles have given me a very good understanding of how the party is put together, what works well and what needs to work better; this understanding is vital for anyone to succeed in the role of party president.
For me, getting the different parts of the party to work better together, so that we understand and respect each other’s needs is one of the most important tasks for a party president. There is too much disjointed working at the moment and not enough two-way communication; too much tendency to look inwards rather than outwards, and not enough appreciation of the different situations Liberal Democrats are in across the nations, regions and communities in which we operate.
We would all see the benefits from acting together, learning from each other, strengthening partnerships and disseminating information better. I want us as a party to harness the energy, enthusiasm and expertise of all our members, and that’s what I would be aiming to achieve as president.
* Prue Bray (she/her) has been a member of the Lib Dems since 1994. She has been a councillor in Wokingham since 2000. She was the Chair of the Candidates Committee in England during the 2017 and 2019 General Elections and the 2019 European elections, Vice Chair of the Party in England and was chair of ALDC until November 2024. She writes in a personal capacity.
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16 Comments
Really pleased to see that you are standing Prue, and look forward to enthusiastically supporting your campaign. You were very encouraging and always willing to help me when I was first involved in the Regional Executive, including when I became Chair, and again on our time together on ECE. I know that you would be a fantastic President of our party.
Really disappointed not to read anything about supporting minority groups in the party as they face attacks. This is not something to only say to those minority groups, it’s something to be vocal about where everyone can see it.
@William – anyone who has worked with Prue, read her Twitter feed or engaged with her at Conference, Kickstart, etc will know how fearlessly she has supported vulnerable groups, especially the trans community, over the last five years or so – often when the easy option was keeping a low profile. Prue would be an ideal President and gets my vote.
Prue, you say you want to improve ethnic diversity in the party. Every incoming potential President makes this sort of statement: could you give some detail about how you would go about this?
Are you in favour of mandatory ethnic minority candidates on shortlists for PPCs for example?
Lyell, I know and love Prue, and you are right. But Will is right too: we are at the point where saying nothing so as not to frighten the horses does nothing but give succour to the people we should be (and Prue has been) fighting
Chris,
Setting up mandatory ethnic minority candidates on shortlists for PPCs for example would not do anything for our party’s ethnic diversity.
Recruiting more new ethnically diverse members would though.
@ David Evans: it might give us more ethnic minority PPCs in winnable seats.
But in any case, I want to hear what Prue’s opinion is.
We always get warm words right across the party on the issue of racial diversity, but what are Prue’s ideas for improving the situation.
Indeed Chris,
I too hope Prue does come back with her ideas on this, but to repeat my point ‘more ethnic minority PPCs in winnable seats’ would not do anything for our party’s ethnic diversity.
Warm words are indeed a problem, but we need to fix the foundations not just suggest warm solutions like massaging the headline figure.
Increasing the number of ethnic minority LD MPs is in itself desirable.
If having one ethnic minority candidate on every shortlist does that, I’m for it.
But, obviously, that’s just one amongst various measures necessary.
Btw if we did increase our number of ethnic minority MPs, this would do us no harm in attracting more ethnic minority members.
OK to post this comment on the nomination page?
I have not been a member for many years, Brexit was the trigger for me becoming an activist, seeking sense outside of the defrauding noise. The energy and enthusiasm of Prue and fellow Wokingham Lib Dems, led me to a third attempt success in becoming a Wokingham Borough Councillor, the year we took control of the council. Prues work ethic example is one anybody would find hard to emulate, but one we strive not to lag behind too much. There could be lots of individual topics raised as not being addressed, by all candidates, but the core of Prues’ experience and drive is that nothing will be ignored and everything diligently scrutinised. Her experience and tenacity locally and in previous national positions are unchallenged. Prues influence and guidance as President will certainly set the scene for further success for the party.
Chucking in worthy and doubtless well-intentioned ideas into the selection process is exactly what’s lumped us with the ridiculous current system. It is the weakest 75% of constituencies that are worst-affected, the places where we just need some keen local person who can build a team.
There is only one thing that will help elect more women and ethnic minority candidates – money. Match-funding for seats that are bold enough to select candidates who don’t fit the stereotypical idea of what an MP should look like.
And don’t forget, at this point in the 2005 Parliament, selections were underway for most of our non-held target seats. Let’s have a President who can continue Mark’s work of slashing red tape and getting stuff done.
@Chris Moore: We’ve already got mandatory places for ethnic minority and disabled candidates on shortlists for Westminster PPC selections.
Shortlist is how many?
I don’t remember there bring either a disabled or an ethnic minority candidate at the PPC hustings I went to?
Is this a new development since the GE?
A friend of mine, now passed away, knew Prue better than I but I heard of her hard work and whenever I have met her, she remembered me and was always willing to engage in brief but serious conversation and in a pleasant manner.
I’ve worked with Prue and found her an excellent colleague. She knows how the party works and would do a great job.