Nick Clegg has just announced that the party’s Chief Executive Chris Rennard has been reappointed as Chair of the General Election Campaign for the Liberal Democrats. Lord Rennard had previously been given the role by Ming Campbell.
Andrew Stunell is chair of the local election campaign. The party’s press release also mentions Willie Rennie’s new position as Chair of Parliamentary Campaigns and Ed Davey’s continued role as Chair of the Campaigns and Communications Committee.
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12 Comments
The reappointment of Rennard shows that rather than laying down a broad, inspiring policy message that reaches out to those who think liberal but don’t vote it, we’re going to retreat into our age-old “only we can win here”, play it local, play it safe mentality.
I shall comment on this in the Member’s Forum when someone starts a thread.
it would surely have been too difficult to drop Rennard from the top team, given all the election planning that’s already taken place and that he’s still the party’s chief exec. More interesting though is the ‘Bones Commission’ on party reform and what that process aims to deliver in terms of strategic and organisational change. Its noticeable that Mr Bones is a Cadbury’s man … perhaps we’re shifting from our traditional relationship with Rowntrees, but still the chocolate soldiers scenario?
I think though Gavin the question is “What has Chris Rennard ever done for us…”
Presumably Mr Rennard is not so hard-headed to have learned some of the tricks about strategic messaging, camapigning on values,and creating voter communities from the States? Or did he stop reading about campaigning in the 70s?
Rennard is obviously very good at what he does, but he should be managed, set targets and be learning just like any other LD employee. As long as he accepts that, and there is no one better to replace him, then I don’t see a problem.
“I think though Gavin the question is “What has Chris Rennard ever done for us…””
Grumble, grumble, yeah I suppose, grumble, grumble.
Glad to see Andrew Stunnell finally given a role by our new leader.
Splendid chap – came to help with my by-election (so it’s all his fault !!!).
Seriously though, the continued roles of Rennard and Stunnell does make one wonder whether we have a team of young electoral strategists following on ???
Question: Would we be where we are today, with 63 MPs, 4,000+ local councillors, etc, without Chris Rennard?
Would David Alton have won in 1983 without Chris Rennard?
Would Rosie Barnes have won the 1987 Greenwich byelection had Chris and Peter Chegwyn not been drafted in to recuse the awful SDP campaign?
Would we have won the Eastbourne byelection without Chris?
And what about Newbury, Christchurch and Eastleigh, and the breakthrough of 1997?
Those talking so glibly about giving Chris the push must be crazy.
“Would we have won the Eastbourne byelection without Chris?”
We might not have fought it!
“And what about Newbury, Christchurch and Eastleigh, and the breakthrough of 1997?”
I think Littleborough & Saddleworth, Brent East and Dunfermline were a tricker trio 🙂
“Would Rosie Barnes have won the 1987 Greenwich byelection”
I suppose we all make mistakes 🙂
I cannot believe all this about Chris Rennard – he is brilliant at what he does – and he is very friendly and does inspire – I remember Chris from Liverpool in the early 80s and from ULS – can we stop navel gazing and get out there and campaign ?
“…And what about Newbury, Christchurch and Eastleigh, and the breakthrough of 1997?…”
Yes of course those memorable wins in the North East like the Hartlepool by-election and one of our top targets, Durham City, and that marvellous decapitation strategy that worked fantasticlly in…about 11 seats!!
While we have FPTP for the commons and a declining membership and not much money the rennard strategy is the only one in town. It has after all delivered rather a lot for us. I don’t really undertand the implicit criticism in some of these posts unless we have a much better viable alternative. We don’t.