One of the many interesting and challenging jobs I am tasked with as a member of the exec of Nottingham Lib Dems is to produce a members newsletter five times a year. We have a big events programme built up of lots of easy-to-organise events, and so much of the content is taken up with the details and information about those.
But a recent training event with staff from Members Services at Lib Dem HQ set me thinking about what better could be in our members newsletter. Thinking back to how and why I joined the Lib Dems it was principally on political issues. Gay rights. Europe. Student finance. But none of these things ever gets a mention in our newsletter, and only rarely are our events issue-driven.
So I resolved to improve our local newsletter this year with more information about party thinking on key events. And yet… I’m no policy wonk. Where will I find all that information? Where might there be a ready source of information about key issues facing Lib Dems? Then I remembered “Our place to talk!” a handy little website you may have heard of, called Lib Dem Voice!
I’m a big fan of doing as little work as possible, and it strikes me we can meet several valuable objectives with one handy little newsletter. First, we can reach out to new readers for LDV amongst the Lib Dem membership. Second, we can help local parties around the country include a little more policy and links to the wider party in their members’ newsletters. Third, and best of all, since I’m artworking stuff for Nottingham, there’s no reason I can’t share that with a grateful nation.
And so today, I bring you a two-sided A4 sheet you can print out and distribute to your own members if you are producing a newsletter in the next month or so. You can download the PDF right here, right now.
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5 Comments
What makes LDV the premier liberal site for interactive communicators is that it is free and accessible to all those of a similar polital kidney but debate is focussed and from members of a broad Liberal church and often healthily argued opposing passionate views on the same issue.
It is a brilliant move on the part of AF in Nottingham to now take the LDV debate and issues and analysis etc. to grass roots members.
I believe that the essence to Nick Clegg`s growing strong leadership as a national and electable PM in 2010, is his ability to seize upon the main issue with clarity and translate with simple words that all voters can understand.
It should not be forgotten that Nick Clegg was being skilled with people and human rights his social anthropology studies background ,then married to a wide international stage from journalism and from inside the EU.
Nick Clegg has spoken out on many issues highlighting `silent majorities’ from community groups, including the rights of those in with concerns on `Mental Health’,Child Poverty,Gurkhas and Homelessness.All seeking a new deal in a new Liberal Fairness Britain’.
He has also travelled widely across the UK to listen to thousands of questions from people, who do not normally vote Lib.Dem. at the 100 `Meet Nick Clegg’, ask me anything you like sessions.
The ability to distil an Liberal core issue, with depth,commitment and clarity, is a rare gift of communication, such as the `Gurkhas Justice Campaign’.
There is much rhetoric and insincerity from Brown and Cameron with no policy or commitment to local people or local government giving people more power, over their issues and solution..
Nick Clegg is the best exponent of the gift of clarity and that is why he will achieve best in the political TV debates in the Spring.
Ta! I’ve saved your newsletter and I hope it will come in handy.
This is not a bad idea, but I’d quite like to encourage my members to talk to each other and get involved with their local party more – I fear that directing them to LDV will circumvent the local party, which means we lose out on their input at a local level.
Oh, Dave I wouldn’t want it to replace a good local newsletter – I’m hoping it will supplement it, like I’m doing with ours.
Great work Alex, thanks very much. I’ve included this on the Membership Data Online blog. Also great to see the training has been put to good use!