The Liberal Democrat Campaign for Race Equality are taking active steps to ensure greater diversity within the party, both in its membership and among its candidates. This is about engaging with communities we haven’t spoken to before and breaking down barriers that have historically limited representation.
Why is this important?
- A more diverse party ensures that our candidates truly reflect modern Britain
- To effectively contest key seats—particularly those facing Labour—we need candidates from a broad range of backgrounds.
Following a comprehensive review, the time for action is now. The party has committed to making diversity a priority, ensuring that underrepresented groups have a real voice and opportunity within the Liberal Democrats.
The esteemed panel will be discussing this topic during a key fringe event at the Harrogate conference this weekend.
It gives the leadership the opportunity to outline precisely how they are addressing the key issues around race, equality and disability, within the party and beyond.
The panel members will be:
- Sir Ed Davey MP – Leader of the Party
- Mike Dixon – Chief Executive, Liberal Democrats
- Christine Jardine MP – Women & Equalities Spokesperson
- Josh Babarinde MP – Justice Spokesperson
So now is the time to “talk the talk” and to not simply “walk the walk”
Note: This event is hosted during the conference at the Harrogate Convention Centre.
Room: King’s Suite
Location: Kings Road, HG1 5LA
Time: 7.45pm to 9pmFood and refreshments will be provided.
* Roderick Lynch is Chair of the Liberal Democrat Campaign for Race Equality.
One Comment
An excellent initiative by LDCRE to add extra focus to our party’s efforts in this area. For most of the late 20th Century and again after the post coalition meltdown, our party had to target its very scarce resources on survival. However since 2024, we are in a position where every one of our new MPs needs to focus on growth of their wider membership and activist base and a key part of that must be widening and deepening the diversity in their local party. If we can do that successfully we won’t have reached the end of the road, but it will be another significant step in the right direction.
Reaching out to areas where Lib Dems are already very thin on the ground will be a more difficult ask, but it is one where with help, guidance and some hands on leadership from the centre it could start to make a big difference too.