Tag Archives: elaine bagshaw

18 December 2018 – today’s press releases

Brexit is coming, the hedge fund’s growing fat, who will put a billion in Phil Hammond’s hat? If you haven’t got a billion, 3,000 troops will do, if you haven’t got 3,000 troops, then God bless you…

But at least we’re giving some opposition to this wastrel administration…

  • Lib Dem peers defeat Government to force Prevent review (this one arrived late last night)
  • Cable: Decision to ramp up no-deal is psychological warfare
  • Dropping migration target an admission Brexit won’t control immigration
  • Lib Dems: Putting troops on standby is simply scaremongering
  • Lib Dems table no confidence motion in Government

We’ve also received a press release from Tower Hamlets

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Inspiring Lib Dem women: Elaine Bagshaw

Today on International Women’s Day, we are celebrating some fantastic Lib Dem Women.

Remember back in 2015 after that devastating General Election when we all just wanted to hide under our duvets and make the next five years go away? Well, Elaine Bagshaw didn’t have time to do that, because she had to fly the Lib Dem flag in the Tower Hamlets mayoral by-election caused by the disqualification of the previous incumbent.

She made progress in that election and since then she has led her local party from strength to strength. As the candidate for Poplar and Limehouse, she is out there campaigning most days. Her local party membership is over 550 and she is working hard for her community. Late one recent Saturday night, she featured on local Bengali channel NTV talking about the Lib Dem perspective on Brexit and Trump and did such a good job of explaining our position.

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LibLink: Elaine Bagshaw: Turning things round in Tower Hamlets

Last month, Liberal Democrat Expand launched with an ambitious plan for the party to widen its net, to work in those areas where we had disappeared.

After the devastating election result last year, one of the first people back into the fray was Elaine Bagshaw, who had to run in a by-election for Mayor in Tower Hamlets.

Since then, she has built a team that is out there on the streets several times a week building an organisation from the ground up.

She writes about what she’s been doing on the Liberal Democrat Expand website:

The first has been about being brave and changing the mindset about “no go” areas. Wards that we were told would never vote Lib Dem had actually never been asked. I’m still shocked that in some places people won’t go and knock on council houses because apparently “they aren’t our people”. We definitely haven’t found this to be the case in Tower Hamlets. From a London perspective, it’s a foolish way to approach things as people move so often. At one point in Tower Hamlets 25% the electoral roll would change every time a new one was issued.

My other issue with “no go” areas is that for us to be in majority government we absolute have to win in places like Poplar & Limehouse and other areas that we dismiss as ‘not our territory’. Poplar & Limehouse is a passion project of mine partly for this reason but also because it’s in these areas that people need Lib Dems the most. Every time we write-off an area we write-off the people in it and that’s not a narrative we should be signed up to.

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Elaine Bagshaw: Don’t let your opportunities be snatched away: Register to vote

The young Liberal Democrat who has led such a strong effort in East London, Elaine Bagshaw, today urged young people to register to vote so that they could make sure Britain stays in the European Union. Speaking at a Stronger In event in London, she said:

We have nothing to gain from leaving Europe. We have everything to lose. We’ll have a privilege that we have enjoyed and benefitted from taken away from us and the generations that will follow us.

If you don’t want that snatched away, you need to speak up and use your voice.

If you haven’t already, register to vote here. Here’s her speech in full:

Voting in this referendum is incredibly important because this time every vote counts. Whether you’re in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh or Liverpool. Whether you’re 19 or 90. Your votes are equal. Your vote and your voice is powerful and it matters.
It’s so important to have your say because this vote really matters. We won’t get another crack at this in 5 years like a general election. This is it.

I’m really passionate about opportunity. About everyone having the chance to succeed regardless of where you’re born, the colour of your skin, who you love and anything else that makes you, you.

Staying in Europe gives us so many opportunities. To live and work in other countries, experience different cultures, to live alongside people from Europe and to learn about them and ourselves.

If we vote to leave, we lose all of that. Those opportunities that you and I have now, and that our younger relatives, friends and siblings have will be quickly and cruelly snatched away.

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Progress for Elaine Bagshaw in Tower Hamlets Mayoral Election

bagshselfieAs you’ll be aware from various posts on Liberal Democrat Voice over the past few weeks, Elaine Bagshaw has been fighting the Tower Hamlets Mayoral Election caused by the disqualification of the previous Mayor, Lutfur Rahman.

Elaine has fought a busy and energetic campaign, helped by new members taking part in their first election. She made progress in number of votes, percentage of the vote and went up a place from 6th to 5th. That ‘s a result that she can be pleased with. The result, from the Tower Hamlets website,  was as follows:

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Video: Elaine Bagshaw’s pitch to be Mayor of Tower Hamlets: Decent social housing, opportunities for young people and ending corruption

In just two weeks’ time, voters in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets will choose a new mayor after the previous incumbent’s ignominious removal from office. 

Our candidate is Elaine Bagshaw, former chair of Liberal Youth and one of the leading lights of this year’s Team 2015.

She explains in just 45 seconds what her priorities would be if she were Mayor.

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Baroness Susan Kramer writes…Why I’m backing Elaine Bagshaw for Tower Hamlets Mayor

Elaine-Bagshaw-launch

Like most of you I don’t “do miserable” and I’ve been itching to start the fight back.  Local Government has always been Lib Dem territory because we believe in communities and remain aghast at how badly so many are served by their local governments.  So when I got a chance to support Elaine Bagshaw in launching her campaign for Mayor of Tower Hamlets I jumped at it.  Of all the places that need effective local Government focussed on people, listening to people and functioning with integrity, Tower Hamlets must be near the top of the list.  As Elaine says, it’s a largely deprived community in the shadow of the extra-ordinary wealth of the City of London.

Elaine has lived in the area for years so she knows Tower Hamlets’ issues like the back of her hand.  But what I also love is that Elaine is part of the new generation who will now take over our party.  I don’t mean just new as in young, though that is true of many, but also the flood of new members of all ages who are joining with such a sense of purpose and with a vision of the future.  Old warhorses like me can provide the back-up but one silver lining of a bad defeat is that a natural passing of the baton takes place.  And goodness those folk did turn out at Elaine’s launch, at least 50 of them, all ready to spend the day on the doorsteps.

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#NewMembersDay New member Anna out on the Tower Hamlets campaign trail already – and how you can help

Elaine & Anna campaign in Tower HamletsThe #libdemfightback has been incredible since last Thursday. As well as being astounded at over 100 people joining Tower Hamlets Liberal Democrats in less than a week, we’ve been straight back out on the doorsteps talking to people as part of my campaign to become Mayor on 11 June. We’re finding that we’re getting a great reception, as Thursday’s result has driven people to realise that we share so many of our core values. Our new members are joining us at each event as well – full of enthusiasm, energy, and new ideas that will help reinvigorate our party. The photo shows us out with new member Anna Ovsyanikova, who is holding the clipboard.

Tower Hamlets has always been a borough full of contradictions. We live in the shadows of the City and Canary Wharf yet we have the second highest unemployment rate in London and 49% of our children are living in poverty. With a Tory government now in power preparing to slash the pupil premium that brought over £70 million to our local schools and further cuts to welfare, it’s even more important that new ideas and liberal values are at the heart of our Town Hall.

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Lib Dem Elaine Bagshaw comments on removal of Tower Hamlets mayor Rahman

The Mayor of Tower Hamlets has been found guilty of corrupt electoral practices and removed from office. There is a 200 page judgement which outlines in detail the allegations against him which range from personation to the old offence of “undue spiritual influence.” There is a section on that latter offence which goes through the history of it being used in Ireland against the undue spiritual influence of the Catholic church in the 19th century. The judgement also goes through the history of toxic Labour factionalism in the borough which is an eye-opening read to say the least. The judgement also relies on the judgement in a case which may well be familiar to readers – that of Phil Woolas, when the Oldham East election result was overturned back in 2010.

It is pretty shocking to have the result of an election turned aside because of compelling evidence of various types of fraud.

There will now be a by-election in which Rahman will not be allowed to stand. He will also have to pay £250,000 in costs.

Local Liberal Democrat candidate for Poplar and Limehouse Elaine Bagshaw commented:

Community politics and cohesion is central to a liberal society, so as Liberal Democrats we will be working in the by-election that will now happen to unite our community so that we can move forward and build a stronger economy and a fairer society in Tower Hamlets.

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Liberal Youth … the story continues

LDV yesterday reported that Elaine Bagshaw has resigned as Chair of the party’s Liberal Youth organisation. Well, two quick updates to that story:

First, the Liberal Youth executive has issued a statement thanking Elaine for her contribution as Chair since 2008. You can read it in full here.

Secondly, James Shaddock, Liberal Youth’s Vice-Chair Communications, has today followed Elaine in resigning his post. You can read his statement here.

An eventful 24 hours in the life of Liberal Youth. Feel free to contribute your informed speculation below …

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Elaine Bagshaw resigns as Chair of Liberal Youth

The news has just this moment broken – via Twitter, where else? – that Elaine Bagshaw, chair of Liberal Youth, has resigned her post. The website carries Elaine’s resignation letter in full. Below is an excerpt:

Dear all,

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have to inform you that I will stepping down as your Chair, effective immediately.

This is not a position I wanted to be in, but unfortunately recent events have meant that I’m no longer able to give this position the attention it deserves, and to give all of you the Chair that

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My first Liberal Youth Conference

When I first learned of the location of the 2009 Liberal Youth Autumn Conference, I immediately paid my £15 to register. I had only been to one party conference before – the 2007 South West regional, which included the leadership hustings – so I was unsure of what to expect.

I only knew one person who was going, and I was tired and annoyed at the rain, not to mention the parlous state of the trains that evening. But when I arrived in Portsmouth, there were helpful signs pointing to Conference. This was an excellent omen of what was to …

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Liberal Youth in the spotlight

There’s an in-depth feature on ‘the next generation’ of politicians by Simon Usborne in today’s Independent, with a particular focus on Liberal Youth, the youth wing of the Lib Dems. Here’s an excerpt:

When I suggest to and her colleagues that they are unusual, they pause. “Not unusual as in weird,” I suggest, “just as in uncommon.” Bagshaw looks up and down the row, smiling, and jokes: “No, we’re probably quite weird.” The fact is, few young people care enough about politics to vote (37 per cent of 18-24-year-olds, according to a 2005 Mori poll), much less engage in youth

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