At the Welsh Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in November, members will debate a constitutional amendment I’ve submitted to broaden eligibility for the leadership of our party and make the nomination process more accessible. It raises an important question: when our parliamentary representation is small, should our constitution restrict members’ choice of leader before potential candidates have even decided whether to stand?
Following Jane Dodds’ decision to stand down, David Chadwick has put himself forward as her successor. Under our current rules, he is the only other person eligible to stand.
These proposed changes are not about David’s suitability for the role. From what I have seen, he has the energy and ambition to make a very good leader. He has made a real impact in Westminster, often being a more effective voice for Wales than all the other Welsh MP’s combined.
But I believe his leadership would be strengthened by a more open selection process. There is an important distinction between being unopposed because nobody else chooses to stand and being unopposed because nobody else is permitted to stand. The former may not produce a direct mandate from a membership ballot, but it provides a much stronger foundation of democratic legitimacy.
Andy Burnham offers a valuable illustration of how a mandate can be provided unopposed, and how leadership can change the direction and public perception of a political party. Although he became Labour leader without a membership ballot, other MPs had the opportunity to stand, and his overwhelming support among parliamentary colleagues provided a democratic mandate of its own.
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