Tag Archives: liberal democrat

Kirsten Johnson

Being a PPC: building your team

By Kirsten Johnson | Thu 7th February 2019 - 8:30 am

Following last week’s blog on managing my work/life balance as a PPC, I’m writing this week on building a team in a constituency.

I have some expertise in working with volunteers – in the past, I chaired the Parent Teacher Association at my child’s secondary school. Leading a group of volunteers, who each had different amounts of time to give and various reasons for giving that time, was a challenge. Nothing like playground politics among parents!

A team in a local party can be similar – everyone is a volunteer, some with masses of time to give, others with very little time. All are motivated, but have a range of issues behind that motivation. Inspiring your volunteers is a balance between accepting what time they can offer and not asking too much, and learning more about them and why they would like to be involved.

In many constituencies, we run skills audits, finding out what talents people have to offer to pair with what jobs need to be done. I think it is really important to ask what people want to do. It could be they are highly skilled in one area, but that is their day job, and what they really want to do as a volunteer is something different. Having those discussions is important. Allowing people to give time on their terms and in the way they wish is key.

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , and | 3 Comments
The Voice

Still making your mind up how to vote…this might help

By The Voice | Thu 8th June 2017 - 11:10 am

Enjoy

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Posted in News | Also tagged | 4 Comments
Paul Walter

Champagne corks popping at party HQ?

By Paul Walter | Wed 5th November 2014 - 12:54 pm

Champagne cork popping photo by Brent SchneemanTim Farron was on Radio Four’s Today yesterday morning. He was talking about Norman Baker’s resignation. In passing, when interviewer John Humphrys mentioned the party potentially losing lots of MPs at the next election, Tim mentioned that the Lib Dems went up by three percentage points in this week’s Lord Ashcroft poll.

When Humphrys said he would mention that this was just one optimistic poll for the party amidst many pessimistic polls, Tim joked that “at party HQ they might not hear you above the sound of champagne corks popping”.

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Posted in Polls | Also tagged and | 15 Comments
Sid Cumberland

Opinion: It wasn’t in anybody’s manifesto, was it?

By Sid Cumberland | Wed 28th March 2012 - 12:25 pm

I haven’t read the Health and Social Care Bill (soon to be Act). More pages than a Harry Potter novel, and qualified by a thousand amendments, I’m not sure reading it would throw much light on my darkness. However, there are aspects of the bill I am aware of.

I know, for instance, that the NHS Bill was in no one’s manifesto, and I know there wasn’t the slightest hint of its major elements in the coalition agreement. The government has absolutely no mandate for NHS reform at all. It all seemed so clear … and then I made a foolish …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , and | 23 Comments
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Recent Comments

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    How come France doesn't adhere to the UNHCR ? ...A tented city in Calais as opposed to a hotel in the UK. As for British homeless it's a political choice - gove...
  • Big Tall Tim
    Brilliant work Michal. Well done to all involved in organising it and the very high turnout....
  • Suzanne Fletcher
    I didn't think my post about a lost one would be posted! sorry....
  • expats
    @Peter Martin 24th May '25 - 1:01pm.. We have all seen the horrific results of those same sentiments, albeit in a different place and time.. A perfect exam...
  • expats
    @Greg Hyde 24th May '25 - 7:18am........A hotel room and three meals a day + a weekly allowance is far more gracious than a tented city. If you was a British ma...