Tag Archives: liberal democrat ppcs

The Voice

Doctor who tackled Jacob Rees-Mogg on no deal to fight Javid as Liberal Democrat

By The Voice | Sun 29th September 2019 - 1:22 pm

Earlier this Summer, Dr David Nicholl tackled Jacob Rees-Mogg on LBC on preparations for a no deal Brexit, particularly on shortages of medicines. He asked Rees-Mogg what mortality rate he would be ok with in the event of no deal.

Rees-Mogg later compared him to the disgraced doctor Andrew Wakefield whose flawed claims about the MMR are still causing problems with vaccine uptake today.

At the time the BMA described this comparison as “utterly disgraceful and totally irresponsible.”

Over the weekend it has been announced that Dr Nicholl will stand for the Liberal Democrats in Bromsgrove, against Chancellor Sajid Javid.

From The Guardian:

He faces an almost impossible task to unseat Javid.The chancellor took 62% of the vote in Bromsgrove in the 2017 election, up 8% on 2015. The Lib Dems came a poor third with fewer than 2,500 votes, a share of just 4.6%.

But Nicholl is confident he will pick up disenfranchised Tories.

“Things are completely different to 2017. I think when you have a prime minister who is prepared to mislead the Queen, you will have many people who vote Tory, not people in the Tory party, in Bromsgrove, who will be utterly appalled with what is going on and will be looking for a new home,” he said.

Nicholl joined the Lib Dems earlier this summer. He left the Labour party after Owen Smith, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, was sacked, considering it a decision with damaging consequences for the region.

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The Voice

The Liberal Democrats’ class of 2022: who they are and what they think

By The Voice | Wed 17th April 2019 - 6:03 pm

The New Statesman gives a sympathetic account of the selection of Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidates in an article headed “The Liberal Democrats’ class of 2022: who they are and what they think“, focusing on our target seats.

It includes a paragraph about Lib Dem Voice editor Kirsten Johnson:

Kirsten Johnson, a pianist who is contesting North Devon, said she entered politics to push for more money for mental health services and reduce the gap between rich and poor. “The Liberal Democrats stand for equality across all sections of society, whether economic, gender or any other equality. I think we need to have more people from all walks of life.”

And another about Daisy Cooper:

Daisy Cooper, who has a background in international affairs and is standing in St Albans, described herself as the anti-Brexit, pro-People’s Vote candidate. “I’m internationalist, pro-business, pro-environment – increasingly these are the values that will guide the future of the country.”

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Kirsten Johnson

Being a PPC – managing demands

By Kirsten Johnson | Thu 14th February 2019 - 10:30 am

One common interview question, which we used when hiring our Organiser and is used in many jobs, is that of prioritisation: you have lots of demands on your time and are faced with a long list of tasks, which do you do first?

Prioritisation seems to be an ever-present task as PPC. There is only one of you but 1001 things that need doing. Help?!

Yesterday I went through three sets of my list – the first version which I had written the night before on how I would get things done the next day as the asks seemed insurmountable; the second version made at coffee time before rushing out the door to a meeting, of the things that still needed doing and ranking which was most important; and then a third version, a yet-again-revised list of things that had to be absolutely done that day, with a new list of what could be left for the next day.

There is never enough time. Prioritisation is key, with an emphasis on delegating what others can do. I am more and more saying to those around me,  “I am going to concentrate on what I am meant to be doing as PPC.” But in the real world, it never works out that way.

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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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Kirsten Johnson

Being a PPC: The Work/Life Balance

By Kirsten Johnson | Thu 31st January 2019 - 8:34 am

Following last week’s blog on why I’m a PPC, I’m reflecting this week on the conundrum facing every PPC: how to manage a healthy work/life balance.

I’m starting from the premise that I am a much better PPC when I’m living in a balanced way, finding time for family, walks, reading books and (in my case) going to church. If all I did was politics, 24/7,  I don’t think I’d have perspective.

For many PPCs, it is a real struggle to balance work, downtime and the demands of being a PPC. I can relate. I’m self-employed, so in some respects it’s easier for me as I set my own schedule, and in other ways it’s more difficult in that I keep sacrificing work time for the never-ending asks coming my way.

I’ve managed to record two discs of music since being selected as a PPC in June. It has not been easy. But I am happier because of it. Until I am gainfully employed as a Member of Parliament, I need to keep up my day job – not only as a job, but also because it is who I am at the moment.

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Kirsten Johnson

Being a PPC: what’s your motivation?

By Kirsten Johnson | Thu 24th January 2019 - 8:34 am

Caron asked me to write a series a little while ago about being a PPC – and my response at the time was that a day-in-the-life blog might put people off ever applying to be a PPC!

Being a PPC is hard work – we are volunteers and unpaid, but expected to do a huge amount of work building our teams, supporting local elections, sending out press releases, attending local events, answering letters and emails, the list goes on.

However, I willingly signed up to the never-ending work. Why? In my case it was my anger at poor mental health provision coupled with my fury at the inequality in society. Those two issues pushed me over the edge from being an armchair activist to getting out and knocking on doors, trying to make a difference.

I didn’t like door-knocking the first time – I thought I was intruding on people’s privacy by interrupting whatever they happened to be doing. But I quickly found out that most people like being asked their opinion and listened to. What they don’t like about politics is the shouting of Westminster and the perceived lack of understanding about how the real world works. Someone knocking on their door, listening to stories about their world, the real world, means a huge amount to them.

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The Voice

Bath Liberal Democrats select Steve Bradley as candidate to replace Don Foster

By The Voice | Mon 12th May 2014 - 9:55 am

Steve BradleyAt the weekend, Bath Liberal Democrats selected Steve Bradley as their parliamentary candidate in place of Don Foster who  has been the city’s Liberal Democrat MP for 22 years.

From the Bath Chronicle:

More than 180 local party members met yesterday afternoon at the Salvation Army hall in James Street West to debate, discuss and vote from a shortlist of six contenders.

After a lengthy five-hour event they selected Mr Bradley, who is a a former Lib Dem councillor in Lambeth.

Mr Bradley, who first moved to the city in 1991 as a student at the University of Bath, said: “I am immensely proud and humbled to have been selected by local Liberal Democrat members as their candidate for the 2015 General Election.

“Don Foster has been a tremendous champion for this city for 22 years. I look forward to working closely with him in his remaining year as our MP.

“And I hope the people of Bath will place their faith in me to continue Don’s hard work in parliament on their behalf.”

Don Foster MP said:

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