All three leadership candidates spoke at the Ethnic Minority Election Task Force hustings at the National Liberal Club last night (14 February).

Simon Hughes, Chris Huhne and Ming Campbell have included details of what they said on their respective websites.

In the blogosphere, Mark Valladares has given his reaction, as have Peter Pigeon, Colin Ross and James Graham.

UPDATE: Susanne Lamido adds her comments.

Liz Wheeler, the Chair of the Women Liberal Democrats, has signed up to the campaign, saying:

It is crucial for the credibility of the Liberal Democrats that urgent action is taken to address the under representation of women in the Parliamentary Party in order to fully represent the population they seek to serve.

Jo Swinson MP gives us her advice on what aspiring candidates should be doing:

• Be open minded. Standing for Parliament can be an interesting and worthwhile experience itself, even if the job of MP / MSP / MEP doesn’t appeal to you. When I first stood, in a safe Labour seat, it was clear I wouldn’t win. However the skills I developed of building and motivating a team, working with the media, and planning a campaign all came in useful - both within politics and in my business career. I always think if you can inspire a team of volunteers to deliver leaflets in the pouring rain, leading a team of people in paid employment is much easier!
• Get a copy of the candidate approval form, and find a friend to look through it with (you can request a form here). Don’t feel you have to have done everything it mentions to apply - it’s just covering all bases to make sure people don’t forget to include relevant experience. The questions on the form might also give you ideas of things you might like to do - training to attend at party conference, making a speech, or getting involved in a local campaign for example. A friend will often think of things you’ve forgotten about your achievements, and can help you blow your own trumpet, which is not something which always comes easily.
• Fill in the form, and do it soon. The approval process itself is a worthwhile exercise. You get a good appraisal of your strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunity to go on training. It can also be a confidence booster. Importantly, being an approved candidate gives you flexibility. It doesn’t compel you to stand, but if your ideal opportunity comes along, you won’t miss it because of not being approved in time.
• Act like a sponge for ideas and advice. Network within the party - locally, regionally and at national party conferences, by-elections and events. People love being asked for their advice (and you don’t always have to take it!) so pick up a wide range of views to help you form your own picture of the political situation and prospects in particular constituencies.
• Prioritise what is important for you. What do you want to achieve? What other influences will you be factoring in - career, family commitments, finances? Different people have got elected in different ways. Lynne Featherstone stayed put and overturned a 26,000 Labour majority over 8 years. Sandra Gidley won when her home seat suddenly became vacant and winnable because of a Parliamentary by-election. Jenny Willott moved to Cardiff to take on a target seat and win it, coming very close in 2001, and winning with a 5000+ majority in 2005.
• Think ahead. Even if you don’t want to be elected next time, having a long term plan can help you make decisions now that will make it easier for you in future. Where to locate, what jobs to apply for, what involvement you have in your local party, what experiences to pursue?
• Do it!

You can read more advice on our “Be the Candidate” page and in the “do it” section of this site.

If you have any advice of your own for publishing here, email it to info@reflectingbritain.org.uk.

Reflecting Britain is launching a new challenge. With all three Lib Dem leadership contenders now signed up to the campaign, we are switching our focus to finding new talent within the party.

We are asking party members to encourage their own “diamonds” to put their names forward as Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (”PPCs”). This could be someone in your local party, a friend or a member of staff you think has the Right Stuff.

A lot of the party’s brightest and best MPs only decided to put themselves forward because they were encouraged by friends and colleagues. By meeting our challenge you could be finding one of tommorrow’s true stars. Possibly even a future leader!

We’ve made it extremely easy for you. Simply fill in this form and we will send your “diamond” a message, pointing them in the direction of the Gender Balance Task Force and the Ethnic Minority Election Task Force as appropriate.

It will be up to them to take the first step, but your little bit of encouragement may be all that they need!

Despite initial scepticism, recent events have made Alan Beddow decide to support Reflecting Britain:

As Liberal Democrats we exist to promote equality and tolerance, one way in which we can do this is by increasing our representatives in government to use the democratic process to ensure these freedom’s are maintained. Another way is by example, we need to show each community that they can make a difference and participate fully in the democratic process of our country, where they can live in, and promote a tolerant society without living in fear of their neighbours or resorting to extreme acts. Where we can build strong community leaders and role models.

…

If one way to overcome the serious threats to our country is to provide additional focus and support to candidates that can be the role models that will bring into the party those from across all our communities then my qualms about positive action are a very small price to pay.

You can read his full article here. Great to have you on board Alan!

If you would like to join Alan, you can do so by signing up here.

Vice Chair of the Liberal Democrat Federal Policy Committee Jeremy Hargreaves comments:

Simply hoping that candidates who reflected Britain’s full diversity would just come forward may have been a reasonable approach forty years ago – but you only have to look at our benches now to see how comprehensively it has failed.

Making our party reflect Britain’s diversity is a hard-headed decision about our party’s self-interest – bluntly, if we want people to vote for us, we have to look like them.

We need to take the difficult decisions so that we actually do that.

South East Lib Dem MEP Sharon Bowles has become the first MEP to sign up to support the Liberal Democrat’s “Reflecting Britain” campaign.

Sharon said: “I know from my work in the European Parliament, where our Lib Dem team is 7 women and 5 men, how important it is to have people in teams with different skills, opinions, backgrounds and cultures. Our Westminster Parliament should be no different. We have enormously talented people, male and female, in our party who come from a whole range of different backgrounds, and we should be making every attempt to ensure we are using those talents at the top of our Party. I wish the Reflecting Britain campaign every success.”

Sharon is now urging other Liberal Democrats to sign up to support the campaign too. She said “This campaign will only succeed if Parliamentarians, Councillors, activists and members from all over the country really get behind this excellent new initiative. I would urge party members at all levels to join me in supporting this campaign.”

You can join Sharon by signing up here.

Councillor Nasser Butt from Sutton, former Chair of Multi-Faith Forum, EMLD, Muslim Forum, and former PPC for Mole Valley, writes:

Most of my time with Liberal Democrats over the last 14 years has been spent on trying to make our Party more reflective of Britain. In the process I have seen the loss of many very good and hard working EM PPCs, Councillors and ordinary members to other Parties due to blockages they experienced they experienced in our Party. I am delighted at this Reflecting Britain campaign, which appears widespread from across the membership for the party to become more reflective of our Diverse Society.

If the current candidates are signing up to the support on this issue, than we will have to hold them to account to “Walk the Walk” and chase thru the delivery on their pledge. If we can do this, we can hope for a change. We only have to look at the news to know how desperately Britain needs to become inclusive.

Thanks for those of you who have contributed suggestions for people thinking of applying to become approved Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidates. You can read what people have written here (if you have something to contribute but haven’t yet, please do have your say by commenting on that page!).

Steve Guy has three good basic starting suggestions:

1. Don’t be shy - if you think it may be for you, take the plunge (or else you’ll never know)
2. It would be great to have a one on one chat with someone who’s been through it
3. Get active with you local party

Andy Darley has some good news for people who believe that candidate selection is all about creating “election-fighting robots”:

The ideal Liberal Democrat candidate isn’t assessed on how they look on TV, they’re judged by what they believe.

So don’t be ashamed of idealism, and don’t be afraid to go in to the candidate selection process with your heart on your sleeve. You’ll be expected to prove you understand the practical methods of turning your ideals into reality, sure, but don’t focus so much on the practical that you ignore the point of it all.

Linda Jack tends to agree:

So, who ever you are, you have something to offer, we live in a society governed by packaging, for me its far more important to know where your heart is. Its not about Oxbridge degrees, its about wisdom, compassion and a commitment to ensuring that EVERYONE has a stake in our increasingly divided society. So………whoever you are……go get em!!!!

Stephen Glenn has this to say about the approval day that all applicants have to go through:

The thing is the exercises you have to prepare for to get approved are things that a candidate really has to go through to a greater of lesser extent depending on the constituency and your profile in that race. Having now observed up close my second by-election and a key seat campaign in the general election since I have seen how this is good grounding in the skills that you require. The assessors are not so much trying to catch you out as test you to the limit. If you are going to be a candidate and more if you get elected and become an MP you have to be up to challenge.

Allan Siao Ming Witherick has this good advice, coming from someone still going through the process:

Don’t give up and don’t see it as the be all end all…

By not getting diverted on General Election Day I was able to stand for a County seat- and win - by 10 votes! If I had been distracted by being a PPC somewhere else I don’t know if I would have won…

Now I am a County Councillor, Police Authority Member and about to Chair my first Topic Group while facing District Council elections.

That’s more experience which means when I do PPC I’ll be in a far better position.

So don’t give up- and look at all the opportunities in the party!

Thanks for all the really great advice folks! And please, keep it coming!

The Ethnic Minority Election Task Force have called a ‘Special’ Leadership Hustings to specifically address the issue of how the Leadership Contenders intend to move forward the agenda of making Liberal Democrats more appealing to ethnic minorities. They also want to hear their views on what they intend to do to ensure we have proper ethnic minority representation in Parliament and on local councils across the country in order to reflect the diverse culture of modern day Britain.

Venue: National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HE,
Date & Time: 14th. February 2006, at 6.30 pm

The Candidates have now all signed up to the Reflecting Britain Campaign. Now they are being asked to go further and outline their plans in more detail. They are being asked to say how they intend to make the Party’s Policies more relevant to the modern day diverse multi ethnic Britain as well as to expand on their plans, end the ethnic deficit within the Party structures – both Parliamentary and organisational.

Although these hustings have been organised specifically with the ethnic minority PPC, Councillors and members in mind, EMETF wants the attendance to reflect the Party as a whole. Please pass the details of this hustings on to your colleagues.

If you plan to attend, please email Rabi Martins to allow EMETF to keep an eye on numbers.