Questions for Candidates for Federal Party Elections 2016

[cosmolinguist]

It's Lib Dem internal party election time!

In previous years, miss_s_b compiled a list of questions for candidates and published the answers of everyone who replied. This year, since she's standing for one of the positions she didn't think it'd be fair to continue to do this, so I'm taking over.

Here's the link to the form in which you can answer the questions.

Here's who has answered the questions:
Sarah Noble from West Yorkshire, standing for FPC.
Joe Otten from Sheffield, standing for FCC
Jennie Rigg from Calderdale, standing for FCC.
Mary Reid from Kingston, standing for FCC.
Geoff Payne from Harpenden, standing for FCC.
Zoe O'Connell from Cambridge, standing for FCC.
Alex Hegenbarth from Cheltenham, standing for Federal Board.
Gordon Lishman from Burnley, standing for Federal Board and FPC.
Caron Lindsay from LIvingston, standing for Federal Board.
Joshua Dixon from Haringey, standing for Federal Board.
Jeremy Hargreaves from London, standing for FPC
Nigel Ashton from Southport, standing for Federal Board.
Nicholas da Costa from Haringey, standing for FCC.
Duncan Brack from Streatham, standing for FPC.
Jonathan Brown from Chichester, standing for International Relations Committee.
Candy Piercy from Aylesbury, standing for Federal Board.
Mark Pack from Islington, standing for Federal Board.
Alice Thomas from Leytonstone, standing for Federal Board.
David Weston from Watford, standing for FPC.
Jay Dias from Twickenham, standing for FPC

Please answer the questions as honestly as possible. I leave it up to you whether you think fullness or brevity is the best tactic in getting people to read your answers :)

The first page is general questions for all candidates.

What's your name, where are you from, and which committee(s) are you standing for?


Are you standing for the first time or restanding? If first time what new thing do you bring that nobody else could; if restanding, what about your record are you most proud of that you think should make us vote you back in?


Are you standing for any other committees, if so which ones; and if elected to more than one how do you plan to divide your time?


Are you an active member of any SAOs, and if so which ones?


If someone asked you on the doorstep, the hustings or on TV to sum up in one or two sentences what the Lib Dems, uniquely, stand for – and then why anyone should vote for us – what are your answers?


What is your view on diversity quotas for committees? Should they be extended to cover more than just gender, scrapped totally, kept as is or something else?


Secrecy rules prevent the party knowing what committees are doing. What will you do to communicate with members; and in what circumstances is confidentiality justified?



For Candidates for FCC only:
Please answer the questions on this page if you are standing for FCC; if you are not standing for FCC then skip ahead.

How would you make Conference more accessible for people who currently cannot attend?

What do you think needs to be done to improve the process of selecting the agendas for Conference?


Questions for Candidates for Federal Board:
Please answer the questions on this page if you are standing for Federal Board; if you are not standing for Federal Board then skip ahead.

As the party has now backed the principle of OMOV, how will you ensure all members are represented, not just those who can afford to go to Conference?

If police accreditation to attend conference was proposed again, would you support or oppose it and why?

What is your view on electoral pacts? Should the party make them, and if so, who with?
Questions for Candidates for FPC:
Please answer the questions on this page if you are standing for FPC; if you are not standing for FPC then skip ahead.

If you had the power to do so unilaterally, what one party (not government) policy would you change, and what would you change it to?


What is your view on electoral pacts? Should the party make them, and if so, who with?


Question for Candidates for the Two International Bodies:
Please only answer this question if you are standing for one (or both) of the two international bodies. If not, then skip to the finish.

What does your committee do, and why should you be the one doing it?