Selections for council candidates are now well underway in most areas with local elections next May; and if they aren't then now is the time to start.
Many areas have had robust approval procedures for a number of years, but this is now compulsory for all candidatess wanting to stand for the Liberal Democrats in council elections in England. The English Liberal Democrats have also brought in new rules that require candidates in England to make a financial contribution to aid party campaigning if they get elected. Again, this has been standard practice for a long time in many areas, but this is now a requirement in England and highly recommended in Scotland and Wales.
To help local parties implement these changes, and to improve their current procedures if they do it already, ALDC had produced guidance that is available to ALDC members via the ALDC website (don't forget you need your email address and ALDC membership number to access the website).
Currently available on the website (for ALDC Members) is:
Approving council candidates
Councillors contributions
Setting up council co-ordinating groups
We will also be updating our guidance on selecting candidates in the near future. Please remember to log-in as an ALDC member first.
Please note that these materials are a CONSULTATION DRAFT and we would welcome your welcome feedback on this guidance to make sure that it is as clear and as useful as possible. Feedback should be sent to Anders Hanson at anders.hanson@aldc.org
In this busy period in the run up to the General Election and important local elections in many areas it is important to keep campaigning! Rules are important, but please don't stop campaigning. If you have any problems or issues please don't hesitate to contact the team at ALDC.