Apparently the Lib Dems have selected who will be the Lib Dem candidates in the European elections in 2009.
What surprised me was that I neither received a ballot paper, any information about the candidates or any information about hustings for theses selections.
I tried to find out about the elections by doing a search of the Eastern region Lib Dems website a few weeks ago but found nothing whilst publicity of events, hustings, meet the candidates events seems to have been in very short supply.
It's nice to know my membership counts for absolutely bugger all !
Update: It appears I am not the only one.
9 comments:
A massive cock-up, rather than conspiracy, I would suggest Nich. We received ballot papers and I was inundated with emails from candidates. I have seen something to say that a lot of people didn't get ballot papers. Extremely concerning.
Well, you're a Tory, anyway, and probably would have voted for the wrong candidate...
I didn't receive mine either.
Paul, this is very disturbing if what you say is true.
If you did not receive any candidate emails, that suggests your email is not on the membership database.
Apparently, Royal Mail Managers put large envelopes to one side during the strike, as DLs and C5s were easier to sort, and took ages afterwards to clear the backlog. Perhaps in some areas they forgot!
I do think that the party could do a bit more to publicise the contest, while not favouring any particular candidate.
S.
If you didn't either get any of the emails from the party about the selection, I wonder if their might be a mistake in your membership records?
If you want to email me details (m.pack@libdems.org.uk) I can check whether we've got the correct address and email for you and that you're down as a current member.
I was under the impression that any problems were localised in the NW. There seems to be evidence to suggest otherwise.
As the second placed candidate in your region openly admits not doing any campaigning the whole process is more farcical than I previously thought.
Last July's Regional Newsletter and Regional Draw mailing, which went by post to all members, included details of the hustings and the selection process. When the shortlists were announced at the end of August, details went in an email to all members of the Party whose email address is on the Membership Department's data base. The full list of candidates has been on the Party's web site and all hustings on the listing of events at www.flocktogether.org.uk There were also reminders about the close of poll in an email from me to all members the week before the poll closed and in Lib Dem News, plus frequent announcements on Lib Dem Voice and CIX.
You would need to ask Membership Services Department to check your membership record to find out whether or not you were eligible and should have received a ballot paper. Under the Party's membership rules you are only eligible to vote if you have been a member continuously for at least twelve months and paid a renewal subscription. Some members found themselves ineligble to vote because they had delayed renewing their membership and so lapsed, and were then treated as new members.
There is also the possibility that unfortunately some ballot papers may have been lost in the post. We don't think many ballot papers were lost, not least because the turnout was higher than when the European candidates were selected last time.
The full results are on the web at http://www.cix.co.uk/~rosenstiel/ldelections/welcome.htm In most cases candidates were selected with very large majorities.
Jonathan Davies
Senior Returning Officer
When I noted I had no ballot paper (I joined the party in about a year ago -long enough ago for someone to ring me about membership renewal) I rang Cowley St to be advised 15 months membership was needed. This rule appears a bit odd when we have been recruiting in October so new members can vote for a new leader.
As I will only vote for a person - not a party list, this means another euro election when I don't vote.
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