ALDC.org RSS Feed

HTML for re-blogging Nick Clegg Pupil Premium Message

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:18:00 +0100

This week's national MyCouncillor news story featured a personal message from Nick Clegg on the subject of the Pupil Premium.

Whilst making our stories available for re-blogging is usually a simple affair, this particular story involves an image used as a click-able link to re-direct the viewer to an interview with Nick on the BBC, discussing the policy.

In order to make this available for easy re-blogging, we are offering the HTML for the whole story here. Advanced users can copy and paste this into their blogs (into the HTML editor) and the story, with all formatting and links completed, should appear.

Note: When copying and pasting items into and out of text editors, it is usually best to remove any hidden formatting by pasting into a program such as Notepad, and then copying the Notepad text and pasting that into your editor.

The HTML for the Nick Clegg Pupil Premium story is here:

<div>For me, nothing better illustrates the Liberal Democrat mission to make Britain a fairer place than our Pupil Premium: extra money for the most disadvantaged children in our schools.</div> </p>

<div>We are letting schools decide the best way to spend this money. I want to strike a deal ....

It's that time again

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:57:00 +0100

Expenses Returns for the Local Elections 2012

We all know that they have to be done but getting round to the election expenses is most activists least enjoyable election task. Your local authority should supply you with a set of election expenses forms. There are 3 basic forms to be submitted for each candidate:

1. The expenses form -this has changed radically in recent years do NOT assume that they way you did it four years ago will be OK this time.

2. The candidate’s declaration. This declares that the submitted expenses are complete, accurate and lawful. It is no longer necessary to have these forms signed by a magistrate.

3. The agent’s declaration (if you were not your own agent).

The legal requirement is that you submit your expenses and declarations, not which forms, or format are used, Some councils issue their own (often dated) forms.

If you’ve not got a set of forms yet they will be available them from your council offices or you cand down the electoral commissions generic forms below.

Timetable
All Scottish local elections and most in ....

Local Elections 2012 - Tell us what you think!

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Please help us learn and improve from the 2012 local election results by taking our short online survey. We know how much everyone hates long surveys, so its deliberately short, but if you want to write more then there is space to do so.

The survey has TWO aims:

to assess how the support and help provided by ALDC and the rest of the Party was helpful to candidates and campaigners, and to see how this can be improved.
to ask you what you think worked or did not work in the election campaign

We will use the aggregated information to inform the work of ALDC and the rest of the party, but otherwise your comments are anonymous and will not be attributed.

TAKE THE SURVEY NOW

Thank you for your help.

Report to Members, May 2012

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

ALDC Update

February – April 2012

Background

This report covers the three month period 1 November 2011– 30 April 2012, but given the importance of the local elections in this period we have included the period up to the 3 May 2012 local elections. The report is considered by ALDC’s quarterly Management Committee, and is also being made available to ALDC members, and to our key Liberal Democrat partners, but is not for further circulation.

1 AIM 1 – More Liberal Democrat Councillors at every level

Clearly the local elections on 3 May 2012 have been the primary focus for the whole ALDC team for the last three months. A separate report on the results has been produced for Management Committee and the CCC.

1.1 Candidate Support

ALDC has been collecting details of all target ward candidates for most of the year and we complete this process at the close of nominations for any gaps that remain. Before polling day we had a full data set for candidates in target wards (or previously Lib Dem held wards).

From December 2011 onwards we have been sending all candidates (that we have email ....

The Thursday After...

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

After an eventual slew of 26 by-election results on May 3rd, it was a relatively quiet day at the office for Lib Dem campaign teams across Britain. There were two principal council by-elections, and one reported town council contest, and very little of significance to report.

In the Kidsgrove ward of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Labour held their seat with a substantial 18% increase in their share of the vote. Our candidate came third, dropping just over 7%. Unfortunately the drop was enough to put the Tories into second place in a ward that we have held in recent years.

Whilst the 105 people who wanted to vote Liberal Democrat in Kidsgrove had the chance to do so, the same can’t be said for any of our supporters in the Chinnor ward of South Oxfordshire District Council, where the Tories, Independents, and Labour slugged it out between themselves. It’s hard to believe we don’t have a single member in all of South Oxfordshire who could have put their name forward, so getting a bird on the ballot next time would be much better. In the end, the Conservatives held comfortably.

Out in the towns, we had a contest for the Meeds North ward ....

Campaign Countdown 12

Thu, 10 May 2012 13:30:00 +0100

Hopefully by now you will have caught your breath!
The count will seem an awfully long time ago, but for the new councillors, and indeed for those of you who are back on the council, now the real work commences - to represent those people who put their faith in you via the ballot box.

Whether you won or lost, or a local activist, there is one vital task immediately after the election and that is to say thank you to your helpers, deliverers and campaign colleagues. Often this is over looked and assumptions are made that ‘people will already know that their help is valued, so we don’t need to say thank you’ – WRONG! Use letters, cards, phone calls to people who helped in your election, don't forget paper candidates and people who helped on polling day. Hold a wake/post mortem and a "thank you party" in the next couple of weeks. There are some places that have already had their party, organising for just two days after polling day.

Saying "Thank You" to voters is traditionally done with a "thank you" FOCUS delivered as soon as ....

Thursday's Other Elections...

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:57:00 +0100

With all eyes on Thursday’s local elections (see our report on defence rates, over), it is easy to forget that there were thirteen local council by-elections taking place on the same day.

The only significant result from a Lib Dem perspective is the successful defence of Hertfordshire’s Meriden Tudor ward, where Kareen Mary Hastrick added a little good news to what was another difficult night across the country. Of some national prominence was the Hackney Central by-election, where the ‘Hackney Heroine’ Pauline Pearce (pictured, second left) made the decision to stand for the Liberal Democrats in the wake of last year’s riots. Unfortunately, Pauline came third on the night but has been a welcome addition to our London campaign family, where we hope she will remain.

Elsewhere, we had two decent second places. Trailing the Tories by only 146 votes in the North Richmond ward in the London Borough of Richmond, and we also did well to come within touching distance of the successfully defending Conservative team in Bromley, where the Bromley Town ward remained blue. Our final pick of interesting results comes from Tower Hamlets, where Respect came second to Labour in the Weavers ward, being the ....

Time to say Thank You

Wed, 09 May 2012 15:25:00 +0100

Hopefully by now you will have caught your breath!
The count will seem an awfully long time ago, but for the new councillors, and indeed for those of you who are back on the council, now the real work commences - to represent those people who put their faith in you via the ballot box.

Whether you won or lost, or just helped out, there is one vital task immediately after the election is to say thank you to your helpers, deliverers and campaign colleagues. Often this is over looked and assumptions are made that ‘people will already know that their help is valued, so we don’t need to say thank you’ – WRONG! Use letters, cards, phone calls to people who helped in your election, don't forget paper candidates and people who helped on polling day. Hold a wake/post mortem and a "thank you party" in the next couple of weeks.

Saying "Thank You" to voters is traditionally done with a "thank you" FOCUS delivered as soon as possible throughout your ward. This includes saying thank you when we lost. If you're short of money why not do an A4 thank you FOCUS ....

2012 Results - Compositions & Control

Fri, 04 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

This section of ALDC's 2012 Local Elections Results Service tracks the new political compositions and overall councillor numbers for each council with elections on May 3rd.

Councils with their names highlighted in red are having 'all-out' elections after boundary changes and will resume their normal electoral cycles from 2014.

At a Glance:

Councillor Numbers:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

2012 Change in Councillors:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

In Detail:

New Compositions & Control Status:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Change in Councillor Numbers:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Membership - Two brilliant deals

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:27:00 +0100

Calling all councillors elected on 3rd May! We have two great discounts for ALDC membership.

1. New Councillors' Discount
All Lib Dem Councillors elected this year will be able to join ALDC in their first year for HALF PRICE! As all of us know their first months as a Councillor are important. We want to make sure as many of our Councillors benefit from the advice and support that ALDC offer from Day 1. This makes ALDC membership only 78p a week!

The new offer is only available until the end of July 2012 - after that it's back up to the normal rate. So don't miss out!

The deal is available to all newly elected Liberal Democrat councillors and ....

2012 Election Results - Mayoral Votes & Referendums

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:00 +0100

In addition to the London Mayoral election, there are two elections for directly-elected mayors and ten referendums on the creation of elected mayors taking place on May 3rd.

Here is ALDC's brief summary of the results.

Mayoral Elections:

Mayoral Referendums:

&nbsp;

2012 Results - Seats Won

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0100

This section of ALDC's 2012 Local Elections Results Service tracks the outcome of each contested seat on the night. In England, most of these amount to one-third of the total number of council seats, although a number of District Councils elect by halves. In Scotland and Wales, the elections were 'all outs'.

Councils with their names highlighted in red are having 'all-out' elections after boundary changes and will resume their normal electoral cycles from 2014.

At a Glance:

Seat Results:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Change in Seats:

In Detail:

Seat Results:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Change in Seats:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

ALDC Election Results Service

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:31:00 +0100

ALDC will again provide an election results service showing the total number of seats won for each party by council and the change in those seats whether that's plus or minus. You can find our Election Results Service in the Local Elections section of our website.

We largely collate this information by using council websites as they usually publish the results as they happen, although this is by no means consistent. The counts are also split between Thursday night and anytime on Friday until well in to the evening. However, if you are able to help us out with information from your count this is what we need to know:

The total number of seats won on the night by each party in a council area (we don't need to know individual ward results at this stage).
Any interesting stories e.g. high profile councillors defeated (both ours and the opposition's), interesting Lib Dem candidates elected,
Wards won by us this year that we failed to win last year.

You can send us this information by emailing us at info@aldc.org, by posting in our Facebook group or by tweeting us.

Who's Up in 2012

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0100

Here is our summary of the composition of councillors, by authority-type and party, facing election in May 2012. This list represents the best of ALDC's knowledge at time of publication but may be subject to change, for example due to by-elections and defections prior to the election. If you would like to report any amendments to the figures presented here, please let us know by emailing john.bridges@aldc.org.

Councillors up in 2012 - At a Glance

Councillors up in 2012 - In Detail

Note: Council names highlighted in red are having all-out elections on new boundaries, and will re-commence electing by thirds from 2014.

The Final Countdown!!!

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Everybody I know who is working on the campaign is already shattered and many will be behind on their campaign schedules after the weekend's dreadful weather. But the weather seems to be improving so let's keep going and try to spread the load. In many places turnout will be key. We need to focus on getting our vote out, the turnout of theirs is largely beyond our control. We’ve got 4 more days to make 4 years of hard work count – it’s votes in the ballot box that matter.
So look at your contact lists - including friends and family - ring and ask for a little help - they can only say no. That extra pair of hands, car or phone could really make the difference on the day. They can always use a phone however far away they live.

1.Things I usually forget:

Rosettes for polling day
Tellers pads
Hard copy back up shuttleworth - in case of computer failure
Election offences and committee room posters
Tally cards/sheets for our counting agents at the count
Eating properly – this includes massive bars of chocolate in ....

Self declaring voters in Connect and EARS

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Our election computer systems have been developed over the years around target parliamentary elections and by-elections. In these intense campaigns it is the norm for us to have tellers at all (or very nearly all) polling stations all day. The systems presume that voting information will be provided solely from telling information on polling day.
In reality at local elections to make the best use of resources we have got to compromise on this ideal. First we will have knocked up our postal voters in advance (and on polling day) and accepted that they have sent their postal vote ballot papers in when they have said so. It makes sense then to both exclude these people
a) from the Shuttleworth so they are excluded from further knock up
b) from canvas day statistics such as “ours” and “theirs” and differential turnout as this self declaration will inevitably skew the figures.

The second, similar category of self declaring voters are those from “on the day” knock up. It makes little sense not to believe our own supporters when they say they’ve voted. If they’ve lied it will come out on the marked register after the election, but further ....

Holding the Line...

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:34:00 +0100

The last full week of campaigning in the 2012 local elections saw four by-elections reported to ALDC.

In the sole principal council contest, our Focus team in North Norfolk did sterling work defending the Waterside ward. A 9% drop in the second-placed Tory vote was of some assistance, although surprisingly UKIP do not appear to have been the beneficiary of the decline in Conservative support. A relatively busy slate for a local by-election also included a Green Party and Independent candidate standing for the first times, without making any real headway. Labour’s 2% increase in vote-share is far from impressive and may also indicate a healthy retention of squeezed Labour voters in the Lib Dem tally. Our congratulations to successful candidate Paul Howard Williams and the North Norfolk team on an encouraging defence.

Out in the towns, our vote held up nicely in Seaford East ward of Seaford Town Council. Whilst the headline story is a UKIP gain from the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrat vote remained solid and keeps us within touching distance of the Tories in second place. The election was triggered by the resignation of a Conservative Town Councillor in protest against his own administration’s 9.5% hike in ....

The STV Local Election Counts in Scotland

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Briefing for 2012 council elections on the Count and Counting Agents in Scotland from ASLDC and the Scottish Liberal Democrats.Before the count:

Information should be available from Returning Officers as to how counts will be conducted. In particular try to find out how he/she intends dealing with recounts. If any demonstration of e-counting is to be carried out (e.g. Aberdeen City on Wed 2nd May) please ensure that one person at least attends.
Timings:
Because the number of machines will be limited, the count may take some considerable time to cover all wards.
Verification:
At the count of first past the post elections we laid great stress on tallying votes during the first stage, the verification. This can still be done to try to ascertain our share of first preferences, when ballot boxes are emptied and ballot papers folded out and put in bundles for scanning. However, regulations have been changed so that results by polling district are to be provided by the Returning Officer within a week or so of the count. This will give us valuable information for future campaigning.
Adjudication of doubtful papers:
Counting agents should also look carefully at the adjudication ....

Building your Winning Shuttleworth

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Winning local elections usually about differential turnouts.
In many places we don’t have a “natural” majority of the electorate. If everybody who voted in the General Election voted in the local elections we would lose the local election. However many general election voters don’t vote in local elections and some will vote differently locally and nationally. The key to winning locally then is getting more of our voters to the polls than our main opposition.

To do this we create a list of those who are most likely to vote for us (the Shuttleworth) and try and get them out to vote (either as a postal voters or on polling day). This process is called GOTV (Getting Out The Vote) . It is principally accomplished by “knocking up” - the process of knocking on the doors or phoning voters and reminding them

that it's polling day and
that their vote is crucial and we can win
that we can give them a lift to the polls
that if they have a postal vote it’s not too late to use it

This article is about how you make sure that your ....

Book now for Bedford!

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Lib Dem Local Government Conference

Saturday 16 June 2012, University of Bedfordshire.

Satellite events, and Dinner on Friday 15 June 2012.

Book now now to get your registration at the cheap rate - prices start from just £35.00 for ALDC members. (including all lunch and refreshments)

For Group Members of ALDC it's also "3 for 2" - buy two places and get the third entirely FREE!

ALDC and the LGA Liberal Democrat Group invite you to the main Liberal Democrat event of the summer, our Local Government Conference at the University of Bedfordshire, Bedford.

We've got a busy day planned for you, the programme will be available soon, but here are some highlights:

Training: Learning what worked in May 2012 and ideas for future campaigning success. Specific sessions will focus on the 2013 County / Unitary elections and also longer term planning for those with elections in 2014 and beyond.

Debate and discussion: There will be fringe events and policy sessions throughout the day. Sessions planned include Welfare Reform, Housing and Local Education Authorities.

Speakers: These include the Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg MP, Steve Webb ....

Campaign Countdown 10

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:39:00 +0100

It’s time to pull together!   - there's only one week to go!
Tempers in elections often get frayed. Competing priorities, the frustrations with computer systems and printers combined with activist exhaustion and grotty weather are a recipe for friction. After canvassing, in the next few days try and get your core team together, perhaps at a stuffing party or over a pint and agree your strategy for the final week. To quote somebody else, we’re all in this together…..

With a week to go your campaign should be peaking and your thoughts should be on getting the vote out and polling day.
Polling day is one of those occasions when you can ask friends, relations and colleagues from other local parties without elections this year to help out. It does not matter where in the country they are. Offer them accommodation or just get them on the phones. The new virtual phonebanks in Connect make this easier than ever. Going through your phonebook and talking to your members should give you a clearer idea of the resources you’ll have available and thereby inform your strategy.

Use your casework record.
If you’ve ....

Best Practice: 'Welcome to Cheltenham' Video

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

We were very impressed to see this short video from Cheltenham. Made by local university students, it spells out a number of major differences between the Cheltenham Lib Dem council and their Tory opponents in a humourous and accessible way.

The video is on Youtube, meaning it can be linked to (as here) or embedded into blogs/webpages by visiting the site and using the 'share' option beneath the video to get the code you need to embed the video elsewhere.

Video campaigning, especially with an effective use of Youtube (and other social media to share the links), can get your message out to audiences who may not consider reading a leaflet or contacting their local councillor.

Videos can be simple to make and upload, and can add a new dimension to local campaigning. We would be happy to see any examples of video campaigning by Focus teams across the country, please email the videos or (ideally) Youtube links to craig.whittall@aldc.org.

Planning for Polling Day

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

You should be planning your polling day now.
First consider the strategy across your authority. It’s pointless running a polling day of military precision stacking up votes in a safe ward. Talk to your strategy committee (or supremo) about what help you can expect to get from others or that you will be expected to give and construct your plans with that in mind. However the first aim is to be at least self sufficient. Key activists need to buy into the strategy in advance to avoid aggro on the day - to do this you’ll probably need to evidence your arguments.
Your plans for polling day should ideally include:

where and how many committee rooms are you going to have?

elections offences poster (new version) , helpers signing in sheet and committee room poster.

"Good Morning" Leaflets (before people go to work or about their business)

Tellers (people taking numbers) on polling stations - but only as part of your knocking up. Arrange a rota of tellers for each polling station you’re going to cover and the packs to give individual ....

Committee Rooms

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Committee room. This is your HQ for the day where you run your polling day operation.

The ideal Committee Room would be spacious, warm, on the phone and opposite the Polling Station with lots of private parking. In practice of course that is hard to achieve. There are several factors which are important and may need balancing against each other.
The Committee Room should be as central to the polling stations which it is covering as possible, however probably more important is that it is accessible for people to get to during the day. Ideally it should have good parking nearby and it is also sensible to take account of any traffic congestion hot-spots which might make access difficult at the important hours of 4-7pm.
In these days of mobile phones it is not essential for the Committee Room to be on the phone but check that you can get mobile reception!
If the weather may be poor then it is sensible to ensure that the carpet etc will ....

The Count

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Why it is important

Whilst your election campaign stops at 10pm on polling day, the work doesn’t as there is one very important job still to do. Making sure the votes get counted properly. Election counts done so badly that the wrong result is declared are a fairly rare occurrence but approaching the count in a calm efficient manner will usually ensure that that doesn’t happen.

There is also a lot of valuable information that can be gained from the count which you can use for targeting in future campaigns.

Key roles

Attendance at the count is strictly limited and set down in legislation. The candidate, candidate’s spouse (this would probably also include Civil Partner and in many cases councils will allow you to nominate anybody for this role without asking questions) and agent are allowed as of right. Each candidate also has the right to nominate a number of counting agents. The number of counting agents is set by the Returning Officer and should usually be the same for each party.

In deciding the ....

6th time lucky?

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:47:00 +0100

You could be forgiven for having a sense of déjà vu with this week’s by-elections, as two of them have had multiple by-elections in recent years.

The by-election in the Spitalfields and Banglatown Ward of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets took the political headlines following the defeat of Labour’s candidate by an Independent aligned to the directly-elected mayor, Lutfur Rahman. This was the second by-election in this ward in 18 months and a second defeat for Labour. The ward is now represented by one Labour councillor, one from Respect and now one Independent.

For Liberal Democrats the best result of the night was in the Plaistow Ward of Chichester District Council in West Sussex. This was the fifth by-election in this ward in nine years following successive resignations of Conservative councillors. Plaistow is a large rural ward – 19 miles from one end to the other – in the far north of the district on the Surrey border. However despite the scale of the job we ran a strong campaign with a number of leaflets very much focusing on the reasons for the by-election and the local credentials of our candidate. Polling day saw torrential downpours all day and so postal voters ....

Knocking Up

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

To win in most local elections we need to get a better turnout of our supporters than the opposition does. Our list of supporters (for historical reasons) is called a Shuttleworth. Your helpers are given part of this Shuttleworth as list of electors and houses to "knock" on and remind the residents that its polling day and the need to vote. "It's neck and neck", "It was really close last time" etc. The lists reduce in size during the day based on the information from our "tellers" on the polling stations. They provide information on who has already voted to our committee room so that they can be removed from our Shuttleworth lists. In an ideal world we would only "knock up" electors who have yet to vote.

You should work out a sequence of knocking up, a good starting point for this is to use your delivery rounds though some may be too big for a sensible knock-up routine due to the number of names on the list. Each knock up round should be about an hour’s worth of knocking if you were calling on everyone. If people want more it is easier to ....

Postal Vote Count

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Technically speaking this is the postal vote opening rather than the count as the postal ballots are just being opened and sorted ready for the count proper. Most councils do this on more than one occasion during the last couple of weeks of the elections and the dates of these should be communicated to the agent. Counting agents for the postal vote opening will need specific appointment in writing before the postal vote opening.
The detailed process of the postal vote opening will vary from council to council but should follow this broad model.

Outer envelope of returned postal votes opened – the ballot paper should be in a second envelope sealed inside this and shouldn’t be opened until later in the process

The declaration is checked:

If there is no declaration then paper provisionally rejected

The declaration is checked that it relates to the ballot paper returned – if it doesn’t then again the ballot will be declared provisionally rejected.

The details on the declaration will be checked. If it is unsigned or no birth date is included it will be rejected.

Where ....

Twin to Win!

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:05:00 +0100

2010 and 2011 were the biggest of the current four year political cycle. In 2012, there are fewer councils going to the polls and some areas that have no elections taking place at all.

No-one needs reminding that this year, like last, is a tough one and every local party, candidate, and campaigner needs every second of time that Lib Dem supporters, activists, and elected representatives can offer.

This is why ALDC are asking those local campaigners across the country without elections this year, to ‘twin’ with an area that does and spend the remainder of the campaign pushing for Lib Dem wins in critical places. This can be done in person, by picking a place close to you and arranging to do a delivery round or join a door-knocking team, or remotely, by using Connect’s ‘Virtual Phonebank’ to make calls on behalf of candidates in other areas.

This could also make for a great group activity - get a few friends and colleagues from your local party to join you for an hour making calls.

Below is ALDC’s ‘Top Twins’, places where Liberal Democrats are fighting tough battles for significant results. The list is not meant to be exhaustive, but ....

Headington Report Back: Good Use of Maps

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:17:00 +0100

This 'Report Back' leaflet from the Headington ward of Oxford features a fantastic centrefold map of the ward.

The ward map is derived from GoogleMap's 'satellite' view, which adds an excellent level of detail, allowing residents to pinpoint their own houses, gardens, etc. The satellite view lends itself very well to full colour leaflets, with the greens of gardens/hedges and the lines of the roads adding distinction and relief to the image.

Attribution

Google Maps do ask that images are attributed correctly - you can find the official guidance here. Google's three main requests on attribution in cass of maps used for print articles is as follows

Attribute Google (e.g. © 2011 Google) and third-party suppliers (e.g. © 2011 Tele Atlas)

Make attribution readable to the average reader or viewer (e.g. avoid micro-sized letters)

For Print: Display attribution within or immediately adjacent to the visual

This leaflet and centrefold highlight the strong local record of the Lib Dem team in Headington, and do so using an innovative approach to achieve a striking visual that both localises the content and keeps the reader's attention.

We offer the .pdf's of both sides of the leaflet for download, and a .ppp of the centrefold so that a ....

Artwork: Attacking Labour

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:44:00 +0100

We all know that there is little Labour won't do or say to win an election. In addition to Oldham's rebuttal of Labour's bus pass scare stories, we include for download a number of very effective pieces of Labour attack artwork.

Attacking Labour in our literature is crucial. Not only are a high number of our wards Labour-facing in May, but it is essential that we take the fight to them. We need to set the record straight where they are peddling half-truths and spin, and we need to show our voters (and theirs) that we will not back down from making the Liberal Democrat case to the people, despite any number of near-hysterical Labour claims.

Below you will find some excellent examples of using literature to effectively challenge the Labour party locally.

Files for Download

Cardiff Council Tax Leaflet (.ppp and .pdf)

Council Tax Invoice (.ppp and .pdf)

Labour - Beware Dodgy Callers (.ppp and .pdf)

Labour Cuts A4 (.ppp and .pdf)

Labour's Car Park Bombshell (.ppp and

Portsmouth

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:13:00 +0100

Portsmouth have been running a good campaign.

Here’s some PDF’s of their leaflets:

Pool mailing letter
Pool mailing insert

Endorsement letter

Letter to PV voters
Insert to PV voters

Final A3 - Commercially printed outside
Final A3 - sample artwork for 2 colour riso print on inside then fold

Labour Rebuttal - Pensioner Bus Passes

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:56:00 +0100

Labour nationally has being trying to make out that we have threatened various pensioner benefits, particularly bus passes but also free eye test, free prescriptions and winter fuel payments - of course none of its true. The example above is from a newspaper "wrap" in St Helens.

So here’s some rebuttal artwork:

Pensioner Bus Pass artwork PDF

Pensioner Bus Pass artwork Pageplus

Connect Training for Polling Day

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:14:00 +0100

The PM defended the elections in the face of Labour criticism of their cost and rationale

The Lib Dems urged elections for police commissioners to be delayed partly to help the electoral prospects of their local councillors, the BBC understands.

The elections were due to take place on 3 May 2012, the same day as council polls across England and Wales, but are set to be put back until November.

A senior Lib Dem spokesman told BBC News their councillors wanted to "depoliticise" the vote.

Labour, which is against elected police chiefs, claims the move will cost £25m.

The issue was the subject of a spat at Prime Minister's Questions, with opposition leader Ed Miliband saying the government had its priorities wrong while Prime Minister David Cameron said it would make the police more accountable.

Coalition agreement

Many Lib Dems are against the proposals for more than ....

Read All About It! 2/9/11

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:04:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

In general political news, the Tory press have started their pre-conference Lib Dem bashing pretty early. For instance they’ve picked up on:
“Local councils should have the right and ability to raise additional taxes that they see appropriate for their circumstances. Not all places would be able to apply each levy, but this should not block those that were willing and able. Councils could also raise revenues to cover the costs of specific extra costs and services that they bear. For example, a small per drink surcharge in town centre bars and pubs, borne by drinkers themselves, could offset additional policing and health costs that drinkers impose on councils, and therefore residents, in many towns and cities.” from page 13 of our local government finance consultation document going to Birmingham conference.

No matter that it’s only a discussion document - not a policy paper or motion, just one suggestion from a 22 page document full of ideas nor that it merely varies a principle on the under used existing Alcohol Disorder Zones that the government may abolish in its ....

Keswick Comeback

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:22:00 +0100

There was one principal local council by-election held on Thursday 1st September. We took a seat off an Independent. In the only parish or town council by-election result reported to ALDC we held a seat.

Elections in Allerdale Borough council in Cumbria can at times be strange. In the Keswick Ward, for example, they had, without contest, elected one conservative, one Labour and one Lib Dem councillor in 2007 in a three councillor ward, all out election. In 2011 the same individuals were elected, again without contest but the Lib Dem from 2007 stood without party label. His lack of party label reflecting that at the same time he stood against our selected candidate for the county seat in a by-election, split the vote and allowed the conservatives to take the seat off us. He then resigned from the Borough due to ill health to cause the by-election!!

We stood the former Town Mayor who had been our unsuccessful candidate in May for the Cumbria County Division by-election, this time he had more success. After some years of uncontested elections Keswick felt the full brunt of a Lib Dem By-election campaign. We took ....

Federal Conference: Ideas and Inspiration!

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Party conference is a great time to learn new ideas and pick up a bit of motivation from Liberal Democrats campaigning in the rest of the country.

Download and print out ALDC's Conference Planner for our full guide to training and fringe events for this year's September Conference.

Come and visit us in the Exhibition Hall - we're at Stand 104 in the main Hall 4. Let us know how ALDC is doing and tell us how we can help you be a more effective Liberal Democrat councillor or campaigner.

ALDC Fringe Programme

Saturday 17 September 2011, 8.15pm, ICC 10B
ALDC Annual General Meeting and Campaigner Awards 2011
Party President Tim Farron MP presents the 2011 Campaigner Awards for the best campaign literature in the last year. Drinks available.

Sunday 18 September 2011, 1.00pm, ICC 8A
ALDC Members Reception (Members Only)
Join Nick Clegg MP and Andrew Stunell MP at our annual members reception in partnership with the Co-operative. "How can partners encourage and empower volunteering in our communities, to the co-operative and mutual benefit of all?" Refreshments provided.

Sunday 18 September 2011, 8.00pm Jury's ....

ATMS

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Council recognises the very real problems faced by some people in Liverpool who are unable to get access to cash machines that allow them to withdraw money without charging a fee.

Council believes that the lack of these machines in some areas can amount to an extra tax on poverty.

Council welcomes the highlighting of the problem recently by the Liverpool Echo and the reported willingness of Liverpool Direct Limited to explore having fee free ATMs in One Stop Shops.

Council is concerned that recent announcements about restrictions by banks on the use of cash machines by people with basic bank accounts could worsen the situation for some in Liverpool.

Council calls on the Cabinet Member for (whichever one dealswith LDL) to report back on progress towards installing fee free ATMs in OneStop Shops.

Council also requests the Liverpool Fairness Commission to incorporate a look at this problem and possible solutions in its work programme.

This motion is from our group in Liverpool.

G8 Grants 2012 (Scotland)

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0100

G8 Grants for Local Campaigning (Scotland)

The "G8 Grants" Committee is now seeking applications for funding for "Stage 1" grants in Scotland. Stage 1 for England and Wales is now closed. Later in the year we hope to be running a "Stage 2" round of grants, subject to funding.

2012 Local Elections in Scotland: Rewarding Early Campaigning

We know from experience that early campaigning activity works. We want to reward those that are starting early on their campaign for 2012 and are therefore making grants to local parties to reward early campaign activity in the summer and autumn of 2011 and help finance their campaign during the autumn.

- funding is for wards we are defending in 2012, and for gains where a local party can put forward a strong case for targeting
- where people have elections by 1/3rds we are keen to support wards that we are defending in 2012 but that we lost in 2011.

To be eligible for a grant we will need to see most of the following in place:

- delivery of literature has been taking place in summer 2011, and a literature plan in place up to the elections.
- knocking on doors has been taking place ....

Real Time By election Analysis Launched

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0100

ALDC has for many years provided local election By-Election analysis for the rest of the party. Up to now this information has been shared with the rest of the party at internal party meetings and to ALDC’s members every six months via our Local Campaigner publication Given that we accumulate the data for this analysis it seemed like common sense to develop our service online. We are now launching to ALDC members a “real time”, week by week analysis of our by-election performance for the year to date in a new “By-election Analysis” section of our www.aldc.org/elections website. So now our online by-election service is in five parts:

1.    Forthcoming By-elections - When you tell us when there are by-elections coming up (you can do this online) we will list them on our website in date order and this forms the basis of those subsequently printed in Lib Dem news.

2.    Results - we publish the results of these by-elections usually around lunchtime ....

The Liberal Democrats are moving

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrats are moving to thier new HQ over the Bank holiday weekend, the details are below:

Cutting Back - office functions not Libraries

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Council notes:
1.    Local people in Brent continue to oppose Labour’s plan to close six out of the twelve libraries in Brent
2.    Library campaigners have demonstrated that savings in the Library service can be achieved by cutting out inefficient management instead of closing six libraries.
3.    Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham and Westminster Councils have decided to combine their Library services by streamlining management and eliminating £1 million of costs.
Council therefore calls on the Executive Committee to build a similar partnership with the nearby boroughs, removing duplication and cutting inefficient and expensive management structures, in order to save the £800,000 a year needed to save our six community libraries from closure.

This motion is from our group in Brent

Read All About It! 25/8/2011

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:02:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

In general political news, Neil Monnery reports that Nick Clegg's approval ratings have gone up dramatically during August amongst Liberal Democrat supporters.

Richard Morris and Nick Thornsby highlight an article in the Evening Standard that complains about the Liberal Democrats getting in the way of the Tories - something that many Lib Dems will be pleased about.

On Liberal Democrat Voice Chris Rennard asks us to remember what was happening in politics four years ago and why we shouldn't lose heart now.

In the local government world:

The LGA has an overview of the work councils are doing to help those places hit by the riots to get back to normal and to improve local communities.

The government is currently consulting on proposals to allow councils to charge utility companies and anyone else who wishes to dig up roads during rush hour.

The BBC Scotland website profiles the Lib Dem Leader of Edinburgh City Council Jenny Dawe, including her history of golf club snake slaying!

In Shropshire, long-serving Liberal Democrat ....

How Bedford was won

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:10:00 +0100

Around 5pm on Friday 6th May Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats celebrated the re-election of Dave Hodgson as elected Mayor. Having woken up to grim headlines for Liberal Democrats across the country, you can imagine our relief. It was the culmination of an exhausting 18-month Mayoral re-election and all-up council campaign and that ran at almost full steam from when Dave was elected as Mayor in a by-election.

Setting the Scene
Bedford Borough, a unitary council created in 2009, is the size of almost two constituencies with most of the population in the towns of Bedford and Kempston and one third in the rural area. The MPs covering the Borough are three Conservatives. Re-election was going to be a very tough challenge and that was before the tough budget choices.
As the national party is discovering, being responsible for making and implementing tough choices is an added electoral challenge. But, we had all worked over the years to make Bedford Borough Lib Dem-run. There were choices to be made so Dave and his team would make them.
The Cabinet had a majority of Liberal Democrats, two Labour members and two Independent members. The Conservatives had been offered a place ....

Knocking on doors

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:08:00 +0100

Knocking on doors and having real face-to-face contact is a vital tool in local campaigning. Although it can sometimes be daunting, especially in the current political situation, it is incredibly effective for a host of reasons.

Why knock on doors?

Knocking on doors is helpful not only as a part of campaigning on local issues, but it also gets you votes. Here are some of the many reasons why it’s a vitally important thing to be doing:

Knocking on doors is the best way of finding out the issues that people really care about. Speaking to someone one-to-one and asking them what it is they care about personally will get you a more accurate response than simply waiting for people to get in touch. They will also appreciate you asking them for their opinion on these issues.

Voter Identification or canvassing to find out which party people support has long been a key reason to knock on doors. Out of election time discovering voting intention may not be the opening part of the conversation, but make sure you ask before you leave. At election time, quick and simple canvassing is the one thing you should be doing, ....

Federal Conference: Training for Councillors

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Party conference is a great time to take part in training to help you succeed as a Liberal Democrat campaigner and councillor. Training in Birmingham is all free and available to all Party Members. Most of it is just outside the conference "secure area" so you don't event have to be registered for Conference to attend.

Download and print out ALDC's Conference Planner for our full guide to training and fringe events for this year's September Conference.

Thanks to Jonathan Swift for kindly giving permission to use this photo.

Here's just a small part of ALDC's 50 hours of training.

Training for Lib Dem Councillors

Working Smarter for Councillors
As councillors and campaigners we have very limited time, this session will help you make best use of your time. Ideal for all local election candidates and councillors.
Jury’s Inn room 114 – Monday 4-00 to 5-30

Power of the Small Group
If you are ....

If You're Campaigning - We want to give you money!

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The "G8 Grants" Committee is now seeking applications for funding for "Stage 1" grants in England and Wales. Separate information will be sent out for grants in Scotland.

The application process is simple and the criteria for grants are kept as basic as we can!

HURRY - the deadline is 29 August 2011.

Rewarding Early Campaigning

If you have elections in May 2012, we will give you a grant for the work you are already doing - we just want you to start early!

To be eligible for a grant we will need to see most of the following in place:

- delivery of literature has been taking place in summer 2011, and a literature plan in place up ....

LGA Lib Dem Group Election Results

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrat Group in the Local Government Association has announced the results of its elections to group positions and the various LGA commissioners, boards and panels. Those elected are listed below with the results available here and the full breakdown of the results by stage available here.

Group Executive

Group Leader - Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Portsmouth (Elected unopposed)
Deputy Leader (Policy) - Chris White, Hertfordshire (Elected unopposed)
Deputy Leader (Political) - Dorothy Thornhill, Watford
Group Chair - Jill Shortland, Somerset (Elected unopposed)
Group Whip - Howard Sykes, Oldham (Elected unopposed)

Commissions

Fire

Jeremy Hilton, Gloucestershire - Lead
Paul Shannon, Manchester - Deputy

Rural

Stan Collins, Cumbria - Lead
Heather Kidd, Shropshire - Deputy

Urban

Abigail Bell - Hull (Elected unopposed)

Panels

Audit & Scrutiny

David Neighbour, Hart - Lead
Gary Scott, Tendring - Sub (Elected unopposed)

Resources

Keith Whitmore, Manchester - Lead
Sam Crabb, Somerset - Sub

Programme Boards

Children & Young People

Liz Green, Kingston-upon-Thames - Lead
David Bellotti, Bath and North East Somerset
Kath Pinnock, Kirklees - Sub

Community Wellbeing

David Rogers, East Sussex - Lead
Zoe Patrick, Oxfordshire
Doreen Huddart, Newcastle - Sub

Culture, Tourism & Sport

Chris White, Hertfordshire - Lead
Brendan Jameson, South Lakeland
Flick Rea, Camden - Sub

Economy & Transport

Roger Symonds, ....

Supporting local businesses

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100

This motion was proposed by opposition councillors in Epping Forest with amendments by the Liberal Democrat Group to encourage the council to buy local wherever possible.

That in order to assist local businesses during the current difficult economic times, this Council:

resolves that any business in the XXXXX [council area] which provides goods or services to the Council be paid within 20 days of receipt of the invoice instead of the usual 30 day period in order to help the businesses’ cashflows;

encourages large businesses, particularly those who supply services to the Council, to pay invoices from their suppliers and sub-contractors promptly; and instructs officers to consider and make recommendations about what steps the Council can take when procuring goods and services from main contractors to ensure that sub-contractors are paid without delay; and

instructs officers to review and recommend proposals for amending Contract Standing Orders with a view to preference being given when ordering goods and services to using wherever possible businesses within the XXXX [council area] and making contracts of sizes that are accessible to small businesses, whilst continuing to demonstrate value for money.

Festival Fight

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:05:00 +0100

There were two principal local council by-elections held on Thursday 18th August. Both Labour and the SNP held a seat.
In the one parish or town council by-election result reported to ALDC the Tories took a seat off Independents.

There seems to have been a spate of Royal related by-elections. On the 18th August there was a by-election for the City Centre ward in which Holyrood House falls in Edinburgh. Last week it was Windsor castle. It is also where most of the venues for the Edinburgh festival lie and this may have led to the drop in turnout from 51% in 2007 to 24% in 2011. The election was called following an SNP resignation. We currently hold one of the three seats in the ward but dropped back in line with other results in Scotland this year. The Tories were ahead on first preferences but the SNP overtook them on transfers.

In the Page Moss ward of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council in Merseyside we made modest progress, but Labour still won with 82% of the vote.

Read All About It! 19/8/2011

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:30:00 +0100

the proposal for ‘shadow mayors’ for the 12 biggest cities in England has been scrapped, although plans for referendums next year will still go ahead. The Local Government Chronicle has produced a report that looks at how social enterprises will change the way public services are provided in the future.

There’s never been a better time to talk to voters. After a battering in the local elections a good way of trying to bounce back is to go out there and face the voters. It’s the best way of showing people we’re still around. Obviously, if you won it’s also a good way of showing that you aren’t just going to disappear straight after the election.

At this time of year it’s fine just to knock on doors and just ask people if they have any local issues they’d like us to look in to, e.g. “Hello, I’m Cllr X. I’m just calling to see if you have any local issues or concerns you’d like me to look in to for you.” Always make sure you finish off the conversation though by ....

NHS reforms - News Release

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:37:00 +0100

Below is a news release for issuing to your local media supporting the way the Lib Dems have raised concerns and had these concerns listened to with major changes to the NHS bill:

Liberal Democrats

Contact:   [Name – Number]
Embargo: Immediate, day date month year

Lib Dems confident of changes to NHS Bill – Spokesperson

Liberal Democrats are confident that significant changes will be made to the Government’s Health Bill to address concerns raised by the public, medical professionals and the party.

Liberal Democrats led the calls for changes after raising serious concerns at the party’s Spring Conference in March.

The Government has completed a listening exercise during a break in the passage of the Bill to hear the concerns.

In particular, Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats want to ensure:

The pace of change is slowed down to ensure changes are not rushed into. The changes must be evolution, not revolution

There is no privatisation of the NHS and no special favours for the private sector. We want a level playing field, not a race to the bottom

The NHS is properly accountable, both nationally and locally

Commenting, [NAME] said:

“Liberal Democrats ....

Read All About It! 10/6/2011

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:27:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

Within the Liberal Democrats there's been a few big stories this week:

There's a thought-provoking post on Lib Dem Voice from London activist Rob Blackie about his attempts at building a liberal movement along the lines of the movement for change that Barack Obama built in the United States. He uses a very real example from a current council by-election - Jennifer Blake - and there are other examples of these 'liberal heroes' on his blog.

Figures unveiled by the Financial Times shows that the Liberal Democrats are now outperforming the Labour party in donations from private individuals.

In the local government world:

The Communities and Local Government Committee has criticised the government's proposals for localism and accused them of being incoherent.

A survey by YouGov has found that 40% of councils do not have plans to deal with the squeeze on local councils' finances. Something which won't surprise those Liberal Democrats who have seen the way the other parties have axed frontline services as the 'easy' option to dealing with ....

NHS reforms letter to papers

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:17:00 +0100

Below is a letter that can be sent to your local newspapers supporting the way the Lib Dems have raised concerns and had these concerns listened to with major changes to the NHS bill:

Dear XXX,

Significant concerns have been raised about the government’s proposed NHS reforms, not least by medical professionals and many others across the country.

I am proud that Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats have done what people would expect of a responsible government – listened and acted. We have long argued the NHS is in need of reform, but we can only change such an important national institution if we have the confidence of the people and the professionals to do so.

The Liberal Democrats raised major concerns at our Spring Conference in March and Nick Clegg and his colleagues have argued in Government for significant changes to the plans.

In particular we want to ensure there is no privatisation of the NHS and no special ....

Scottish Lib Dems Members' Forum

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:08:00 +0100

The Scottish Liberal Democrats are holding their Members’ Forum on Sunday 19 June, 10.30-4pm at the Roxburghe Hotel, Edinburgh. Willie Rennie MSP and Cllr Willie Wilson are encouraging all members of the Association of Scottish Liberal Democrat Councillors (ASLDC) to come along and help to shape the future of the party in readiness for next year's council elections.

An exciting agenda has been shaped by feedback already gained from party members already. The day has been split: the morning will focus on the recent election campaign and its outcome and the afternoon will be about looking forward. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to have your say on the recent election and what we need to do together to rebuild the party as we move towards the Council elections. Without your input, the Scottish Liberal Democrats can’t become a strong party once again.

Please continue to send your thoughts to the Scottish party as there are broad themes that will be able to accommodate your views. Registration is £20, £10 for concessions. Tea/coffee and lunch is included.

Registration forms are available from

Health reforms - Briefing

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:53:00 +0100

Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats have done exactly what people would expect of a responsible government – listened and acted. We have long argued the NHS is in need of reform, but we can only change such an important national institution if we have the confidence of the people and the professionals to do so.

Significant concerns have been raised about the NHS reforms, by the Liberal Democrats through our Spring Conference, medical professionals and many others across the country.

These concerns include, but are not limited to, fears about the role of competition opening up the entire NHS to the private sector, the role of GP commissioners, lack of democratic accountability and the pace of implementing reforms at a time of huge financial strain on the NHS and the public sector more widely.

Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats have argued in Government for significant changes to address these concerns and we are confident that the Government will make the necessary changes.

The Liberal Democrats have huge influence in Government and, as can be seen with these reforms, it is making the Conservatives adopt a more consensual form of law making.

Council candidate approval

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:10:00 +0100

Approving council candidates before they are eligible for selection is crucial in ensuring the success of the Liberal Democrats. The process is not intended to be onerous, but it is a crucial quality check that a potential candidate is not going to be a liability, that they share the values of the party, and that they understand the work that they are expected to do.

Being a councillor is a responsible job and the approval process is in effect shortlisting people for a job that earns up to £10,000, (or sometimes even more), of public money. It is therefore vital that our council candidates provide value for money and are of a decent standard before we allow them to go forward for selection.

The approval process should also apply to paper candidates. If paper candidates have “skeletons in the cupboard”, these could be identified by opponents or the local media causing embarrassment to the whole party not just themselves.

Is approving candidates compulsory?

The Constitution of the English Liberal Democrats now makes it obligatory that all candidates standing for election to councils in England are approved before they are selected. However, it is also strongly ....

Read All About It! 3/6/2011

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:34:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

There's been some discussion recently about how the party moves on from the recent local election results.

Rob Hayward has given his analysis on the Liberal Democrat performance in the council elections on Conservative Home, which gives you an idea of the take of someone in another party.

However, as part of the internal discussion, Bill Le Breton has written about how he thinks community politics can reform the coalition’s prospects. ALDC members can download a PDF of the original “The Theory and Practice of Community Politics” and you can browse some of the the other early ALDC and ALC publications in the file library on our website.

In the last week, the Liberal Democrats also appointed their three senior campaign posts as part of the restructuring announced previously.

For the elections anoraks out there, we bring the exciting news that the House of Commons Library has produced their annual report on the local elections, including a host of interesting statistics. Similar briefings are available to download for the elections in Scotland, Wales and

Marked registers

Fri, 27 May 2011 16:14:00 +0100

The marked register is a copy of the electoral roll that was used on polling day that shows who voted. It is available in two formats:

the marked register of those who voted at a polling station is only available as a paper copy and is essentially the copy of the register used on the day with the names of those who voted on the day crossed out.

the absent voters marked register is a list of those who voted by post. This is available either as a paper list of those who returned their ballot papers or as an electronic list that can be imported directly in to EARS.

Copies of the marked register are available for six months after a council election or twelve months after a parliamentary election and are an important tool in winning elections.

How you get the information

There are two different ways of accessing the marked register:

any member of the public is entitled to inspect the marked register. They can do this by making a written request to the electoral services department of the relevant council explaining why they need to see the register and what the information will be used for. ....

Saying 'thank you' in Hull

Fri, 27 May 2011 15:40:00 +0100

No matter how well (or for that matter badly) you did in the election it's important to make sure that you get a leaflet out across your ward as soon as possible after the election. If you've won it is a chance to tell everyone how well we did and to thank them for electing you. If we lost it's a chance to show that we are still around and (if you're in a split ward) to show them they still have Liberal Democrat representatives despite this year's result. Either way it also gives you a chance to report back on issues you picked up during the election and showing that you're still busy working all year round and not just at election time.

ALDC has produced a number of templates for 'thank you' Focuses that can be downloaded and adapted for local use.

This thank you leaflet from Hull shows the sort of content that is ideal for a post-election leaflet:

Telling people the local result and pointing out how close it is. Most thank you leaflets have 'thank you' as the headline, but this shows another way of doing ....

Lib Dems and NHS Reforms - Briefing

Fri, 27 May 2011 14:22:00 +0100

Background

Nick Clegg has used a speech and Q&A to set out Liberal Democrat priorities in the bill, including making the call for the bill to go back to committee stage in order for it to get proper scrutiny. But this isn’t a roll-back on reform. With the pressures of an ageing and increasing population, new technologies and rising costs – the NHS has to adapt and improve. Doing nothing is not an option.

Party Position

It would simply not be right to have this listening exercise, make big changes and then railroad the Bill through Parliament without proper scrutiny. Because we’re making big changes, we will have to send the Bill back to Committee.

With something as important to people as the NHS, it is vital that we ask those people’s representatives in Parliament to take a second look at the Bill. It is better to wait and get something this important right than rush and get them wrong.

There will be no ....

Patsy Calton Award

Fri, 27 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The Women Liberal Democrats are looking for nominations for the Patsy Calton Award 2011. Do you know of a woman/ women in your group, local branch or local party that should be celebrated?

The Patsy Calton Award aims to celebrate female activism at all levels within the Liberal Democrats. From MEP's, MP's, PPC's, AM's. MSP's to councillors and activists, we are looking for someone who is an inspiration to others and their achievements deserve to be rewarded. We hope that this will encorage other women to become involved in politics in some way.

Here is a form that explains exactly what the Patsy Calton Award is and how you can nominate someone.

We look forward to your nominations and learning about the fantastic achievements that women around the country have made. Deadline for nominations is 1st August 2011.

Read All About It! 27/5/11

Fri, 27 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

National issues:

The biggest political news of the week from a Lib Dem point of view is Nick Clegg’s speech on the NHS. Widely praised in the media, although less popular with Conservatives, the speech is worth a read.

The Daily Telegraph environment correspondent enthuses about Chris Huhne’s work on climate change.

Academies and free schools are to be allowed to reserve places for pupils from less well-off backgrounds.

Within the party, we had three bits of news:

The party announced that it’s new headquarters from August will be at Great George Street just off Parliament Square.

The party has also announced the appointment of a new Director of Marketing – Collette Dunkley.

Plus, in Scotland Willie Rennie has been elected as our new leader.

In Local Government:

The post-election shake-up has seen us take the leadership in Bath & North East Somerset and North Devon, continued to lead a coalition with Labour in Calderdale and agreed a new one with the Conservatives in Derby and Chorley.

The Municipal Journal reports on a favoured topic ....

Candidates Briefing 11

Fri, 20 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Hopefully by now you will have caught your breath! The count will seem an awfully long time ago, but for the new councillors, and indeed for those of you who are back on the council, now the real work commences - to represent those people who put their faith in you via the ballot box.

One vital task immediately after the election is to say thank you to your helpers, deliverers and campaign colleagues. Often this is over looked and assumptions are made that ‘people will already know that their help is valued, so we don’t need to say thank you’ – WRONG!

The ‘tidy up’ period starts from here. If you have not already done so please ensure that all your stake boards are taken down and recovered. Also remove posters from windows, trees, walls or wherever you were inventive enough to place them!

As part of the post-election activity, you will need to artwork, print and deliver your Thank You leaflets for distribution throughout your ward/division. See our Thank You templates.

As part of your post mortem activity now is also the time to get hold of your

Bristol 2011 - Local Government Conference

Fri, 20 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Liberal Democrat Local Government Conference 2011

Saturday 18 June 2011, Clifton, Bristol

Satellite events, and dinner on Friday 17 June 2011.

ALDC and the LG Liberal Democrat Group invite you to the main Liberal Democrat event of the summer, our Local Government Conference at the the Engineers' House, Clifton, Bristol.

Now that the elections are over, it is time for Liberal Democrats involved in local government to take stock and move forward.

A huge thank you to everyone who has already registered, for everyone else you've got FOUR DAYS left to register at the cheap early rate!

This Council notes and welcomes the UK-wide campaign to end ‘legal loan sharking’.

This Council believes that the lack of access to affordable credit is socially and economically damaging with unaffordable credit causing a myriad of unwanted effects such as poorer diets, colder homes, rent, council tax and utility arrears, depression and poor health.

This Council further believes that unaffordable credit is extracting wealth from the most deprived communities.

This Council supports the principle that it is the responsibility of all levels of government to try to ensure affordable credit.

This Council therefore welcomes the XXXXXXX Credit Union and ask council to assist all it can in promoting it through council publications and website.

This Council urges residents who may have experienced difficulties in obtaining credit at reasonable rates to contact the XXXXXXX credit union and also encourages other residents to consider supporting the credit union by opening a savings account.

This Council calls on the Government to introduce a cap on the total lending rate that can be charged for providing credit

This Council calls on the Government to give local authorities the ....

How to fill in the 2011 Election Expenses Form

Thu, 19 May 2011 14:13:00 +0100

In 2009 the Electoral Commission introduced a recommended expense form as a "do it yourself" excel spread sheet. This had the advantage of adding things up for you if you downloaded the file from their or our website. This year they have changed again (with no warning to us that it was happening) and they have a new manual PDF form that is simpler than those of recent years but its still 13 pages long!!

Some councils will not have caught up with the Electoral Commission and will still be issuing printed versions of last years excel based forms. The legal requirement is that you submit your expenses and declarations, not which forms, or format are used, We will give advice on both sets of forms so be careful that you are looking at the correct set of advice for the forms you are using!!

The advice in the linked document is for the NEW 2011 Electoral Commission forms

How would I know the difference?

The forms are radically different but if you've only got what the council has issued you with how can you tell simply which format they ....

Campaigns Department 'Thank You' and Survey

Thu, 19 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The campaigns department have produced a ‘Thank You’ Focus and a letter and survey for your supporters.

Download the files here:

PDF files:
Thank You Focus
Letter and survey

PPP files:
Thank You Focus
Letter and survey

Read All About it! 18/05/2011

Thu, 19 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

National issues:

Willie Rennie confirmed as new leader of Scots Lib Dems   (Scotsman)

Julian Huppert MP writes on Trident: We don’t need to keep fighting the Cold War (Lib Dem Voice)

Clegg unveils plans for elected House of Lords (BBC)

Deputy PM faces widespread hostility from Tories and Labour in pushing through elected second chamber (Guardian)

Chris Huhne briefs MPs on long-term carbon target (BBC)

Carbon budget welcomed (Friends of the Earth)

Local Government:

Birmingham City Council care funding cuts unlawful (BBC)

Labour urges councillors to form coalitions with Lib Dems (Independent)

Unions threaten 750,000-strong June walkout (MJ)

Campaigning

Three reasons to respect the Liberal Democrats    (Conservative Home)

(Labour's Post Election) Scorecard (LabourList)

Fourth Carbon Budget - Briefing

Wed, 18 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

·    Today Chris Huhne announced that the government is setting an ambitious target for reducing carbon emissions in the mid-2020s.

·    We are accepting the advice of the Committee on Climate Change to set a limit of 1,950MT of emissions for the fourth carbon budget period of 2023–27 – equivalent to a 50 per cent cut in UK emissions by 2025.

·    This sets the policy framework we need to give investors in low carbon – renewable electricity, electric cars, home insulation – the certainty they need to make long-term investments. It puts the UK at the leading edge of a new global industrial transformation.

·    It also puts the UK at the forefront of the international debate, helping to build momentum toward a legally binding global climate change deal. No other country has set carbon targets in this much detail this far ahead. It is consistent with the EU setting a more ambitious target than it has currently, and we will continue to argue for an EU target of 30 per cent cut by 2020.

·    A small number of energy-intensive industries exposed to international competition may find it more difficult to adjust, ....

Expenses for Local Elections 2011

Wed, 18 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

When do they start?
Expenses must be accounted for from the time that the candidate is deemed to have begun his campaign for a particular election and seat. The law relating to the start of candidacy for election expenses was simplified in 2000 as follows:
A person becomes a candidate on either:

The last day for publication of notice of election (Friday 25th March for the 5/5/11 elections) if on or before that day he has declared himself a candidate (or someone has done so on his behalf)

OR after that date, on the day on which s/he (or someone on their behalf) declares their candidacy

OR on the day on which they are nominated (whichever is earlier).

So if you call yourself the candidate in February your expenses would not start till the 25th March.
If you did not declare your candidacy prior 25th March then the latest you could delay the start of expenses is the day you submit your nomination, - the last day for which is noon on Monday 4th April for the 5/5/11 elections.
Expenses do not relate to when you pay the bill or ....

Local Elections 2011 - Tell us what you think!

Fri, 13 May 2011 15:10:00 +0100

Please help us learn and improve from the 2011 local election results by taking our short online survey. We know how much everyone hates long surveys, so its deliberately short, but if you want to write more then there is space to do so.

The survey has TWO aims:

to assess how the support and help provided by ALDC and the rest of the Party was helpful to candidates and campaigners, and to see how this can be improved.

to ask you what you think worked or did not work in the election campaign

We will use the aggregated information to inform the work of ALDC and the rest of the party, but otherwise your comments are anonymous and will not be attributed.

TAKE THE SURVEY NOW

Thank you for your help.

Time to say THANK YOU

Fri, 13 May 2011 13:56:00 +0100

I know all of us will be feeling exhausted by the recent local elections. Worse many of us will be feeling down about the poor results we had in many areas.

But it is very important that whatever the result, we say "thank you" to both voters and people who helped us. We need to do this as soon as possible.

Saying "Thank You" to voters
- a "thank you" FOCUS delivered as soon as possible. This includes saying thank you when we lost. If you're short of money why not do an A4 thank you FOCUS rather than A3?
- letters to your people who are canvassed as Liberal Democrats ("D&Ps"). Why not use the opportunity to ask them if they would like to be help in the future, perhaps delivering FOCUS down their street?
- emails to voters and website articles.

Saying "Thank You" to your team
- letters, cards, phone calls to people who helped in your election, don't forget paper candidates and people who helped on polling day
- a "thank you party" in the next couple of weeks.

Below are some basic ....

Read All About it! 11/05/2011

Fri, 13 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Due to a week off for the elections, this is recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigns from the last 14 days:

Election Results and their Aftermath - a selection

Coalition: Mr Clegg must reassert his core values (Observer comment)

Labour’s Council Gains: Where is as important as How Many (All That's Left Blog)

David Hennigan (Manchester) opinion: Surveying the Wreckage

Caron Lindsay (Livingston) on Tavish Scott resigns as Leader

Welsh Labour to go it alone (BBC Wales)

Dave Hodgson returned as Mayor of Bedford (Bedford Today)

James King (Camden) opinion: 5 reasons the AV Referendum lost (Lib Dem Voice)

Liberal Democrats

Nick Clegg on the Coalition One Year On.

Mark Pack on Lib Dem voice reports on A major restructuring of the Party's Campaigns Department

Local Government

Job redundancies could cost public sector £9 billion (MJ)

Government push for community allotment involvement (MJ)

Campaigner Awards 2011

Wed, 11 May 2011 15:44:00 +0100

Win money for your local party with the 2011 ALDC Campaigner Awards.

These awards celebrate Liberal Democrat campaigning – it’s the third year the awards have been sponsored again by Midshires and RISO, this enables us to award cash prizes to local Liberal Democrat parties.

You can enter anything that you think was an effective piece of campaigning since 1st October 2010. It does not necessarily have to be from a winning campaign, just something you think was done well and that you're proud of.

This year nominations are sought for:

-    1st Prize (Overall winner) £500

FIVE Runners Up Prizes (£100 each)

- Best FOCUS Leaflet

- Best literature by a volunteer campaigner

- Best ward campaign

- Best election campaign material

- Best online / e-campaigning award

Please send in your nominations to: awards@aldc.org (PagePlus11 and PDF files) or by post to Mark Alcock, ALDC, The Birchcliffe Centre, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8DG.

The deadline for nominations is Monday 5th September 2011.

Saving EARS data BEFORE you archive this year’s election's data.

Wed, 11 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The campaigns department wrote several weeks ago about the party starting to work with the Voter Activation Network (VAN) a new voter contact and campaign management system.

They have asked that you need to make an EARS backup BEFORE you archive this election's data and keep the backup somewhere safe.

That's because currently when you archive elections in EARS you lose the differentiation on information you’ve collected in Now1, Now2 and Now3 as well as potentially Was1, Was2 and Was3.

The VAN data system does not work in the same way. It is able to record every contact and maintain it as separate information.

If you have backups from before archiving in previous years, it will be worth keeping those too as we are looking at whether we can go back and recover that data as well.

They also wanted to let you know how they are progressing on this important project.

Two members of the VAN team were over for polling week working on different campaigns here in the UK – seeing at first hand some of the unique features of Liberal Democrat campaigning and the variety of areas we campaign in.

They will now be finalising their proposal and this will be reviewed by the ....

Maximise your votes on Polling Day

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:51:00 +0100

We’ve got to keep going right up till 10pm and make sure we get as many Lib Dem votes in the Ballot Box. There’s all to fight for in the last 15 hours of the campaign on Polling Day.

More than ever before getting our vote out is going to be incredibly important. Labour voters are more motivated than they have been for many years. Meanwhile, our supporters need reminding of the importance of getting out and voting Liberal Democrat.

If you haven’t started preparing for Polling Day you need to start now:

Decide if and where you are telling and get your rotas sorted and filled.

Plan your telephone knocking up and get in touch with your volunteers and get the knock up lists and scripts to them in plenty of time.

Speak to your deliverers and activists about being free next Thursday and what time they can give to help on the day and what they are willing to do.

A massive push in the final hours can get you the votes you neeed to get/keep your council seat.

Make sure you are including ‘Yes’ material in all your final literature, you can download combined ....

Membership - Don't Miss Out!

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:05:00 +0100

From 6th May 2011 we have two great discount in ALDC membership.

New Councillors' Discount
All NEWLY ELECTED Lib Dem Councillors will be able to join ALDC in their first year for HALF PRICE! As all of us know their first months as a Councillor are important. We want to make sure as many of our new Councillors benefit from the advice and support that ALDC offer from Day 1.

This makes ALDC membership for new councillors only 75p a week!

The new offer is only available until the end of July 2011 - after that it's back up to the normal rate. It is only for newly elected Liberal Democrat councillors (not someone who has been re-elected), and it's only available by direct debit.

Join online, with no paperwork today!

Group Membership Benefits
Most successful Liberal Democrat Groups are already in Group Membership of ALDC. This is where a whole Council Group joins ALDC together, very often this is part of what Councillors receive in return for their "Group Subs".

If that doesn't include you - then your Group AGM is normally a good time to bring this up! This could either be a discussion at the AGM, or getting the group to agree ....

Local Election Results 2011 Summary

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Results on the night in the wards with elections

Please contact us if there are any errors in these figures NB the totals only relate to those councils with elections in 2011, NOT all councils.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Change in Councillors

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Composition of councils with elections after the Result

- only those councils with elections in 2011, NOT all councils.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Read All About it! 27/04/2011

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days.

(Please note no column next week, due to the elections!)

In the last week the 'debate' over Fairer Votes has intensified:
'This is our chance to hurt Cameron' says Peter Mandleson in the Independent
David Cameron accused of making incendiary remarks about Lib Dems over AV, reports the Telegraph
Political Betting (.com) asks: Are Labour voters going to stay 50:50 on AV?
and read in full Nick Clegg's speech in Norwich last week at the AV rally.

Confirmation that we're not in recession from the BBC in UK economy grows by 0.5% in first quarter of 2011

In the NHS the Municipal Journal reports: NHS savings at risk from restructure

In local government:
(Scottish) Social care reforms are a distraction warns COSLA

and a couple of stories on how much local councils spend paying Trades Union figures....
The Sun (always a friend of the the Union movement....) says: Cuts-councils pay £10m union wages whilst (with a slightly different list) Conservative Home says: Alok Sharma MP: How Council Tax payers have funded £35 million of Trade Union salaries over the past three years

You ....

AV Good Mornings

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The Campaigns Department have produced a single side leaflet for handing out on polling day (single side for speed of production) encouraging people to vote YES.

There is also two good morning leaflets one for if you just have an AV election and one for if you have an AV and local elections.

Download the files below:

YES leaflet PPP
YES leaflet PDF

AV Goodmorning PPP
AV Goodmorning PDF

AV and Election Goodmorning PPP
AV and Election Goodmorning PDF

Next Seven Days: GET OUT THE VOTE

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Seven days from now and we'll be in the last hours of polling day for those of us (the vast majority of ALDC members) who have elections to their Parliament, Assembly or local Council.

Be under no illusions. This needs to be our biggest effort ever to get out our Liberal Democrat supporters.

Most people will have spoken to people on the doorsteps and will know that, although our support remains strong, these elections will need all our efforts.

Local elections are very often determined by differential turnout. If only 40% of people vote, which 40% is it? Is it our supporters, or is it the supporters of our main opposition?

Between now and 10pm on Thursday we need to:
- ensure that all our supporters are reminded to vote, and crucially motivated to vote;
- ensure that our supporters who have postal votes have returned them (in some areas postal vote return rates are poor)
- ensure that the supporters of third (and fourth) parties are reminded that then need to vote for us to stop "X" winning.

1 - You don't need to wait until Thursday morning to start "knocking up" voters - first reminder leaflets can be delivered in advance.

2 - Don't forget you have a telephone. Calling supporters to remind them to vote is almost ....

Local elections Results 2011 - Detail

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:37:00 +0100

Detailed Results on the night from those wards with Local Elections in 2011

Please contact us if there are any errors in these figures NB the totals only relate to those councils with elections in 2011, NOT all councils.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Change in Councillors

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Composition of Councils

- only those councils with elections in 2011, NOT all councils. Initially this table will show the pre-election figures. As results come in we will update these figures. A council that whose composition has been updated will have its council name on a non-white background

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Parliamentary Boundary Review

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:42:00 +0100

Message from Mark Pack, who is coordinating the Party's resonse to the Parliamentary Boundary Review

You may have heard from your local council news about how the plans to review our Parliamentary boundaries will go ahead later this year.

There are three simple messages I wanted to let you know about this:

a. It can wait until after May 5th - winning elections on May 5th is the top priority at the moment and there's no need to get distracted at this point if you've got local elections.

b. After May 5th, attention will need to be given to the reviews very promptly as the first proposals will come out a few months later, with public hearings shortly afterwards.

c. The new rules and process for reviews means each party has to coordinate its responses across different local parties in a way that we've never had to do before - your council officers and councillors from other parties may be very keen to get the local council to agree on different plans from those the party will be proposing, so watch out for anyone trying to pull a fast one on you!

In Scotland and Wales this is being done by ....

Local Elections 5 May 2011

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:46:00 +0100

Only a few days left now to the important local elections in England; and General Elections in Scotland and Wales. Across the country, including those areas of Engand without local elections we have the important referendum on Fairer Votes, and many colleagues will be lending their support to neighbours who DO have local elections!

Good luck with your campaigning!

Useful Resources

ALDC members can download a whole host of useful templates, forms and other materials that will be of use to you in the last few days of the campaign.

See these articles for more information:

Election Campaigns Esssentials
Planning for Polling Day
The Count

Advice

ALDC is open during office hours to deal with advice on election law and campaign techniques. This on 01422 843 785, or click on the "Get Advice" link on the website.

We are open on polling day for URGENT queries, though the vast majority of staff will be out winning elections!

We are open on Friday 6 May 2011 as normal. Arrangements will be put in place to provide advice to all council groups who find themselves in a "changed circumstance", or in a No Overall Control situation. Remember always talk to other Liberal Democrats first!

Results

For the English Local Elections ....

Liberal Democrats: Our manifesto in practice

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:26:00 +0100

Here is the lastest updated version of the 'Our manifesto in practice'detailing the achievements of the Liberal Democrats in government.

You can download the file here.

Candidates Briefing 10

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:32:00 +0100

A belated Happy Easter and thank goodness the weather has been so nice, lets keep going and deliver the results our campaigning deserves.

With local election and the referendum election verifications taking place in many areas on Thursday evening it is critical that you maximise the number of counting agents you have at the verifications.
Make sure that you identify from the Returning Officer whether the counting agents from the local elections and the general elections will be “mixed” in the same area of the same room and able to be used on either process.
It is incredibly important to make sure that your team gets to the count for the start and gets Tally data from every box for locals and nationals.
Do not underestimate the task

In this edition

The count

Planning for Polling Day

Good morning/Eve of poll leaflets

Knock up leaflets

Deadlines

Tuesday 26th April: The last day for the notice of appointment of counting agents. It is vital that the people attending the count know that they are there ....

Good morning/Eve of poll leaflets

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:00:00 +0100

Now is a good time to print the fronts of your Good Mornings/Eve of Polls, which will save your time nearer the election when your time will be under pressure.

There is no doubt that we have to work far harder than our opponents to win votes – many of whom rely on traditional class based loyalties which we have to break down.
It is now almost traditional for all of our good campaigns to include a ‘Good Morning’ leaflet.

The effectiveness of delivering this so that people receive it before leaving for work/the school run on polling day cannot be over-stated.

There is no point in simply delivering a crude ‘today is polling day’ message to every voter. What is needed is a simple message with your two or three strongest points emphasised. You need to remind

people of how hard you have worked (delivering the Good Morning also does that).

One common format is to include a very brief pleasant letter thanking people, saying what the crucial issue is, reminding them of a tactical argument if relevant and offering them a lift to the polling station. You should also remind postal voters that they can return their ballot ....

Next Seven Days: Squeeze and Squeeze again

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:33:00 +0100

You know your leaflets and letters are working when supporters of the THIRD party in your area tell you they're voting Lib Dem to stop the FIRST/SECOND party in your area winning. That's why we put barcharts, and other messages on our leaflets all year round.

But this year squeeze is going to be even more important than ever:

if you're fighting Labour you need to go after every single Conservative voter - even ones who have resisted 'being squeezed' in the past.

if you're fighting the Conservatives Labour-leaning voters who have traditionally lent us their votes need to be reminded again how important it is to vote Liberal Democrat.

In Scotland and Wales, where we have a four party system, and in many local areas with Green or UKIP candidates we also need to squeeze the 4th and 5th parties, but the principles are the same.

This type of message should have been part of your campaigning from day 1, but the last couple of weeks are crucial:

The only job to be done on polling day is getting your supporters (or potential supporters, if your list of definites and probables isn't long enough to win) out to vote. Nothing else matters. You should knock up from morning until polls close at 10pm. To help you do this we have produced different knock up leaflets aimed to go out through out the day.

You can localise these now and then you can slot them into your printing schedule to save you having to rush round on the eve of poll getting them printed.

Download the templates

New for 2011 !!

Knock-up Un-addressed PDF

Knock-up Un-addressed PPP

Knock-up Un-addressed All Files

Knock-up 1 addressed PDF

No to alternative vote' camp gains record poll lead (Guardian) and in the Independent: Paddy Ashdown hits out at PM AV campaign

Tim Farron writes… Fairer Votes: so close we can almost touch it

The BBC reports from the European Parliament: European Parliament to consider plan to increase size (particularly interesting is a proposal to change the times of European elections to MAY).

Here's the Sheffield Star's take on Clegg donates profit from sale of house

On the campaign trail Lib Dem Voice reports on Nick Clegg’s speech in Sheffield on the difference that Liberal Democrat councils are making

In Wales the Guardian reports: Wales election: different language but the same issues – coalitions and cuts

In Local Government

LGA’s legal threat over academy funding cuts reports the MJ

Plans to extend council tax in Scotland questioned (also MJ)

Key messages on Labour

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:59:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrat Whips Office have produced a briefing that gives some of the key messages on Labour and helps respond to some of their attacks. This information may well be useful when putting together leaflets and help party members when explaining the state Labour left the country and what our achievements have been in government.

The document contrasts Labour's record of 13 years in government and the Liberal Democrat record after 12 months in government. It also shows the different approaches made by Liberal Democrat run councils compared to Labour run ones.

Key Labour messages - MS Word

Student and tuition fees materials

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:23:00 +0100

The Campaigns Department has produced materials to help you campaign on student tuition fees. They promote the positives of the new funding package, but also attack Labour for their hypocrisy on fees.

Tuition fees is understandably an issue on which many local Liberal Democrat campaigners may feel reluctant to campaign. However, regardless of your personal opinions on the tuition fees increase, there are a number of positive aspects about the changes that we need to promote (if we don't, then who will?). Even NUS has admitted that the new student funding package is more progressive than the previous system, and so we need to make sure people

know this. These campaign materials also make it clear that Labour is being hypocritical on fees when they not only introduced them in the first place but also many senior Labour figures have admitted they would have increased them too. We shouldn't let Labour get away with critcising us on student funding.

The original artwork is available on Huddle.

Download the artwork

Tuition fees attack leaflet - PDF
The Campaigns Department have produced artwork to help promote the recent decision to put the proposed changes to the NHS on hold whilst further consultation is underway. The party has gained some positive coverage in the press on this and so it is a good opportunity to show the difference we are making through being in government.

The original artwork is available on Huddle.

Download the files

Lib Dems put brake on NHS changes - PDF
Lib Dems put brake on NHS changes - PagePlus

Nick Clegg's council campaign launch speech

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:49:00 +0100

Last Saturday, Nick Clegg launched the Liberal Democrat council elections campaign at a speech in Sheffield. In it he talked about the difference between Liberal Democrat councils and those run by other parties. You can watch the speech on the Sky News website or you can read the text below:

The Liberal Democrats have a long, proud and successful history in local government.

We run some of the nation’s biggest cities and some of the most effective councils across the country.

And now we are finally putting the decades of experience built up in local government at the heart of national government.

It wasn’t just Lib Dems in Westminster who turned up on their first day to find a note saying ‘sorry, there’s no money left’.

Our councillors are used to clearing up the mess left behind by Labour.

In Oldham, Liberal Democrats have turned around a council that Labour left with a £20m black hole in the budget.

Here in Sheffield, Paul Scriven and his team inherited an annual bill of up to £30m for the World Student Games – an event that took place 20 years ago and won’t be ....

Candidates Briefing 9

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:32:00 +0100

Keep going! - there's only three weeks left!

With just three weeks left and lots still to do, we're all probably pretty tired by now. But keep up the hard work and we'll hopefully see some good results in May.

In this edition:

Next Seven Days: Catch your breath, then full steam ahead!

Planning for Polling Day

Self Declaring Voters

Deadlines

Next Thursday 21st April is the deadline for people applying for proxy votes except for medical emergencies.

Tuesday 26th April: The last day for the appointment of local election counting and polling agents.

Good Luck and please send/email your own leaflets and letters and those of your opponents to ALDC so that we can spread good practice and monitor the activities of the opposition.

Happy Campaigning!

John Bridges
Political Officer

Switch analysis

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:02:00 +0100

It’s not giving any secrets away that this May's elections will be a difficult fight in many parts of the country. One skill people will have to learn very quickly is fighting “defensive” campaigns.

That isn't a term I particularly like – the best way of tackling a campaign when you are on the defensive is to remain positive, give people reasons to vote for us and look for ways to put your opponent on the back foot.

Another important thing to understand is what is happening to voting intentions across your electorate. It's in more difficult elections that your ability to analyse and understand what your canvass data is telling you really starts to matter.

There are many techniques that can be used to analyse your canvass data which are covered in the two Campaign Manuals and those chapters should be essential reading for campaigners planning next May’s campaigns. One often overlooked tool is the switch analysis function in EARS.

Basically it allows you to compare two sets of canvass data so you can see how people who were canvassed a particular way at a previous election are recanvassing in the current ....

Next Seven Days: Catch your breath, then full steam ahead!

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:57:00 +0100

If you're anything like me the last few days, and the days to come are a blur of activity around the postal vote. As we said to our members last week that it's from this weekend when the postal votes go out, and teams up and down the country will be spending the weekend making sure as many of those postal votes have a cross next to our candidate(s)' name.

Once you've done this, it might be a good time to catch you breath and have a look at what's happened so far. Take a look at what your canvass data is telling you. Are we winning? Is there a swing against us and how big is it? Are we squeezing the third party or is there still more to do?

It is engrained in the foundations of ALDC's fabric that there are "no points for second place in electoral politics". What this means is that if you're not going to win somewhere you are probably better focusing your attention on somewhere you can win. If it's a difficult year for us in your area, then it is better to lose ONE seat, than lose THREE. ....

Members Email

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:42:00 +0100

The email below has been sent to members in Newbury, we liked it as it gives a good positive message to the local members about our prospects in the forthcoming local elections. It also calls for members to come and help and gives details how people can get involved.

Dear member,

The election is finally here! The nominations are out, and only the Liberal Democrats have been able to field a full slate of candidates across West Berkshire council, Newbury Town Council & Thatcham Town Council. This is a great start to our campaign, but we need your help to get our candidates elected on May 5th!

We will be running a number of canvassing sessions in our key areas this weekend. Please come along and lend your support to make sure that the Conservatives don't cement their position in West Berkshire!

- MORTIMER - Please come and help in Mortimer at some point this weekend! Following the death of Keith Lock last month, the Conservatives are heavily targetting Mortimer. We need to make sure that Mollie and her running mate Geoff carry on Keith's fantastic legacy! Please help whenever you can, either on Saturday or ....

Flying Start leaflet

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:30:00 +0100

This leaflet is a 'flying start' from Portsmouth that has been replicated in all wards across the city for the 2011 council elections.

This leaflet is clear, crips with good simple messages on why people should support the Liberal Democrats in Portsmouth as a whole and good reasons to back the local candidate in particular. It also keeps repeating the squeeze message and reminds people that it is Labour who got us in to the current financial situation. Plus, it ensures there is a strong Yes to Fairer Votes advert as well.

Although this is designed as a flying start leaflet it could easily be adapted for a further leaflet to be used during your campaign.

You can download the PDF file here

Supporting the Post Office Network

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:20:00 +0100

This Council believes there are many potential benefits to local communities from delivering Council services through sub post offices including saving taxpayers money, improving access to local services for residents and assisting in the revival of our sub post offices by improving the revenues that flow through them.

Council therefore calls on the Chief Executive to contact the senior management of Post Office Limited (POL) with a formal request to enter into discussions with a view to establishing a new partnership with POL, that aims to use the network of local sub post offices across our community to deliver Council services where that is in the best interests of the citizens of Name and to report back regularly to the Council so we can monitor progress. Council further requests that a report is presented to Executive Board updating members on the outcome of this request and any subsequent discussions with POL.

Adapted from a motion from Leeds Lib Dems

Read all About it! 14/04/2011

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

Nick Clegg and Vince Cable to demand major banking reform (Independent)
Mr Clegg and Mr Cable, the Business Secretary, will press David Cameron to implement in full proposals to restructure the banks to be published on Monday.

Vote referendum: Clegg dubs AV 'a very British reform' (BBC)
Nick Clegg spoke at the Lib Dems' London Regional conference on Saturday. He said that changing the electoral system to the Alternative Vote will make MPs work harder and end the scandal of safe seats for life. [Read the full speech]

Two views from the campaign trail:

Lib Dem Voice - LibLink: Chris Davies – Be angry, be proud – and campaign hard

Lib Dem Voice - Andrew Stunell writes… We will have a greener, freer and fairer country than when we started

In Local Government:

"A survey of 117 town halls revealed that 59 per cent have switched to fortnightly collections. They are acting in clear defiance of Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, who said it was ‘a basic right’ for the public to have ....

Mortgage support for first time buyers

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:54:00 +0100

Council:

(1)          Welcomes the ‘Lend a Hand’ local authority mortgage scheme, currently being piloted in the North West in Warrington and Blackpool (as well as Northumberland County Council, Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council; and East Lothian Council).

(2)          Notes this scheme is aimed at first time buyers finding it difficult to raise the 20-25% deposit needed to obtain an affordable mortgage interest rate. These NW pilot authorities have each pledged £5 million to ‘underwrite’ part of the mortgage for first time buyers, excluding new build properties, by loaning applicants up to 20% of a first time buyer’s mortgage, by lodging the funds with the lender. Council notes that interest is paid on the money pledged at a rate of 4.2%. Council also notes that, based on current repossession rates (according to The Council of Mortgage Lenders), the risk to local authorities is around 0.3 per cent – or £3,000 for every £1 million invested.

(3)     Also welcomes the £250 million ‘First Buy’ shared equity scheme announced in the Coalition Government Budget and financed by the Bank Levy to help around 10,000 new homebuyers purchase newly-built ....

Minimum pricing of alcohol

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:49:00 +0100

This Council:

(1)          Expresses its concern about the serious issues for the health, safety and wellbeing of young people that the Alcohol Scrutiny Review report raises, in particular, data from The Local Alcohol Profiles for England, published by the North West Public Health Observatory in September 2010, which ranks Name as ??? out of ??? local authority areas for alcohol-specific hospital admissions for under-18s.

(2)     Asks council to make tackling alcohol misuse a priority for Name, both in the Corporate Plan and the Council Budget.

(3)     Also asks council to work with other local councils in supporting a minimum unit pricing for alcohol - This council supports the principle of minimum unit pricing for alcohol. Council is requested to engage positively in the process to introduce a regional minimum price for alcohol in the name region.”

(4)          States its commitment to the principles of minimum pricing for alcohol and pledges to work together with other agencies, as appropriate, to secure minimum pricing for alcohol in the Name region, set at an appropriate level to ....

Extra pothole repair funding

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:47:00 +0100

Council:

(1)          Welcomes the announcement in the Budget on 23rd March 2011 that councils in England will be given extra money, on top of the £100 million announced in February, to spend on repairing potholes, meaning an extra £???,??? will now be available in this year’s council budget for pothole repairs in Name.

(2)          Notes the significant investment already made this year to improve road safety and maintain Name highways infrastructure, including a £1.6m capital investment programme and continuation of the policy to introduce 20mph speed restrictions in non-major routes in residential areas throughout Name.

(3)          Instructs officers to present options to speed up the identification and repair of potholes with reports from residents and condition surveys to be used to ensure that these funds are applied in an efficient and cost effective manner, with a view to ensuring that the defects and deteriorating roads are tackled at the earliest opportunity. Information to be published on the Council’s website by 30 September 2011 showing where this extra money has been spent.

Adapted from a motion from ....

Council tax freeze

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:45:00 +0100

(1)    Council welcomes the budget, which froze Council Tax levels in Name. Council believes that the rise in Council Tax – more than doubling under Labour – hit working families and those on fixed and low incomes – and therefore welcomes the commitment to review Government finance referred to in the Coalition Agreement.

Adapted from a motion from Wirral Lib Dems

Posters - Generic and candidate/s

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Everyone needs window posters, to establish visibility and get their campaign off to a flying start. It’s important window posters go up within the first couple of days of the Election period, building momentum for more to go up as the campaign progresses.
It is recommended that if you have multiple candidates, that you only have the generic Lib Dems winning here posters!

You can have council candidate name/s on posters and the candidate name/s and ballot paper numbers posters, which include the YES campaign logo.
We have included Generic ‘Liberal Democrats Winning Here posters, which include the YES campaign logo’ and candidate and multi candidate templates for printing on Day-Glo orange paper to have maximum impact.

Click on the links below to download the templates:

PDF files:
Single name
Two names
Three names
Liberal Democrats Winning Here!
Single name and number
Two names and numbers
Three names and numbers

PPP files:
Single name

Cut and Paste Artwork - Labour Squeeze

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

We have collated some artwork for you to tailor for your area to include in your leaflets; these have been taken from Leaflets and newspapers from across the country.

Download the files below:

PDF file

PPP file

Yes to Fairer votes campaign booklet

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The Party’s Yes to Fairer votes campaign booklet

is a good information point for you to use to sell

the reasons for people to vote YES on May 5th – d ownload it here

Next Seven Days: Postal Voters

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

I would be amazed if any ALDC member did NOT know how much importance we place on work around the postal vote! - So hopefully all our members are already planning to do much of this.

Postal votes can be sent out from Thursday 14th April 2011 - a week from Today. Check with your elections office when they're sending their first batch out - most likely the first ones will arrive on either Saturday 16th or Monday 18th - but check for your area.

Turnout amongst postal voters is normally DOUBLE what it is for the rest of voters. Most people vote in the first 48 hours of receiving their ballot papers. With the higher turnout postal voters can make up anything up to half of the votes cast in the election.

In the next seven days you must:

Make sure postal voters in target wards receive information from the Lib Dems - most often these are letters, designed to arrive just before the postal votes.

Plan how you are going to "knock up" our supporters to make sure they get their postal votes back in - you can do this by phoning, by knocking on doors or by delivering "knock up leaflets" (see ....

Read all About it! 06/04/2011

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

The Telegraph reports that: Vince Cable warns universities planning £9,000 tuition fees

We found this story interesting from the Guardian: Nick Clegg blossoms amid the jacarandas in Mexico City

Conservative Home said: Downing Street mustn't present the Liberal Democrats as the caring face of the Coalition

Steve Webb writes (on Lib Dem Voice): working for pensioners, now and in the future

BBC reports on our campaign launches in Scotland and Wales

In local Government:

Political Betting (.com) asks: How many 100s of candidates have won without contests? (we are sad to report....)

Parliament passes publicity code for councils and Pickles adds support to streetlight dimming (both MJ)

Finally, this website is good fun: http://www.whatthehellhavethelibdemsdone.com/ - good to promote to people who might not be aware of what we have achieved in Government.....

Candidates Briefing 8

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:45:00 +0100

With 30 days to go, nominations have now closed the campaign begins in earnest.

In this email, we've also given you lots more details on what to do in the last week of the campaign. It may seem like a long way off, but it's important to plan for it now, especially if you are doing blue-ink letters (as all winning campaigns should be) or if you need to include vox pops.

In this Edition

Be ruthless its all about the first 50 contacts

Splitting your costs - the referendum expenses limits and legalities

The Party’s Yes to Fairer votes campaign booklet – download it here

The Final Week

If you aren't a member of ALDC, then now's the time to join as you will have access to lots of extra resources that will make your job easier.

Good luck in your campaigning. At ALDC we know what you're going through as two members of the staff team are also standing in council elections this May. So if you need any help or advice on what to do then get in touch ....

Referendum expense limits and legalities

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:21:00 +0100

The Fairer votes campaign has two expenses limits that can be used in the next few weeks.
Expenditure by the Yes to Fairer votes campaign (the cross party campaign) need to be agreed and accounted for by them - check with the regional Yes to Fairer votes campaign organizers - see the attached list. Broadly any materials eg leaflets provided to local campaigners by the Yes to Fairer votes campaign will have been accounted for by them against the cross party campaign limit.

The second limit is the one for the Liberal Democrats own Yes to Fair votes campaign.

As in any election, there are strict rules and spending limits against this limit during the referendum campaign period.
The campaign period began when the Bill received Royal Assent on 16 February and will end on 5 May 2011.
All campaign expenditure incurred by the Liberal Democrats needs to be approved by the Party’s Registered Treasurer.
In a similar way to the National campaign expenditure limit in the General Election, each Local Party has been given a pre-approved limit of £5,000 per constituency (please note the funds for any spending towards this limit will have ....

Best Practice - Labour No Answer Leaflet

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:35:00 +0100

The team in Sheffield have produced a full colour glossy leaflet attacking Labours failings. We like this leaflet as it makes it crystal clear what you get by voting Lib Dem and Labour.

You can see a PDF of the leaflet here
We have also adapted one for you to use in your are.

Download the files below:

Labour No Answer Leaflet PDF
Labour No Answer Leaflet PPP

Be ruthless - It's all about the first 50 contacts!

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

By now, the majority of campaign teams up and down the country will have started canvassing in earnest. As a result, you should soon have a respectable quantity of canvass returns. Now is the time to sit down and analyse these returns, work out what they mean and decide what your plan of action is.
You can tell a lot from your first 50 contacts. And you don't need to have completed a full canvass to ascertain what is happening on the ground.
Indeed, in a number of areas, historical canvass data is often patchy (or non-existent), but don't be put off, a small sample can still supply you with the information you need to target.
Your canvass data can show:

The strength of your support in any geographical area – a street, an estate, a polling district, a ward, division, even a constituency

The relative strengths of your opponents in each area

Any changes in the level of support for each party (even at this early stage in the campaign)

Comparable figures for previous years which will show whether you (or your opponents) are holding your own, losing or ....

Canvassing guide – responding to Labours doorstep attacks

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:02:00 +0100

Following requests from campaigners we’ve put together a canvassers clipboard guide of short responses to Labours national attacks.

We’ve not gone in to too much detail on each item as it’s just a double sided A4 sheet. More detail can be found in the huddle and on the party’s website if needed.

We’ve used word to make it as easy as possible for you to localise it, but if you just want to use as it, there’s a PDF as well

Downloads files below:

Responding to Labours attacks – amendable word version
Responding to Labours attacks – PDF version

Read all About it! 30/03/2011

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:02:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and campaigners from the last week:

Conservative home have this interesting article on how: The Liberal Democrats tug hard at the Concession-O-Meter

Simon Hughes writes… Educational Maintenance Allowance: a grown-up replacement (Lib Dem Voice)

Miliband joins Lib Dems on AV drive (Press Association)

Anti-cuts march draws hundreds of thousands as police battle rioters (Guardian)

In local government (both from the MJ):

Local transport projects approved after savings found

Business rate devolution supported by nearly all councils

Campaigners will hopefully have seen the news from the Federal Party that we're moving to a new database for fighting elections - Mark Pack reports of LDV here.

Stamp Prices to rise on Monday

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:38:00 +0100

Planning on posting out letters in April?

If you’re using stamps, remember the cost of first and second class stamps goes up on Monday 4th April – so buy your stocks of generic 1st/2nd stamps in advance.

The rise is 4p for 2nd class - so soon adds up to a big saving.

Full details of the new prices on the Royal Mail website.

Have you tried a "stamp appeal" to members and supporters -often people are happier to donate stamps which they know can be put to good use rather than money.

Might be worth an email to members and supporters with the price rise as a 'prompt".

Best Practice: Local Campaign Videos

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:35:00 +0100

We liked both of these videos that the team in Canterbury and Whitstable have produced for their local campaign this year.

One is for their campaign in Whitstable "A Voice for Whitstable", and for Canterbury: "Protecting Canturbury for future generations". They were launched a few days apart and are available on their websites and advertised on leaflets, and via Twitter and Facebook.

Postal Vote Get Out The Vote artwork

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Don’t forget to keep targeting your postal voters; today we have for you, artwork to help get your postal voters to vote and to vote Liberal Democrat and YES. We have included a letter with instructions on the reverse and a leaflet that does the same, we have produced them in full colour and black and white, don’t forget to canvass all the postal voters as they are likely to vote (around 80% will vote) and they will be getting their postal ballot papers from the 14th April.

There are different elections this year variations below:

Principle council election

AV referendum

Principle council elections

AV referendum

Parish/Town elections

All the above and Mayoral election

We have produced letters and leaflets for adapting for all the elections. The ballot papers will be in different colours, in the draft artwork we have the Principle council election as white ballot paper, the Parish/Town Lilac and grey for the AV Referendum, you need to check with your returning officer what colour the ballot papers will be in your area along with when they intend sending them out.

Download the files below:

Postal Vote knock-up leaflet PDF
Black and White

DNO form, issue with some Returning Officers (RO)

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

DNO form issue with some returning officers (RO)

We have had several queries from members about Returning Officers refusing to accept the description ‘Liberal Democrats’ saying that as it is not on the list on the Electoral Commissions website.

‘Liberal Democrats’ is the parties official name and the Electoral Commission website shows the variants that are allowed for Liberal Democrats to stand under along with 'Liberal Democrats'.

If you are using the DNO form supplied by ALDC or the party showing the following as allowed names:

Liberal Democrats

Scottish Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat Focus Team

Scottish Liberal Democrats Focus Team

Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrats - for a fairer Britain

Liberal Democrats - for a greener Britain

Liberal Democrat

The top one is the parties name and the others are the allowed variants. If after explaining this, your RO is still refusing to accept this please ask them to contact:

James Pack, AEA (Cert)
Senior Adviser (Electoral Guidance and Events) The Electoral Commission
3 Bunhill Row
London
EC1Y 8YZ
Tel: 020 7271 0564
Fax: 020 7271 0505
Textphone: 18001 020 7271 0571

Who will deal with the RO directly.

The fourth part of our Artwork Pack for 2011 is now online and available to download for ALDC members.

This is the fourth set of materials, specially commissioned by ALDC. These are exclusively available to members of ALDC.

The templates are for polling day, GOTV (Get out the Vote).

Pack 4 includes:

The traditional Good mornings:

In full colour, two colour and Black and white.

Knock-up leaflets:

1. Addressed knock-up in full colour, two colours and Black and white.

2. An un-addressed knock-up in full colour, two colours and Black and white.

3. DL knock-up in full colour, two colours and Black and white.

4. A4 knock-up in full colour, two colours and Black and white.

All the materials are produced as appropriate in three versions: black and white, two colour (for RISO) and in full colour (for external printers).

All our materials work in PagePlus 11, which has been the Party's standard artworking software for some time now.

.On May the 5th all those with local elections in England will also have to contend with the Fairer Votes referendum. This combined poll affects the postal vote operation.
The first thing to be aware of is that the electorate for both polls are different.
The Fairer Votes Referendum are using largely the parliamentary franchise but to be specific, those who will receive a postal vote for the referendum are as follows:

people who have made a specific application to vote by post at the referendum, and this application has been granted

people who are on the standing postal voters list (definite/indefinite period) to vote at a UK Parliamentary election, or

people who are entitled to vote in the referendum and in a poll that is taken together with the referendum and are included on the postal voters list for that poll.

This third bullet point is the one that has the most scope for confusion, as it means that people who are registered to have a postal vote in a council election only will only receive a postal vote for the referendum if they have local elections ....

Read All About It! 23/3/2011

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:20:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners over the last seven days:

Firstly, for some good news from Three Rivers as popular Labour councillor and current chairman of the council Ron Spellen defects to the Liberal Democrats.

But now for the big news of the week - the budget.

Prior to the budget Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander MP explained on Lib Dem Voice the government's priorities and the BBC have a useful guide to the main points in the budget. The big news for Lib Dems is a further increase in the personal tax allowance - a Lib Dem manifesto commitment (ALDC members can find a useful guide to how this benefits each part of the country here).

An interesting report this week that was covered by a number of newspapers shows that the public still largely blames the previous Labour government for previous budget cuts.

Another bit of good news from the last week is on the commission looking at the European Convention on Human Rights which The Spectator describes as a "powerful victory over the Conservatives" by Nick Clegg.

In another bit of news that didn't receive a lot of press attention in ....

Liberal Democrats YES to Fairer Votes Campaign

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The party have officially launched the Lib Dem 'Yes' campaign.

The Lib Dems are registered as an official participant in the referendum - the only

major party to do so.

You can download the latest briefings, action lists, posters and campaign artwork from both the

'Lib Dem Yes' campaign and the non-partisan 'Yes Campaign' on Huddle here or from the ALDC website below. These sections will be updated regularly, so please keep checking back.

Richard Wilson writes for the 'Yes' campaign...

Like other parties' Yes campaigns, we are working closely with the non-partisan 'Yes Campaign' to get you the best campaign materials. They have just issued a new piece of direct mail artwork to be used in local campaigns. It is a letter from the actor Richard Wilson in support of the campaign and also contains endorsements from celebrities including Eddie Izzard and Colin Firth.

Here is an action list:

Challenge the ‘No’ Campaign’s negative and untruthful messages

Include material on the Fairer Votes Referendum in every piece of literature

Where you can, double deliver a ....

Postal votes for AV referendum

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The Electoral Commission has issued guidance that clarifies who will receive a postal vote for the AV referendum in May, which you can download from their website here.

There are a number of variations for those people who have registered for a postal vote depending on which elections they have requested a postal vote for and whether there are elections in that area on 5th May. In summary though, the people who will receive a postal vote for the referendum is as follows:

people who have made a specific application to vote by post at the referendum, and this application has been granted

people who are on the standing postal voters list (definite/indefinite period) to vote at a UK Parliamentary election, or

people who are entitled to vote in the referendum and in a poll that is taken together with the referendum and are included on the ....

Delighted of Tunbridge Wells

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:51:00 +0100

There were two principal council elections held on 17th March. Labour took a seat off the SNP and we took a seat off the Tories. There were no parish or town council by-election results reported to ALDC.

In the Pembury ward of Tunbridge Wells council we last won a seat in a 2005 by-election. Since then it had been solidly Tory. The Tories put up a candidate from outside the village, who was planning to move even further away and had lost two local elections in the previous 12 months in other wards. We stood Claire Brown who is a local mother of three young children who runs her own business. Labour were expected to run but didn’t and the local UKIP PPC ran a surprisingly strong campaign. We did nothing spectacular and won. Whilst the victory owes much to UKIP’s intervention it continues a trend of by-election success against Tories in recent months, which can be replicated in May.

In the Paisley south ward of Renfrewshire Council in Scotland, Labour took a seat off the SNP . Whilst dropping from 3rd to 5th looks poor, our performance in Scottish local by-elections recently, if ....

ALDC Strategic Plan - Have Your Say

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:58:00 +0100

ALDC members are invited to let us know you if you have any comments, feedback or thoughts on our draft Strategic Plan for 2011-2015.

We know its a busy election time for members in most areas, but if you have a spare minute to let us know any views that would be great - after the election is fine too! (by 14 May 2011 please).

This has been a plan which has been worked up by the Management Committee, with the support of our staff, to provide a framework for our work for the rest of this Westminster Parliament. No doubt as we go through the next four years we will need to refresh the document as things progress over the coming years.

The Plan sets out how we will achieve on two proposed core objectives:

(1) For there to be more Liberal Democrat Councillors, at every level, throughout Great Britain

(2) For Liberal Democrat Councillors to be the best

And a proposed third supporting objective:

(3) For ALDC to have the capacity for success, now and in the future.

You can read the plan (PDF) here.

We hope that you like this plan, and would very much welcome any comments ....

Sheffield Highlights

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

ALDC had a busy weekend at in Sheffield at the Federal Party Conference. Although a lot of members will have spent time campainging in their wards in advance of May's local (and Scottish and Welsh) elections, others took the opportunity to attend training, debate and catch up with colleagues.

ALDC's stand focused on our election templates, our training programme included sessions on: getting out the vote, Focus writing, winning against Conservatives, localism and the recent myCouncillor website changes.

On Friday of conference we were pleased to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister to to a special brefing for Group Leaders from metropolitan borough and core cities in England. Nick was also able to call in at a lunchtime event we had to "meet the Next Generation" (of councillors) organised with our partners at LG Leadership. (See photo montage video from the Next Generation event below!)

Other fringe events included a Health event with minister Paul Burstow MP, and a "thank you" afternoon event for ALDC's partners and volunteers.

Nick Clegg visiting ALDC's stand in the exhibition hall.

Tim Farron MP ....

Campaign ideas on Scouts and the Pupil Premium

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:42:00 +0100

Two good campaign ideas from Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, the Leader of Portsmouth City Council.

Council rent increases hit the Scouts

There is a national story about how much councils are increasing rents to Scout groups which you can read here on the BBC website.

This may be run locally as well. Check what is happening in your council. If you are in power make sure you are defended, if in opposition is this something your council has got wrong?

Pupil Premium

You should be able to get figures from your council (or County Council if you are a District) that says how much extra money each local school will get from the Pupil Premium (a Lib Dem policy). Therefore you can do an A5 leaflet outside school gates saying "Good News for XXX School, Lib Dems get £XXXX extra".

Local Priorities Survey and Petition

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:29:00 +0100

This "tell us your local priorities" direct mail and residents survey was used successfully in the St Mary's Ward of Bury in Greater Manchester.

We liked this because of the friendly letter to local residents, which gets across the key messages about the Liberal Democrat group's achievement in their Council Budget. The separate response sheet (which was mailmerged with the address on) had two separate reasons to return to us (petition on one side, local issues survey on the other). This maximised the return rate and maximised the amount of voter ID and contact information that was generated.

You can download the files below:

Letter PDF

Letter PPP

Survey PDF

Survey PPP

Adapted Survey PPP

Council Group of the Year Awards 2011

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrat "Council Group of the Year" awards were awarded at a special reception at Spring Conference in Sheffield.

The Awards are organised by the LGA Liberal Democrat Group.

Council Group of the Year: Sheffield (Highly Commended – Northampton)

Efficiency & Service Transformation: Oldham (Highly Commended – Wirral)

The Vice President’s Award: RB Kingston Green

Council of the Year: Joint winners Cambridge City and Newcastle City (Highly Commended – Hull)

Services to Children & Young People: Joint winners Oldham and RB Kingston

Strengthening Communities: Warrington

Teamwork: Burnley

Leader’s award: Peter Moore, Sheffield

Opposition Group of the Year: Joint winners LB Islington and Northamptonshire CC

Read All About it! 16/03/2011

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners over the last seven days:

Much of the media regarding Liberal Democrats in the last week has been around our Federal Spring Conference in Sheffield:

On the eve of our Conference the Independent ran an interview with Nick Clegg: Nick Clegg: I told Cameron he was talking complete bilge

Writing in the New Statesman, Olly Grender says: Clegg needs to inspire his party’s members

Liberal Democrat conference delegates enjoy a day of living quite dangerously, reports the Guardian,

and the next day: NHS reforms face overhaul after Liberal Democrats' rebellion

You can watch Nick Clegg's speech here (Jonathan Wallace's YouTube channel)

Other national and party news:

BBC reports: Liberal Democrats 'to quit Cowley Street headquarters'

And the Independent reports on one tiny aspect of the tragic events affecting Japan this week:

Harlow new members booklet

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:59:00 +0100

This week’s ‘Best Practice’ is a New Members booklet, which Harlow Liberal Democrats have

produced and are sending to their new members.
New members also get a letter from the Chair, a list of the local elected representatives, local party contacts, a members and supporters survey, news on local campaigns, how to get involved, news on social events and other information.

This is an excellent way of welcoming your new members.

Below are the links to the files:

New members booklet PDF
New members booklet PPP

Members and supporters survey PDF

Members and supporters survey PPP

New members letter PDF
New members letter PPP

Going for GOLD newsletter PDF

Draft Defamation Bill - Briefing

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Over recent years Britain has become a laughing stock as libel tourism has been on the rise and cases have been brought against various high profile scientists and journalists.

This has to change. As Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg made clear in a speech on civil liberties earlier this year, libel reform is a very real priority for this government.

The draft bill published today will deliver on commitments that Liberal Democrats made in our manifesto and that we have long campaigned for.

Narrative
The right to freedom of speech is a cornerstone of our constitution. It is essential to the health of our democracy that people should be free to debate issues and challenge authority – in all spheres of life, whether political, scientific, academic or any other. But freedom of speech does not mean that people should be able to ride roughshod over the reputations of others, and our defamation laws must therefore strike the right balance – between protection of freedom of speech on the one hand and protection of reputation on the other.

There has been mounting concern over the past few years that our defamation laws are not striking the right balance, and are having ....

A poor night

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:00:00 +0100

There were two principal local council by-elections that took place on Thursday 11th March 2011. Labour held one seat and took one off the Lib Dems. There were no parish or town council results reported to ALDC.

In the Rosegrove with Lowerhouse Ward of Burnley council, we lost a seat to Labour. This is a ward within Gordon Birtwistle’s parliamentary seat (which is co-terminous with the Borough) and was already a split ward. We had two councillors to Labour's one. Labour's existing councillor won in 2007 on the drawing of lots after a dead heat between him and the BNP candidate. Though the post mortem has yet to take place we perhaps suffered from having a series of councillors who did not complete a full term of office in the ward. Three had stood down in recent years.

In the Brunswick Park ward in the London borough of Southwark, Kate Heywood flew the flag for the Lib Dems. The campaign was hard fought and unusually for a local by-election included a public hustings meeting. As has been the case in several recent by-elections Labour upped their game significantly in the last ten days running ....

Oldham East & Saddleworth By-election Part 2

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:23:00 +0100

After many people had asked about the excellent artwork produced by the Campaigns Department during the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election, we adapted the first part of this artwork last month, and below is the remainder.

The full set of literature from the campaign is on Huddle, however as this was largely in PagePlus X4 we have also included below a selection converted in to PagePlus 11 for your use.
This second collection includes: A3 and A4 leaflets, Election addresses, Election guide, inserts, letterheads, new voters and polling day.

We have organised them in to folders containing different types of leaflets and have created separate folders with PPP and PDF zip files for each below:

A3 leaflets PDF
A3 leaflets PPP

A4 leaflets PDF
A4 leaflets PPP

Election addresses PDF
Election addresses PPP

Election guide PDF
Election guide PPP

Inserts PDF
Inserts PPP

Letterheads PDF
Letterheads PPP

New voters PDF
New voters PPP

Polling day PDF
Polling day PPP

Liberal Democrats - Our manifesto in practice

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:09:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrats have been in government for only ten months, but we have already implemented many of our manifesto policies.
In this document you will find details of how we are putting our manifesto into action. The list does not even include those of our policies that are in the Coalition Programme but have not yet been implemented, so this list is just the first part of a long line of Liberal Democrat policies to come.
This document is a striking illustration of the influence the Liberal Democrats are having in government.

This can be downloaded here

Liberal Democrats Welcome Tax News

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:19:00 +0100

Below is a News Release announcing that from April 800,000 people will be taken out of paying tax all together, another 25 million people will pay less tax.

There is a document that you can download which has the breakdown of the figures by council area for using in the press release.

NEWS RELEASE

Name Name Liberal Democrats

Contact Name Name number here

Name Liberal Democrats

Welcome Tax News

Election period Campaign plan

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:44:00 +0100

Here is a 7-week campaign plan starting on the 21st March up to polling day. It shows what is going to happen in an area covering everything from canvassing and delivery up to the arrival of Postal Votes on April 16th when the emphasis is the Postal Voters, with Eve of poll action day, telephone knock ups etc. It is a good idea to plan your time out right up to polling day. This plan is a good basis to start to create your ward and district plans.

Below are the files for downloading:

Word file

PDF file

Read All About it! 09/03/2011

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigning from the last seven days:

Chris Huhne launched the Green Jobs initiative, as reported by the BBC: Huhne hails 'green jobs' boost for 1,000 apprentices. And the Telegraph reports on the launch of the Carbon Plan in: Thousands of charging points to be installed across UK over next two years, Government to say

Reporting on the referendum to vote more powers to the Welsh Assembly the Guardian reports: Cardiff votes 'yes' in Welsh referendum

The BBC has videos of some of the speeches at Scottish Party Conference. Here's Nick Clegg and here's a webcast with Tavish Scott.

The Independent looks at Nick Clegg's speech on multiculturalism (reported last week) in: Clegg Makes More Sense Than Cameron Shock

In local Government:

Lib Dem Voice reports:
Review of London elections calls for changes in law ahead of 2012

Municipal Journal reports:
Shapps warns developers over ‘Legoland’ homes
Ministers boost capitalization funding to £300M

Conservative Home's Local Government Blog reports:
Labour councils worst for Council Tax collection rates

Tim Pickstone
tim.pickstone@aldc.org

Candidates Briefing 6

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:08:00 +0100

On Sunday it will be just 60 days to go until polling day, but there's no need to panic.
In this edition of Election Briefing we will focus on guidance for the nomination process. Nominations for the local elections open 3 weeks today!!

Nominations open on Friday 25th March and close at noon on Monday 4th April.

Make sure you get yours in early – don’t leave it to the last minute.

In this edition

Nominations

Eligibility

More new Templates

Election Law Helpline

How's it going where you are?
Do let us know how the campaign is going in your council area. As the party's organisation for councillors, ALDC is often asked how the campaign is going around the country, but we only know if you tell us. This helps us to keep the wider party informed on where we are doing well and where we need extra support. Also, do let us know if there are any particular advice and templates that you could do with us making available to help you win. To let us know, please email Anders at anders.hanson@aldc.org

Good luck with your ....

Local Elections Pack 3 - ALDC Artwork Templates 2011

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The third part of our Artwork Pack for 2011 is now online and available to download for ALDC members.

This is the third set of materials, specially commissioned by ALDC. These are exclusively available to members of ALDC.

The templates should cover the period from the middle of the election campaign 'proper' up to the eve of poll. A final set will be circulated in the next couple of weeks with polling day and "GOTV" materials (Get out the Vote).

Pack 3 includes;

Two more layouts for Election Focus, in addition to the layouts that were included in Packs 1 and 2. When you're sending out FOCUS every week or so, its a good idea to vary the look slightly so that people don't think they've read it before! Two A3 and one A4 versions are included in this pack.

Also enclosed are squeeze leaflets for both Labour and the Conservatives, together with an "eve of poll leaflet".

Just so you've got it ready, there is artwork for a Thank You FOCUS for 6th May onwards!

All the materials are produced as appropriate in three versions: black and white, two colour (for RISO) and in full colour (for external printers).

All our materials work in PagePlus 11 ....

Libya: Briefing

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Not local of course, but certainly in the news and could come up on the doorstep...

We want to pay tribute to our brave Armed Forces personnel and all their hard work getting British nationals out safely, in very challenging circumstances, which was our priority, and who are now helping people who are trapped at the border.

Now we are putting serious pressure on the regime. In a speech in Brussels yesterday, Nick Clegg called on Europe to step up to the plate and match the bravery of those demanding greater freedom by getting behind their movement for change. European and international support for any action against the regime is essential and is necessary to bring stability and democracy to the region.

In terms of action against the regime, already, we have introduced a travel ban, an asset freeze, and there will be further export measures that will be taken shortly. Also, Britain together with other countries are conducting emergency airlifts to evacuate those people trapped at the border.

All this sends a very clear message to this regime: it is time for Colonel Gaddafi to go and to go now. There is no future for Libya that includes him.

The situation also raises ....

Have you tried our new Templates?

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Have you tried the new templates ALDC has produced in the last couple of months? We've commissioned a series of FOCUS and campaign material templates, these are exclusively available to members of ALDC.

Packs 1 and 2 have included:
A3, A4, and A3 booklet style FOCUS
Direct Mail
Squeeze Materials
Posters
Letterheads
Flying Start leaflets
Councillor's Annual Reports

Pack 3, which is out this week, includes everything you need for your election campaign:
- election time FOCUS
- squeeze materials
- blue letters
- eve of poll & good mornings
- knock up leaflets
- "thank you" FOCUS

All the materials are produced as appropriate in three versions: black and white, two colour (for RISO) and in full colour (for external printers). All our resources are produced in PagePlus11 (these will still open in later versions of PagePlus). We've also included PDFs of all the documents for you take a look at each template.

The templates use a standard set of fonts, which you need to install on your computer first - or the templates won't work correctly!

ALDC members can download PDF and PagePlus files of ....

ALDC and ASLDC at Scottish Party Conference

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

This weekend is Scottish Party Conference in Perth which will see some events organised by ALDC and ASLDC all of which take place in the Norrie Miller studio on Saturday 5th March:

10.00am: Finding and Recruiting Council Candidates - a must in preparation for 2012! Steve Hitchins, former Leader of Islington London Borough, has been leading the Liberal Democrat programme for the Leadership Centre for Local Government in England.

11.00am: Campaigning in Coalition – how our successes in UK Government can help your Council campaign Steve Hitchins, former leader of Islington London Borough

3.30 pm: Building a successful Council campaign – lessons from 2007 and subsequent by-elections by ASLDC Dr Derek Barrie, ASLDC

MyCouncillor gets an Upgrade

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

MyCouncillor, the websitge platform for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners provided by ALDC has been getting an upgrade in the last few weeks. Since launching the system in 2006 MyCouncillor has grown to become the biggest network of Lib Dem sites in the country.

Highlights from the changes include:

New Themes for your websites:

New features include:

"Get Involved" buttons, (shown here) which make it easier for people to contact you and interact with the Party or electoral system

an automatic Twitter feed to display your "tweets" on your site

link up to Google Analytics to monitor who looks at your site

an up to date Content Management System (using up to date Wordpress 3) which makes it easier to upload stories, pictures and files.

a weekly ALDC 'news feed' of national Lib Dem stories, to help your site keep up to date (even if you never post to it!)

giving you the power to choose which content appears on your website using RSS feeds.

If you'd like a site just register online here - we'll set ....

Read All About it! 02/03/2011

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

The Independent reports on the No to AV campaign in: Campaign for voting reform turns nasty

Anthony Green, writing on the Australian ABC Election Blog gives some serious comment on why AV would be good for us in: Does the Alternative Vote Bring Tyranny to Australia?   Meanwhile from the BBC: Green leader Lucas says vote system change 'liberating'

We can see STV in action in the Irish General Election in this RTE report.

In Wales, Ceredigion Councillor Mark Cole reports on Lib Dem Voice: Continuing the Welsh Yes Campaign

in local government (mostly England only):

Good news for all Focus leaflets as reported in the MJ: Emergency pothole fund unveiled.

The Guardian covered the story from Government on the potential of Free councils to keep bulk of cash raised through business rates

Here's the Local Government Association release as it says that: All parts of the public sector must be as transparent as councils

All of us have been involved in setting our budgets recently, just as one example of the impact we can have from opposition, here's the Ham and High reporting on Camden Lib Dem's opposition budget: Lib Dems: Our cuts ....

Sheffield summit

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

ALDC has a busy programme for councillors and local campaigners at Federal Spring Conference 11-13 March 2011 in Sheffield. All our training and fringe events are FREE to all party members, so even if you can only come to Sheffield for the day it's a great chance to catch up on skills and learn new ideas.

Our stand is open for advice, inspiration and information from Friday lunchtime - until Sunday lunchtime. Come and meet the team, and if you're not a member already - join up!

All our training and fringe takes place on Saturday 12 March 2011. Here's our training flyer.

Inspired training:
A new style of training from ALDC - come and be inspired!
- Winning against the Conservativies with Keith House (Eastleigh) and Martin Tod (Winchester)
- "Going Green" with Carl Minns (Hull) and Jon Rogers (Bristol) Campaign Essentials training: Essential training for Lib Dem volunteer activists and campaigners:
- Getting out the Vote (GOTV)
- Focus Leaflets and communicating with the voters
Councillor Training:
Training for Lib Dem councillors from ALDC and LG Improvement and Development
- Localism Bill
- Life ....

The "ALDC News Feed" and RSS Feeds

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:03:00 +0100



One of the issues that many of us face is that its difficult to find time to update our sites regularly week in week out - particularly through some of the 'quieter' periods of the electoral cycle.

To help with this, we have created an "ALDC News Feed" which will supply a 'national' story (i.e. UK wide), roughly once a week, on your site. This is OPTIONAL - the detault will be to that people have this as part of their site, but you can choose to turn it off. This national story will be mixed with the local content that you produce yourself in date order.

Here's an example of a site that is running the ALDC news feed (and nothing else).

The feed will try to be of general interest to all areas. We would really like to support a couple of people who would be willing to produce Wales and Scotland versions of the "feed" - any volunteers please don't hesitate to get in touch with Tim in the office.

Other "feeds" could be developed over time - there has already been talk of a London news feed!

The feed is being turned on on Thursday.

It is our plan to ....

MyCouncillor Issues - FURTHER UPDATE

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Just to update people on some of the current issues that are being resolved from the recent upgrade to MyCouncillor 3. Thank you to everyone who has raised issues so far - we are working on everything as fast as we can, but this is where we are now:

ALDC News Feed

The ALDC News Feed is being turned on today (Friday). This will hopefully help with people who are not able to update their site regularly.

As we said in an email on Friday, you can turn this off if you don't want it. Follow these simple instructions here:

Hits Mk 2

To clarify the questions we have received around "Hits Mk 2".

Hits Mk 2 was turned OFF earlier this year, because it was putting significant pressure on the myCouncillor server when we were running the older version of WordPress. It is now there as a historical record only.

Hits Mark 1 has worked throughout, but is a fairly crude measure. We're recommending that people use Google Analyitics to monitor uses of their site, which gives a great deal of data on who looks at your site and what they look at. See these instructions here.

Current issues that are being worked ....

Sidebar 1 and the "About Me" Box

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

"Sidebar 1" is the part of your myCouncillor site which traditionally has your picture at the top. (In older themes on the right, in more modern themes its the column in the middle).

We have been asked for more flexibility in this area, particularly for people who have 'ward sites' that involve more than one councillor. The "about me" box provides this flexibility.

In Sidebar 1 you have a number of options:

the traditional option of having your picture, address and contact details (this is now optional)

a flexibile "about me" box underneath your address. You can use this however you like - some details about yourself, or more advanced users could put additional photos or anything else that websites will allow. Used without the traditional address details this would be a great way of listing details of all the ward team.

your twitter feed (see this separate article).

For an example of a site which has an "about me" box as a welcome to their stie see Wilf Davison's site (we've also added in a Fairer Votes button, just as an example of what else can be put in.

This site uses the "about me" box, with the photo, name and contact details ....

Campaigning for a Yes to Fairer Votes

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:22:00 +0100

We have now converted a large amount of the Yes to Fairer Votes materials to a form that is easier to print on a risograph. This has all been made available before (and there are other leaflets as well), but as it was in colour we have now produced new versions available below.

5 May 2011 will not only see the biggest round of council elections over the four year cycle, but it will also see the referendum on switching to the Alternative Vote system for General Elections.

Most opinion polls are so far showing the Yes campaign ahead, but we need to keep up the work. Many people have yet to realise there is a referendum coming up but when they are exposed to all the arguments for or against, they are a lot more likely to vote Yes. So, we need to get across the positive messages now.

The Yes to Fairer Votes campaign is up and running and there is already a host of materials available on ALDC’s website that you can and should be using. Here are our tips on how to promote a Yes vote in your campaigning as well as where you can ....

Briefing from the minister - Health and Social Care Bill

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:49:00 +0100

Paul Burstow MP, the Liberal Democrat Minister of State for Care Services, is offering to brief members who are attending the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Sheffield on the Health and Social Care Bill.

The time and venue will depend on the number of people interested, and so if you are interested please contact Hilary Morbey in his office at morbeyh@parliament.uk with details of when you will be available at conference.

Paul will also be speaking at an ALDC fringe meeting at conference.

Council Budgets: Briefing

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:28:00 +0100

Please find below the latest briefing on what's going on in local councils around the country. It’s based on information provided by local campaigners and councillors.

Labour's financial mess means that almost every council is having to take difficult decisions this year. However a clear picture is emerging:

Liberal Democrat run Councils are doing a much better job of protecting key local services , and where we are in opposition our Councillors are working hard to show the ruling Labour or Conservative groups where the worst cuts can be avoided.

All too often Labour Councils are pulling the trigger on cuts to libraries, children's centres and jobs rather than making savings on back office functions or making sensible use of reserves. Some of their cuts seem to be more about making a political point rather than out of necessity. Liberal Democrat Councils don't play politics with people's lives in this way.

You can find the details from a range of councils in this table which we would really recommend downloading.

We are hoping to build a fuller picture as more and more councils set their budgets, but to do this we need your help. If you have significant news about the Council ....

Read All about it! 23/02/2011

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners over the last seven days:

Following the decision that we do get to vote on Fairer Votes on 5th Mays, The Telegraph reports the Deputy Prime Minister: AV referendum: it's a 'once in a generation' opportunity, says Nick Clegg

18% - opinion poll good news for Lib Dems buried on page 5 of the Guardian: (LD 18, Lab 38, Con 35), and also very close on Fairer Votes: Alternative vote campaigns running neck and neck

Newspaper editorials support Fairer Votes: Andrew Rawnsley in the Observer says: The cynical enemies of electoral reform think we're stupid, and the Scotsman / Scotland on Sunday says: Yes to AV

The Observer reports on anti-Barclays demonstrations: UK Uncut protesters target Barclays over tax avoidance

The Independent reports on: Organisations campaign against bus cutbacks

In Local Government:

The Independent reports on the LGA Chair Baroness Eaton in: LGA chief urges pensions rethink

All in the MJ:
Welsh Assembly unveils social services review
Councils renewable opportunities 'worth billions'
No quick fix to Scotland's road maintenance backlog

Lib Dem Voice reports: Clegg shows Sheffield he’s up for the fight

Finally with the English local elections not much more than 10 weeks away, Conservative ....

Keeping it in the Family

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:30:00 +0100

There were three principal local council by-elections that took place on Thursday 17th February 2011. The Tories held two seats but lost one to the Lib Dems. There were no parish or town council results reported to ALDC.

In Shrewsbury the Quarry and Coton Hill ward of Shropshire Unitary Council consists of Shrewsbury town centre plus the Coton Hill social housing estate. In the past we have represented parts of the current ward in different county divisions.
Following the Tory resignation we surveyed the ward, leafleted and canvassed hard. We knew we had to build a winning Shuttleworth so we called back three times to houses where we could not get a response to maximise our canvass contact rate.
We fought the campaign on a purely local basis. Labour did not, using national attack literature in the final week to target our vote. Our only response to this was a Labour squeeze leaflet on the social housing estate and some target mail, most of which went out before the Labour literature hit. This seems to be a pattern in many by-elections and teams need to be aware of it and have national rebuttal literature ....

New MyCouncillor Themes

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

As part of the upgrades to the MyCouncillor system introduced last week we have introduced a number of new "themes" the for myCouncillor site:

"Multifarious Golden" and "Multifarious Aqua" are our two new standard themes that we'll be using when we set new sites up: (the names of these things come from the WordPress themes they're based on!!)

See them in action here:
Steve Beasant; Les Bonner, Bury Liberal Democrats

If you prefer something a bit more plain, then you might like "MyModernist" and "MyDojo":

See them in action here:
Tim Pickstone, Wilf Davison

TO CHANGE YOUR THEME, CLICK ON "APPEARANCE" ON THE DASHBOARD - AND CHOOSE WHICH THEME YOU WOULD LIKE!

All of these new themes include a couple of new features:

- the "Get Involved" buttons, (shown here) which make it easier for people to contact you and interact with the Party or electoral system

- an automatic Twitter feed (see below)

These new features have been rolled out onto seven of the existing themes.

HOWEVER, we're getting to the stage where there are TOO MANY themes to manage effectively. (Every time a change is made every theme has to be updated).

We are proposing the to PHASE out ....

Linking your MyCouncillor site to Twitter

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Show Twitter on your MyCouncillor site

A new feature in MyCouncillor is the ability to add your "twitter" feed to your myCouncillor site easily.

See it in action on Tim Pickstone's site here. (in the middle column).

If you are using Twitter, it is easy to do this for your site too:

On the "Dashboard" (when you have logged in):

On the left hand side click on: "TOOLS", then "TWITTER" (at the bottom).

Click on the link - you'll be asked for your Twitter username, and your Twitter password.

And you're done!

Automatically Tweeting your MyCouncillor Stories

You may wish to link your Twitter feed to your MyCouncillor in the other direction. This means that a each time your write a new article on your MyCouncillor site this is "Tweeted" by Twitter!

You need to use a simple (and free) third party application for this called Twitterfeed.

Register at www.twitterfeed.com

When you're asked to put the "feed" in for your MyCouncillor site copy it needs to look something like this:

e.g. http://yourname.mycouncillor.org.uk/feed/

Whenever you use Twitter as an elected councillor or aspiring councillor please remember that these things are public. Never say anything on Twitter that you wouldn't say in a public meeting with residents or ....

Welfare Reform Bill: Briefing

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The Welfare Reform Bill represents the most radical overhaul of the benefits system in a generation. Its focus is on helping people into work.

The centerpiece of the Bill is the creation of Universal Credit. This reform meets longstanding Liberal Democrat concerns around the complexity of the welfare system. It will:
·    simplify and streamline the main welfare benefits into one single system;
·    ensure that work always pays by removing barriers and disincentives to moving off benefits and into employment;
·    Ensure that changes in circumstances are reflected in benefit levels in real time, ending the current system of overpayments and rebates; and
·    alleviate poverty by boosting take-up and encouraging job market participation.
The Bill contains a number of further reforms, some of which are designed to make savings in the £90bn annual working-age welfare budget. These include changes to Disability Living Allowance, time-limiting of contributory Employment and Support Allowance, localisation of Council Tax Benefit, and a cap on total household benefits.

Some of these changes are difficult, but in each case a fundamental principle applies: those who cannot work will be protected, and those who can work will be supported into employment.

Welfare Reform Bill: DWP Media Brefing

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Why we need to reform the welfare system

The problem

·    With five million people trapped on out of work benefits and almost two million children growing up in homes where nobody works, we cannot afford to simply continue tinkering around the edges of the welfare system. Only root and branch reform will do.

·    Of the 5 million people who are stuck on out of work benefits in the UK, 1.4 million have been receiving out of work benefits for 9 out of the last 10 years.

·    We now have one of the highest rates of workless households in Europe, with 1.9 million children living in homes where no-one has a job. There is nothing inevitable about this – it is a failure of public policy.

·    There are 900,000 people who have spent at least 10 years claiming IB, while the cost of IB alone since 2000 has been almost £135bn.

·    The scale of that failure can be measured in terms of a working age welfare budget that has increased by 40% in real terms from £63bn in 1996/1997 to £87bn in 2009/2010.

·    There ....

Oldham East & Saddleworth By-election literature

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Many people have asked about the excellent artwork produced by the Campaigns Department during the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election. The full set of literature from the campaign is on Huddle,however as this was largely in PagePlus X4 we have also included below a selection converted in to PagePlus 11 for your use.

This first collection includes flying start leaflets, canvass leaflets, Crime Survey, Eid Cards, Letters, Tabloids, Posters and the Magazine. These are in PagePlus11 and PDF.

We have organised them in to folders containing different types of leaflets and have created separate folders with PPP and PDF zip files for each below:

Adoption and Flying Start PPP
Adoption and Flying Start PDF

Canvass Leaflets PPP
Canvass Leaflets PDF

Crime Survey and Focus PPP
Crime Survey and Focus PDF

Eid cards and advert PPP
Eid cards and advert PDF

Letters PPP
Letters PDF

Posters PPP
Posters PDF

Tabloids PPP

Google Analyitics to track visitors to your site

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Google Analytics is a powerful tool which enables you to monitor how many people are looking at your website.

It is significantly more powerful than the "Hits" and "HIts Mk 2" facilities that we've been using on MyCouncillor since the system began.

Google Analyitics not only allows you to see how many people are looking at your site, but also at which pages, how they came to your sites (e.g. following a link, or from a google search), and how long they spend looking at each page!

And its free!

We have enabled Google Analyitics to work on your MyCouncillor site - here's how to set it up:

1 - Go to Google Analytics

Access the system here: http://www.google.com/analytics

You will need a Google Account, which is free. Many people will already have a google account from other services owned by Google (gmail, picasa, youtube etc)

2 - Set up your MyCouncillor site on Google

Create a new account. Enter the full address of your MyCouncillor site in the "Website URL" box - e.g. timpickstone.mycouncillor.org.uk

3 - Get your Analytics code number

After another screen where Google ask for your name and country, you'll see this screen. On MyCouncillor you don't need to ....

2011 Candidates Handbook

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:44:00 +0100

Liberal Democrat candidates are being sent a free "Candidates Handbook" from ALDC, with details of the election campaign, how to survive, and essential contact and election law advice. This is a new publication from ALDC and aims to ensure all our candidates have the essential information for the election at their fingertips.

The Handbook was sent out by post after Christmas - so if you or your candidates didn't receive, then it's because ALDC hasn't been given details of your candidates!

We'll be sending out the Handbook to every candidate we're notified of before the deadline for nominations - WHILE STOCKS LAST. To download further copies click here.

Election Briefing emails are also being sent to all candidates - from now on every 10 days - so it's vital that we have email addresses for candidates.

Please help us by letting us know who your candidates are. Do it online here, or if its easier just send an email or attachment to david.ball@aldc.org with your candidates.

Don't forget to cc:aldc your best campaign literature - just think much easier it would be if we didn't have to re-invent the wheel every time!

Copy us in when you're sending a PagePlus ....

Read All About it! 16/02/2011

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

National stories in the last week have included:

The Government's focus on the banking sector: Vince Cable wrote in the Guardian's "comment is free": Merlin: our bonus for British business

The Observer considers the other big announcement of the week in: Why we should believe Nick Clegg when he promises to restore liberties stolen by Labour

And as some unelected Labour Peers mess with our democracy, the Independent reports that: Pro-AV campaign surges to 10-point lead

Liberal Democrat councillors were in the news towards the end of last week with a letter from 91 Group Leaders to the Times on the local government's financial settlement:

For what it's worth the Times editorial on the day of the letter is published below (we can't link to the Times, as you have to be a subscriber to read its online content).

This was the Telegraph's take: Nick Clegg publicly criticised by dozens of Lib Dem council leaders over cuts. Cllr Chris White reflects on the aftermath on Lib Dem Voice.

Lib Dem Leader of Sheffield Council: Paul Scriven writes: we cannot let Labour off the hook on Council cuts

The Mail on Sunday says:

2011 Election Campaign Essentials

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

To help make your campaigning as easy as possible, we’ve gathered together some of the essential campaign tools, paperwork and information that you’ll need as the campaign goes on. Do let us know if there is anything else that you need and we will add it in.

Campaign artwork tools

Liberal Democrat fonts: Helvetica Neue & Andrew Garratt only (zip file)
Liberal Democrat fonts: other useful fonts (zip file)

Liberal Democrat logos (zip file)
Liberal Democrat clipart
Liberal Democrat colours

Buy PagePlus 11 software

Buy PagePlus x4 software

More campaign resources also available on the Liberal Democrat Members’ Site

Campaign template artwork

ALDC has commissioned this set of FOCUS templates for use by Liberal Democrat campaigners. These are exclusively available to members of ALDC.

Artwork Pack 1 - includes all-year round Focus artwork in various sizes, letterhead templates and calling card

Artwork Pack 2 - includes election 'flying start' leaflet, direct mail and direct mail inserts for fights against both Conservatives and Labour, new voter letters, postal vote recruitment mailings, canvass leaflets, report back leaflet and window poster templates

Artwork Pack 3 - additional Focus templates to ....

Candidates Briefing 5

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:28:00 +0100

It's now just 80 days to go until polling day, but there's no need to panic. Your leaflet delivery schedule should continue to be in full swing, but the nearer you get to polling day, the more important it is to do your voter ID.

The Doorstep Challenge

We deliver leaflets till our shoes are worn out, now-a-days we also deliver letters, send emails and update our blogs and twitter feeds, but there is NO SUBSTITUTE for knocking on doors and talking to people.

These are our first local elections as a Party of Government in Westminster, and it's going to be a challenge. This is why you and your team to be knocking on doors now.

Why is this so important?
1 - It's very easy for politics and politicians to become remote. But as campaigning local Liberal Democrats a fundamental core of our belief is that we stand up for local people. To do this we need to talk to people, we need to find out what issues concern people as the basis for our local campaigning. People are genuinely ....

New WordPress Dashboard

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The new version of WordPress (WordPress 3) is now being used as the system which operates the myCouncillor websites.

The "Dashboard" - what you see when you log into your site to edit it - looks a bit different, and a bit more up to date.

Hopefully most of this is pretty straightforward for people - the buttons that you see down the left of the dashboard are shown here:

- posts - for creating a new story on your site (or editing an existing one)

- media - for managing pictures (or now other files) which you have uploaded to your site:

- links - to manage the links that you show in your website side bar

- pages - to manage the extra pages that you've set up on your website

- comments - to approve, reject or mark as "spam" comments that you get on your site

- appearance - to change the look of your website

- tools - all the extra things that are just for for the myCouncillor sites are in here - Local Information, the Graph, Surveys etc. There are NEW features in here, which we're going to be telling you about over the coming weeks!

Please be a little careful with ....

Yes for Wales

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:01:00 +0100

The referendum on giving the Welsh Assembly law-making powers will be taking place on 3 March 2011 with the Lib Dems backing the Yes campaign.

You can find out more information about the Yes campaign on the official website, and campaigners in Wales should be putting materials supporting the campaign in their artwork. The Liberal Democrats have always supported the Welsh Assembly being able to make laws in the same way as the Scottish Parliament. If Wales votes Yes on 3 March it will mean that Welsh-only laws can be decided in Wales without having to get approval from parliament in Westminster as well.

The Campaigns Department have produced some drop-in artwork that can be used in Focus leaflets, and further advice and support on campaigning on the referendum is available from the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

Download the artwork

Yes for Wales - PDF
Yes for Wales - PagePlus

Have you tried ..... Hybrid Mail?

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

A postal service which has started to become more available in recent months has been “Hybrid Mail”. This is where you upload a letter, or letters via the internet, which are then sent out to people in the post – the end of the process is a letter delivered by the Royal Mail postman/postwoman through your letterbox.

The main reason that this is attractive is because these companies use economies of scale, and advance mail-sorting technologies to be able to print and send things out cheaper that we can ourselves.

We all know how important direct mail is as part of our communication with voters. We also know how time consuming it is – mailmerging, printing, folding, stuffing, sorting into walks and then delivering.

We’re not proposing that you should stop doing this. The vast majority of us just couldn’t afford to send out whole swathes of postage in the mail. But we probably could do some – perhaps to the more difficult to deliver areas, or to get something out at a time that our activists’ time would be better spent on the doorstep.

We’ve been experimenting with a company called DocMail, but other companies are available – just do a “google search” ....

Top Lines on Banking and Protection of Freedoms Bill

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Two issues which will no doubt be the focus of ongoing media and public interest over the coming days are: banking (the levy and Project Merlin) and the welcome publication of the Protection of Freedoms Bill. Below is information from the Party on key things we should be saying about these important issues:

Banking

We want to make sure the banks make a fair contribution to closing the deficit and to the economic recovery. The Chancellor has announced today an increase in the rate of the bank levy to be charged in 2011. This change will increase the revenue from the levy in 2011 by £800m to £2.5 billion.

The Government initially announced that a reduced rate would apply in 2011, recognising the uncertain market conditions prevailing at the time. The Bank of England recently noted that the near-term outlook and resilience of the UK banking sector has improved. The Government therefore no longer considers the reduced rate necessary.

Gordon Brown admitted that Labour’s bonus tax could only ever have been a one off. In his book Beyond the Crash he wrote: “We were under daily pressure to modify the tax, and to his credit, Alistair [Darling] refused to back down in ....

MyCouncillor System Maintenance This Weekend

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:43:00 +0100

Major changes are being made to the MyCouncillor System this weekend

Over this weekend we will be upgrading the MyCouncillor system to a more up-to-date version of "WordPress".

WordPress is the operating platform that the MyCouncillor system runs on. Since we launched the system three years ago WordPress has been updated a few times. It's now time for us to catch up.

There are a number of other changes that are also happening at the same time, some of which I know people have been waiting (patiently) for for some time.

Just to be cautious, we're NOT going to be introducing these changes to you this weekend - we just want to make sure the change to the new WordPress works fine first, but we will then tell you more about each of the new features one by one over the next couple of weeks.

What will happen this weekend:

On Saturday morning you will be locked out of the myCouncillor system and will not be able to make any changes to the system.

Members of the public will be able to view the sites as normal. (It may be that there is some disruption, possibly over a period of hours, the length of which is dependent ....

Elected Police Commissioners

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

“This Council notes that the Government wants to have directly elected police commissioners with the intention also to axe police authorities, and that the LGA is opposing this change.

This Council expresses deep concern that this will lead to the politicisation of Name Police and jeopardise their operational independence. Such a radical change would be a diversion, at an estimated cost of £750,000, in precious resources away from front-line policing.

This Council believes accountability of the police in Name would be best served in strengthening the ties, by other means, between our local neighbourhoods and councillors.

This Council therefore asks the Leader of the Council to write to the County’s/Boroughs MPs informing them of this motion and asking them ....

Cambridgeshire Budget - News Release

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Below is the news release from Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats in response to Conservative cuts in the budget of Cambridgeshire County Council. This gives a good example of how you can respond to the budget.

News Release
From
Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats

Embargo: Immediate

February 1, 2011

LIB DEMS’ BUDGET REVERSES TORY CUTS AND PROTECTS VULNERABLE

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have revealed their alternative county council budget allowing £14 million over the next two years for priority services.

They have promised their spending plans would give the people of Cambridgeshire “the basic services they have a right to expect: decent roads; quality care for the vulnerable, a county wide bus service and good schools." And they say the plan is affordable if the county council’s spending were aggressively reduced.

The two year spending package would include:

much needed improvements to bus and rail travel including protecting bus subsidies, maintaining concessionary fares, funding community transport and rail travel and providing Real ....

Forestry Commission consultation

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:18:00 +0100

Council welcomes the Forestry commission consultation on the future of the public forest estate in England.

This council believes that the government should examine thoroughly the environmental and economic consequences of selling/leasing off forests.

This council believes that Name of local wood should not be sold/leased for commercial development and resolves to respond to the consultation accordingly.

This council notes the potential damage to the tourist industry if less walking, cycling and holidaying were to take place due to restricted forest access.

-----------

Adapted from a Windsor and Maidenhead Lib Dem council motion

Read All About it! 09/02/2011

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days. (Please note this column is produced on a Wednesday, so is before yesterday's letter in The Times.)

Some of the better news stories of the week included that reported in the Independent as George Osborne in £800m tax raid on banks and in The Telegraph as Vince Cable promises 100,000 more apprenticeships

Less good news from those unelected Labour peers as reported by The Independent: Labour peers accused of sabotaging voting reform

Lib Dem Voice reports on the piece by David Laws in The Times (regrettably subscription-only online, which is why we never feature Times articles in this column) calling for Tax cuts for the rich can wait. Tax reform can’t

It also gives us Nick Clegg's speech in full on economic growth and the Green Investment Bank

For a bit of video, you may wish to watch our very own Health Minister Paul Burstow MP launch ....

Standing firm in Stroud

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:13:00 +0100

There were three principal local council by-elections that took place on Thursday 3rd February 2011. The Tories held a seat, Labour took one off the Tories and an Independent took one off the SNP. In the only parish or town council results reported to ALDC Labour held two seats.

In Gloucestershire we fought the vacancies at district and county level caused by the death of a Tory councillor in October. The Tories held the Stroud district seat of Amberley and Woodchester, the more Tory area of the Rodborough county division. Labour fought on national issues to gain the county seat from the Tories coming from fourth halving the Green vote. Our candidate was Christine Headley (pictured).

In the Carnoustie and District ward of Angus council, the SNP were ahead on first preferences. With two of the three councillors in the ward from 2007 the SNP would have been confident of holding the seat but the Independent was elected at the 5th stage.

Local Elections Pack 2 - ALDC Focus Templates 2011

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:25:00 +0100

The second part of our Artwork Pack for 2011 is now online and available to download for ALDC members.

This is the second of three sets of material, specially commissioned by ALDC. These are exclusively available to members of ALDC.

The templates should cover the period up to the early part of the election campaign 'proper' and include:

Ideas for direct mail - new voter letters and insert, postal voter recruitment letters and form, and a 'campaign launch' direct mail with different versions for conservative and labour facing areas, together with an A4 direct mail insert.

Also enclosed for the start of your election campaign is an A3 "Flying Start" Focus leaflet and a "Councillors Annual Report" and some election poster templates.

All the materials are produced as appropriate in three versions: black and white, two colour (for RISO) and in full colour (for external printers).

All our materials work in PagePlus 11 which has been the Party's standard artworking software for some time now.

BEFORE you use the materials you need to ensure that the full package of fonts which are needed are installed on your computer. You can download a full set of fonts that works for both Pack 1 and Pack 2 On Monday the Government announced the final settlement for Local Government in England for 2011-12, after a period of consultation. The statement by the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, to the Commons is here:http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110131/wmstext/110131m0001.htm#1101313000015

Key changes from the draft Settlement

Transitional Grant - An additional £11.6m in 2011-12 and £6.6m in 2012-13 has been added to the Transitional Support Grant, with a net result of lowering the cap on losses from 8.9% to 8.8%. An additional 7 councils will now receive TG next year, and 30 councils already listed will have increased amounts of TG including Liverpool, Manchester, Ashfield, Chesterfield, Burnley, Pendle, Rochdale, Hull, and Norwich.

Parish Precepts – these have now been excluded from the calculations of spending power for each authority, meaning that ....

ALDC's new 2011 FOCUS Templates

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

ALDC has commissioned a series of FOCUS and campaign material templates for use by Liberal Democrat campaigners. These are exclusively available to members of ALDC.

Pack 1 was released in December:
The templates include: A3, A4, and A3 booklet style FOCUS - all of which have been produced in black and white, two colour (for RISOs) and in full colour (Colour RISO or commercial printer). All the FOCUS leaflets have variations to allow for single and for two and three member wards and election campaigns, and different bar charts for fighting the Tories and Labour.

These are accompanied by some other resources useful all year round - two letterhead template and year-round doorstep calling leaflets - also in various versions.

Pack 2 has been released at the start of February:

This contains materials to cover the period up to the early part of the election campaign 'proper' and includes:

Ideas for direct mail - new voter letters and insert, postal voter recruitment letters and form, and a 'campaign launch' direct ....

Council Group of the Year Awards 2011

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

This year’s awards are much simpler to enter. No forms; no word limit; no format. If you can send me a convincing reason why you should be given an award by Friday 25 February, you’re in.

In fact, if you think there isn’t a category suitable then you can even ask me to create one.

Yes, we’re cutting out the bureaucracy, localising the decision-making and building the system around the convenience of … you.

Our judging panel this year will be chaired by Cllr Richard Kemp, Leader LGA Lib Dem Group and will comprise:

Tim Farron MP, our in-coming Party President
Andrew Stunell MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Simon Hughes MP, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Co-Chair of the CLG Parliamentary Committee
Cllr Kath Pinnock, Chair, ALDC
Lord Shipley, LGA Vice President
Cllr Jill Shortland, Chair, LGA Lib Dems

Our categories this year are:

An equal footing for mental health

Writing in the Independent Andrew Grice asks if: Tories fear 'betrayal' by Cameron over electoral reform

When they say they have no Plan B, you really should believe them? Asks Andrew Rawnsley in the Observer.

The Municipal Journal claims an exclusive reporting that: Pickles set to avoid root-and-branch finance review

MJ reports that: Councils could be given power to relieve pressure on 'sat-nav rat-runs'

For those of you who follow licensing issues: Legal ruling could hamper licence appeals (from the pub 'trade press').

Finally, it would be wrong not to give space to ALC's former Organising Secretary and now Lord Tony Greaves:Tony Greaves writes: Coalition, Government and the Lords

Tim Pickstone
tim.pickstone@aldc.org

Oliver's Army

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:07:00 +0100

There was one principal local council by-election that took place on Thursday 27th January 2011. The Lib Dems held the seat. There were no parish or town council results reported to ALDC.

Oliver’s Battery and Badgers Farm is perhaps the best named ward of any I know in the UK. It's in Winchester and it's still held by the Lib Dems. This was an excellent campaign led by an excellent team. We were defending on three levels: inevitably the coalition, the Lib Dem led council and the exemplary district and County councillors for the area.

Our councillors' failing health gave us the early warning that a by-election might be necessary. Wisely we did some succession planning and identified a possible replacement should the need occur. When the by-election was eventually called we could truthfully say that Brian Laming was David Spender’s chosen successor - and we did.

The weather played a part in this election as it has in many others this winter and we did not canvass as much as we would like but we built on the good work put in October and November surveying and leafleting. ....

Campaigning for a Yes to Fairer Votes

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:01:00 +0100

5 May 2011 will not only see the biggest round of council elections over the four year cycle, but it will also see the referendum on switching to the Alternative Vote system for General Elections.

Most opinion polls are so far showing the Yes campaign ahead, but we need to keep up the work. Many people have yet to realise there is a referendum coming up but when they are exposed to all the arguments for or against, they are a lot more likely to vote Yes. So, we need to get across the positive messages now.

The Yes to Fairer Votes campaign is up and running and there is already a host of materials available on ALDC’s website that you can and should be using. Here are our tips on how to promote a Yes vote in your campaigning as well as where you can find extra artwork for campaigning.

You should promote a Yes vote in all of your Focus leaflets, tabloid newspapers, glossy leaflets etc that you deliver between now and May.

Try and use existing artwork as much as possible. The artwork that is available has been specially designed to ....

Counter Terrorism and Security Review briefing

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:44:00 +0100

One of the big news stories of this week has been the Counter Terrorism and Security Review. The outcome of the review is a big victory for civil liberties campaigners and meets a specific pledge that we made at the last General Election. It also ends the posturing and the political games of the Labour party whilst also showing that in government we are taking a sensible approach to dealing with the threat of terrorism.

The party has produced a briefing that gives you the key bullet points on the changes and some quotes that will help you when you are campaigning. The changes are wider than just the ending of control orders and you can download the briefing below

Counter Terrorism and Security Review briefing - MS Word

Read All About it! 26/01/2011

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:27:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

The Telegraph reports on: Alan Johnson resignation: Ed Balls gets his way Writing in the Independent: Mary Ann Sieghart: Ed Balls will be a disaster for Labour

The Guardian reports on: Control orders: home secretary tables watered-down regime
Meanwhile The Telegraph reports on how: Nick Clegg: Lib Dems will not strike deal with Conservatives

In local Government:

Municipal Journal reports on: Funding gap of £165m estimated for pothole repair
The Telegraph tells how: Half a million more homes lose weekly bin collections

Lib Dem LGA Adult Care spokesperson Cllr David Rogers writes in Lib Dem Voice: Opinion: Health & Social Care Bill – a local government perspective

Mark Pack writes about: Using council websites to help local residents generate social capital

Finally, those of us who are over 40 might take a second to reflect that this Tuesday was the 30th anniversary of the Limehouse Declaration. Doesn't time fly....

Tim Pickstone
tim.pickstone@aldc.org

Chinese New Year cards

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:14:00 +0100

Chinese New Year is on 3 February 2011 and 2011 is the year of the rabbit. If you have a significant Chinese community, then you could put out a new year card to send them best wishes and to remind them of the contact details for the local Lib Dems.

We have got three different pieces of artwork that you can download and print for your local area. These are adapted from cards produced by the office of John Leech MP.

You can download the three options below:

Option 1 PPP
Option 1 PDF

Option 2 PPP
Option 2 PDF

Option 3 PPP
Option 3 PDF

Candidates Briefing 4

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:52:00 +0100

10pm in 100 days time and it will "all be over bar the counting" for this year's local elections. I do not need to tell you that the next 100 days are going to be tough for Liberal Democrats up and down the country to get the message across and campaign to have more Lib Dem Councillors representing local people on the 6th May 2011.

Here's some tips for the next few weeks:

Target Ruthlessly

If you've not done this already the campaign from now on should be only about targeted seats. This means campaigning in the local elections where we plan to HOLD a Lib Dem seat, or WIN a new Lib Dem seat. Remember ALL your historic canvas data will need to be revisited before May 5th. This will require a lot of extra work in wards which we have historically regarded as safe and targeting plans need to reflect this. If you don’t recruit new members, canvassers and deliverers in the next few weeks you will need to target your existing resources on fewer wards to be successful. It’s that simple.

New Electoral Register

You should have ....

Marl-vellous

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:36:00 +0100

There were four principal local council by-elections that took place on Thursday 20th January 2011. The Lib Dems held one seat and gained one from the Conservatives. The Tories and Labour held one each. There were no parish or town council results reported to ALDC.

In the Marl ward of Conwy Council in North Wales we gained a seat from the Tories. In 2008 we only stood one candidate in the two-member ward. Our candidate Mike Priestely, won handsomely. The Tory elected on the same day resigned to cause the byelection. We had seen it coming as far back as October introducing a new focus editor and delivering two focuses before the resignation finally occurred. We then called the election immediately catching the Tories on the hop. The postal vote was issued on January 2nd. We made sure that despite the weather they all received personal bi-lingual letters from Mike and the candidate. There was a postal vote turnout of 75%, which justified our work. We followed this with further focuses and street letters, and a final targeted letter from Lord Roger Roberts.

The high profile Tory candidate Julie ....

Working in Watford

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Watford has a very good record of fighting elections and winning, and not only have the directly-elected mayor Dorothy Thornhill and also a relatively comfortable majority on the council. But this doesn’t mean they are letting up on the campaigning.

This latest set of good practice from borough and county councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst are good examples of campaigning on local issues and on selling the achievements of the council. Stephen’s county division includes parts of both Lib Dem-run Watford and Lib Dem-run Three Rivers, and although they have retained established local names for their ‘Focus’ leaflets, Democrat and Opinion leaflets do the same job.

What we liked about these leaflets

These leaflets are focused on the local but do a good job of integrating this with our national successes. For example, the Leavesden Democrat leaflet trumpets our national policy on keeping open post offices linking it to a local post office that closed under Labour.

All of these leaflets show lots of snippets of good local action. Not only do these show what an active team we are, but they are an opportunity to mention as many roads in the ....

3 month Campaign Plan, January to March

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:03:00 +0100

We have produced a draft campaign plan from now until polling day. This details the things you should be aiming to do. It includes five sections including, leaflets, letters, telephoning, voter contact and local party.

The front has from January until March and the reverse is for April and until the 5th May (polling day)

We suggest that you use the blank plan to adapt this for your own ward, and then stick to this until polling day.

You can find other examples of campaign plans here.

Download the draft plan, PDF file here

Download the draft plan, PPP file here

Download the blank plan, PPP file here

Calorific Value Of Alcoholic Drinks

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:18:00 +0100

Council recognises the high calorific value of many alcoholic drinks and that their consumption can help cause significant weight gain.

The Chief Executive is therefore requested to write to the relevant Government ministers suggesting that at the earliest opportunity all containers of alcoholic drinks sold in the UK should be prominently labelled with their calorific values and that a national publicity campaign be proposed to raise awareness of this issue.

Entry Gates Codes

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:15:00 +0100

Council acknowledges the trend towards increased numbers of gated communities within the Borough/City/Area necessitating entry codes to access and leave.

Council recognises the practical difficulties this creates for delivery of mail and other communications. Council therefore requests that consideration be given to having a standard planning condition for such developments such that, unless the design makes it impossible, post boxes accessible from the exterior of the property will automatically be installed.

Litter Problems

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:14:00 +0100

Council recognises the litter problems created, especially in those areas designated District Centres, where there are a high proportion of takeaway food outlets.

Council therefore requests that, unless there are pressing logistical reasons not to so do, a standard planning condition for planning applications for such developments will be automatically imposed for provision of a litterbin at the applicant's expense in the vicinity of the development.

White Ribbon Campaign

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:12:00 +0100

Council notes:

That the White Ribbon Campaign is the largest effort in the world of men working to end men's violence against women, by encouraging men to pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women.

Recognises that local councils such as Name working directly in the community are ideally placed to raise the issue of tackling domestic violence and dealing with its consequences.

Council also notes:

That White Ribbon Day takes place on 25th November (United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women).

Commits to organising, encouraging and supporting local initiatives that commemorate and mark this day as a major opportunity to raise awareness and involve the entire local community in the activities.

To mark this year’s White Ribbon Day commits to become a White Ribbon Accredited Authority.

Adapted from a Liverpool Lib Dem council motion.

Read All About it! 19/01/2011

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners in the last week:

Obviously the big news at the end of last week was Labour holding on to its Oldham East and Saddleworth parliamentary seat. Chris Riddell in the Observer asks if this was: A pleasant surprise for Nick Clegg? Lib Dem News' Stephen Tall asks: After Oldham: what does the result mean for the party’s targeting strategy?

As some unelected peers attempt to derail making voting fairer, the Independent reports: Night of the long-winded: peers waffle to sabotage voting reform legislation

Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove urges Tory voters to vote Lib Dem to thwart Labour as reported on the BBC: Michael Gove recommends voting Lib Dem to thwart Labour  Meanwhile Mary Riddell in the Telegraph suggests that it is A dangerous liaison for Cameron – an emerging Lib Lab pact

In local government:

Lib Dem Voice reports on how local government boundaries in Wales will remain the same until after 2012.

The Guardian reports one side of a story in: Eric Pickles blames councils for UK's budget deficit

It's been a big week for announcing job cuts: MJ reports on three county councils: Three councils announce ....

EMA top lines

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:13:00 +0100

The replacement of the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) has been a big political story in recent weeks, and the party has put together a couple of pages that explain what the government is doing. It also includes specific answers to some of the attacks being used by the opposition.

You will also find below a response that you can use locally that helps rebut some of the criticisms of the University and Colleges Union (UCU), who have recently produced figures showing the number of students they believe would be put off by not receiving the EMA.

UCU response

DfE (& DCSF) research has quite consistently shown that between 12-13% of EMA recipients would not have been able to take the course they in fact did without EMA:

Report commissioned by the previous govt, published in June 2010

Research conducted after the national roll-out of EMA in 2004/5

Given the consistency of this figure in two different independent reports, conducted five years apart, the fact that the University College Union survey returned a figure of 70% highlights (if not some questions over their method) the impact of a ....

Cllr' Achievement Awards Shortlist

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:08:00 +0100

LGiU and CCLA are pleased to announce the shortlists for the 2011 C'llr Achievement Awards. The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony on 8 February.

See how many Lib Dems you can spot!

CCLA Award for Outstanding Contribution to Financial Performance

Cllr David Finch, Essex County Council

Cllr Roland Spencer, Gedling Borough Council

Cllr Robin Harris, Luton Borough Council

Cllr Paul Watson, Sunderland City Council

Cllr Maurice Heaster, London Borough of Wandsworth

Community Champion

Cllr Joanne Beavis, Braintree District Council

Cllr Gill Farrington, South Derbyshire District Council

Cllr Chris Best, London Borough of Lewisham

Cllr Luthfur Rahman, Manchester City Council

Cllr Shirley Potts, South Gloucestershire Council

Leader of the Year

Cllr Tricia Turner, Central Bedfordshire

Cllr Simon Henig, Durham County Council

Cllr Sean Brennan, London Borough of Sutton

Cllr Rod Bluh, Swindon Borough Council

Cllr Graham Baxter, North East Derbyshire District Council

New Councillor of the Year

Cllr Bally Singh, Coventry City Council

Cllr Jennie Dallimore, Gloucester City Council

Cllr Van Coulter, Oxford City Council

Cllr Rob White, Reading Borough Council

Cllr Sheila D’Souza, Westminster City Council

Online Councillor of the Year

Cllr Tim Cheetham, Barnsley Council

Cllr James Barber, London Borough of Southwark

Cllr Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire County Council

Cllr Catherine Lewis, Torfaen County Borough Council

Cllr Paul Cotterill, West Lancashire Borough Council

Partnership Achievement of the Year

Cllr Noel Spencer, Bolton Council

Cllr Lynn Riley, Cheshire West and ....

Principal Councillor Representatives

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:01:00 +0100

Elections have taken place to elect the principal councillor representative on two Federal Party Committees for 2011-2012:

On the Federal Executive Committee the following have been elected:

Cllr Stan Collins (South Lakeland DC and Cumbria CC)
Cllr Keith House (Eastleigh BC and Hampshire CC)

On the Federal Policy Committee the following have been elected:

Cllr Louise Bloom (Eastleigh BC)
Cllr Stan Collins (South Lakeland DC and Cumbria CC)
Cllr Chris White (St Albans CC and Hertfordshire CC)

Full details of the election results are here courtesy of Cllr Colin Rosenstiel.

Federal Executive

Federal Policy Committee

Diary Dates

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:59:00 +0100

Two early diary dates for you:

Friday 17 and Saturday 18 June 2011: Liberal Democrat Local Government Conference, Bristol (Group Leaders event on the Friday, Conference dinner on the Friday evening, main one day conference on the Saturday.)

Friday 25 - Sunday 27 November 2011: Kickstart 2012, Birmingham

Work on your historic support

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0100

In the two principal authority by-elections that took place on Thursday 13th January 2011 the Tories held one seat and Labour gained one from the Tories. There were no town or parish council election results reported to ALDC.

In Camborne North ward Labour were fifth in the first elections for a unitary Cornish County Council in 2009 with only 100 votes, we were second with 182. Labour held the parliamentary seat from 1997 to 2005. We held the parliamentary seat till 2010 when we lost it to the Tories. The Tory councillor for Camborne North resigned whilst facing a legal battle over assault charges.

Labour came from fifth to take the seat in the by-election taking our campaign by surprise. We had a good candidate who was a town councillor in the ward and ran a campaign that would usually have delivered a better result. The full post mortem has yet to take place but what is clear is that:
a)   Our campaign team were taken by surprise - we fought the Tories and did not pick up on the Labour threat.
b)   We should have stood a candidate in a December town council ....

Local Elections 2011 - election countdown

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0100

It is now just 30 days and counting to the vital set of elections on 5 May 2011.

In Scotland and Wales voters are electing their Parliament and Assembly respectively, all over the UK we'll be deciding whether to change to a fairer system of electing our MPs.

In England, half of all all Liberal Democrat councillors are up for election in district, unitary and metropolitan councils across most of England. It's the first big national electoral test that the party will have faced as a party of Government at a UK level. Here's a list of all the seats up in 2011.

It is up to all of us, on the ground, to make 5th May 2011 a success.

We want to HELP YOU WIN!

All Training takes place on Saturday 12 March 2011:

2 "INSPIRED" events - learning from Lib Dems in other parts of the country - one on Winning againt the Tories in local elections, and "Going Green" on delivering on green issues in local government.

2 "CAMPAIGN ESSENTIALS" events, essential for the last two months of campaigning: "Getting out the Vote" and "Focus Leaflets"

2 Councillor Training events, jointly organised between ALDC and LG Leadership and Development: "Life without Whitehall Interference" and "Opportunities of the Localism Bill"

And a session for users of the MyCouncillor system on changes which are to take place at the start of February 2011.

ALDC has two Fringe events planned ....

Oldham East and Saddleworth result

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:50:00 +0100

This is the official press release showing the party's reaction to the result in the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election. This may be useful if you are asked about it locally:

By-election was a hard-fought contest – Clegg

Commenting on the by-election result in Oldham East and Saddleworth, Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg, said:

“This was a very hard-fought contest but we were not able to gain this Labour seat on this occasion. I’d like to pay tribute to our superb candidate, Elwyn Watkins, and his team up in Oldham who have run an exceptional campaign.

“I am proud of each and every one of the hundreds of activists and volunteers who have brought the fight to Labour’s front door in a way that will have confounded our critics.

“It was always going to be a big ask to take this seat from Labour, given the circumstances. We are undertaking some enormously difficult decisions because Labour left Britain’s economy ....

Jobs to do in EARS - Winter/Spring

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Your latest version of EARS, (Election Agent Record System), which includes the 2011 electoral register should now be winging its way to you. In fact, many local parties will already have their copy.

With the new register in place, now is the time to do some vital jobs before you get in to the swing of the election campaign.

Jobs to do now

Check you have all of the data you should have and that it has merged in to the old register properly. It usually works fine, but it’s better to check now than when it’s too late.

Make sure all your delivery rounds are in EARS and up to date. New roads or properties often appear in the new register and EARS may not know which walk they belong to. Make sure these are sorted out now.

Update your phone numbers. EARS can add telephone numbers to your copy of EARS for a charge and this is the ideal time to do it. With the dark evenings and the poor weather, it is also the ideal time to make sure you are busy phone canvassing local residents.

Tidy up and sort out your filters. Over a year it’s not unusual to add extra filters for short-term use. Now is ....

Eligibility for candidates in principal local elections

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Qualifications and disqualifications

In order to become a candidate at a local election for a principal council (Note: ‘principal councils’ are counties, districts, unitaries, metropolitan boroughs and London boroughs) a set of nomination papers must be submitted within the prescribed time period. In order to be eligible to stand for election, a person must be qualified to stand and not be disqualified and you have to complete a declaration as part of the consent to nomination indicating

That you are qualified to stand, and how.

That you are not disqualified in any way.

The returning officer cannot accept your nomination without the accompanying signed declaration however it is not their job to check the veracity of the statements made in the declaration. Conversely to complete the declaration fraudulently risks prosecution for both fraud and electoral offences.

Qualifications required for candidature

To qualify as a candidate for election to a principal local authority (parish/town councils have separate criteria) a person must satisfy the following criteria on the day they are nominated and on polling day:

have attained the age of at least 18 ....

Read All About it! 12/01/2011

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:22:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem Councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days (nb published before the Oldham East by-election):

Nick Clegg made a major speech on civil liberties towards the end of last week. You can read the speech here. Nick Clegg: “A liberal approach to freedom, a British approach to freedom” Here's the write up from The Independent: Control orders will be reformed, says Nick Clegg

Lib Dem Voice have been asking what Party members think about a number of issues, most recently: Tuition fees: what Lib Dem members think now

Lib Dem Voice have been running the results of a series of polls of party members. Apparently we're split 51/49 on whether we support the Government on Tuition Fees - more details: Tuition fees: what Lib Dem members think now.

We liked this book review, (Mark Pack on Lib Dem Voice) on the book considering the options and policies for the future of the Conservative / Lib Dem coalition: Which Way’s Up? The long-term future of the coalition

and for a bit of balance, from Comment is Free in the Guardian:
Face it, Ed: Labour and the ....

Lessons from the Zac Goldsmith case for election expenses

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:38:00 +0100

Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith saw his election expenses come under close media scrutiny and then investigated by the Electoral Commission following the 201 general election. The Commission’s investigation raises important issues which future candidates and agents can learn and benefit from. Some are longer-term ones about how regulation of election expenditure is changing as the methods people use alter; others are short-term ones relevant to agents of all parties who need to know what, if anything, the verdict means they could or should do differently the next time they fill in an election expense return form and put their signature at the bottom of it.

One note of caution first, however. The Electoral Commission concluded that there is good evidence to believe his campaign “may” have broken the election expense limits, but decided that it was not appropriate in this case to refer matters on to the police. Therefore, it would be wrong for future agents or candidates to think, “If I do all the things Zac Goldsmith’s campaign did, that’s all ok as it would be within the rules” – that is not what the Commission concluded.

However, in reaching its decisions ....

No walk in the Park

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:52:00 +0100

The first week of January was another very quiet week for council by-elections, with only one principal election in the Windsor & Maidenhead unitary authority.

Park Ward is in Windsor itself, with the park after which it is named being Windsor Great Park. The ward’s other notable landmark being Legoland. This was a disappointing result in a largely suburban residential ward that we held until four years ago. This ward had been consistently Lib Dem for many years before but our vote is down nearly 40% in the eight years since we last won there.

Since the coalition was formed we have been performing consistently well in by-elections where we are fighting the Conservatives, even though the last few weeks haven’t been as promising. However if there is one common theme running through the good results it has been the willingness by the local Lib Dems to take on the Conservatives and keep squeezing Labour. Just because we’re in coalition with the Conservatives nationally, it doesn’t mean we are locally and so don’t pull any punches. Make sure you highlight in your leaflets what we would do differently locally and that the only option in who runs the council is the ....

Localism Bill

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Adapted from a Liverpool Council motion.

Council welcomes the sections of the Localism Bill, which relates to the enhanced powers that this and other councils and their communities will have with regard to planning and development issues within our City/Borough/name council area.

It therefore:

1.          Requests the Cabinet member with responsibility for strategic planning issues and the relevant select committee to work with:

·         The MPs for the City/Borough/name council area

·          Name of local Lord/s Baroness/es

·         The LGA

To ensure that the Bill is improved during its passages through the Commons and Lords to become even more useful to the City/Borough/name council area; and

2.          Requests the Cabinet Member to bring an urgent report to the Cabinet as the Bill clears its final stages to ensure that this City/Borough/name council area is able to work to the new flexibilities and freedoms from the first possible dates allowed by the Act.

3.          Request ....

Police Reform Bill

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Adapted from a Liverpool Council motion.

Council welcomes the sections of the Police Reform Bill, which relates to the enhanced powers that this and other licensing authorities will have with regard to the control of alcohol within our City/Borough/name council area.

It therefore:

1.          Requests the Cabinet member with responsibility for strategic licensing issues and the relevant select committee to work with:

·         The MPs for the City/Borough/name council area

·          Name/s of local Lord/s Baroness/es

·         The LGA

To ensure that the Bill is improved during its passages through the Commons and Lords to become even more useful to the City/Borough/name council area; and

2.          Requests the Cabinet Member to bring an urgent report to the Cabinet as the Bill clears its final stages to ensure that this city is able to work to the new flexibilities and freedoms from the first possible dates allowed by the Act.

Localism Bill – Council Tax

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Adapted from a Liverpool Council motion.

Council welcomes the commitment of the Government to find the equivalent of a 2.5% increase in council tax from central government funding and make that funding available to the council if it allows an increase in expenditure only at such a rate which would otherwise cause a 2.5% increase in council tax.

Council further welcomes the fact that such an amount would then be built into the base income of the funding formula for the ensuing three years.

Council believes that it would be wrong to raise council tax in the next financial year because of the difficulties raised within the budgets of ordinary families by the financial depression, which has affected them since July 2008.

Council instructs officers to prepare spending plans for the city based on claiming the enhanced grant from the Government and ensuring no increase in council tax payers in City/Borough/name council area for the second year running.

Localism Bill

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:18:00 +0100

This motion is from our group in Oxfordshire

Council welcomes the Localism Bill as described in the decentralisation and localism guidance issued on 13th December by Rt Hon Nick Clegg.

Council particularly welcomes the measures in the Bill that will:

·    Involve people more closely in the workings of their communities
·    Diversify the way services are provided
·    Roll back the interference of government in local and community matters
·    Reduce the amount of bureaucracy and form-filling that has bedevilled us for 40 years.

Council urges the cabinet to take initiative and leadership in ensuring that Oxfordshire residents benefit from the new legislation, in particular:

·    Allowing local people to instigate local referendums
·    Allowing councillors to vote on salary packages of senior council officers
·    Investigating how powers of general competence can be used in Oxfordshire
·    Showing the context of spending in the publication of items over £500
·    Setting up community councils and allowing communities to set the agenda for community council    meetings

Finance

Council is extremely concerned at the level of savings it is required to make following the disastrously low Local ....

WIN with Elwyn!

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:59:00 +0100

You can help Elwyn Watkins and the local Liberal Democrats to get a better deal for Oldham East & Saddleworth.

“The single biggest thing you can do to help the party win big in May’s local elections is to go and help Elwyn Watkins win in Oldham East and Saddleworth this weekend.

A win for Elwyn on Thursday will transform the media coverage for the whole party and set us on the right track for May.”

The office is open every day and even a few hours would be appreciated.

To get involved, come along to the HQ any day between 9am and 8pm or contact the campaign HQ by calling 01457 810993 or emailing hq@elwynwatkins.co.uk.

The HQ is at Tanner Business Centre, Waterside Mill, Chew Valley Road, Greenfield, OL3 7NH is Greenfield and there is plenty of parking if you're coming by car.

More information on Elwyn's website here.

Here is a selection of some of the great campaign literature from the by-election campaign so far.

We like these, as they are crisp and ....

Read All About it! 05/01/2011

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners in the last week and over the Christmas break:

The biggest news in the last couple of days has been the VAT increase. The BBC considers: Is the VAT increase regressive? Lib Dem voice reports: The VAT rise: a refresher course for Labour

In local Government:
The Guardian reports on criticisms of local government causing "bed blocking" (delayed discharge) from hospitals: Bed blocking on the rise as care cuts leave elderly stuck in hospital

The MJ reports on Eric Pickles' attempt to simplfy how we understand local government funding:  CLG map aims to unravel complex council funding Local government secretary
and on Zero carbon homes achieved by going 'beyond bricks and mortar'

Mark Pack, writing in Lib Dem voice looks at : Calls to end alphabetic ordering of candidates on Scottish local election ballot paper

And in politics:
The Telegraph reports: Simon Hughes: there will be no deal between Lib Dems and Tories at next election

Very well worth ....

Candidates Briefing 3

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:20:00 +0100

With the turkey eaten, that hideous jumper bought by one of your relatives taken back to the shop and the repeats of Mary Poppins and James Bond watched, now is the time to make sure you are all set for a flying start to your 2011 election campaign. To help you out, here are our tips for what you should be doing in the New Year.

Get up to date. Even the best organised campaigns can fall behind at times, and so now is a good time to get completely up to date. Make sure you deliver those delivery rounds that are left over. Go through your casework and reply to those letters that you haven’t done yet. People often have a fairly quiet month in January after the excesses of Christmas and so getting a letter or a leaflet from the Lib Dems may be more likely to be read properly. You’ll feel in a lot more motivated to get out on the doorstep knowing that there’s nothing outstanding that you should have done before Christmas or the New Year. Another good 'getting up to date' job is to make sure EARS is up to date and outstanding canvass data is entered before the new ....

HTML Email Designer Wanted

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:39:00 +0100

We're currently looking for someone who has some skills and experience in designing HTML email templates.

We are looking to develop some templates for use on Mailchimp, and need to work with someone on a freelance basis to do this.

Please get in touch with Tim Pickstone - tim.pickstone@aldc.org

Happiness isn't an election in Hamlets...

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:30:00 +0100

If liberal democracy in Great Britain has anything akin to a birthday, it would be December 16th. On that day, 321 years ago, the assembly that would become known as the ‘Convention Parliament’ passed the English Bill of Rights. The 1689 Bill set down in law the right of the English people to hold elections to choose their leaders, ended the practices of arbitrary royal intervention in matters of justice and taxation, and established the English Parliament as a sovereign body. As if that glorious heritage was not enough, it was 84 years later to the day that the Boston Tea Party kick-started a liberal revolution in another part of the world. Fast forward to December 16 2010, and liberal democracy in Britain is still alive, kicking, and not looking half bad for a 300-year-old, with a handsome tally of six principal council by-elections being decided on the day and two contested elections out in the towns.

Unfortunately, it’s been a week of slim pickings for Liberal Democrats in yesterday’s contests; we stood candidates in five of the six main events but, other than a pretty distant second in Tunbridge Wells, didn’t come away with a great ....

Happy Christmas from ALDC

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:06:00 +0100

Please note that the ALDC offices will be closed from 3.00pm on Friday 24 December 2010, and re-open on Tuesday 4 January 2011 at 9.30am. Any messages left on our answerphone will not be checked until the new year.

If you require any urgent help, please get in touch via our website (here) and we can get back to you if required.

If there are any problems with our website, or with the MyCouncillor system please let us know in this way so that we know straight away and can resolve the problems.

Can we take the opportunity to wish all our members and friends a very Happy Christmas, and very best for 2011.

Local Elections Pack 1 - ALDC Focus Templates 2011

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0100

ALDC has commissioned this set of FOCUS templates for use by Liberal Democrat campaigners. These are exclusively available to members of ALDC.

The templates include: A3, A4, and A3 booklet style FOCUS - all of which have been produced in black and white, two colour (for RISOs) and in full colour (Colour RISO or commercial printer). All the FOCUS leaflets have variations to allow for single and for two and three member wards and election campaigns, and different bar charts for fighting the Tories and Labour.

These are accompanied by some other resources useful all year round - two letterhead template and year-round doorstep calling leaflets - also in various versions.

All our resources are produced in PagePlus11 (these will still open in later versions of PagePlus). We've also included PDFs of all the documents for you take a look at each template.

The templates use a standard set of fonts, which you need to install on your computer first - or the templates won't work correctly! Download the ZIP file of fonts here.

Remember you need to "log-in" as an ALDC member to download these files - your log-in details are the bottom of your weekly Campaigner email.

This is "Pack 1" of our 2011 ....

Pupil Premium is Extra Money!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Don't forget that despite the fact that our opposition might like to circulate mis-information on this, the Pupil Premium will be additional money for your local schools.

One of the Liberal Democrats' top priorities is making sure that the most disadvantaged children in this country get the help they need. Nick Clegg first proposed the idea of a Pupil Premium a decade ago and it was one of the four policies on the front of the Liberal Democrat manifesto.

All the evidence shows that the best way to help bright kids from poor families to get to university is to target additional resources at them when they are younger and give them a head start in life. By targeting money directly at our poorest children, the Coalition Government is starting on the long and hard road to breaking down one of the most socially segregated education systems in the developed world.

The Pupil Premium is IN ADDITION to the schools budget. The funding for the Pupil Premium is in addition to the underlying schools budget, which will be at the same cash per pupil level for 2011-12 as this year.

School funding in the system is protected at flat cash per pupil, ....

Read All About It! 15/12/2010

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem Councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days. Been a big week for local government: Local Government Settlement, Localism Bill and the Pupil Premium - so here are just a few highlights:

On the Local Government Settlement:
Pickles finds £85m to ease pain of front-loaded cuts (Municipal Journal)
Local councils 'face average 4.4% cut' (Independent)
Cuts in council services to be deeper in wealthy areas as Coaltion diverts millions into poorer towns and cities (Telegraph)

On the Localism Bill:
Pickles hails ‘ground-breaking’ shift of power in Localism Bill (Municipal Journal)
This localism bill shows Eric Pickles is Hazel Blears in super-sized wolf's clothing (Simon Jenkins, The Guardian)
Localism Bill: councillors who fail to declare personal interest fail criminal charges (Telegraph)

And on both:
Andrew Stunell writes… Localism Bill and finance settlement are defining moment for local government

On the Pupil Premium:
Dan Rogerson MP writes: the Pupil Premium is launched
The Telegraph considers the previous Government's efforts to tackle educational inequality and standards - Labour's pre-school reforms 'failing to raise standards

In other Local Government news:
Councils get electric car cash
Grant Shapps: Councillors being given more powers than ever to ....

Local Government Finance Settlement

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:53:00 +0100

The Government announced on Monday the Local Government settlement for 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Central government Formula Grant funding for councils (including Revenue Support Grant and pooled Business Rates, but excluding Police Grant and the Metropolitan Police Special Payment) falls by 12.1% in 2011-12 to £24.9bn.

A transitional grant of £85m for 2011-12, benefiting 37 authorities whose ‘revenue spending power’ (broadly grants plus council tax) would have otherwise have fallen by more than 8.9%, has been provided to help minimise reductions for authorities facing exceptional decreases in grant allocation.

The Guardian has uploaded this spreadsheet for allocations to each council. The actual savings that your council needs to make will almost certainly be a different figure, not least because the headline figures don't make any allowance for unavoidable cost increases.

The full briefing from the Local Government Association can be downloaded here.

Cuts have to be made across all areas of government spending, and local government is no different.

Top things the Liberal Democrats should be saying:

The Lib Dems’ top priority has always been to ensure that the local government finance settlement is fair, and protects councils in the ....

Localism Bill

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:21:00 +0100

The Government has published the Localism Bill. It announced that this sets out six actions central government will need to take to achieve and maintain the radical shift in power, - in behaviour, expectation, and culture - which must go alongside the changes in law proposed in the Bill.

A simple guide to the Bill has been published here. www.communities.gov.uk/decentralisationguide.

Additional detail on specific Bill measures can be found at:www.communities.gov.uk/documents/newsroom/word/1795339.doc (Word, 67kb).

And the Bill itself is availabel The Localism Bill has been published at: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/localism.html (external link).

The LGA have produced a briefing on the Locallism Bill. The full briefing can be downloaded here. Our Minister Andrew Stunell writes on Lib ....

Pupil Premium details announced

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The Lib Dems in Government has announced details of the Pupil Premium for England as part of the Local Government Finance package.

In summary, the announcement means:
Additional money for schools that will benefit all children – specifically: an extra £430 for every pupil on free school meals and every looked-after child (£625 million in total in the first year)

The funding will rise to £2.5 billion each year by the end of this parliament.

Schools will get to decide how best to spend this money.

Artwork from the Campaigns department is available below and on Huddle (link to Huddle) are:

The figures are broken down by Local Education Authority area. Excel file

A full briefing on the announcement. Word file

A suggested press release template. Word file

Pupil Premium artwork PPP file
Pupil Premium artwork PDF file

By-election called for the 13th January - Oldham needs YOU now!

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:43:00 +0100

Only last week the ALDC team went to help on the campaign trail in Oldham East & Saddleworth. There’s a real buzz around the HQ – and there’s lots of canvassing and delivery to do.

Yesterday the by-election was called. Polling Day will be 13th January.

Please go and help if you can. Elwyn’s team has had many visits already from MPs, MEPs, Lords and Baronesses, councillors and hundreds of activists.

But there’s so much more still to do – in particular canvassing, which is really sealing the deal on the doorstep. The response on the doorstep to Elwyn Watkins' campaign has been very positive.

The campaign HQ is open from 9am till at least 8pm (but most nights a lot later – just ring if you’re coming), every day until Christmas Eve, then again from Monday 27th through to New Year’s Eve and will reopen on Sunday the 2nd January.

Please visit the HQ as often as you can up to Christmas Eve and between Christmas and New Year. Postal Vote application deadline is the day ....

All the fun of the Fareham

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:33:00 +0100

It’s probably fair to say that the news from the national political scene was not exactly the most helpful for those fighting by-election campaigns on 9^th December. But despite this we still managed to pull off an amazing victory in Fareham in Hampshire – a council dominated by Conservatives and with just 9 Lib Dem councillors.

The secret of their success is very simple - lots of hard work by a team campaigning on local issues. This meant that when voters went to the polls, electing a hardworking councillor who was addressing local political concerns was far more important than what was going on in Westminster. The campaign consisted of regular very local Focus leaflets and lots of work on the ground and goes to show that it’s possible to get impressive results regardless of the national situation. The result in Fareham adds to a string of brilliant by-election results in Hampshire since the General Election. In fact this result was even more amazing if you compare with the last ‘normal’ election (i.e. not combined with the General Election) in this seat since when there has been a 34% swing to the Lib Dems.

Unfortunately it wasn’t all good news with a defeat to Labour ....

Winning the fairer votes referendum

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:23:00 +0100

On the 5th May next year we can help change the way MPs are elected by getting as many people as possible to vote Yes in the AV Referendum. There are a range of ways to communicate with your electorate from drop in artwork, newspapers adverts, letters, street stalls, petitions, website buttons etc
You need to include all of these in your campaign.

A good Yes campaign will include:

Having the question in all your literature.

A letter to all D’s & P’s.

Using the drop in artwork in your Focuses.

Using the adverts in your own newspapers and in your local newspapers.

Having regular street stalls using the A4 posters, giving everyone a Yes campaign flyer and collecting names on petitions.

Sending letters to all petition signers.

Sending Letters to all our members and helpers.

And of course recording all data on EARS.

Website button follow this link.

The Campaigns Department have produced a range of aids, they are downloadable below:

Campaign posters PDF file
Campaign posters PPP file

Petition artwork PDF file

What do you think about Campaigner magazine?

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:13:00 +0100

Like all good Liberal Democrat campaigners, we want to know what you think!

Campaigner magazine is nearly four years old in its current format and so it's time for a revamp. For that reason we're asking all ALDC members to let us know what they think about the magazine - what is interesting, what's not interesting, how we can improve it and make it even more useful as a resource to Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners.

You can take the survey via this link. Please tell us your views. We will be revamping Campaigner early in the New Year and so now is the time to have your say.

Using the House of Lords to campaign

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +0100

Activists who are in constituencies with Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament are used to the benefits of having an MP to help their campaigning on specific issues. MPs can ask parliamentary questions, put down Early Day Motions and gather information through the House of Commons library. But, a massively underutilised resource is our peers in the House of Lords who can also provide a lot of information that will help with local campaigns.

Lib Dem peer Lord Tony Greaves has put together a useful guide as to the functions of the House of Lords and how these can help Liberal Democrat campaigns. If you want to use any of these functions then you are best contacting the relevant Liberal Democrat spokesperson in the House of Lords, or alternatively contact Tony Greaves by emailing him at tonygreaves@cix.co.uk

You can also download this information as a Word file here.

1.        Debates

Main debates, usually 2½ hours, occasionally 5 hours. Usually two debates on Thursdays up to the summer recess. Occasional “Liberal Democrat days” when we choose the topics. Once a month there is ....

Read All About It! 8/12/2010

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days.

In a fairly key interview over the weekend in The Independent, Nick Clegg tells us: No apologies. No regrets. No shame

It is always interesting to see what other people think of us. Here's the BBC's take on The different tribes of Liberal Democrats

For a fairly impartial view of what the impact of the proposed new system of funding higher education is on individual people, we found this from the Money Saving Expert.com: The argument over student loans could kill the next generation’s education

In other important news: Ed Miliband joins campaign for Voting Reform. If you're interested here's a list of all the Labour politicians who are supporting AV

In local Government, all from the MJ:
Planning Reforms Unveilled by Ministers
Front Loading Cuts Row shifts to Reserves
Council Tax Revaluation in Wales Abandoned

And finally, for something completely different, and only partially relevant, discussion from Sweden about how the junior parties in the centre-right coalition can maintain their own identity.

Tim Pickstone
tim.pickstoen@aldc.org

Poole Position...

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:54:00 +0100

There were four principal council by-elections in the week leading up to December 2nd, one of which was a rare Tuesday election out in Wales. The trend toward good news for incumbents continued unabated with three out of four contests resulting in holds, none of which were particularly close.

Tuesday’s match-up in the Ciliau Aeron ward of Ceredigion Council was the second Tuesday by-election of the year, after the famous Lib Dem defence of Whyteleafe in Tandridge on February 2nd (not that you needed to ask, of course). Out in the valleys, it was Plaid who held on despite a surge of almost 20% to Liberal Democrat candidate Sonia Williams, an encouraging result that we look forward to seeing surpassed by the Ceredigion team next time around. Of Thursdays two holds, we came out with silver on both occasions. In the Haydock ward of St Helens, Labour put on 11% to hit mid-60’s in vote-share whilst we slipped 10 points to 27%. Slightly closer was the 150 vote margin in Rugby’s Dunchurch & Knightlow, where Robert Turner Aird’s 40% of the vote kept the Rugby Lib Dems within touching distance of our Conservative ....

Please Help in Oldham East and Saddleworth

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:08:00 +0100

Polling Day will be 13th January.

Please go and help if you can. Elwyn’s team has had many visits already from MPs, MEPs, Lords and Baronesses, councillors and hundreds of activists.

But there’s so much more still to do – in particular canvassing, which is really sealing the deal on the doorstep. The response on the doorstep to Elwyn Watkins' campaign has been very positive.

The campaign HQ is open from 9am till at least 8pm (but most nights a lot later – just ring if you’re coming), every day until Christmas Eve, then again from Monday 27th through to New Year’s Eve and will reopen on Sunday the 2nd January.

Please visit the HQ as often as you can up to Christmas Eve and between Christmas and New Year.

The campaign HQ is in Greenfield (an easy walk from Greenfield train station). Details are on Elwyn's website here. Please go and help make Elwyn our 58th MP.

Campaigns Department artwork

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:16:00 +0100

The Campaigns Department have produced two ‘Campaign Update’ booklets, one for England and the other for Scotland & Wales.

They have also produced a collection of artwork for use in your literature, these can be used in whole or you can take out any part you want to use.

Download the files below:
Campaign Update booklet - England PDF

Campaign Update booklet - Scotland & Wales PDF

Lib Dems crackdown on the banks PDF
Lib Dems crackdown on the banks PPP

Don’t end up like Ireland PDF
Don’t end up like Ireland PPP

Don’t end up like Ireland A5 PDF
Don’t end up like Ireland A5 PPP

Lib Dems win for pensioners PDF
Lib Dems win for pensioners PPP

A fairer deal for students PDF
A fairer deal for students PPP

University funding ....

Candidates Briefing 2

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:12:00 +0100

In this edition of Candidate’s Briefing, we have another three crucial things that you should be doing now to help make sure you win next May.

Agreeing your campaign messages. One of the most important things you need to do is decide which key things you want the voters in your ward to know about you and the Lib Dems when they go and vote. These themes should then run through all of the leaflets that you do between now and polling day. You can read a post about working out your messages on the ALDC members-only site, including a sample message grid to help you out.

Thank your helpers. It’s important to keep thanking your helpers all year round, especially after polling day. But with the cold and snowy weather, now is another good time to thank your members. You could send them all a Christmas card, or alternatively go and visit them all. If you can afford it, getting them a small present or treat is also a nice thing to do. It means they know you really do appreciate their efforts, and will make them feel they want to continue. Given the negative publicity the party is getting in some of the national press, ....

Flying Start

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:12:00 +0100

ALDC is offering further training for next year's local elections with a Flying Start day in Taunton. This event is are organised jointly with the regional parties and the Campaigns Department and offer basic campaign skills for new activists as well as useful refreshers for experienced campaigners.

The programme includes basic campaign skills as well as more advanced skills, including Focus writing, winning organisation, canvassing and how to get out your vote. There will also be some mentoring of groups from different council areas to help you improve your campaign plans.

Saturday 8th January at Richard Huish College, South Road, Taunton, TA1 3DZ from 9.30 for 10am to 4pm. The cost is £10 for the day including lunch, and there is a 3 for 2 offer for groups. You can download a PDF containing further details of the programme and a booking form here. To find out more, contact Judith Cole at judithcole@cix.co.uk

Unfortunately the previously advertised event in Bedford has been cancelled. However, Winning Teams events will be taking place in the region soon in the New Year.

Christmas decorations - thank you letter

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:31:00 +0100

With Christmas fast approaching and as you go around delivering your Focus, calendars and Christmas cards you will be seeing an array of houses decorated with lights and other seasonal decorations. Below you can download a letter that you can drop off at these houses to say thank you to the residents for all the hard work they have put in to put on the festive and colourful display on their homes.

Thank you letter PDF
Thank you letter PPP

Local Government Resource Review - council motion

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:17:00 +0100

This council notes:

The national coalition’s plans for a Local Government Resource Review. Expected to launch early in 2011, this review will consider local business rate retention.

Council resolves to:

Write to the Secretary of State of Communities and Local Government asking that this review is given high priority so that this council can retain its business rate collection as soon as possible.

Crime Focus and Survey

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0100

This week’s ‘Best Practice’ is from the By-election in Oldham East and Saddleworth.

It contains an A3 Focus that highlights the cuts being made to the Police in Greater Manchester (GMP) as a direct result of the financial mess left by Labour. Along with this is a ‘Crime Survey’, which is addressed to the householders.

We like this as it is directed at getting the message over that the cuts that are happening to GMP it also sells what the local Lib Dem led council have done to cut ASB and crime. The survey also gets this message over but also asks what crime issues the residents have.

The download the files below:

A3 ‘Anger Focus’ PDF
A3 ‘Anger Focus’ PPP

‘Crime Survey’ PDF
‘Crime Survey’ PPP

MyCouncillor Major Upgrades

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0100

ALDC's popular "MyCouncillor" website system is getting a major upgrade in December. MyCouncillor provides free websites for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners (who are members of ALDC!).

Three main changes on their way:

You choose what news appears on your site:

At present the system only shows stories that you write on your website. This is great for people who want to update their website every day, but not so great for people who can't do this!

The new system will allow you to choose what news appears on your site, meaning it will always look and be "up to date":

- your own stories

- stories that other Lib Dems in your area have written (e.g. ward colleagues, council colleagues)

- national Lib Dem stories (a "once a week" story that ALDC will write)

- other news "feeds" that are appropriate to you - perhaps news from your MEP, Scottish news, etc etc

Making it easier for voters to interact with you/us online:

We're bringing together the main "voter interactions" that are possible online into one set of "voter contact" buttons. Everything from "join" to "help deliver FOCUS" to "register for a postal vote" or "take our local survey". Hopefully this will make things easier for people ....

Winning Teams

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Winning Teams is a programme of events throughout 2011 organised jointly by the Liberal Democrat Campaigns Department and the English regional parties, with support from ALDC.

It is designed to help any local party that wishes to take party build the sort of campaign team with the right skills that will help you win consistently in elections at all levels. It is based on the sort of work that was done in the parliamentary seats that had the most spectacular results in the May 2010 General Election, such as Redcar, Eastbourne and Ashfield. You don't have to be a massive local party or one that has traditionally had good election results, you just need to have the will to move forwards and upwards.

A number of Winning Teams events are being organised over the next year. Details of those that are confirmed so far are below and this list will be updated as we receive further information on these and those being held in other parts of the country:

Devon & Cornwall (contact Richard Pinnock r.pinnock@libdems.org.uk)

Devon (all venues TBC):

Weds 9th February 7pm-9pm

Sat 5th March 10am-4pm

Sat 21st May 10am-4pm

Tues 6th September 7pm-9pm

Sat 22nd October 10am-4pm

Tues 29th November 7pm-9pm

Cornwall ....

Getting organised in your campaign

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:09:00 +0100

It’s vital to have a clear campaign plan that shows month by month what you are aiming to do in your campaign until at least the next set of elections. Not only does it help you keep on track, but it also helps the rest of your team to understand the work that lies ahead. It is also very easy to slip and stop campaigning all year round if you aren’t clear on what you are trying to achieve.

The key items to include in your campaign plan are:

campaign literature - not just Focus leaflets but also direct mail, squeeze leaflets, street letters, postal voter recruitment, to name just a few.

time slots for campaign activity - canvassing, surveying, petitions etc

members and helpers newsletters and letters

members and helpers social events, fundraising and thank you events

eCampaigning - emails etc.

When you are writing your campaign plan, there are a few key things to consider:

be realistic - there's no point in putting in so much activity that you have neither the people or the money to achieve them, but...

be challenging - you need to push yourself to do a little more each week as ....

Read All About It! 1/12/2010

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local activists from the last seven days:

National news seems to have been dominated by the tuition fees issue:
Nick Clegg writes to Aaron Porter on ‘Right to Recall’ and tuition fees and here's what
100 Lib Dem PPCs had to say to Nick

Paul Burstow writes on Lib Dem Voice: Healthly lives.... Healthly people
Telegraph Nats get new powers despite taxing times for Salmond
Also in the Telegraph: An early return for David Laws?

Following the announcement that Margaret Beckett and John Prescott are to be leading 'lights' in the NO to fairer votes campaign the Observer asks: Two-tribe politics is over. But the likes of John Prescott can't see it

In local government:
From the MJ: CLG Publishes Standards Guide (and here's the actual guidance for post-Standards Board) and, the LGA Announces 140,000 job losses - and here's what Conservative Home had to say about these figures.

Last week saw the second by-election in Blaby District Council in Leicestershire in as many months. Once again, they managed a strong defence, which bodes well for both the party in Blaby and in other places around the country where we are fighting the Conservatives. The by-election was caused by the retirement of a long-standing and well known local councillor, which was always going to be a challenge. However, with a key issue in the area being the proposed development of land in the area by the Conservative county council, our candidate Antony Moseley was finally victorious.

The Plaistow ward of Chichester District Council saw its second by-election of the year, and the third in two years, following yet another Conservative resignation. Once again we recorded an impressive swing from Conservative to Liberal Democrat of nearly 20%, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough for victory.

Finally, we couldn’t let this week’s column go by without mentioning the incredibly impressive Aberystwyth Town Council by-election result. Our candidate Ceredig Davies, who is also the local county councillor and group leader, achieved a stunning 90.5% of the vote in a straight fight with the Conservatives.

ALDC recently held another successful ....

Councillor Reps on Federal Committees 2011-2012

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:39:00 +0100

The Party is currently seeking nominations for Liberal Democrat councillors to serve as the Councillors representatives on two Federal Committees:

- the Federal Executive Committee (there are 2 councillor places)

- the Federal Policy Committee (there are 3 councillors places)

Any Liberal Democrat who is a principle Councillor in Great Britain (any council, but not Town and Parish Councils) is eligable to apply. A ballot of all Lib Dem Principle Councillors will take place later in December.

You can download a copy of the nomination form here. The deadline is 10 December 2010.

Issue of the week - Your Chance to Influence Coalition’s Housing Policy

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 13:12:00 +0100

This week Andrew Stunell MP launched a consultation on the ‘Local decisions: a fairer future for social housing’ white paper, this could give councils new options in how they manage the housing they control in their area.

We have created a piece of artwork to get the message over that existing tenants tenancies are to be protected, download here the PDF file PPP file

Follow this link to read an article by Andrew Stunell on Libdemvoice.

The white paper is available from the DCLG’s website, follow this link.

We have created a draft council motion follow this link.

A fairer future for social housing

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Council welcomes:
The Government shifting power from Westminster to councils and communities.
As part of this, the government is carrying out a fundamental reform of social housing to:
·    Make the system fairer, by striking a proper balance between the needs of new and existing tenants.
·    Ensure that the support which social housing provides is focused on those who need it most for as long as they need it.
·    Give local authorities and housing associations new powers so that they can make best use of their housing, in a way, which best meets, the needs of individual households and their local area.

Council notes:
That present tenants will see NO change to their tenancies

For new tenants the government are giving councils the option of having fixed term tenancies as well as life time tenancies – this is an option for councils to take if they want to.

Along with: Fixed term Affordable Rent tenancies

The government are introducing a new ‘Affordable Rent’ tenancy to be offered by housing associations to new tenants of social housing from April 2011.

Affordable Rent properties will offer shorter-term tenancies ....

Consultation on council mergers, boundaries and size

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has launched a review in to how the commission undertakes reviews to the structures of councils in England.

The key areas it is is looking at are:

How minor changes to external council boundaries are handled, in particular when tidying up anomalies.

How mergers of whole councils are conducted, and what sort of business case needs to be made to the LGBCE for these to happen.

Proposals to introduce fastrack electoral reviews of councils - such as ward boundaries, councillors per ward, ward names and the cycle of elections.

Reviews of councillor numbers in an authority.

The consultation ends on 31st December and to take part you need to email futures@lgbce.org.uk

The two key documents that outlines the consultation and the issues to consider are:

On the right lines? A consultation on policy and procedures for Principal Area Boundary Reviews (PABRs) - PDF

Striking the right balance. A consultation on policy and procedures for electoral reviews (PDF)

Read All About It! - 24/11/2010

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:

In issues around local government and elections we noticed:
The Daily Mail reports on part of Nick Clegg's political reform programme in: Voters asked to provide signatures to prevent electoral fraud.

The Telegraph reports on Eric Pickles thoughts on the pay of the LGA Chief Executive in: Ministers tell chief executive of Local Government Association to cut his £302,000 total pay package (nb since then the LGA has announced that Ransford will take a £200,000 paycut)

From Lib Dem Voice: Andrew Stunell writes: Your Chance to Influence Coalition Housing Policy.

The MJ reports that Councils are Key to the Green Deal

Also some interesting more general articles about strategy and political parties:

Something really worth reading is the Political Betting website's really interesting article on opinion polls around our Party Leader in: Has Nick Clegg Hatred become a Substitue for Political Renewal

The New Statesman looks at relations inside ....

Universal Benefit leaflet

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The Campaigns Department have produced a ‘Universal Benefit’ leaflet.
This leaflet is good at getting the message over about how work will pay under the Liberal Democrats in government.

You can just use the inside and put it in your focus or newspaper if you want to.
Download the files below:

Universal benefit leaflet PDF
Universal benefit leaflet PPP

Schools White Paper Briefing

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

TOP LINES
Liberal Democrats believe that education is the engine of social mobility. This white paper aims to free schools from the bureaucratic and stifling Whitehall control, orchestrated by 13 years of New Labour meddling. Centralised aims and targets ensure that teachers and head-teachers are bogged down with paperwork instead of being free to teach and run their school effectively. And despite huge monetary investment in schools under Labour, we still suffer the national disgrace of a child’s educational attainment being linked to their parents’ income. It doesn’t have to be like this.

At the moment standards are low because teaching time is taken up with form-filling and box-ticking, and funding for the most vulnerable children is often misplaced. Too many children are still leaving school without the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. These new proposals will change this: freeing teachers to teach; giving their profession the status it deserves; giving local authorities a strong strategic role in ensuring fairness, and delivering a Pupil Premium to provide extra funding for the most vulnerable children.

Remember, under Labour:

·    Students on Free School Meals are only a third as likely to achieve 5 ....

A Crox to Bear...

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:18:00 +0100

November 18th saw a pair of Independence Days, the good people of Latvia and Morocco both celebrating the throwing off of their respective historical yokes, and six principal council by-elections taking place across the UK. The late-autumn gloom continues with very little to report on, only two of six seats changed hands and both of those went in Labour’s favour.

A double election in the Croxteth ward of Liverpool City Council was never an appetising prospect given Labour’s post-CSR bounce around Northern England. In the event, Labour held one and gained one leaving the council composition at fifty Labour, thirty five Lib Dem, three Liberals, and a pair of Greens. While the headline result looks bad, the local Lib Dem Focus team acquitted themselves well with a share of the vote well above the current trend-line for Metropolitan seats in the North. The second seat to change hands on the 18th was also a Labour gain, this time from the Tories, in the Wednesbury ward of Sandwell MBC. Labour put an extra 23% on their vote-share since the ward was last contested in May 2010; Lib Dems fell back by just over 8% to fourth place, ....

Save Our Cheques

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

This Council notes with concern that:
a)    high street banks are planning to stop accepting cheques despite protest from consumer groups and businesses
b)    in December 2009, the Payments Council agreed on behalf of the major banks to scrap cheques in 2018
c)    nearly four million cheques are still being written each day and that many people still prefer to pay for goods and services in this way
d)    believes many people and organisations including the elderly, businesses and charities, would be seriously affected as a result;
e)    126 MPs from all parties signed the original Early Day Motion 258 calling for the banks to reconsider their proposals, and that 53 MPs from all parties have signed the current Early Day Motion 507 on the same topic.

This Council further notes that on November 2nd 2010, David Ward MP presented a 10 minute rule bill to the House of Commons which would place a duty on the City Regulator, the Financial Services Authority, to ensure that cheques stay in use until suitable alternatives are found and that the Bill will be debated in June 2011.

This Council calls upon the Chief Executive to write to:
Our MPs to asking them ....

Issue of the week - Save Our Cheques

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The issue of the week this week is the ‘Save Our Cheque’ campaign, which is being led by Liberal Democrat MP David Ward from Bradford. David has laid a ten minute rule bill in parliament, and this has passed its first reading and the next one will be next June.

David’s team have created a campaign pack, which has all you need and can be downloaded from the link below in pageplus11.

We have amended the council motion slightly and this is in the council motion area here.

David has set up a Facebook site, (take a look here) and you can tag this or set up your own in support.

Download the files here:

Save Our Cheque PDF
Save Our Cheque PPP

BRIEF: Lib Dem top lines

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:11:00 +0100

This has been put together with information from across the party, thanks to Rob Banks from the LGA Lib Dem Group office for sending it to us.

Remember to make these points – if you don’t nobody will

Our values play a crucial role in the coalition.

And just look at what we have already achieved:

-         raising the starting threshold for income tax.

-         A £2.5bn pupil premium targeted at children in greatest need

-         a massive programme of constitutional reform including a referendum on fairer votes

These are real achievements that we can be proud of. And as the coalition continues people will see what a positive force we are in government.

[If pressed on coalition policies that aren’t Lib Dem manifesto policies] We did not win the election. As the smaller party in a coalition we cannot expect to get all of the policies we put forward in our manifesto. But we are making sure that the Liberal Democrats carry on being a strong voice in government.

The NUS

  download from the ALDC website here.

You can download the extra materials below, but here are a few tips on how to campaign:

Include Fairer Votes material in every leaflet that you put out until May 2011.

Make sure you ask people when you canvass and in all surveys and 'grumble sheets' how people will be voting. You can download a PDF Campaigns Department factsheet on this, that also gives you details of recording the information in EARS here.

Try and use as many of the materials provided by the Campaigns Department as possible, and use them 'as is' rather than adapting them. Whilst clearly Lib Dem, we need to get the support of more than just Lib Dem voters to win the referendum and so this material has been designed to fit with the overall messages of both our campaign and the non-party Yes campaign.

Use the Yes campaign to involve more of our members on an issue about ....

Opposition Watch

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:58:00 +0100

Keeping an eye on what your opposition is doing, especially Labour, is crucial to success in your campaign. Paying attention to the effectiveness of the opposition campaigns not only helps us assess the level of work that we need to do, but it also helps us work out if there are attacks and criticisms that we need to respond to. That doesn't mean you have to respond to every criticism they make - sometimes it may be best just to ignore it - but unless you know what they are saying you won't be able to make that call.

The template available below is for an insert that can be used in a local members and supporters' mailing to encourage people to send in copies of what they've received through their letterbox. It's not unusual for members to tell you that they have had a leaflet but they threw it away. This flyer will help to remind them that they must send in a copy. It's far better to get more than one copy than to never hear about it at all.

ALDC would also like you to send copies of any literature you obtain, this will help us to ....

Read All About it! 17/11/2010

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem Councillors and local campaigners over the last seven days:

Three major political stories continued to dominate the national media:

The violence at the NUS demonstration in London is reported by the Independent here as Student Riot Marks End of Coalition's Era of Consensus.

Meanwhile the Guardian wonders if the Phil Woolas Affair is about the Soul of the Labour Party.

The main Government announcment of the last week has been on Welfare Policy. Here are two Lib Dem views: Nick Clegg in the Guardian, Poverty plus a pound is not enough, and Steve Webb on Lib Dem Voice on Why Liberal Democrats should welcome the welfare reforms.

In the Municipal Journal (online as localgov.co.uk) two stories caught our eye, one good and one bad for local Government:

Independents' Day...

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:47:00 +0100

November 11th is, of course, the day on which we all reflect on both the fragility and the price of the freedoms we are lucky enough to enjoy. It also adds an extra resonance to the act of voting in an election that can often be lost on the other 51 Thursdays of a year. There were five principal council by-elections that took place on the 11th and ALDC received reports of one election contested out in the towns. The current political cold snap continues, with very little to cherry pick for Liberal Democrats; of the five elections, we were defending none, we stood candidates in two, and neither of those changed hands.

It was a good day for Independents. An Independent held the one seat they were defending in the Hunsdon ward of East Hertfordshire District, and another took the Forres seat on Moray Council in Scotland from the Tories, who collapsed into third behind the SNP and the eventual Independent winner on first preferences. The remaining three seats were all holds for the Conservative Party; a marginal decline in vote-share in the Rushall-Shelfield ward in Walsall wasn’t enough for Labour, who remained 28 votes ....

Issue of the week - 'Lib Dems Saving Our Post Offices’

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:58:00 +0100

This week’s issue is the ‘Lib Dems Saving Our Post Offices’.
Following the announcement by Liberal Democrat Ed Davey MP, the Post Office Minister, of the £1.3 billion investment in the Post Office network, securing the future of the remaining 11,500 Post Offices, we have prepared the following for your use:

Council Motion

Letter to the press

Focus artwork

MyCouncillor website article

Lib Dems saving OUR Post Offices

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:46:00 +0100

Following the announcement by Liberal Democrat Ed Davey MP, the Post Office Minister, of the £1.3 billion investment in the Post Office network, securing the future of the remaining 11,500 Post Offices, we have prepared the following artwork for use in your literature.

Download the files below:

Lib Dems saving our Post Offices PDF
Lib Dems saving our Post Offices PPP

Letter to the Editor - Post Offices

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:44:00 +0100

Dear Editor,
            I am writing to say that I fully support the Coalition Government’s plans to protect and improve our Post Offices here in Name Name, by investing £1.3 billion in the Post Office network. This money will mean local post offices will stay open longer and offer many more services. By providing bank account access for 80% of high street banks and advice for jobseekers amongst other services, our Post Offices will once again become the centres of their local communities. This is the complete opposite of what the last Labour government did when they closed over 5,000 Post Offices including Name the local post offices closed under labour here

Yours truly,

Name Name

Post Office Network

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:38:00 +0100

Council notes:
That the last Labour government closed over 5,000 Post Offices including Name of post offices closed in Name area

Council welcomes:

The Coalition Governments plans for Post Offices:

Post Offices becoming a one-stop shop.

To invest £1.3 billion in the Post Office Network.

Post Offices opening longer.

80% of bank accounts will be accessible in your local Post Office.

A central point of our community life.

Offering information for jobseekers,

Post Office services being offered at the shop till.

Small, local shops providing some Post Office services.

Council will: endeavour to put as much business through the Post Office network as possible, i.e. council tax payments and other council services

Council instructs: the Chief Executive to write to Postal Affairs Minister Ed Davey MP giving this councils full support.

Labour Cuts Leaflet

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:15:00 +0100

The Campaigns Department have produced a Labour cuts leaflet along with some more Labour cuts artwork for use in your literature.

Download the files below:

Labour cuts leaflet PDF
Labour cuts leaflet PPP

Labour cuts hit Britain PDF
Labour cuts hit BritainPPP

Collection of Campaigns Department artwork

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:33:00 +0100

The Campaigns Department have produced a selection of artwork supporting the Lib Dems in Government, these can and should be used in your literature, we have collated six of these pieces of artwork into one collection.

They include:

Labour’s Royal Mail mess

Lib Dems deliver for Britain’s pensioners

Lib Dems deliver 150,000 new affordable homes

Lib Dems increase minimum wage

Lib Dems save our Post Offices

Lib Dems freeze Council Tax

Download the files below:

PDF file

PPP file

Read All About it! 10/11/2010

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners over the last seven days.

Two big political stories in the last week. The first was around the disgraced and now former Labour MP Phil Woolas being found guilty of lying in election literature.

Here's the main initial Guardian report: Phil Woolas: A Lesson in irresponsibile behaviour, and if you've somehow missed a look at the disgraceful election literature that the good people of Oldham East and Saddleworth had to suffer earlier this year, here's a look: Phil Woolas Campaign Literature. Since then, there has also been the not very 'on message' reaction of Labour MPs.... Mutiny! Rebellious Labour MPs launch a fighting fund for Woolas

Also dominating the news has been the issue of tuition fees for higher education. Here's the telegraph's take Tuition Fees: A Good Compromise. I found Jo Swinson's article on Lib Dem Voice useful Jo Swinson MP writes on Tuition Fees.

On the day that George W Bush defended torture, Downing Street disagreed: Waterboarding is Torture: Downing Street Confirms

In local government, three stories cought our eye: Lansley: councils will have key role in helping ....

Integrating the national and local in Hull

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:11:00 +0100

Now we're in government, it's important to make sure that we get the credit for the positive announcements coming out of the coalition. Even more importantly, is linking what we are doing nationally to what we are campaigning on locally. Not only does this show that we have a consistent message, but that we are also getting things done nationally just as we are doing locally. With Labour continually pushing out negative messages about the coalition and with a largely hostile press, it is important we get out our own messages about the positive difference the coalition is making.

This tabloid newspaper from the Liberal Democrats in Hull is very effective at combining what we are achieving nationally with what we are achieving locally. Although we run the council in Hull, that doesn't have to be the case to show to voters that our national and local messages are the same. On a local level we can show some of the campaigns we have been running in individual wards and link these to what we are getting done nationally.

Don't forget the key messages when fighting Labour - just as this tabloid newspaper does:

Keep it local and promote why our candidates and ....

Lyth Spirit...

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:07:00 +0100

For many Egyptians, November 4th is better known as ‘Love Day’, a localised version of Valentine’s Day initially conceived, pun intended, in the 1970’s. If anyone needs a bit of love after last Thursday, it is our Liberal Democrat campaign teams across the country who’ve had a bit of a torrid time.

Of the seven principal authority by-elections that took place on the 4th, a total of four changed hands. Our worst result on the day was the loss of the Lyth Valley ward on South Lakeland District Council to the Tories by a wafer-thin 23 votes. A Conservative hold in Ponteland East on Northumberland County Council was cold comfort as they lost two of their defences to Labour. Plaid picked up a seat in the Cenarth ward of Carmarthenshire County Council with a healthy 80% of the vote. Labour were the main beneficiaries of the contests, holding a brace with successful defences in the Ladywell ward of Lewisham and Hulme in Manchester – where a turnout of only 10.9% makes it difficult to read much of a meaning into the result. Labour also picked up Coleridge ward on Cambridge ....

Campaigner Awards Best Direct Mail - Dacorum

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:12:00 +0100

One of the winners of this year's ALDC Campaigner Awards was Dacorum Liberal Democrats in Hertfordshire who won the Best Direct Mail category. They won for their campaign in the Aldbury and Wiggington by-election campaign. This successful campaign saw Rosemarie Hollinghurst take the ward from the Conservatives on a 26% swing.

A key part of their campaign was a large amount of direct mail - personally addresses letters to residents in the ward. These covered a wide range of topics, covering either local issues, postal voting or targeted at people with specific voting intentions.

As well as talking about a series of strong local topics, they are also good at putting across the key messages of the election campaign, include good photos of the candidate and adopt a friendly tone in the words.

Download the artwork

Environment letter - MS Word
New voter letter - MS Word
Parking letter - MS Word
Postal voter reminder letter - MS Word
Soft Conservatives letter - MS Word
Speeding and gritting letter - MS Word
Closure of tip letter - MS Word

Comprehensive Spending Review

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:59:00 +0100

This motion used by the Liberal Democrat Group on Cumbria County Council is based on one produced by the Liberal Democrat Group in the Local Government Association. It has been tailored to specifically mention Cumbria, but obviously should be localised for your own area.

Council regrets that the scale of fiscal consolidation in CSR 2010 was necessary but recognises that urgent action was required to rebuild the nation’s finances. In particular council notes:

That since the General Election the Government has had to borrow an extra £120 million every day, and that this is not a long term sustainable position.

That as a consequence of the comprehensive spending review, public spending in 2015 will be at a similar share of national income to that in 2006 – after nine years of Labour government.

That local government has been expecting cuts in central government grant since last November when the Labour Government (in its pre-Budget review) announced £72 billion of cuts from 1^st April.

That Labour have still refused to give any detail of the £72 billion cuts that they announced last November.

Council also notes that, despite the serious financial situation the country is in, the Coalition has been taking further steps to fight poverty ....

Rubbish survey

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:42:00 +0100

Recycling and the environment are always popular issues on which the Liberal Democrats like to campaign. It's also a good way of engaging with local residents on a subject about which they often have strong views. Most councils these days have made big strides in improving their recycling, but there's still a lot more that people can do.   Our Rubbish Survey is a good way of emphasising our environmental credentials and finding out the views of residents on recycling.

Our survey is designed with a letter on one side that can be mail-merged from EARS, and then on the reverse is the survey on rubbish and recycling. Direct mail is increasingly important in elections as the very fact that it's addressed means that more people are likely to open it and read it than an unaddressed envelope. It also stands out from the usual run of Focus leaflets or tabloid newspapers (although these are also important).

This survey can also be easily adapted to be about a different issue using the same format and with a change to the text of the letter. The rubbish survey should also be localised in the letter to address any particular issues that you have in ....

Candidates Briefing 1

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:36:00 +0100

In this month's Candidates' Briefing, we have THREE key things for you to be doing: (Please remember that most of the downloads and templates are for ALDC members only - join us online here and we'll sort out access to the downloads for you - don't forget it's half price membership for all candidates in next year's local elections!).

Getting the Plan Right / Auditing your Ward(s) - Essential to your success next May is to have a clear plan of what you are trying to achieve and sticking to it. It's a lot easier to do this though if you know what resources you currently have and what you need to improve. Although you may feel you know this already, it's always worth auditing your resources so that you can tackle any unexpected weaknesses in you plan. You can have the best plan in the world, but if you aren't able to deliver it then it makes no difference. A clear lesson from the elections in May is that those people who had the biggest and best campaign teams, had the best results. Click here for some quick Ward Audit materials to help ....

Read All About It! 03/11/2010

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem Councillors and local campaginers in the last week (please note this column goes to press on Wednesday morning, so anything on Student Financial Support is for next week....)

Post CSR its been a busy week for Government announcements, including many from our Lib Dem team on the front benches.

Labour tried to make an issue in the last week of proposals from the Government to cap Housing Benefit at around £400 a week (Observer: Housing Benefit Cut would make London Unaffordable). Amusingly Lib Dem Voice looked back at their own 2010 General Election Manifesto in Labour’s manifesto pledge to cap Housing Benefit

On the Environment we have seen the welcome launch of the Green Deal. Our very own Chris Huhne writes in Lib Dem Voice in Myth-busting: what the Coalition’s plans for nuclear energy really mean

The Evening Standard wonders if Now Nick Clegg is leading the Tories by the nose

In Local Government the big news has been the announcement that Mayoral Referenda will take place in twelve English cities on 5th May 2011 (though we now understand this is probably not going to be the case...) - here's the Liverpool Daily Post report. ....

2011 Local Election Timetable

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:25:00 +0100

ALDC has put together a timetable for the 2011 local elections on Thursday 5th May, including all of the key dates such as the deadline for nominations,

Some key things to note:

There are three sets of public holidays in the run-up to polling day. The Easter Bank holidays Good Friday 22nd April and Easter Bank Holiday 25th, then the Royal Wedding on Friday 29th April, followed again by May Day, Monday 2nd May. This means that the "official" campaign is longer than usual and your campaign will need to take in to account both the advantages and disadvantages of the extra holidays.

The local elections are on the same day as the referendum on the Alternative Vote.

Places that have parish and town council elections will continue to have their elections on this day (see here for further information).

This timetable only applies to places where there are local elections, the timetable will be different for the elections to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, which take place on the same day.

This timetable assumes that the Royal Wedding is a public holiday and it agrees with the Electoral Commissions published timetable.

The date of the publication of the notice of poll has ....

Springbank into Action...

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:35:00 +0100

There were three principal council by-elections this week, and one reported contest out in the towns. Labour held both of the seats they were defending; putting 17% on their previous tally in the Kentish Town ward in Camden, and a marginal increase in East Kilbride West in South Lanarkshire. In both seats, the Liberal Democrat vote held up better than current polling would indicate and we continue to track around 5% above our national opinion poll average when it comes to real elections.

Our featured story this week is the successful defence of the Springbank ward on Cheltenham Borough Council, where nearly seven out of ten voters backed Cheltenham Lib Dems’ Chris Coleman. With a history of regular Focus and street letters, Chris’ previous experience as a borough councillor, and a large store of public goodwill based on the association of the party with the popular Springbank Community Resource Centre, Springbank had all the makings of a successful campaign. This was delivered, with help from across the town and as far afield as Gloucestershire and Bath, and phone canvassing from the Western Counties phone bank. The campaign saw three Focus leaflets, including an excellent colour ....

Quotes of the week

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100

We have created some artwork for you to use in your literature, they are based on newspaper headlines or from articles in the media this week.

These can be used just as headlines or you can make them into an article.

The files for download are below:

Quotes PDF file
Quotes PPP file

Manifesto response letter

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:20:00 +0100

Many councillors have been challenged by the Liberal Party as to the policies we stood on in the election, below is a draft letter that you need to localise if you wish to respond. This sets out the many manifesto pledges that are now being implemented into government by the Liberal Democrats.

Dear Name,

During the General Election, I campaigned with the Liberal Democrats including to:
·         Raise the Income Tax threshold – the first step of £1,000 will be introduced next April
·         Restore the link with earnings to pensioners – the new “triple” lock so that pensioner’s income rises with that of the nation as a whole has been agreed by the coalition government.
·         The pupil premium has been agreed to help children from more economically deprived backgrounds
·         Trident will not be renewed in this parliament.
·         A commitment has been made to build more affordable houses for rent in this parliament than was achieved in the 13 years of Labour.
·         Inheritance tax cuts stopped.

It is a pity that your message failed to acknowledge these achievements by the Liberal Democrats (the successor to the Liberal Party).
I note that you ....

Winning in Winchester

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:24:00 +0100

This example of best practice is from the St. Paul's ward by-election in Winchester where we were up against the Tories in a close fought contest. In this contest the Tories had no idea what hit them and started a vociferous post-mortem at the count.

In the literature from the campaign, the Focus is straight to the point in saying it’s a clear choice between Lib Dem & Tory and so helping to keep the Labour vote down. It also very clearly compares the Lib Dem record against the Conservative record locally. This is very important in local contests where we are taking on the Conservatives despite being in a national coalition with them.
A common concern from activists across the country is how to counter Labour anger at the coalition. Winchester chose to not only make clear the local difference between the Lib Dems and the Tories in general literature. But they also produced strong squeeze messages and used the record of the local council to emphasise this further. If we’d lost the by-election the Tories might have regained control of the council. We wanted to demonstrate what that would mean for local residents. Our canvassing was ....

2010 Christmas Cards

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:39:00 +0100

Many Liberal Democrats send Christmas Cards to every house in their ward several wards or the whole constituency. These are a good opportunity to remind people that you are there all year round, without a heavy political message. People usually add these cards to the rest they receive and so unlike Focus leaflets they tend to be held on to for quite some time.

Key features:

This is a good opportunity to remind people of the contact details for your local Liberal Democrat team.

Some local parties, especially where they have an MP, or in some areas the councillors, organise a Christmas card design competition with local schools or children of party members. Alternatively, you could find a nice local scene. Either way, make sure the picture is one that people will want to keep and put on their mantelpiece. If you are organising a competition outside of the local party, make sure the card is not too political.

These cards do not need to be addressed but should be stuffed in to envelopes so they arrive like other cards they receive.

Christmas Cards can be printed on a Risograph, but they are much more likely to be kept if you can afford ....

Don't Forget ALDC this Christmas!

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:27:00 +0100

An easy way to support ALDC at this time of year - WITHOUT spending any extra money - is to make use of our Amazon and ITunes links.

Both of these work in exactly the same way - you have the normal full Amazon and ITunes websites, but for every purchase you make ALDC receives a small fee from Amazon or ITunes - you don't pay a penny more!

Amazon is a mail order website, one of the biggest in the world. Amazon isn't just books nowadays, departments include: baby, beauty, mobile phones, clothes, electrics magazines and music.

ITunes is the main source of music downloads in the world - but is also good for films, TV shows, and those "apps" that people have on their IPhones! You can also buy ITunes gift vouchers which can be a great gift for people who listen to music on their IPod or similar!

To buy gifts from Amazon, and support ALDC - click here.

To buy gifts from ITunes, and support ALDC - click here.

These links are available year round - find them at the bottom of any page on the ALDC website - www.aldc.org.

Half Price ALDC Membership for Candidates!

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:17:00 +0100

We don't need to tell you how important the elections in May 2011 are to the Party.

To help ensure that as many of the thousands of Lib Dem candidates next May WIN, we're offering HALF PRICE membership of ALDC to every Lib Dem candidate in the May 2011 local elections.

For as little as 75p week, all ALDC members will be able to benefit from:

exclusive access to campaign literature templates, artwork and advice

exclusive weekly "Campaigner" email, packed full of campaign issues, ideas, council motions and best practice

ALDC's bi-monthly members magazine "Campaigner"

a free "MyCouncillor" website

full access to our advice line and online advice - exclusively available to ALDC members.

It's not just councillors who join ALDC, we're also proud to have a large number of candidates, agents, local campaigners, Parliamentary and local party staff as members.

The 50% discount is only available for people who join us by direct debit. Join us "paperfree" online today by filling in your details here. Call us on 01422 843 785 for more information.

Group Members of ALDC? - why not add your candidates?

The most succesful local party in the 2010 elections was the London Borough of Sutton. What did they do in advance of the elections - ....

Read all about it! - 27/10/2010

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem Councillors and local campaigners in the last week.

Obviously the main news of the last seven days was the Comprehensive Spending Review, and its impact and aftermath. For background this was our members' background briefing on the day after the CSR (ALDC members only).

The day after CSR, the Guardian featured this interview with the Deputy Prime Minister: Nick Clegg interview: "This is a thoughtful plan over four years". Also from the Guardian: George Osborne has bloodied hands, but the voters are on his side.

The Daily Mail has a different perspective on some of the more Lib Dem aspects of the CSR: Liberal Democrats back biggest spending cut in history... with a few bribes to sugar the pill.

On the local government side, these are from the Municipal Journal:
Local Government faces toughest settlement
Councils Consider Alternatives as PFI Waste Credits Pulled
Cost Shunting Fears rise with £6 Billion Black Hole (on NHS costs being shifted to local government)
National Infrastructure Plan Announced

On a different subject, an interesting piece for people interested in using short videos in their campaigns on Lib Dem Voice: Making short political videos: ....

MyCouncillor Guides - Contents

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:31:00 +0100

Getting started

ALDC member to blogger in six easy steps

Basic tips and customisation

Adding your own photos to your blog posts

Customizing your MyCouncillor blog

Changing your website theme and appearance

Adding photos from the Internet, and from your Flickr or Picasa account

Editing the imprint on your MyCouncillor site

Adding a "Yes to Fairer Votes" button to your site

Advanced topics

Get more information about your visitors with StatCounter

Changing your website address

Understanding User Access Levels

Note to contributors

This post is set up as a contents page for the MyCouncillor How-to section. When you create a new how-to post, please not only add a link on this post, but change the publication date on this post so it still appears at the top of the page.

Last edited by Anders Hanson, 26th October 2010

Adding a "Yes to Fairer Votes" button on your site

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:04:00 +0100

The 2011 council elections will be on the same day as the "Yes to Fairer Votes" referendum. We should be promoting this campaign now by using materials from the official campaign and from the party (click here for the Fairer Votes Campaign Pack from the Campaigns Department).

You can also add a button to go in the sidebar of your MyCouncillor site that shows you are backing the campaign and at the same time creates a link through to the Yes to Fairer Votes website. As this is the non-party campaign, it's useful to make sure it is seen as you endorsing the campaign rather than it being a Lib Dem initiative. To win we need far more people than just Liberal Democrat voters to support the campaign.

How to add a Yes to Fairer Votes badge

Log-in to the Admin area of your MyCouncillor site. Click on 'Presentation' and then on 'Sidebar Widgets'. At the bottom of the screen you will see a box headed 'Available Widgets'. From here, drag and drop one of the boxes with the label 'WYSIWYG Text 1 [or another number]' up to the Sidebar where you want your button to appear.

When you have got the ....

Ward Audits

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100

As part of the targeting process all ward campaign teams should be assessed on their capacity to deliver a winning campaign. Many “safe wards” can stagnate and may have too often cruised through elections. Winning yet lacking true strength and adding little to the wider campaign.
An audit can awaken seasoned campaigners to weaknesses that need addressing and highlight to those newer to elections what needs to be done.

The Ward Web has been used at many events but needs tailoring to your local ward size.

The Ward Audit covers more specific needs   - our thanks to Islington for plagiarising this template.

Downloads

Islington's Ward Audit in Word

The Ward Web - PDF

The Ward Web - PagePlus

G8 Grants for Local Elections 2011 - Round 2

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100

G8 is a grants programme to support local parties campaign in local elections.

G8 is administered by ALDC, with kind support from the Federal, English, Scottish and Welsh Liberal Democrats. If you have local elections in 2011, then we may be able to provide financial support for your campaign in wards where you will be fighting particularly hard campaigns, either to gain the seat or where there is a tricky defence.

The 2011 round of elections is the biggest in the four-year cycle. This means a lot of demand for funding through the “G8” grants process. We want to maximise success so will be aiming to fund as many council areas and wards as possible.

We are now inviting expressions of interest for the second round. These grants will be to help your campaigning during January - March

grants will be in the region of £100 – £200 per target/held ward

council areas must make single applications, and must have a Campaign Plan (which we can help you with).

For a ward to be eligible for a grant in this round, the candidate(s) must be identified and appearing on literature and ALDC must be given their contact details.

If your council area has already been offered a grant ....

Mountains out of Mole Valleys...

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:59:00 +0100

It has been a bit of a marathon this week, with twelve principal council by-elections to report on. So, if you’re sitting comfortably…

Our featured story this week comes from Mole Valley Liberal Democrats, whose gain from the Tories in the Capel, Leigh, and Newdigate ward leaves them the largest party on Mole Valley District Council. The campaign capitalised on Iain Murdoch’s previous experience as councillor for the area, promoting Iain as the ‘listening’ candidate and recalling his former success in opposing the Conservative-run County Council’s unpopular nearby incinerator. The Focus team built on Iain’s reputation with three A3 spot-colour Focuses and a varied target mail campaign in which they emphasised the potential for becoming the biggest group on the council in letters to our members and supporters, whilst pushing the ‘listening candidate’ and ‘local candidate’ themes in letters out to soft Tories and Labour. With a lot of help coming in from neighbouring parties, particularly in the Surrey area, blue letters went out in double-quick time and 40% new canvass data was added, taking canvass coverage over the last four years to 75%. Whilst some residents became a little concerned by the fourth time they had been ....

News release - Lib Dems Help Disadvantaged Children

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:01:00 +0100

Name Name Liberal Democrats

Contact: Name Name Tel ????????????

Lib Dems Help Disadvantaged Children

The Liberal Democrats in Government are set to provide more money to give every child in Name a fair chance, meaning that no child is left behind in our area.

Children from two years old through to when they are twenty, will receive a share of over £7billion that will be spent giving disadvantaged children the fair start they deserve in life.

The plans include more access to pre-school education for two years olds; more money to help poorer pupils in the areas where they live and help to ensure every bright child has the opportunity to go to University - regardless of their background.

Cllr/Campaigner Name Name in welcoming the announcement said, “Helping the most disadvantaged children in Name schools will mean help for all children. It will also help us build a fairer society for everybody in Name area, with less crime and lower youth unemployment.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:
In the CSR the following has been allocated:

£300 million will be spent on 15 hours a week of early years education for children from disadvantaged ....

Leaflet on Labour's Betrayal

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:51:00 +0100

The campaigns department have produced a leaflet called ‘Labour’s Betrayal’ it is in full colour, we have used this as a basis for some drop in artwork and an A4 leaflet that can be printed on your Riso.

Below are the links to the files:

A3 drop in artwork PDF file
A3 drop in artwork PPP file

A4 drop in artwork PDF file
A4 drop in artwork PPP file

A4 Riso leaflet PDF file
A4 Riso leaflet PPP file

Issue of the week – CSR

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:25:00 +0100

This week’s issue is the ‘Comprehensive Spending Review’ (CSR).

This is of major significance to the way forward as we strive to get out of the mess left by the last Labour government.

We have created some artwork for use in Focus, one an A4 and one A3.

The campaigns department have produced two items, which we include, one on ‘Labour’s £120 million-a-day debt’, and we have produced a news release using the ‘A Fair Chance for Every Child’ as a basis to be localised for your area.

Below is the links to the files:

Artwork A4 PDF

Artwork A4 PPP

Artwork A3 PDF

Artwork A3 PPP

Presidential Questions

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100

To help ALDC members make up their minds on who to vote for in the Liberal Democrat presidential election, we asked them some specific questions relating to councillors and local elections. You can read their answers below.

SUSAN KRAMER

Despite assurances, party members continually express concern at the lack of communication of Lib Dem view points internally and externally on government policy and announcements particularly when these may differ from our own. What would you do to improve this?

Like most other Liberal Democrats I have been really frustrated at having no source but a hostile media to find out what the coalition is doing. We are in desperate need of effective internal communication and we have lacked the ammunition to let us make our case on the doorsteps. This is one of the key reasons that I decided to run for President of the Party.
I want to put in place effective two-way communication. I would travel the country listening to the grassroots and making sure their voices are heard by the leadership. But I also will expect to meet regularly with ministers/special advisors to make sure that we get information in a ....

Comprehensive Spending Review Information and Responses

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Please note some of this basic information on the CSR relates to England only, but hopefully useful background as well for colleagues in Wales and Scotland.

1 - Basic Information

This is the letter that Eric Pickles sent to all local authorities in England which outlines the basic points for local government.

This is the Local Government Association briefing.

The actual Comprehensive Spending Review (for real beadtime reading!) is here.

2 - Liberal Democrat position

Top Line: A Hard road to a fairer, more prosperous Britain.

Why? Economic: freeing nation of debt and the waste of interest payments;

Right thing - because we want to wipe the slate clean for the ....

Kickstart 2011

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Registrations are now open for ALDC's main campaigner training event of the year - KICKSTART - which takes place 26-28 November 2010.

Kickstart is for teams of volunteer campaigners - not just for those of us with elections in 2011, but also

great for people forward planning for 2012 and beyond. Every year we welcome teams and individuals from across the country who want to learn about how to win local elections.

The event has a great track record of success with teams who attend showing a better than average performance in the subsequent May's elections.

This year we're in Derby, at a great venue which used to be the British Rail Conference centre (pictured above), from the evening of Friday 26th November - lunchtime Sunday 28th November 2010.

The weekend consists of:

- training - over 20 hours of training on campaign techniques to suit all levels of expertise from complete beginner to experienced campaigner.

- mentoring - you and your team work together with an experienced campaign mentor throughout the weekend to work through your winning campaign plan

Don't worry if you are the only person who can attend from your area. We group individual delegates together to work in small teams with ....

Read All About It! 20/10/2010

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners from the last week in the media. Please note this is all PRE-Comprehensive Spending Review material, no doubt next week's column will focus on the CSR and its impact.

Prior to the CSR, the Independent reports on discussions in the "Star Chamber" on the spending review in One room, nine politicians, Britain's future on the table

But aside from the CSR, stories around education and giving children a fair start in life dominated the political media.

Here Nick Clegg writes to Lib Dem MPs over tuition fees. Here are the results of the LibDemVoice survey of party members on tuition fees. Here's a view from one party member on the issue in "Broken pledge: but we knew how bad it was in March".

The Guardian reports on Nick Clegg's announcement on the Fairness Premium in Nick Clegg: pupil premium will help future generations escape shadow of the deficit

Three local government stories from the last week - all, not surprisingly, cuts related:

From the Municipal Journal: CLG set to streamline management
and Half of voters feel councils will not face cuts

And from the Communities and ....

2011 C'llr Achievement Awards

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:32:00 +0100

LGiU and CCLA have launched this year's Cll'r Achievement Awards.

Do you know a councillor who works tirelessly for their community and deserves to be recognised? These awards recognise and reward the contributions of individual councillors across the country. Make your nominations now:

The categories:

Leader of the year

CCLA award for outstanding contribution to financial performance

Community champion of the year

Young councillor of the year

Scrutineer of the year

Online councillor of the year

Sustainability champion of the year

Partnership achievement of the year

New councillor of the year

The deadline for entries is 5pm, Friday 31 December 2010. These prestigious awards are being judged by leading councillors and experts in local government. Winners will be announced at the C'llr Conference in February 2011 where they will be presented with their award.

Ward electorates and the parliamentary boundary review

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The coalition government has committed to reviewing all parliamentary constituencies before each general election, to ensure they remain roughly equal in size and to take account of the proposed reduction in the size of the House of Commons.

All Liberal Democrat regional parties in England, along with the Scottish and Welsh state parties, have appointed a volunteer to help manage the process in their area, as well as responding to the final set of proposals from the Boundary Commissions.

The new boundaries will be drawn up based on the electoral register on 1st December this year. Until those registers are published and collated, we do not know for sure what size constituencies will have to be, but it is likely that they will have to be in a range of something like 72,000 to 80,000 electors. Unlike the old more flexible system, when this range has been fixed every constituency must fall within it unless it falls into one of the small number of very special cases (e.g. certain islands or the cap on the maximum geographic size of a constituency which will have an impact in Scotland).

Although the Boundary Commissions have asked for just one party contact ....

Watford and Winchester Winning

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:25:00 +0100

There were nine principal council elections held on the 14th October and they continued to be encouraging. The Tories held one seat, the Independents one seat, the Lib Dems two and Labour four. The only seat to change hands was a Labour gain from Plaid. In the two Parish council elections reported to ALDC the Independents held one seat and there was a gain by the Lib Dems from Independent.

With all the controversy swirling around and within the Liberal Democrats last Thursdays results continued to confound the pundits. We were defending two seats.

In the Watford Central Ward we had a very strong local candidate with a high profile going in to the campaign. This was particularly useful given that our sitting councillor was moving to the USA. Labour and the Tories made much of that running on “"Fred not Florida".

Labour used of heavy knocking copy on the coalition cuts. One last minute leaflet implied we were closing a community centre on the large council estate in the ward! We remained positive, running on a hard working local candidate who had helped set up a community action group and our ....

Members Pack

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:14:00 +0100

This months Best Practice is a Members pack which Withington Liberal Democrats are sending to there new members.
It includes a welcome letter from the Chair, a list of the local elected representatives, local party contacts, members survey, FAQ section and a forthcoming events section.
This is an excellent way of welcoming your new members.

Below is the link to the files:

New members pack PDF

What we have got out of the coalition word file

Chanukah card

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:53:00 +0100

Chanukah or Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights.

It dates back to two centuries before the beginning of Christianity.

In the western calendar Hanukkah is celebrated in November or December.

The word Hanukkah means rededication and celebrates one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history.
The story of Hanukkah

The festival reminds Jews of a time over 2500 years ago when Antiochus, a Syrian king, tried to make the Jewish people worship Greek gods. A statue of Antiochus was erected in the Jewish temple and the Jews were ordered to bow down before him. The Ten Commandments forbid Jews to worship statues or idols and so they refused.

This years festival starts on the 1st December, below are links to a card you can send to any members of the Jewish community in your area.

Chanukah card PDF

Chanukah card PPP

Diwali card

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:37:00 +0100

Diwali is one of the biggest festival of Hindus, celebrated with great enthusiasm and happiness in India. The festival is celebrated for five continuous days, where the third days is celebrated as the main Diwali festival or 'Festival of lights'. Different colorful varieties of fireworks are always associated with this festival. On this auspicious day, people light up diyas and candles all around their house. They perform Laxmi Puja in the evening and seek divine blessings of Goddess of Wealth. The festival od Diwali is never complete without exchange of gifts. People present diwali gifts to all near and dear ones.

This Years Diwali starts on the 5th November, below is a link to a Diwali card you can send to any Hindus in your area.

Diwali PDF file
Diwali PPP file

Issue of the week – Wear it Pink campaign

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:09:00 +0100

29th October 2010, is this years ‘Wear it Pink’ day, this is in support of Breast Cancer Research.
We are supporting this campaign and have the following for you to use to get involved yourself and to help others to help raise the profile of the campaign:

An article for your MyCouncillor website.

A letter to your local paper.

A press release.

You can also send emails, get free balloons, a collection box, paying in slip, gift aid form, sticker’s and posters by clicking on the links above.

Wear it Pink campaign - letter to the press

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:03:00 +0100

Dear Editor, on 29th October it is ‘Wear it Pink’ day and Name Liberal Democrats will be supporting the campaign to raise money for the Breast Cancer research. We would encourage others to support the campaign as well by logging onto the ‘Wear it Pink’ website at www.wearitpink.co.uk this can be a great way to raise funds for a worthy cause whilst having some fun.

Yours truly,

Cllr/Campaigner Name Name

Draft News Release - Wear it Pink Campaign

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:35:00 +0100

Draft News Release

Contact Name Name
Tel.???? ????????

Lib Dems going PINK for the day

Local Liberal Democrats are joining the ‘Wear it Pink’ campaign on the 29th October.
Cllr/Campaigner Name Name said, “The ‘Wear it Pink’ campaign is a great way to support the valuable work to find a cure for breast cancer”.
“On Friday 29th October I/we will be….. put here what you are doing to raise money for the campaign i.e. dressing up, street collection etc ”.

You can find more details by looking at the ‘Wear it Pink’ website at: www.wearitpink.co.uk

END

Notes to Editors:
Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure
The charity currently funds 105 projects worth almost £16.2 million in 38 locations across the UK and Ireland
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women
In the UK, nearly 46,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year – that’s 125 a day. ....

Read All About It! 14/10/2010

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:19:00 +0100

This week's recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners.

This week's political news is of course dominated by the Browne report in to student funding. It's worth having a look at the report itself if you have the time as there is a lot more to it than the parts mentioned in the news headlines. Also worth reading is Vince Cable's statement to the House of Commons which outlines his reasons for proposing changes to higher education funding. One early reaction that we particularly liked (and it's worth noting that this is just the start and further announcements are to follow on what will actually happen) is a reasonable and well balanced article from Three Rivers councillor Sara Bedford.

Whilst we're linking to stories from Liberal Democrat Voice, there's one from a few weeks ago that we think is still worth reading. It's from Southwark Liberal Democrat Laurie Eggleston and tackles head on the complaint from people who voted for us to stop the Tories - Lent us your vote to keep the Tories out? Thanks it worked. This is worth telling your other activists about, especially those who are out knocking ....

Council Motion - “TENANT TAX” REFORM

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Council motion “TENANT TAX” REFORM

Council welcomes: the news that the government has committed itself to the key Liberal Democrat pledge of providing more social housing by scrapping the Housing Revenue Account subsidy system.

In particular, it welcomes the council retaining income from rents on council properties, rather than seeing the rental income from tenants going to Whitehall for them to recycle to other council tenants elsewhere in the country.

Council believes: this new policy will lead to a much-needed boost for repair and maintenance of existing council properties, and for the building of new social housing.

It congratulates all who worked hard for this change in approach, including the Local Government Association and those involved with the "My Rent went to Whitehall" campaign.

Council resolves to:

1.    Condemn the previous Labour Government for its 13-year-long failure to reform the HRA system, which meant that fewer council homes were built in their term of office than in any comparable period since the Second World War.

2. Welcome the Coalition announcement that they plan to build 150,000 affordable homes to start helping some of the 1,000,000 families stuck ....

Blaby on Board...

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:43:00 +0100

It has been a good week for defences, with seven of nine principal council by-elections resulting in a hold for the incumbent party. The Tories held two of their four defences; a head-to-head with Labour for the Tithebarn ward on Wyre Borough Council where they sauntered in with 73% of the vote; and in the Maidenblower division of West Sussex County Council with a less impressive 64%. The only seats to change hands on the 7th both went from Tory to Labour. In the Irwell ward on Rossendale Borough Council the Conservatives dropped almost 14% of their previous vote, mainly to the Rossendale Lib Dems who took 24% on their first attempt, and Labour crept over the line with a marginal increase. The Tilgate ward of Crawley saw the absence of both the Liberal Democrats and BNP from last time around give Labour the 15% boost that carried them to victory. In addition to this gain, Labour successfully defended the Healey and Whitworth seat on Rossendale, where they put on 20%. Down by the seaside, the Morecambe Bay Independents held in the Harbour ward of Lancaster City Council, where Labour’s absence from the ....

Issue of the Week - HS2

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:49:00 +0100

This week’s ‘Issue of the Week’ is the announcement of the High Speed Rail Link2 (HS2), which will see a new high-speed line from London to include a ‘Y’ shaped network-providing links to the Midlands, North West and the North East.

To support this we have produced:

A Council motion

Focus Artwork - PDF - PagePlus

MyCouncillor website article

News release

Use these to promote this if it is in your area.

HS2

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:40:00 +0100

Draft News release

XXXXXXXX Liberal Democrats
Contact Name Name tel number

XXXXXXXX Lib Dems welcome High Speed Rail announcement

Local Liberal Democrat Cllr/Campaigner Name Name has welcomed the Coalition Government’s announcement of the new High Speed Rail Link (HS2), to include a ‘Y’ shaped network providing links to the Midlands, North West and the North East.

Cllr/Campaigner Name Name said "The ‘Y’ link will mean the great majority of the British population will have direct access to the high speed network like here in XXXXXXXXX, it will deliver major economic benefits totaling many millions to the economies in our area."

”It is a clear demonstration of our government's commitment to creating jobs and prosperity, by investing in capital infrastructure like the high speed rail link and continuing to ensure a fair deal for the North”.

Journey times between XXXXXXXXX London, Leeds and Manchester will be slashed making travel to these cities quicker and easier than ever.

ENDS

HS2

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:19:00 +0100

Council welcomes:
The announcement of the new High Speed Rail link (HS2) from London to include a ‘Y’ shaped network-providing links to the Midlands, North West and the North East.

Council notes:
The "Y option" has been chosen, meaning two high-speed lines will branch out north of Birmingham at Lichfield with a line towards Sheffield, Leeds and the East Coast mainline and a line towards Manchester and the West Coast mainline.

Council also notes:
The ‘Y’ link will mean the great majority of the British population will have direct access to the high speed network, including XXXXX area, will deliver major economic benefits totaling many millions to the economies in the North and Midlands.

Council resolves to:
Write to our MP/s asking that they support HS2 in parliament and the Chief Executive to write to the Transport Secretary giving this councils support to HS2.

Proposed

Seconded

Fairer Voting System

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:13:00 +0100

This Council supports moves to change our parliamentary voting system, which will see XXXXXXXX Members of Parliament elected under a fairer system.

Council calls on the Returning Officer to take steps to promote participation in the Referendum.

Proposed

Seconded

Campaigning in Coalition

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:23:00 +0100

ALDC has produced a new members pamphlet to address some of the issues raised for councillors and other local campaigners from the Party being in Government.

"Campaigning in Coalition" is an A5 pamphlet which is free to download for ALDC members.

The publication prints out on 10 pages of A4.

Issues addressed include:

- campaigning on local issues
- winning against Labour
- winning against the Conservatives
- developing a dialogue with the voters
- making the most of members and supporters

and a directory of useful resources and sources of help and information.

ALDC members can download here. You will need to log in first, as it is in our secure file library.

The Electoral Register used in byelections during the annual canvass

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:22:00 +0100

Who should be included in the Electoral Register used in By-Elections that take place during the annual canvass period (1st July - 1st December)?

Guidance from the electoral commission in its publication for returning officers "Managing electoral registration in Great Britain: guidance for Electoral Registration Officers" -
makes it pretty clear that:

Rolling register applications or annual canvass applications (or amendments) received by the 11th working day before polling should be including in the register used for the election irrespective of which form is used.

It applies to Parishes as well as principal authority elections.

The final register to be used on polling day must be published by fifth working day before the poll. Successful applications from both rolling registration forms and returned canvass forms are added to the register by this notice of alteration.

Any form, whether a canvass form or a rolling registration application form, that:
• is delivered by post or in person to the office of the Electoral Registration Officer; or
• has been collected by a canvasser who is undertaking house-to-house enquiries on behalf of the Electoral Registration ....

Read all about it! - 06/10/2010

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:23:00 +0100

Some recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners from the last week.

This week it's been the Conservatives in the news, with their conference at the ICC in Birmingham.

Here's the Guardian on Cameron's speech in David Cameron Fairness People Deserve

Here's the BBC on the discussion at Conservative Party Conference on Why did the Tories not win?

Looking back at the Labour Party conference the week before:

The Observer's piece on How Labour's Family Saga has Changed the Party

In local government and related news:

Local Authorities to Retain Council House Rent (MJ)

Sandwell Seeks Legal Fight over BSF (MJ)

Birmingham Launches £100 Million Solar Scheme (Inside Housing)

Two interesting pieces on LibDemVoice we liked:

The Saturday Debate: Local government is to the Lib Dems what the unions are to Labour and big business is to the Tories (Stephen Tall)

Laurie Eggleston argues that we should be talking more about Europe: Opinion: Lets Talk about Europe

You might like to take a look at (the first in) a new feature on the ALDC site

"Tell us what you think" - this week about Eric Pickles' announcement on Council Newspapers?

Finally it's worth reading Mark Pack on Thinking of standing for Election or Re-Election next ....

PagePlus X4 - Lib Dem Special Offer

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:08:00 +0100

The latest version of PagePlus is now available to download with a special offer price exclusively negotiated for Liberal Democrat campaigners by the party's Campaigns Department.

PagePlus X4 is very similar to PagePlus 11, but it includes extra features that will allow you to produce even more exciting artwork. You can find out more about the benefits of PagePlus X4 in this special guide from the Lib Dem Campaigns Department.

All ALDC (and Campaigns Department) templates will continue to be produced in PagePlus 11 until the 2011 Local Elections, however after this ALDC expects to change to X4 along with the wider party. Although all templates and other artwork produced in PagePlus 11 can be opened in PagePlus X4, the same is not true the other way round.

You can access the special Lib Dem offer for PagePlus X4 by following this link to the Serif website.

If you use one of the three main printers used by the Liberal Democrats - Park Communications, Harmsworth Printing and Graphic Offset - you can also download a zipped folder that includes the PDF profiles used by these three major suppliers so that you can export PDF files in ....

What do you think? Council Newspapers

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:24:00 +0100

The Department for Communities and Local Government are consulting on new proposals to tighten up on rules for council newspapers. At the end of September, the Secretary of State Eric Pickles MP announced new proposals to "stop taxpayers’ money being squandered on town hall newspapers." These measures will include stopping the production of newspapers more than four times a year, and ensuring that papers will neither be in competition with the local press nor allowed to cover any issues other than promoting council services.

See the CLG announcement here

and the related Guardian report, here:

ALDC is asking our members what you think about these proposals.

Our colleagues in the Liberal Democrat Group at the Local Government Association have already condemned Mr Pickles’ announcement as being contradictory on localism and arguing that the vast majority of council papers "do not compete with the private sector. They provide a unique information service to keep residents informed." See the LGA Lib Dems' press release here.

For us, the issues are:

- councils do need to communicate with their local residents, local people need to be informed about the services that the council provides

- there have no doubt been instances where local councils have "abused" ....

No News (Ain't Good News)...

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:01:00 +0100

Whilst the good people of São Tomé and Princípe were busy celebrating their annual ‘Agricultural Reform Day’, an altogether less exciting spectacle was developing across the Atlantic. Of the six principal council by-elections that took place on the 30th, Liberal Democrats only ran in four, and came second in all of them!

Admittedly, grabbing second place wasn’t the greatest of challenges in the Alderley ward of Cheshire East, an election that featured only two candidates. Elsewhere, our strong showing in the South West continued with the Sedgemoor Lib Dems pushing the defending Labour party into third place, taking over 30% of the vote in Woolavington. The Battle Hill ward of North Tyneside council saw the Lib Dems hold at a comfortable 35% of the vote, dropping marginally on May’s result but not by much. The more distant finish was second place in Brandon ward of Durham County Council, where Labour’s 64% vote-share saw them through to an easy hold – the Durham Lib Dems still out-polled the third-place Tories by around four to one. Tameside remains a bit of a desert, with no Lib Dem candidate in the Longendale by-election, and the ....

Select your candidates now

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:40:00 +0100

If you haven't already selected the candidates you need for 2011 in your target and marginal council wards, then this Autumn is the time to be getting on with it.

There is plenty of evidence that the more time people have to get to know the name of your candidate the better, and so getting your candidates selected now will give you a real boost next May. A key piece of advice for anyone up for election next year is to keep it local and to get on the doorstep. You stand a much better chance of victory if local residents know who the local candidate is and have met them on the doorstep (or at least a member of their team). But this of course means you have to select one first.

We have produced a factsheet that gives you useful information on how to organise a candidate selection, including both the rules and some best practice. You can also download a number of files that will help you to organise the selection efficiently, such as a timetable, model letters to candidates and members and adverts to help find candidates. This is all available exclusively for ....

Campaigner Awards Best Focus - Manchester Withington

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:48:00 +0100

The winner of this year's Best Focus in the ALDC Campaigner Awards came from the Burnage Ward of Manchester City Council, a part of the Withington constituency of John Leech MP.

This Focus was a part of the campaign to re-elect John Leech as the local MP and also saw Bill Fisher elected as the local councillor.

We liked this Focus for a number of reasons:

It uses pictures really well. A Focus doesn't need to be in colour to be a good Focus, but it is still important to make sure it includes lots of pictures. Not only do pictures work well at getting across a political message, but they also show the Lib Dem team working well together.

The Focus combines both the General Election and the Local Election campaign well. Although John Leech has a lot of prominence, he is shown as part of the local team and not just the parliamentary candidate.

The Focus contains both positive reasons to vote Liberal Democrat as well as negative reasons why not to vote Labour or Conservative. It

is important to make sure leaflets are well balanced between both aspects.

The Focus covers national issues, but relates ....

Read All About It! 29/09/2010

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners in the last week.

Political news this week has been dominated by the Labour Party conference, and in particular the election of their new Leader. The media made much of the fact that Ed Milliband didn't receive the support of either Labour Party members or MPs. Take a look here on how your local Labour Party voted (also interestingly tells you their membership figures!!!) and here for how Labour MPs voted.

Three interesting bits of media on Ed Miliband's election and his speech.

Guardian Columnists reaction on Ed Milliband's Leaders Speech and for a bit of balance, The Telegraph "Ed Milliband will say anything if it means getting into Downing Street" and for a Liberal Democrat perspective, here's Lib Dem Voice's Stephen Tall's first reactions:

Towards the end of last week was evaluation of our conference in the media, and you might like these items:

Decca Aitkenhead - Lib Dem Conference Welcome to the Party and Vince Cable is right: capitalism is neither good nor evil – just useful

In local government media we spotted:

Councils 'impose' credit card fees for service payments (certainly worth a ....

Council group development plans

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Whilst many local parties have development plans to help organise their campaigning all year round, it's useful for council groups to do something similar.

A group development plan is a helpful tool to make sure that you create an active, campaigning council group, and also helps to identify the gaps in skills and knowledge within the group. The example plan that you can download below helped that particular group improve its skills - such as helping them to use EARS effectively - as well as implementing a system for policy development and raising the profile of the work of the council group.

Downloads

Example Group Development Plan - MS Word

ALDC also produces a pack called Effective Group Management that provides lots of useful information on how to organise your council group as well as other guides on organising away days, councillor mentoring and councillor one-to-ones. You can buy a copy in the ALDC shop.

Devon Delight

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:05:00 +0100

There were six principal council elections held on the 23rd September. The Lib Dems made a gain from the Tories and the Tories made a gain from the Lib Dems. There were two holds each for both the Tories and Labour. In the one Town and Parish Council result reported to ALDC there was an Independent gain from Labour.

The Ipplepen by election on Teignbridge District Council was a great result for the Lib Dems. The campaign was intentionally very local and focussed on John’s record of campaigning. He ran a campaign on speeding in the village and reminded voters of the campaign he ran last year against the threatened closure of the local library. Two good issues that got the vote out.

To add to the strong positive campaign messages we targeted the postal vote. We ran a postal vote recruitment campaign and then worked vigorously to get them out to vote - around 25% of those who voted, voted by post. Our candidate led from the front knocking on every single door in the ward during the campaign. An example to every candidate. The Tories canvassed in ....

Issue of the Week - Autumn Conference

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:00:00 +0100

This week heralded our autumn conference in Liverpool, over 7,000 people attended; to help you communicate this, we have produced the following material:

Words and a picture to use in an article for your members newsletter

A MyCouncillor article - click here for an example MyCouncillor site article (just copy the whole article (including the picture) and paste into your My Councillors site.

A press release - click here for our draft

Conference news release

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:42:00 +0100

News Release
Name Name Liberal Democrats

Contact Name Name tel ???? ???????

Cllr Name Name hails Lib Dem Conference Success

Cllr Name Name is buoyant and upbeat after returning from the Liberal Democrats Conference in Liverpool, “The conference had a very positive feeling, with many delegates applauding how Nick Clegg and his team have been able to get so many Liberal Democrat manifesto promises into the coalition agreement and now being delivered in government”.

“These promises include nearly a million of the lowest paid workers being taken out of paying tax from next April, the restoration of the earnings link for the basic state pension from next April, with a ‘triple guarantee’ that pensions are raised by the higher of earnings, prices or 2.5%. These are alongside the scrapping of ID card scheme, outlawing the finger-printing of children at school without parental permission, stopping the police keeping the DNA of innocent people, a referendum on fairer votes and the ending of storage of internet and email records without good reason and many other good Liberal principles”.

“What I really liked was the way that the Liberal Democrats are ....

Members Conference newsletter article

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:11:00 +0100

??? members of the Lib Dem team here in Name area have just returned from the Liberal Democrat Party conference in Liverpool.

What a busy week it was. It’s the first time (since the 1930s) where the Liberal Democrats have been a Party of Government, and as a result there was more media interest making this was by far the largest Lib Dem (or Liberal) conference in living memory – with over 7000 people attending.

Conference is a busy mix of debates, speeches, training and “fringe” events. So there was no shortage of events to keep the ??? delegates from Name area busy throughout the week.

Conference kicked off on Saturday with a Conference “rally” with Nick Clegg MP and Art Malik launching the Liberal Democrat support for the “Fairer Votes” referendum next May.

Sunday saw Q&A with the Deputy Prime Minister, where ordinary Party members got an opportunity to ask Nick about his role in Government.

Monday ....

Campaigner Awards 2010

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:01:00 +0100

The Party President Ros Scott along with Daniel Bridgeman (from the sponsors Midshires and Riso) presented this year’s Campaigner Awards at a packed meeting at the Federal Conference in Liverpool.

This year's Campaigner Awards attracted an ever-improving quality of entries with the overall winner coming from Bath & North East Somerset Radstock Ward, who took the seat with 40.1% of the vote share after not having a candidate in May, and indeed Simon Allen is the first Liberal Democrat elected in the town. See the literature here. (ALDC members should log in first before seeing this link!)

The Best Membership Literature winner was Monmouthshire with the Highly Commended going to Watford, the improvement in this section is very noticeable and will we are sure increase the readership of the newsletters.

The Merton team won the best literature by a volunteer campaigner with the highly commended award going to Meon Valley for their Owslebury & Curdridge ward campaign literature.

Sutton won the best ward campaign for their campaigns in the local elections May that resulted in eleven gains, which was against the ....

ALDC at Liverpool Federal Conference

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:45:00 +0100

The team from ALDC are now back from the Party's Autumn Federal Conference in Liverpool. Conference was the largest Liberal Democrat (or Liberal) conference in living memory, one of the many impacts of the new circumstance of being a Party of Government in Westminster.

Here's a selection of photos from our Flickr Site.

And here are some of our highlights!

Annual General Meeting and Campaigner Awards 2010

A very well attended AGM (over 250 members) undertook the formal business of the Association (annual report, accounts, membership fees etc). This was followed by the popular ALDC Campaigner Awards where a number of succesful campaigners won money for their local party. The overall winners were Bath and North East Somerset Lib Dems for their Radstock by-election - see separate post for more information.

Members' Reception

We were happy to welcome both the two ....

ALDC Management Committee 2010-2012

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:31:00 +0100

Statement from the ALDC Returning Officer 2010

At the deadline of 1.00pm on 24 September 2010, nominations had been received from the following members who have been declared elected to serve on the ALDC Management Committee 2010-2012.

President:

Cllr Veronica German (Torfaen)

Jon Burden (Hammersmith and Fulham)

Cllr Sarita Bush (Hull)

Cllr Stan Collins (Cumbria & South Lakeland)

Steve Hitchins (Islington)

Cllr Graham Knight (Mid Sussex)

Cllr Isobel McCall (Milton Keynes)

Richard Ormerod (Durham)

Cllr Jeanette Sunderland (Bradford)

Cllr Chris White (Hertfordshire)

Cllr Willie Wilson (Perth and Kinross)

Welsh Represenative:

Cllr Kevin O’Connor (Merthyr Tydfil)

Scottish Representative:

Vacant

English Representative:

Vacant

Bruce Hubbard

ALDC Returning Officer

brucelhubbard@hotmail.com

LGA Lib Dem Budget Conference

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

LGA Lib Dem Budget Conference
Friday 22nd October 2010
Local Government House, Smith Square, Westminster

Is your Council going to have a tough time with its budget?
Would you like help with your budget and how to get the politics right?
Would you like to know the effect of the Comprehensive Spending Review on Local Government?

All these questions can be answered in a one day session run by the Lib Dem Group at the LGA on Friday 22nd October 2010, two days after the Comprehensive Spending Review.

All Lib Dem Councillors and Researchers welcome.

Led by Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Leader of Portsmouth, Deputy Lib Dem Leader at the LGA and a National IDeA Peer, he will be joined by Stephen Jones, Director of Finance at the LGA to provide a programme of briefings and political advice for council groups preparing their budgets. ....

Annual General Meeting 18 September 2010

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

ALDC's Annual General Meeting took place on Saturday 18 September 2010 in Liverpool on the first evening proper of the Party's Federal Conference.

We'll post the minutes of the meeting (as a link from this post) as soon as they are available, but in the meantime here's a summary of what happened:

Present
There were around 250 members of ALDC present, and apologies were minuted from around 40 members.

Minutes of the 2009 AGM
Agreed

Report of the Management Committee 2009-2010
ALDC's Chief Executive Cllr Tim Pickstone presented a summary of the written report that had been circulated to members in "Campaigner". This included:
- the challenging year with the General Election and the Party being in Government
- new initiatives from ALDC including the weekly Campaigner emails, the councillors' and candidates' handbooks
- development ideas for the coming year.
Tim thanked the members of the Management Committee for giving their time in a voluntary capacity.

Questions from members included:
- lessons which can be learnt from Labour
- lessons from joint elections
- lessons from local authority by-elections

Accounts 2009
Mike Ward, ALDC's Treasurer, presented the accounts for 2009.
These were accepted.

Auditors 2010
Riley and Co were appointed as auditors for 2010

Membership Fees 2011
These ....

Read All About it! 22/09/2010

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:07:00 +0100

Some recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners over the last week.

Obviously it's been our conference week, which has no doubt been the most interesting news coverage for most Lib Dems. Others will no doubt do a more comprehensive list of conference news coverage, but three we noticed were:

Nick's start of conference interview with the Observer.
A podcast of the Nick Clegg Q&A session (a recording to listen to).
Nick's speech (to read).
The Independent's write up of Nick's speech.
And finally The Guardian's Andrew Sparrow's list of 10 things that he has learnt at Lib Dem Conference
(the latter is part of a regularly updating blog entry, but it includes the rather useful quote "The Lib Dems are not turning into a right wing party").

Away from Conference in the Local Government press:

Andrew Stunell announces the end of the Standards Board (here, here!)
30% cuts rumoured for CLG department
Welcome news of new power for TIF borrowing

Not that it means its necessarily true! - but here's the Telegraph's list of the top 25 most influential Liberal Democrats.

I never thought I'd be quoting from my own local newspaper in this column, but ....

2011 Calendar templates

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Calendars are useful items to deliver to each house in your ward or constituency in the run-up to Christmas or at the start of the New Year. Many people keep them and pin them to noticeboards at home or work, which gives them a permanent reminder of the local Liberal Democrat team.

Key features
·    Full calendar for 2011
·    A place to put in the contact details for local councillors, candidates, MP, PPC or MEP
·    Contact numbers for key local services - this is often one of the main reasons to keep our calendar over any others they might get.

Download the templates
Note: some writing shown in red should be changed for your local area, these should be printed on to thin card, and the A5 items will need to be guillotined down from A4. We have also produced a set of full colour calendars; these can be printed on heavier card.

A4 calendar single-sided files:
A4 2-colour – PDF
A4 2-colour – PagePlus

A4 full colour– PDF
A4 full colour– ....

Capital Gains...

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

With last week’s victory in Fylde putting a spring in our step, by-election watchers have been waiting to see whether this week’s crop of nine principal by-elections could turn it into a full-blown Indian summer just two days shy of Federal Conference. The Conservatives held three seats, in Carlisle, Hackney, and the first of their two defences in Kensington and Chelsea. Labour held the Park ward in Knowsley, and also took two seats in Worksop from the Tories; the Worksop South ward on Bassetlaw District Council and the Worksop West division on Nottinghamshire County Council. Much better at fending off Labour’s attacks were this week’s Liberal Democrat teams, we saw off the reds at County level in the Cambridge East Chesterton division and, importantly, in the north of England with a win for John Potter in the Cadley ward of Preston City Council.

Our featured story today is a magnificent Liberal Democrat victory in the capital, where Linda Wade and the Kensington and Chelsea Lib Dem team increased their vote by a staggering 24% to take the Earl’s Court ward from a shell-shocked Tory party. Such was the level of presumption at ....

Your handy guides to conference training

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:18:00 +0100

ALDC is running a host of training events to help improve campaign skills and to help people do a better job as a councillor or in leading their local council at the Federal Conference You can now download a handy list of all of the sessions that we are organising in Liverpool below.

Our Essential Campaign Skills are a series of eight sessions giving you all the key skills you need for a winning campaign. Download details here.

Our Lib Dem Councillor Training is eight sessions organised with LG Improvement & Development (formerly the IDeA). Download details here.

Holding our own in Sheffield

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The prospect of a council by-election in Sheffield wasn't the most mouth-watering prospect for the party, given the fallout nationally, and in particular locally, over the cancellation of the loan to Sheffield Forgemasters. However the death of a popular Labour councillor led to exactly that.

The Woodhouse ward was an area that the party hadn't worked for some time, although we managed a 6% increase in our vote in May without delivering anything other than the Royal Mail freepost. The ward did see some Lib Dem activity about ten years ago, and until five years ago one polling district had a Lib Dem councillor when it was in a different ward.

After a four week campaign and against an onslaught from both Labour and, unusually, Ukip, honour was upheld and we managed to hold our own. Although we would ideally have liked to make some progress, a tiny drop in our vote of just 0.5% was particularly impressive considering the political background. If Sheffield can achieve this sort of result when the Labour campaign against us is particularly negative and very personal against Nick Clegg, then so can other places. With a longer track record of working the ward, it is ....

Read All About It! 15/09/2010

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Some recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners from the last week:

TUC Conference normally precedes us in the Conference season, with much talk over concern over the savings that need to be made as a result of the last Labour Government.... Here's the Guardian in Unions threaten mass strikes over spending cuts. For a view on what Tory voters might be reading, here's the Telegraph editorial on The TUC still has its head in the sand. For a bit of common sense here's the statement from our Vince.

Two other ideas on spending: the Municipal Journal covers the report (from an RSA think-tank) on the increasing costs of an ageing population. Friends of the Earth report on their report showing that 70,000 new jobs could be created if local authorities sent more waste to be re-cycled.

Internationally here's the Guardian's report on the EU Commission considering action on the "Roma Deportations France EU Disgrace".

Within the Party, we have seen the sad news that Ros Scott will not be re-standing as President of the Party - here's her statement on "The time has come to pass on the baton". Mark Pack comments on Lib Dem ....

Fylde of Dreams...

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:26:00 +0100

It seems only fitting that the 182nd birthday of Leo Tolstoy would be an electoral epic. When the new government decided to reverse Labour’s plans for Exeter and Norwich to become unitary councils with fresh elections next year, they also triggered deferred elections for the twenty-six seats that should have been contested in May. Added to this haul are five principal council by-elections and a pair of non-principal contests in the towns, for a grand total of thirty-three elections to report on this week.

The big story, of course, were the deferred elections in Exeter and Norwich, both of which went to the polls to fill a full thirteen council places. For the incurable electoral anoraks amongst you, it should be acknowledged that one of Exeter’s thirteen elections was a by-election proper – a casual vacancy caused by Conservative resignation, but for the sake of narrative coherence, we’ll treat them all together. A total of three seats changed hands in Exeter on Sept 9th, Labour picked up two from the Tories, who mitigated their losses by taking the Heavitree ward from the local Liberal Party. Labour’s two net gains may yet be enough for them to take ....

One week to Liverpool

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

There's just one week to go to the Liberal Democrat Federal Conference in Liverpool, and so here's a reminder of some of the great events that are happening in the world of local government through the week.

You can download a PDF copy of the Local Government Directory from both ALDC and the LGA Liberal Democrats, however a paper copy will also be available in each delegate pack.

Throughout the week we have a range of training sessions including essential campaign skills as well as other training for councillors and campaigners from Local Government Leadership and London Councils.

The highlights include:

Saturday 18th September

9.15am-12.30pm: "All out in 2011" Election Planning Workshop - bring along your campaign plans and get help, tips for improvements and campaigning ideas from around the country.

8pm-9.15pm: ALDC AGM & Campaigner Awards 2010 with Party President Baroness Ros Scott, and supported by RISO and Midshires. Download a copy of the agenda and the 2009 accounts. Drinks.

We also have another six training sessions and fringe meetings throughout the day.

Sunday 19th September

9.15am-12.30pm: Winning in 2011, Preparing for 2012 - find out how to approach the challenges and opportunities of next year's council elections with Director ....

Issue of the week - Allotments - Landshare

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:17:00 +0100

This week's issue is to promote the website ‘Landshare’ which is aimed at people who want to grow fruit and vegetables but don’t have a garden.
Below are the materials to run a local campaign to support your residents being able to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

Council Motion - click here for an example we've written, but you may wish to personalise or make more relevant for your area.

A MyCouncillor article - click here for an example MyCouncillor site article (just copy the whole article (including the picture) and paste into your My Councillors site.

Focus – words and a picture to use in your Focus and newspapers click here for the materials.

Ideas like this can be usefully "tweeted" around (for members who are on Twitter!).

Updated Fairer Votes campaign material

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:30:00 +0100

With Parliament debating the AV referendum this week, the Campaigns Department have updated the Fairer Votes Referendum campaign materials.

They include:
Drop in artwork
Petition artwork
A question for your surveys on the AV referendum
Window posters
Donation slip
Letter to petition signers

Download the material below:

PDF file
PagePlus file

Bury Postal Vote letter

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:08:00 +0100

ALDC and the Campaigns Department continue to stress how important the postal vote is.
This artwork from Bury gives the message about how people missed voting because of queues at the polling stations, caused by the general and council election being on the same day. It goes on to say that there will be two elections again next May (council and AV referendum) and to vote by post to avoid the queues.

We have also produced instructions on how to mail-merge in PagePlus .

Download the artwork below:

Bury postal vote letter – PDF
Bury postal vote letter – PPP
Mail-merge instructions PDF

Landshare artwork

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:07:00 +0100

Here are some words and an image for you to use in your Focus or newspapers to promote the ‘Landshare’ website and its cause, you can localise by using a local picture.

You can download the files below:

Landshare artwork PDF file

Landshare artwork PPP file

Landshare

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:50:00 +0100

Council welcomes:
The Landshare website (www.landshare.net) which, is there to connect people who want to grow their own fruit and vegetables, to people who have space to share. It is also a community website that enables people to share knowledge and resources, encourage debate and discussion, plus lower barriers to entry into the “grow your own” movement.

Council resolves to support this initiative by:
·    Putting a link on the council’s website
·    Place an article in the next council newspaper promoting ‘Landshare’
·    Publicise the council’s allotments and how to rent one
·    Publicise the contact details for all allotment societies across our area

Proposer

Seconder

Read All About It! 08/09/2010

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

This week's recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners covers a range of different subjects and ideas:

Firstly, two contrasting stories on the Standards Board. One is from the Standards Board itself explaining what it will be doing in what will (hopefully) be its final year of existence. The other is the story of a Green Brighton & Hove City Councillor who has found himself reported for using internet footage of a council meeting - a story that exemplifies why so many councillors feel frustrated with the current standards regime.

From the specialist press we have news of the Home Builders Federation calling for a judicial review following the abolition of regional spatial strategies and some important changes for councils that currently deal with the challenge of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

One thing we've discovered this week is a useful website from the organisation Streets Alive. The website provides useful tips for residents looking to bring the local community together by organising a street party as well as tips on how to organise them. Particularly relevant to councillors, it also provides information on how councils can make it easier and cheaper for local residents to ....

Come and join the Social Market Foundation Pub Quiz

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:06:00 +0100

Come and join the Social Market Foundation for a traditional Pub Quiz at Liberal Democrat Federal Conference.

Monday 20th September 2010 20:00-22:00

Baby Blue Bar, Albert Dock, Liverpool

Quizmaster: Bob Russell MP

with contributions from Brigid Simmonds OBE

RSVP to events@smf.org.uk

If you would like to get together a team of up to six people, then please email your team name and attendees to rbaker@smf.co.uk. Otherwise, come along anyway and you will be put into a team on the night.

Renewable Energy

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:02:00 +0100

This motion was used by Bury council group

Motion to Council submitted in the names of

1 Council welcomes the Government's announcement of its intention to allow local authorities to sell excess energy that they generate back to the National Grid.

Council notes:

a) That at present only 0.01% of electricity in England is generated

by local authority-owned renewables, despite the scope that exists to install projects on their land and buildings. In Germany the

equivalent figure is 100 times higher.

b) That at present local authorities are able to put any renewable

electricity they generate to local use, and to benefit from the

associated feed-in tariff for projects smaller than 5MW. But they are restricted from selling any excess renewable electricity into the

grid.

c) That the steps that are now being taken to extend the rights of

Councils could mean up to £200m a ....

Northumbrian Nights...

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:52:00 +0100

Despite falling on the 344th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, this week’s crop of by-elections didn’t set the world on fire; we had no candidates in either of the two principal by-elections, and three of the four elections out in the towns were unremarkable Tory holds. Both principals took place in West Lancashire, Labour held in Upholland on a 30% turnout and in Skelmersdale on 17%. The Conservative holds at Town Council level were in the West Ward of Camborne T.C. in Cornwall, the Castle ward on Oswestry T.C. in Shropshire, and the Town ward of Sevenoaks T.C . in Kent.

Bucking the trend were the Lib Dem campaign team in the Castle ward of Alnwick Town Council in Berwick-upon-Tweed, represented in parliament by the venerable Sir Alan Beith. The Castle ward itself is now represented by Lib Dem Sarah Walton, herself an activist recruit during the 2010 General Election. In Castle’s first competitive election, after a long history of uncontested co-options, the Lib Dem campaign team outmanoeuvred the complacent Conservative defence by keeping the focus firmly on local issues. Sarah’s campaign to restore a recently-closed ....

Amendments and Motions to Federal Conference

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:04:00 +0100

ALDC has submitted the following amendments to motions, and proposed topical motion to the Federal Party Conference in Liverpool:

F7 Transactions Transparency

Add after line 52

‘4. The Government to enter into discussion with the Local Government Association with a view to securing similar changes in the law affecting local government in England.

‘5. The devolved administrations to undertake equivalent discussions with the local government bodies for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.’ ‘(and renumber accordingly).’

F32 Localism

Line 14 add after ‘strengthened’: ‘regaining in particular total autonomy over planning policy and development control decision-making, entirely free from Whitehall targets and inspectorates,

Line 34 Add after ‘local government’: ‘the reform of council tax so that it becomes related to the income of those expected to pay it.’

F45 Diversity

Line 27 add after ‘parliamentary parties’: ‘and in other tiers of elected government’ Line 42: add after ‘candidate diversity’: for both parliamentary and local elections’

Topical motion on housing

Conference notes with concern

(a) comments made by the Prime Minister David Cameron in relation to council housing

(b) recent forecasts which estimate that housing delivery could fall below 100,000 next year for the first time since 1923.

Conference therefore affirms

1. its opposition to ....

Members Retention and Involvement

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:02:00 +0100

Retain Your Members
More often than not, people join a political party because they want to make a difference. If we can meet and exceed their expectations, they are likely to remain members for many years to come. There are many ways to do this, but make sure you start by getting the basics right:
·    Send a welcome pack to all new members
·    Send a members newsletter, at least quarterly
·    Ensure members can find out about events (social, political, fundraising & campaigning) online
·    Ensure every member is invited to every event
·    Contact your members personally to ask what they want to do, at least once a year

Involve Your Members
Membership should be an added value offer. If we don’t talk to our members regularly, find out what they think and offer them ways of getting involved, why should they remain a member?

Involving your members and supporters
Involving our membership is key to our growth as a party. Who knows how much undiscovered talent lies within our membership base? Putting on regular events is crucial to give members an opportunity to get involved. But ensure there is a good mix of action, political ....

Read All About it! 01/09/2010

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:32:00 +0100

Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days or so in the media:

Aside from the Labour Leadership contest, the main political stories over the weekend focussed on:

- debate on the future of NHS Direct, and its replacement by the 111 number. Here's how libdemvoice reported on the our minister Paul Burstow reassuring us that New 111 service will be better than NHS Direct. Here's the o riginal story in the Guardian.

- Chief Secretary Danny Alexander's statement on taxation. Here's Danny's interview in the Guardian; here's a rather critical editorial from The Telegraph….

In the local Government specialist press a couple of stories which might be of interest, both from the Municipal Journal: Unison ups opposition to cuts following IFS report and Pickles vows to cut red tape for community events.

Not from the media, but of potential interest is comment from the Local Government blog of ConservativeHome on an idea for "Foundation Councils" - interesting to know what people are thinking!

Tim Pickstone

September 2010

Annual General Meeting 2010

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The Annual General Meeting of ALDC takes place on Saturday 18 September, 8.00pm, Liverpool Hilton Grace Suite 1.

The meeting is open to all members of ALDC, there is some wine and soft drinks available on arrival. Immediately after the formal business we are joined by the Party President Baroness Ros Scott who will present the 2010 Campaigner Awards.

Formal Business of the AGM

The formal business of the AGM is as follows. ....

By-Election Service Improvement Audit

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The team have been undertaking an Improvement Audit of our By-Election Service.

A number of minor improvements have been implemented immediately, but we propose to implement further improvements from October 2010 following consultation with members. A number of more complex issues which require programming work to be undertaken would be commissioned in October, but take a number of months before they become live.

Members are asked for their views on the issues in the review.

here. (you do need to log in again (just once!), click on "Documents"; "Members Documents"

2006-2008
For the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 ALDC Management Committee "years", members are able to access:
- Management Committee minutes
- Annual Report and Accounts
These are available in our file library here. (you do need to log in again (just once!), click on "Documents"; "Members Documents"

From 1980 to 2006 members are able to access the ....

Pakistan Flooding Street Stall

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:12:00 +0100

Why not runs a street stall as part of the campaign to help the DEC fund raising appeal, to help fundraising for the victims of the Floods in Pakistan?

If you want to run a street stall, we have included a poster and a leaflet to handout to passing residents.

Download:
Poster here
Leaflet Here

Issue of the Week - Pakistan Flooding Appeal

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:35:00 +0100

Something a little different for this week's issue, but one of the biggest news issues of the last 10 days, the horrific disaster of flooding which has affected millions of people in Pakistan.

We're sure all ALDC members will join with us in wanting to support the many people affected by the flood. Many Liberal Democrat Councillors will have family in Pakistan, and almost all of us will have members, supporters and ward residents with family links to the country.

The easiest way to make personal donations to the relief effort is through the Disaster Emergency Committee here.

Ideas for how Liberal Democrat councillors can support the relief effort could include:

Council Motion - click here for an example we've written, but you may wish to personalise or make more relevant for your area.

MyCouncillor article - click here for an example MyCouncillor site article (just copy the whole article (including the picture) and paste into your My Councillors site.

A press release - click here for our draft - a letter click Download word file here

Pakistan Floods Street Collection

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:13:00 +0100

News Release
Name Name Liberal Democrats
Contact –Name Name – 9874 563210
Embargo -

PAKISTAN FLOODS STREET COLLECTION

Name Name Liberal Democrats are holding a collection outside Name Name to raise funds for the millions of people affected by the floods in Pakistan. We see on the news on a daily basis how 1,600 people have died and the floods have affected over 17 million people, 1.2 million houses have been destroyed, leaving an estimated 8 million homeless. The floods are now covering an area larger than the UK.

Name Name Liberal Democrat focus team will be outside Name Name on Name Name street from 9am until 2pm on Saturday the ??th September, they will be collecting donations to help the victims of this disaster in Pakistan, please call along to make a donation or make a donation online at: www.dec.org.uk or by phone on 0370 60 60 900.

ENDS

Download word file here

Pakistan Floods

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:00:00 +0100

This Council notes:
With distress, the disaster unfolding in Pakistan, where over 17 million people have been affected by the flooding, 1,600 have already died and over 8 million people are now homeless.

This council resolves to assist by:
Placing posters in all Libraries and council buildings promoting the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal and how to donate, the council will put a link to the DEC appeal on the front page of its website as soon as possible, and assist communities in fundraising events for the DEC appeal.

Council will:
Write to our MP/s asking them to raise in parliament the disaster and thank government for what they have done so far and press for more assistance not just financial but also with equipment and expertise in the coming rebuilding of these devastated communities.

Moved

Seconded

Winning Herts and Minds...

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:44:00 +0100

A warm welcome back to our by-election watchers after our short summer sojourn. The smattering of by-elections that took place on the 12th and 19th yielded very little in the way of news, with no gains or losses to report on, so we shall recommence with events from the 26th. August 26th celebrates the anniversaries of two seminal events. Firstly, it was 221 years since the newly-created French National Assembly adopted the ‘Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen’, a foundational document of liberal democracy and of the concept that citizens can possess inalienable human rights. It was also 90 years since the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution came into effect, giving women across the United States the right to vote for the very first time. Looking to add to the great liberal heritage of the 26th were our by-election teams in Redcar, Sheffield, Cannock Chase, South Buckinghamshire, and Dacorum.

The best result of the day reaches us from Dacorum Borough Council, in Hertfordshire, where Rosemarie Hollinghurst took the very rural Aldbury & Wigginton ward from the Conservatives. The local campaign team introduced Rosemarie as part of their post-General ‘thank-you- leaflet and followed up with ....

Read All About It 25/08/2010

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:06:00 +0100

Some recommended reading for Lib Dem Councillors and local campaigners this week:

It being the "silly season", much of the press has been full of silly defection stories that we won't bore you with here.

More serious political coverage continues to focus on the imact of finanical savings.

The Municipal Journal's coverage included two articles:

Council productivity lags far behind private sector, survey claims, and The axe comes to local quangos

Inside Housing magazine reports on the impact of the changes to grant to local authorities for traveller sites in: Home to Roost

In the last couple of days the big news has been about the IFS report of the impact of the budget.

Here's the Guardian report: Poor families bear brunt of coalition's austerity drive, and here's Lib Dem voice on the Party's response.

Finally some ideas from abroad:

We were impressed by the Mayor of Minneapolis's blog. He's a Democrat who sounds like a Liberal Democrat and was apparently the first Mayor to back Obama when he stood for president. The blog is at:http://themayorblog.com/

In particular: A motion to put forward at a full council meeting.

Artwork for two possible stories you can put in a local Focus leaflet (PagePlus) and (PDF)
A press release used by our group on Sheffield council

Click on the links to download these items individually or click here for a zip file containing all of them.

Who is up in 2011

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:40:00 +0100

Members may be interested in our list of "who's up in 2011" post on the website under "ELECTIONS".

Please take a minute to take a look at your area and check we're right on numbers - no doubt there will be the odd defection or by-election change that we have missed in the last four years!

Here is a direct link to the Who's up in 2011 post. The Big Picture is a full list of the current composition of Councils and who's in control - also worth checking!

Please email elections2011@aldc.org with any corrections. Many thanks!

Eid cards

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Eid are the two festivals of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha - two of the most important celebrations for Muslims around the world. This year they are on September 10th and November 16th. Many Liberal Democrats join in with these celebrations by sending Eid cards to Muslims living in their area. We have two cards that we have used before for you to use if you want to, or you can use an image of your own and the inside template below. If you have an Eid card design of your own, please send a copy (PPP and PDF files) and we will put them in our best practise area on the website for others to use.

Key features:
The phrase Eid Mubarak is the greeting used by Muslims at the time of Eid - just as Merry Christmas is used by Christians at Christmas - and so is an important phrase to include.

This is a good opportunity to remind people of the contact details for your local Liberal Democrat team.

You can identify Muslims living in your area using the CEL data in EARS and identifying people who are declared as Muslims. This ....

Lib Dems Deliver on Clamping

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:14:00 +0100

The Lib Dems will be delivering on another
manifesto commitment when car
clamping on private land is banned.

To assist you spreading the good news,
we have put two short articles for you to
use in your Focuses, one that is for you
to adapt for your own area and one that
is giving the message at a government level.

You can download the files below

Lib Dems Deliver on Clamping PDF file

Lib Dems Deliver on Clamping PPP file

Wheel Clamping

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Council welcomes:
The announcement by Liberal Democrat ministers Lynne Featherstone and Norman Baker that car clamping on private land is to be banned as part of the Freedom Bill in the Autumn.

Council notes;

That many residents will welcome the banning of clamping on private land, and would wish that this council support’s this proposal.

Many members we will have had complaints from residents about this practice happening in their areas.

Council resolves to:
Write to our MP/s asking for their support in Parliament when this bill is heard and to write to Lynne Featherstone MP – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Home Office - giving this council’s support for this proposal.

Proposer

Seconder

Banning the clampers in Sheffield

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Following the new that wheel clampers will be banned from operating on private land, here is a good example of a press release from the Liberal Democrats in Sheffield.

SHEFFIELD’S CLAMPERS CLAMPED BY NEW GOVERNMENT

Local Liberal Democrats in Sheffield have welcomed the news that wheel clampers will be banned from operating on private land in Sheffield as part of moves to ban them across England and Wales.

The new legislation, to be introduced by the Coalition Government in November, will result in anyone clamping a vehicle or towing it away on private land facing tougher penalties.

The planned legislation, announced by the Home Office, will be introduced in the Government's Freedom Bill in November and will come into force shortly after Royal Assent.

Cllr Paul Scriven, Liberal Democrat Leader of Sheffield City Council, said:

"All too often I have received requests for help from Sheffielders with tales of how they are being ripped off and bullied by these private parking companies. But because of the rules there was little that could be done. However, I’m delighted that this will change now that we have a Government who are willing to take ....

Read All About it 18/08/10

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Some recommended reading for Lib Dem Councillors and local campaigners this week:

Wednesday marked 100 days of the Coalition Government. Nick Clegg called the public to "Judge us on 5 years, not on 100 days" in a major interview in the Observer last Sunday. 100 days in The Observer's sister paper The Guardian has us on a (fairly respectable) 18% in the polls.

In Local Government the main news in the last week has been the abolition of the Audit Commission. The MJ/localgov.co.uk reports here as Letter from Audit Commission, Michael O'Higgins to Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles. Lib Dem Audit Commission member (and ALDC Management Committee member) Cllr Chris White asks (in a personal capacity) "Who'll watch the watchmen when the auditors are away".

Also for councillors, a couple of interesting stories in the Municipal Journal last week - how Bristol City Council is leading the way on a green energy revolution, and how councils in Greater Manchester are seeking Government approval for a minimum alcohol price.

Finally, more from the MJ/localgov on Councils clashing over the proposed Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPS).

Tim Pickstone, 18 August 2010

Why Returning Officers should tell parties that a byelection has been called.

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Returning Officers are not specifically obliged to let political parties in their area know that a by-election has been called. Many, if not most, do but for those that don't or are reluctant here are the arguments for doing so:

Returning Officers have a direct responsibility to increase participation in elections. This is made clear :

a) In the “Vision for Quality Electoral services” from the Electoral Commission’s “ Performance standards for Returning Officers” a key expectation that those involved in government and the Electoral Commission can expect is “Maximum participation in elections”. The Electoral Commission have the power to set and monitor these performance standards under the Electoral Administration Act 2006 as it amends Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

b) In section 69 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 requires that an ERO must ‘take such steps as he thinks appropriate to encourage the participation by electors in the electoral process in the area for which he acts’.

Introducing procedures/protocols that make those parties that regularly contest elections in an area aware that a by-election has been called and therefore the deadline for nominations will both encourage a range of candidates ....

Crucial elections for Lib Dems in Norwich and Exeter

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:54:00 +0100

In September, the Liberal Democrats in Exeter and Norwich are facing key elections that will be vital for the parties in both areas.

The elections are as a result of the government’s decision to cancel the proposal to turn both councils in to unitary authorities. Following this decision the High Court decided that all of the councillors whose terms of office had been extended now had to fight by-elections to regain their positions on the relevant councils. It has also led to the unusual situation in Norwich where all of the opposition leaders and four cabinet members suddenly find themselves off the council having to fight to retain their seats.

Both areas need as much help as possible. Not only are these significant for the political make-up of each council but they are also a big test of

support for all of the parties involved.

In Norwich, these are the first elections to be fought since Simon Wright was elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for Norwich South. The Lib Dems are defending two out of the 13 seats, both of which are in Norwich South (Eaton and Thorpe Hamlet). We have the potential to do well in these elections, although if the Green Party ....

Liverpool fringe for your diary

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:07:00 +0100

Autumn Federal Conference 2010 takes place in Liverpool, Saturday 18 - Wednesday 22 September 2010. If you're not registered already and would like to go you can register here.

There are some great ALDC and local government fringe events planned - put them in your diary!

ALDC Annual General Meeting and Campaigner Awards 2011

Saturday 18 September, 8.00pm, Liverpool Hilton Grace Suite 1, Drinks
Members are invited to the Annual General Meeting of the Association which is followed by

the presentation of the 2011 Campaigner Awards by Party President Baroness Ros Scott.

ALDC Members Reception in partnership with the Co-operative

Sunday 19 September, 1:00 pm, ACC Liverpool Hall 12

Join us at our annual members reception with Business Secretary Vince Cable MP and Party Deputy Leader Simon Hughes MP. Lunch and drinks: ALDC Members Only.

Here is our summary of the composition of councillors, by authority-type and party, facing election in May 2011. This list represents the best of ALDC's knowledge at time of publication but may be subject to change, for example due to by-elections and defections prior to the election. If you would like to report any amendments to the figures presented here, please let us know by emailing elections2011@aldc.org.

Councillors up in 2011 - At a Glance

Councillors up in 2011 - In Detail

&nbsp;

2011 Local Election Timetable

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:23:00 +0100

ALDC has put together a timetable for the 2011 local elections on Thursday 5th May, including all of the key dates such as the deadline for nominations,

Some key things to note:

There are three sets of public holidays in the run-up to polling day. The Easter Bank holidays Good Friday 22nd April and Easter Bank Holiday 25th, then the Royal Wedding on Friday 29th April, followed again by May Day, Monday 2nd May. This means that the "official" campaign is longer than usual and your campaign will need to take in to account both the advantages and disadvantages of the extra holidays.

The local elections are on the same day as the referendum on the Alternative Vote.

Places that have parish and town council elections will continue to have their elections on this day (see here for further information).

This timetable only applies to places where there are local elections, the timetable will be different for the elections to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, which take place on the same day.

This timetable assumes that the Royal Wedding is a public holiday and it agrees with the Electoral Commissions published timetable.

The date of the publication of the notice of poll has moved radically ....

Green energy campaign

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:58:00 +0100

Lib Dem Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne MP, has announced plans to allow councils to produce their own green energy and then sell this back in to the national grid.

You can find out more details on the proposals by reading the press release on the Liberal Democrat website.

This is a good campaign for local Liberal Democrats to adopt as it can be used to show off our green credentials and the difference made by having Liberal Democrats in government. It is also a good way of lobbying your local council to take the initiative on developing green energy and if you are running the council a potential way of generating income.

The campaign materials available include:

A motion to put forward at a full council meeting.

A letter to send to the local press (MS Word).

Artwork for two possible stories you can put in a local Focus leaflet (PagePlus)

A press release to send to your local press (MS Word)

Click on the links to download these items individually or click here for a zip file containing all ....

Online Training Survey

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The Party is currently undertaking a survey of members around training.

This is an online survey and all members of the Party are encouraged to take part - it is only a one page survey, so won't take too long!

As many people as possible are encouraged to respond by 5th September 2010.

The survey is online here.

Green energy generation

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Council notes

New rules announced by Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, allowing town halls to sell green energy could create a multi-million pound business helping protect frontline services and keep council tax low.

Council-owned wind turbines and solar panels on town halls, council homes, leisure centres, other council buildings and land across the country could produce millions of pounds a year according to early estimates produced by the Local Government Association.

Councils across the country are already developing plans to produce their own renewable energy to cut their power bills, reduce carbon emissions and raise much-needed revenue.

Bristol City Council is planning two wind turbines each generating 2-3 megawatts of electricity, that they expect to bring in around £1 million a year.

Cornwall Council has installed solar panels on New County Hall in Truro. Other potential projects contained in the council’s Green Cornwall programme include the creation of a solar energy park, the development of wind farms on council land, the development of a biomass strategy to power council properties, and the creation of a rural epicentre for electric car transport in the county. South Somerset Council has installed a wind turbine at the Yeovil ....

Parish elections to go ahead on 5th May 2011

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:45:00 +0100

The House of Commons has confirmed that parish and town council elections will go ahead on 5th May 2011, even if this is the date for the Alternative Vote referendum.

The doubt about this was caused by the Association of Electoral Administrators who claimed that it was neither possible nor desirable to combine the referendum on the same day as other elections. However, the law only bars parish and community council elections from being held on the same day as a general election when this is the same day as principal council elections somewhere in the UK. This bar doesn't apply to being on the same day as a referendum.

The Electoral Commission has also clarified that they are happy to have the referendum on the same day as other elections (this was proposed to increase turnout) saying:

"On balance, we believe that it should be possible to deliver the different polls proposed for 5 May 2011 if the key practical risks to the successful conduct of the scheduled elections and a UK-wide referendum are properly managed."

You can find out more about the regulation of the referendum as well as information on combining it with other polls from House of Commons Standard ....

Dog Days...

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0100

August 5th is rapidly becoming known as International Beer Day, a celebration hoping to spread the word about this quaint and little-known British traditional beverage! In need of more support, perhaps, are the nation’s by-election watchers; we have a paltry one principal council contest to report on and nothing at all out in the towns.

The single election that took place was for the Sitwell ward on Rotherham M.B.C., with the Conservatives defending after the death of the previous councillor. The Tories were successful in their defence, squeezing a four percent increase out of voters at the polls.

With no other by-elections to report, a quick word on ALDC’s training schedule at autumn Conference. ALDC will be delivering twenty-eight training sessions in all, all taking place at the Jury’s Inn hotel in Liverpool. A full training schedule can be found as part of the ‘Liverpool Highlights’ story at: http://www.aldc.org/myaldc/news/1798/05/08/2010/Liverpool_Highlights. Please note that this training is free of charge for all delegates, but attendees will be asked to present their Liberal Democrat membership cards on arrival.

Another slow day for local democracy next time, August 12th has only two scheduled by-elections. The Labour party ....

Templates for Local Media Letters

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:25:00 +0100

A great way to reach opinion-formers and possible supporters in your area is to submit letters to your local press. We have produced the following template letters for sending to the local press by campaigners and supporters. They have been designed to highlight each of our three key campaign messages for the summer:

1. The importance of fixing the economy so that we can build a fairer and more liberal Britain.

2. That the Liberal Democrats are making a real difference in Government.

3. How Labour have failed Britain and want to duck responsibility for their actions.

We recommend local campaign teams use these templates as starting points, editing and inserting local references and content where you see fit. It is very important that we use every opportunity we can to make sure these three messages are heard by as many people as possible, and as often as possible. Parts of these templates can also be used for artwork wording and web content. The templates are available as MS Word files from the links below:

Letter one: Fixing the Economy/Building More Liberal Society
Letter two: Liberal Democrats Making ....

Best Practice Radstock By-election

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:55:00 +0100

Here is a selection of leaflets and letters from the successful Radstock ward of Bath and North East Somerset District Council by-election with 40.1% of the vote.
As you can see there is a good mixture of leaflets and letters and good use of full colour and black and white leaflets along with the support of Don Foster MP and good use of VOX pops.
This artwork gives the message about the importance of voting Lib Dem as against Labour who have let us down and gives a positive message on why to vote for the local Liberal Democrat candidate who is fighting for you!
The campaign started with a survey and we liked the community clean up started with a letter then an action day, showing that Simon did care and was willing to take action.

Why we liked these leaflets
·    The campaign did really well at picking up on very local issues and the campaign worked really well by presenting our candidate as a fresh start for Radstock.
·    The leaflets included a very strong squeeze message. In a council dominated by the Conservatives, this ward was in fact a Labour/Independent seat, but with the Labour ....

Liverpool Highlights

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Autumn Federal Conference 2010 takes place in Liverpool, Saturday 18 - Wednesday 22 September 2010. If you're not registered already and would like to go you can register here. The Party has some great deals for day delegates and for "first time" delegates.

ALDC Training

ALDC has some great training planned for conference. All Party members are welcome to attend and it is a great reason to come to Liverpool for the Saturday morning (most people tend to come up on Friday evening if they can).

A full list of training is here, but the highlights include:

Campaign Workshops
We have two 1/2 day (all morning) campaign workshops on Saturday and Sunday mornings at Conference. On Saturday it's a campaign planning workshop for the English Districts and Unitary Authorities who have ALL OUT elections on 5th May 2011. On Sunday we have a whole half day up-to-date briefing from the Party's Director of Campaigns Hilary Stephenson and Local Elections Chair Andrew Stunell MP. Both will be well worth ensuring your team is represented at.

Campaign Essentials Course
As a new feature this year we have a full course of eight sessions aimed at providing volunteer Lib Dem campaigners with ....

Winning Out West...

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:33:00 +0100

On July 29th there were three principal council by-elections and six contests out in the towns. There was good news at all levels, on the former we gained a seat in Bath and North East Somerset, and in the latter we romped home with four gains out of the six!

Our gain in the Radstock ward of Bath and North East Somerset District Council has taken us to within four seats of the Conservatives, who currently enjoy minority control with thirty-one seats overall. That said, the Tories were no threat in this particular ward and their attacks on the ‘Bath-centric Liberal Democrats’ while running a candidate from Bath themselves, indicated how seriously they were taking the contest. The only real contenders were an Independent and the Labour Party. Labour polled second with a largely positive campaign centred on their candidate. Our candidate Simon Allen was a new face in local politics and the campaign made a lot of a ‘Fresh Start for Radstock’. The long experience of Bath and N.E.S. helping neighbouring constituencies at election time paid karmic dividends, when they received help from no fewer than twelve constituency parties across the region. Weekly print-runs across a variety ....

Pupil Premium and ASBO artwork

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Following this weeks announcement that the Liberal Democrats manifesto commitment to a Pupil Premium coming into law in September 2011 and the announcement by The Home Secretary in which she said it was ‘time to move beyond’ Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) we have created some draft artwork for you to localise and use in your literature.

Download the file below:

PDF file

PagePlus file

Revolving Door of Crime and Re-offending

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:23:00 +0100

This Council notes the Secretary of State for Justice comment that simply locking people up for the sake of it is a waste of public funds.

This Council supports the coalition government’s attempt to stop the revolving door of crime and re-offending.

Therefore the council resolves to write to the Secretary of State offering its full support to create a more intelligent, consistent and transparent system of sentencing.

Moved

Seconded

Ivybridge and Filham

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

It has long been said that "Where we work, we win" and the district council by election in Ivybridge Filham in February 2010 was a great example of that. One of the many reasons I am proud to be a Liberal Democrat is that our successes are down to hard work, commitment and goodwill on the part of our activists, not donations from big business or unions that are taken for granted. Ivybridge was no exception to this!

On paper we were the underdogs by miles. In the 2007 district elections for this two-member ward, we had only managed to raise one paper candidate and the two Conservatives accordingly won their seats by several hundred votes. Add to this a PPC who lived 80 miles away and had never agented an election before, a consituency with a small membership and an even smaller base of core activists and the unfortunate fact that our candidate, Tony Barber, had an accident falling on the ice two days after we selected him and broke his wrist, meaning that he couldn't write, deliver leaflets and needed a scribe in order to knock on doors! That's even ....

Going Postal

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0100

There were nine principal council elections held on the 22nd July. The Liberal Democrats held three seats and took one off the Tories. Labour held one seat and took one off the Tories. The Tories held the three remaining seats.. In the five Parish council elections reported to ALDC there were two Lib Dem holds, a Labour hold, Independent gain from the Tories and a seat won by an independent but it is not clear whether it is a hold or a gain.

St Mary’s with Summercombe Ward in Torbay UA was our best result of the night where we took a seat off the complacent Tories. The loss of 14 seats and control of Torbay council in 2007 was a serious blow to the party and led some to wonder how long Adrian Sanders could last as the MP. Well, Adrian won in May and the Tory Mayor and council are increasingly unpopular. UKIP stood a local lifeboat woman as their candidate but they only did one poor leaflet. The Tories relied on their supporters identified in the General Election and one glossy leaflet – it was not enough.

As a democratic party it is important that we have a fair, open and transparent process for choosing the people who stand for us in elections. The procedure is not designed to be complicated or onerous, but is intended to ensure we get the best candidates and that everyone who put themselves forward is given an equal opportunity of being selected.

Even if you are in an area where council candidates often get selected unopposed or where your existing councillors are hoping to re-stand, you still need a fair selection process to make sure that others have the opportunity of standing if they so wish.

This factsheet gives you all the key details that you need to know on how to select your council candidates in just two sides of A4. We also have a number of other files that include useful paperwork to help organise a candidate selection. Email anders.hanson@aldc.org if there is other information that would be helpful.

Download the factsheet

Candidate Selection factsheet - PDF

Download other useful files

All selection paperwork - ....

Anti Labour artwork

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:14:00 +0100

We have producedsome cut and paste anti Labour artwork, which shows that Labour planned £44 billion of cuts confirmed on Newsnight by Alistair Darling, and that Labour had misled led Britain over the Iraq role in terror threat.

The files for downloading are below:

PDF file

PagePlus file

Consulting residents & partners

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Council notes:

“That the Coalition Government is giving councils greater decision making powers, this council recognises the need to ensure that the views of our residents and partners shape the council’s decisions.”

Council agrees:

To develop a plan, to ensure that all future decisions of this Council will be properly consulted on with our residents and partners.

G8 Grants for 2011 Local Elections - Register NOW

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

G8 is a grants programme to support local parties campaign in local elections.

G8 is administered by ALDC, with kind support from the Federal, English, Scottish and Welsh Liberal Democrats. If you have local elections in 2011, then we may be able to provide financial support for your campaign in wards where you will be fighting particularly hard campaigns, either to gain the seat or where there is a tricky defence.

The 2011 round of elections is the biggest in the four-year cycle. This means a lot of demand for funding through the “G8” grants process. We want to maximise success so will be aiming to fund as many council areas and wards as possible. Funding will be available in two rounds – offers for ....

Summer Campaign Materials

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:37:00 +0100

The Campaigns Department have produced a ‘Summer Campaign Materials’ package that includes artwork to hold Labour to account, selling how we are making a real difference in the Coalition and the Campaigns Departments ‘Summer Survey’

You can download the files below:

Summer Campaign Materials PDF

Summer Campaign Materials PagePlus

Fairer Votes campaign materials

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:06:00 +0100

Dear Friend,
For the first time, the British people will have a choice about the system they use to elect their MPs.
On May 5th 2011, there will be a referendum on whether to adopt the Alternative Vote.
The First Past The Post system hands power to the lucky few who live in marginal constituencies and sucks it away from the vast majority of us who do not. So over the next ten months the Liberal Democrats will be fighting hard, with others, for a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum. I want to sweep away the current system and replace it with the Alternative Vote.
We need you to be part of this campaign. It will not be easy. There will be many MPs who want to keep the status quo because it protects them from the need to win majority support.
But with your help we can do it. We need you to inspire, enthuse and persuade your friends, family and neighbours to come out on May 5 and cast their ballot for fairer votes.
There are two things that you can do today to get the referendum campaign off to a flying start. First, please sign up to ....

Liberal Democrat Next Generation programme - call for applications

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Applications are now open for the Lib Dem (LGA Leadership-funded) programme for young and up and coming councillors Next Generation Programme. This year will features visits to Portsmouth and Birmingham.

Key features of the course is seeing best practice from other Lib Dem controlled authorities and networking with MPs and senior councillors, as well as personal and political development training. Previous alumni have since taken up leadership positions in their own authority and elected positions on the LGA.

We'd like to hear from you, if you are serious about making a significant contribution to Lib Dem politics in local government.

More information and a link to the online application form* is here

http://www.localleadership.gov.uk/delivering/nextgeneration/libdem/

*As part of the application you will need two written testimonials from senior referees and a 500 word statement about your background and experience.

Any questions about the process please contact Bridget Harris 07966 989 355

Liberal Democrat Local Government Conference 2010 in Photos

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

A selection of photos of the Liberal Democrat Local Government Conference in June 2010 are now available online at ALDC's Flickr site.

Many thanks to Alex Folkes and Jonathan Wallace for the photos!

Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister, addresses the Lib Dem Local Government Conference

Training with London Councils on "Cabinet Member for your Ward"

Delegates discussing issues in a training session.

Nick arriving at LG House, greeted by LGA Lib Dem Group Leader Cllr Richard Kemp.

Liberal Democrat leaders of the cities of Bristol, Portsmouth and Sheffield with Liberal Democrat local government Under-Secretary of State Andrew Stunell MP

Summertime Blues...

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

With nine principal council by-elections taking place on St Swithin’s day this year, we can only hope our electoral prospects don’t stay the same for the next forty days! Of the two we were defending, we lost one, and we failed to pick up any seats elsewhere. The Conservatives held steady, successfully defending four out of five; on Surrey Country Council (Worplesdon division); Great Marlow ward of Wycombe District; Wheatley ward on Rochford D.C.; and Pirbright in Guildford. The one seat lost by the Tories on the 15th, Bloxwich West ward of Walsall M.B.C., was one of a trio of Labour gains. They also took the Castle seat on Leicester City Council from the Greens and, disappointingly, the Riversway seat in Preston C.C. from our local Lib Dems. In Wales, Llais Gwynedd, or Voice of Gwynedd for the Anglophones amongst us, held the Diffwys and Maenofferon seat on Gwynedd against a Plaid Cymru challenge, a contest in which there was no Liberal Democrat candidate.

With a by-election clutch as dreary as the recent weather, we’ve saved the best ‘til last in the form of our successful defence of the Corfe Mullen ....

VAT increase

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0100

Many Labour council groups around the country are submitting a standard council motion on the planned VAT increase. The following wording from the Liberal Democrat Group in Southwark is the amendment that they submitted to their full council meeting:

Delete and insert:

With regret the new Coalition Government discovered that the outgoing Labour Government left the public finances in a catastrophic state and much worse than they had previously admitted. Notes this public deficit is the second largest in Europe and is equivalent to £22,400 for every man, woman and child in the UK. Also notes the outgoing Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Labour MP, Liam Byrne left a note stating ‘Dear chief secretary, I'm afraid there is no money. Kind regards – and good luck! Liam.’'

Council Assembly further notes that the outgoing Labour government was also planning massive public spending cuts to get the deficit under control with the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, admitting in a BBC interview on 25 March 2010 that Labour’s planned spending cuts would be ‘deeper and tougher’ than those implemented by Margaret Thatcher.

Banging on thousands of doors and delivering hundreds of thousands of leaflets during an election campaign can promote a huge thirst in the best of us, but constituency teams across the country turned the tea break into another way of making contact with voters.

House meetings were a key part of the Obama campaign– bringing opinion formers together to hear more about Obama with the aim of getting them involved, or just spreading the message to their friends and neighbours.

These house meetings now get people together to discuss policy, and have seen upwards of 4000 people holding them across all States in the US. Back here in England many constituencies took the idea and adapted it for their communities and their campaigns

Some of the constituencies in Devon and Cornwall represent the most rural areas in the country, and campaigning in them has its own challenges – not least the amount of petrol used and miles clocked up in getting from one end of a constituency to another.

House meetings were something that hadn’t really been part of the election campaigns in this area before, and ....

Bin charging

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

This Council welcomes the announcement by the Communities Secretary that powers to allow councils to charge households according to the amount of waste thrown out have been ruled out.

Council believes that local flexibility to operate household waste and recycling collection schemes according to what works best for that particular area is the best way to increase recycling rates.

Council is pleased to note the current high levels of bin collection rates in Name area, the improvements to contract quality, service delivery and working practices that have been implemented over the last three years and congratulates the Director of Technical Services, the Waste Management Team and those Councillors involved for their hard work in this area to achieve this.

Council also commends the positive response from Name area residents and notes that our residents recycled more dry recycling than any other Name area district (2009/10).

However, Council also believes that more can to be done to divert waste away from landfill and further increase recycling.

Therefore, Council requests that the Director of Technical Services continues to examine new ways to reduce waste to landfill, such as through ....

Email newsletters from North East Somerset and Three Rivers

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Email newsletters are becoming increasingly common as an additional way of keeping in touch with local residents. Email allows you to send out more regular updates, including responding to urgent issues and giving out information that is more timely, and it is virtually free. The downside with email, and the reason why it is unlikely to replace Focus leaflets for a good while yet, is that you have to get people's email addresses before you can contact them. That's why you need to ask people for their email address at every opportunity.

The two examples of email newsletters that we are including here as best practice are from councillors in Bath & North East Somerset Council and Three Rivers District Council. The key thing they have in common is that although they are clearly from local Liberal Democrats they aren't overly political. This means that they will have broader appeal and will be read by more than just committed Lib Dem supporters. This helps build up a local loyalty to the Lib Dem team and reinforce our credentials as the people who are standing up for the community.

In Peasedown in Bath & North East Somerset our team there - Sarah ....

Gaining Ground...

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

There were six principal council by-elections on July 8th and a single Town Council contest reported to ALDC. Of the six, our best result came in the Cockerton West ward of Darlington, where candidate Brian Jefferson gained a near 20% upswing in the Lib Dem voteshare to leap into second. The urgency with which Labour’s council Leader and new M.P. pounded the streets testified to our candidate’s well-established reputation as hard working local teacher and community campaigner, who had previously served on the council for the Conservatives. Our campaign team won the literature war, putting out three election addresses in a variety of sizes (all on recycled paper, for additional environmental currency), blue letters timed to coincide with the arrival of postal votes, and a targeted Good Morning, well in excess of the output from the opposing parties. The BNP were active in the council estate areas, finishing with a typical flourish by illegally fly-posting election propaganda onto council properties on polling day, before having them all ripped down and storming into last place (shedding nearly 10% of their vote). With a former UKIP candidate running for the Tories and polling a mere 10% himself, our candidate ....

Academies

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:19:00 +0100

This council acknowledges:

-    The excellent results achieved by students in schools across the city/borough/county and the hard work of children, staff and parents to gain those results.
-    The significant role of Local Authority officers in challenging and supporting schools to drive up and maintain standards .
-    The importance of the ‘family’ of area name schools, working together co-operatively to support and help each other in the best interests of all area name children.

Council notes the recent representations by the Local Government Association with all party support, stating that:
-    The strategic role of the Local Authority should be retained within the forthcoming Academies Bill.
-    That Local Authorities should retain responsibility for improving and maintaining standards in all schools.
-    That LAs should continue to ensure fair access to school places, appropriate provision according to numbers of children and ensure by careful scrutiny that public money is used wisely and not wasted.

Council resolves to write to the Secretary of State supporting the views of the LGA and stating.
-    That particularly in a unitary the size of the area name, the LA’s role in maintaining and strengthening the ....

Shepton West by-election leaflets

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Here is a selection from the successful Shepton West of Mendip Council by-election campaign reducing the Tory majority on the Council to one seat.

We like these, as they are crisp and clear and use the local candidate fighting on very local issues messages.

As you can see there is a good mixture of different styles and good use of full colour, two colour and black and white and supported by the MP Tessa Munt.

This artwork gives the message about the importance of voting Lib Dem as against the Tory who was kicked out, and gives a positive message on why to vote for the Liberal Democrat candidate who is fighting for you locally.

Download the PDFs of the leaflets below

Calling card

Thank You Focus

Focus

Goodmorning

Knock up leaflet 1

Final knock up leaflet

Selling the message

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

As we go forward in the coalition, it is very important that we communicate with our electors what having Lib Dems in government means.

We will do this in our Focuses and other literature, but we must also use the letters pages of the local media to get the message over of the benefits that having Lib Dems getting our policies into law at government level means.

Below we have two letters form Torbay, which give a good idea of how you can get our message over.

Deficit letter

Coalition benefits letter

Winning campaigns now we're in government

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

During the election campaign, one of our friends recruited a sprightly new party member – who as filling out her membership form revealed she was well into her nineties. But even she is too young to remember the last time there were Liberals in government outside of wartime. So it’s no surprise that many activists, particularly in England, are unsure how to cope with the practicalities of our party being in government in Westminster.

Being in government offers great opportunities to turn our complaints and our campaigns into actual change. Your tactics and the tone of your argument might change, but we remain a campaigning party. Power is not there to be loved or scared of, but to be used for liberal ends.

Here then are four tips to help you plan a successful campaign - and remember ‘campaign’ is not just short for ‘election campaign’ or ‘deliver leaflets with a petition slip’!

Understand who does what in government

Make sure you know which government department is responsible for the issue you are campaigning on, and be clear about who does what within each department. Most departments will have a Secretary of State (who ....

Getting Warmer...

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:01:00 +0100

The tranquil surroundings of the Wells constituency formed the backdrop to our best result of the day, where a Lib Dem gain from the Conservatives put us only one seat behind the Tories on Mendip D.C. and brought the council into No Overall Control. Candidate Garfield Kennedy led from the front, knocking on every door in the ward, building on Tessa Munt’s election to parliament in May. Swiftly acquiring a number of strategic sites on the approach to a popular local supermarket for our superboards and a further forty different stakeboard locations, made it a high visibility campaign. Our messages were spread, and some new members signed up, by the candidate hiring a stall in town on market day. The Coalition was generally well-received on the doorstep and we found ourselves on the right side of local planning concerns and a parking charges controversy that were hurting the (Conservative-run) Mendip District Council. Postal votes arrived before the budget, and the P.V.-targeted blue letter dropped onto doormats on the same day – in the end, the postal vote broke approximately two-thirds in our favour. The campaign also made good use of ALDC’s Focus and Good ....

26 councillors lose their seats following unitary decision

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Twenty-six councillors (13 in Norwich and 13 in Exeter) have been booted of their respective councils following the government's decision to overturn the decision to turn Norwich and Exeter in to unitary authorities.

The 26 councillors who had been up for re-election this May had their terms of office extended by a year to the date when the proposed all-up unitary elections were due to be held. Now the High Court has quashed the appeal against the decision stop the change to unitary status, a judge decided that for "legal reasons" these councillors will now have to fight by-elections if they wish to regain their places on the councils. The councils are now looking at what effect this has on the political balance and cabinets of both councils in the period running up to the by-elections.

More details are available on the BBC website.

Training for councillors on local government finance

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The Local Government Association has organised an event specifically aimed at councillors to help them understand more about local government finance. In particular it looks at:

how local government finance is allocated to councils

roles and responsibilities, including the role of elected members

current issues in local government finance

how local government finance should be reformed

It is being held on 10th September at Local Government House in Smith Square in Westminster. It is £150 for councillors from authorities who are LGA members. More details are available here.

Adapted Budget Artwork

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:23:00 +0100

The Campaigns Department has produced some "drop-in artwork" which we have adapted and added some colour, to help you get across the message about this year's budget. The original Campaigns Department artwork and an example of a Focus on the budget used in Lambeth can be viewed here.

The key messages to get across in your campaigning on the budget is:

The budget is only needed to deal with the huge public debts left by Labour and their reckless spending promises designed to help them cling on to power.

The budget is designed to help the less well off, with the result that the richest will pay the most.

There are many positive news stories in this budget, including 1 million people taken out of tax altogether, reinstating the earnings link for pensioners, 10% more in Capital Gains Tax for the top earners and a new tax on banks.

Download the artwork

Adapted drop-in artwork on the budget - PagePlus

Adapted drop-in artwork on the budget - PDF

Bucking the Trend in Sutton

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

In the London Borough of Sutton we’ve won every Council election since 1986 and every General Election since our 2 MPs were first elected in 1997. So you might think we were pretty relaxed about our (first ever) double election on May 6th. Been there, done that.....

Not a bit of it! This was the most difficult, most exhausting and most exciting election campaign we’ve run in a long time. 54 Council candidates across the Borough’s 18 wards and 2 MPs. A resurgent Tory Council group, a longstanding Tory PPC in Carshalton & Wallington and a brand new A-list, Ashcroft funded Tory PPC in Sutton & Cheam, all determined to throw us out of office, convinced that their time had come and awash with money and resources from Conservative Central Office. We knew we were fighting for our lives and for the future of the Liberal Democrats in the Borough.

So how did we do it? How did we achieve the largest swing in the country of any Lib Dem MP, returning Tom Brake with a five-fold increased majority in Carshalton & Wallington and withstanding the Tory onslaught in Sutton & Cheam to get their rightwing think-tank director elected, ensuring Paul Burstow’s ....

Lighter Later Campaign

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

This council notes:

The Lighter Later campaign which aims to give us an extra hour of daylight in the evenings when it is useful, instead of us sleeping through daylight in the morning.

That by adjusting the clocks to achieve this will also cut our carbon emissions and help us achieve our goals in the 10:10 campaign, by reducing the reliance on electric lights.

That Lighter Later is simple to achieve by us shifting the clocks forward by one hour throughout the entire year. We would then put the clocks forward again in spring and back in autumn.

This Council supports the aims and ambitions of the Lighter Later Campaign and therefore:

resolves to sign XXXXXXX Council up for the Lighter Later Campaign.

and will write to our MP/s asking that they support the Lighter Later campaign in Parliament

Moved:

Seconded

Supporting information

This is the link to the Lighter Later website http://www.lighterlater.org

Dr. Garnsey (of Cambridge University’s Centre For Technology Management) and her team have been studying electricity demand in the UK for the past five years with particular focus on the weeks before and after the clock changes. The results she presented are clear. Were the UK to switch to GMT+1 ....

Survey Response - Street Letters

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The next steps to your summer surveying campaign - remember to write to everyone who filled in a survey and then add them to your pool.

Responding to the survey results

Deliver a Focus highlighting the key findings of the survey across the area you undertook to do the survey, remembering to keep it local i.e. to an estate or a few streets.

Download the artwork

Area Focus - PDF

Area Focus - PagePlus

Emerging issues

If you had three people or more raise the same issue in a street, you could send a specific issue survey on that issue to the rest of the street to see if the issue is an issue to more than the few residents who raised it.

Download the artwork

Street Focus - PDF

Street Focus - PagePlus

Making it a campaign issue

If the survey does show that the issue is of relevance to a larger group of residents, you can then decide how to address this. It could be by asking the council to rectify the issue or another body i.e. private company, police ....

All Quiet on the Western Front...

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0100

There were three principal council by-elections and six by-elections out in the towns. Of the three main events, two Labour seats and one Tory ward were all successfully defended, with very little change in the vote tallies. We ran candidates in two of the three, Bedford and Braintree, but to no avail. The third by-election, in Conwy, saw Labour gain 11% in vote-share, mostly through the absence of a Plaid Cymru candidate who took 12% last time the seat was contested. Three of the five Town Council seats up were Lib Dem defences, and a 100% retention rate is excellent news for our campaign teams. We held on to our seat in the Dunmore ward on Abingdon Town Council, a glimmer of consolation after Evan Harris’ narrow defeat in May. We also held two seats on Chippenham T.C. in the Monkton Park and Pewsham wards, where Duncan Hames and the local Lib Dem team fought and won the newly-created Chippenham seat that emerged from the latest boundary review. Elsewhere, Labour held a seat on Llandudno, where Gareth Owen and the Lib Dem team doubled their previous vote tally, Labour gained one from the ....

Blood donation by gay men

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:35:00 +0100

This council motion comes from the Liberal Democrat Group on Nottingham City Council and managed to gain them a large amount of press coverage and provoked the first Labour rebellion in 15 years when they tried to amend the motion.

This Council…

Celebrates today’s World Blood Donor Day, which highlights the importance of blood donation.

Celebrates the work of phlebotomists across the UK, and everyone who keeps this vital life-saving service running.

Urges all those who are able to donate blood to do so regularly.

Regrets that the blood service in the UK discriminates unfairly against different groups in our society including gay men and bisexual men.

Pledges that the Portfolio Holder for Adult Support and Health will write to and lobby central government and the National Blood Service, asking them to scrap their discriminatory and outdated policy towards gay and bisexual men.

Budget artwork

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:01:00 +0100

The Campaigns Department has produced some "drop-in artwork" to help you get across the message about this year's budget. We also have some best practice from Lambeth who have produced a Focus for a council by-election specifically on the budget.

The key messages to get across in your campaigning on the budget is:

The budget is only needed to deal with the huge public debts left by Labour and their reckless spending promises designed to help them cling on to power.

The budget is designed to help the less well off, with the result that the richest will pay the most.

There are many positive news stories in this budget, including 1 million people taken out of tax altogether, reinstating the earnings link for pensioners, 10% more in Capital Gains Tax for the top earners and a new tax on banks.

Download these files

Campaigns Department drop-in artwork on the budget - PagePlus
Campaigns Department drop-in artwork on the budget - PDF

Tulse Hill Budget Special Focus - PDF

Anaerobic Digestion Annual Expo and Conference

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:18:00 +0100

The new coalition government has committed to a huge increase in energy from waste through anaerobic digestion. If this is an area in which you are interested, ALDC has been sent details of a conference and tradeshow that may be useful - UK AD and Biogas 2010 is the event to attend this year if you are involved in or interested in this area.

At UK AD & BIOGAS 2010 you can:

meet leading suppliers, industry experts, financiers, local authorities, researchers, government agencies and developers in our buzzing exhibition

network with representatives from the agricultural, waste, energy, finance, water, retail and local authority sectors

hear Government Ministers and other high profile speakers give exclusive insight into ‘The Future of Anaerobic Digestion in the UK’ at our two-day conference (separate paid entry)

attend FREE workshops, seminars and masterclasses packed with practical advice and discussions.

The UK AD & Biogas 2010 trade show is on 7-8 July in the NEC, Birmingham hosted by The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) is the first ever trade show focusing solely on anaerobic digestion and biogas.

The two day conference ‘The Future of the AD Industry in the UK’ will include:

Ministers from DECC and DEFRA

David Kennedy, Chief Executive, The ....

Chris White: don't hammer the little people

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:23:00 +0100

There were two articles in The Sun the other day on public sector pay. One was headed ‘£240k boss search axed’ and was a reference to the fact that the Government has vetoed the proposed salary package for a new Chief Executive of the Audit Commission.

The other much more substantial article was over the LGA’s search for a Director of Communications on £124,000 a year.
(As someone who receives a shilling or two from both organisations I must declare an interest.)

Meanwhile Nick Clegg has been applauded by the Daily Mail for his comments on public sector pensions, calling them ‘gold-plated’ and ‘unfair and unaffordable’.

The standard comparison when it comes to public sector pay is with the salary of the Prime Minister. In the case of the Audit Commission this was debunked on the BBC by leading private sector accountancy commentator Emile Woolf.

"Woolf: ‘I would have thought that the £240,000 package was on the low side for the responsibility he has.’

Eddie Mair from the BBC – ‘But if the most important person in the country (Prime Minister) can scrape by on £160,000, why ....

A Bump in the Road...

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:53:00 +0100

It isn’t very often that Liberal Democrats are wont to celebrate a good defection, but June 17th marks a unique anniversary in the combined histories of Cold War geopolitics and international dance. It was 49 years to the day since ballet superstar Rudolf Nureyev danced a hasty pas de deux with his Soviet bodyguards before vaulting into airport security in Paris to claim political asylum in France. Unfortunately, our by-election teams proved a little less nimble out in the field - of the four principal council by-elections on the 17th, Liberal Democrats were defending in one, standing in three, and won in none.

Our one loss for the week took place in the North Holme ward of East Lindsey District Council in Lincolnshire. The key to understanding this dramatic decline is hidden in the percentage change, the Lib Dem vote was down roughly 60% on 2007 – such a high figure usually indicates the lack of another major party candidate in the previous election, and in 2007 the contest was solely between us and the BNP. Whilst it was inevitable we’d lose a number of votes when ....

How to access ALDC FREE Publications

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:17:00 +0100

To access ALDC FREE Publications go to

http://www.aldc.org/

click on "myALDC"

On the page that appears, scroll down the right hand side to a box entitled "Publications Archive" and click on it.

On the page that appears next, Log in.

On the next page hold the cursor over "Documents" tab and a "Publications" link appears underneath, click on it. On the next page you can browse through many years of Archive ALDC books. The Archive is not complete yet, more stuff is being added every week.

Current books are for sale in the shop, when they are no longer on sale they are put into the Free, (for ALDC Members), Archive.

ALDC’s Summer Survey 2010 now available

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:59:00 +0100

ALDC’s Summer Survey can now be bought from our online shop [no longer available]. These colour surveys, which can be easily localised on one side, will make your campaign look more professional and will help make speaking to voters even easier.

The way it works is that we supply colour printed surveys, which you buy through our shop, and then when they arrive you laser or risograph your own text on to one side to make it local to your area. To help you use these surveys we have produced a Word template to help you laser or risograph the blank spaces and a PDF shows you an example of how a finished survey could look. The templates have been designed to use the Liberal Democrat font, Helvetica Neue, and so if you haven't got this on your computer already you will need to download them here from our website.

If you wish to produce your own survey for you to print locally based on our artwork, then you can also download the artwork below as a PDF and a PagePlus file.

In future weeks we will be designing templates to help ....

Manifestos

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:28:00 +0100

Having a manifesto is a good idea if you are aiming to take control of the council next time. If you are not in a position to take control next time, you would be better using the time it would take to produce a manifesto, knocking on doors and getting more D&P’s for the next election.

Whatever you do, make sure that it is distinctly Liberal Democrat, and incorporates what ever your campaigns are and addresses the findings of your surveying and what the big issues are in your area.

Below is a selection of manifestos from the last few years to give you an idea; it is worth looking at these as you may see some good ideas for campaigning in your area.

Newcastle Manifesto

Stockport Manifesto

Bradford Manifesto

Cumbria Manifesto

Sutton Manifesto

Lewisham Manifesto

Isle of White Horse Manifesto

Campaigner Awards 2010

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:47:00 +0100

Nominations are now sought for the 2010 ALDC Campaigner Awards. These awards celebrate Liberal Democrat campaigning achievements – it’s the second year the awards have been organised by ALDC.

The awards are sponsored by Midshires and RISO, which enable us to award cash prizes to local Liberal Democrat parties.
This year nominations are sought for:

-    1st Prize (Overall winner) £500

FIVE Runners Up Prizes (£100 each)

- Best FOCUS Leaflet

- Best literature by a volunteer campaigner

- Best ward campaign

- Best direct mail

- Best membership literature

Please send in your nominations to: awards@aldc.org (PagePlus11 and PDF files) or by post to Mark Alcock, ALDC, The Birchcliffe Centre, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8DG.

The deadline for nominations is Monday 6th September 2010.

Please send us everything you think worthwhile – any campaigning from 1 October 2009 can be included.

ALDC's Summer Survey 2010

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:36:00 +0100

One of the key lessons from this year’s election campaigns is that those who have kept up direct personal contact with voters often had the most success. Not only does knocking on doors help show that you are out and about working hard, they help you to find out the issues that really concern local residents and they also build up a personal loyalty that helps you resist a squeeze by the other parties.

Many party activists seem slightly apprehensive at present to go out and speak to voters. But it’s worth remembering that the polls show the coalition is popular and that the experience of those who have been knocking on doors has been positive. In particular, in those council by-elections we have won since we joined the coalition government.

ALDC making it easier

To help make the job of knocking on doors easier, from next week ALDC will have available professionally printed survey that you can buy via our shop. They are specially designed so you can overprint the forms with the name and address of the recipient, your own local questions and contact details on one side. In fact, we’re even supplying a template in Word to ....

Restoration of Civil Liberties & Political Reform

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:17:00 +0100

Council notes:

The new Governments commitment for much needed political reform and the restoration of our civil liberties.

Council welcomes:

The proposal to bring in a proportionally elected second chamber;

Proposals to regulate party funding;

The proposal to hold a referendum to give people a chance to vote to end First Past the Post elections for the House of Commons;

Council also welcomes the introduction of the Freedom Bill, which will:

Scrap the illiberal ID cards scheme;

Bring an end to the fingerprinting of children in schools without their parents’ consent;

Introduce better regulation of CCTV cameras;

Place significant restrictions on the DNA database;

Restore the right to protest.

Council resolves to:

Write to our MP/s asking for their support in Parliament when these bills are heard

To write to the Deputy Prime Minister giving this council’s support to the proposed bills.

Members newsletters

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Keeping members up to date with what is going on in the local party is very important.   We need to involve members and helpers so that they feel involved and wanted.

The type of things that we should be involving them with is; inviting them to social events, introduce them to senior councillors, PPC/MP/MEP and other members.

You should also send regular newsletters & emails, advertising activities both social and political giving dates and times and a contact names, telephone numbers and email addresses.

Ask people to help with running social events and get them involved in campaigning, don’t be scared to ask!

We recommend that you send a newsletter on a regular basis, at least quarterly if not more frequently. We also recommend that you send it not just to members but to helpers, friends, donors and poster sites. Keeping in touch will help you get them more involved both socially and politically .

Thank you to Monmouthshire local party for their members newsletter opposite, and below are the PDF and PagePlus11 files.

Monmouthshire newsletter PDF file

Monmouthshire newsletter PPP file

Nominate your party award winners

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Each year, the party president presents a number of awards to the party's unsung heroes, that is the members and the local parties who have made an outstanding contribution to the party over the last year or even longer.

This year there are three awards that can be nominated by any member of the party. They are:

Harriet Smith Distinguished Service Award

for outstanding lifetime contribution and achievement by any party member who has never held public office.

President's Award

for outstanding lifetime contribution and achievement by any party member who has held public office.

Belinda Eyre-Brook Award

to recognise and celebrate the work of political assistants to council groups.

If you know of someone who should be recognised by the party for all their work, then download a copy of the party awards pack, and make sure you give them the thanks they deserve.

The deadline for nominations is 12th July 2010.

Peter Black: The need for consistency

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0100

With growing pressure on local Councils to make efficiencies and to live within decreasing means, whilst at the same time preserving front-line services, one could be forgiven for thinking that Council Leaders and Cabinet Members need to be proven miracle workers before getting the job.

This is especially so when the local priorities they have been elected to deliver on are made more difficult by national directives dressed up as policy initiatives and when those initiatives are not properly funded.

Centralisation and control-freakery on the part of Welsh Ministers has been a common theme in these articles however the one c-word they fall down on is consistency. This is best illustrated by what happened in Cardiff recently over school reorganisation.

The Council’s view can be read at http://www.freedomcentral.org.uk/2010/06/our-kids-deserve-better-than-labour-ministers-using-schools-reorganisation-as-a-political-football.html but essentially the story amounts to Labour Ministers making it clear that they want local education authorities to remove excessive surplus places in schools, to modernise school buildings and to put in place provision to deal with the rise in demand for Welsh medium teaching, and then campaigning against proposals ....

Summertime, and the Votin' is Easy...

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Winning Candidate John Griffin at the Site of his Winning Opposition to a New Housing Development

Whilst June 3rd was a good day for by-election watchers this year, it suffers from a relative lack of whimsy in its anniversary celebrations. One interesting tidbit however is that it was 54 years since British Railways renamed their ‘Third Class’ carriages to ‘Second Class’, arguably a greater victory for mass social mobility than has been achieved at any point since! In by-election terms there were three principal council contests fought on Thursday, we were defending two in St Albans and pushing for a win in rural South Oxfordshire.

The Crowmarsh ward of South Oxfordshire District Council is safely ensconced in the Conservative stronghold of Henley, a famous stomping ground for big Tory beasts past and present – Baron Heseltine and Boris Johnson – and a constituency that celebrates an unbroken century of Conservative representation at Westminster in December this year. Successful candidate John Griffin is a well-known figure in the area, having served as councillor for Crowmarsh before in the mid-late 1990s and currently serving as leader of the Crowmarsh Parish Council. The Lib Dem campaign picked ....

Leaflets from Camden

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:22:00 +0100

Here is a selection from Camden’s election campaigns.

We like these, as they are crisp and clear and have a good level of integrated campaigning using the candidates in both campaigns.

As you can see there is a good mixture of different styles and good use of full colour, two colour and black and white.

This artwork the message about the importance of voting and gives a positive message on why to vote Liberal Democrat. However, it also includes a strong anti-Labour message that may appeal to those who are perhaps less likely to vote, but also stresses that it’s Lib Dem or Labour here.

Who's standing up for our estate? PDF

Action - not words... PDF

"Filthy" PDF

Local Newspapers

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:17:00 +0100

That this council: -

(a) notes that a good local newspaper is an important feature of a good local democracy;
(b) is concerned about the recent decline in sales of Name local daily newspaper;
(c) hopes Name paper can continue it's quality coverage of local events on a daily, for the benefit of the readership it serves in Name area;
(d) resolves that the Chief Executive contacts Name papers owners to see if there is anything the council can do to assist them to continue the good work they do through there newspaper.

Raising money through standing orders

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:26:00 +0100

Regular fundraising events are crucial to ensuring you have the funds to run your election campaign. You can find out more on raising the money here. But the best way to make sure you can plan your campaign properly is to make sure you have regular financial standing orders set up to the local party.

Top tips for raising funds

Set a target for the year on how much you will need to implement your campaign plan, including a bit extra on top for unforeseen circumstances such as by-elections.

Don’t be afraid to ask people for money. Everyone knows it costs money to campaign and so they do expect to be asked, but…

Don’t always ask the same people. Many of our members get asked for money all the time by local, regional and federal parties, but our local supporters and members of the public are asked a lot less.

People are more likely to donate if they know what the money’s going to be used for, e.g. paying for Focus, running a poster campaign.

Make sure you thank ....

Membership Recruitment

Fri, 28 May 2010 17:39:00 +0100

Once you have delivered you’re ’Thank You’ leaflets, it is time to recruit new members and helpers using the data you collected in the election campaign.

The party have had a surge in people joining both before the election after the first TV debate and another surge since the announcement of the coalition.

We have put together a Post Election Members Development pack in PDF format that includes:

Membership recruitment instructions

Letter templates in PagePlus11 format:

Letter to known voters

Letter to none postal voter voters

Appeal letter to Postal Voters

Development Fund letter

Direct Debit/Cheque form

Appeal insert

Postal Vote application form

Early Doors...

Fri, 28 May 2010 15:26:00 +0100

There have been two election days since the last update, Tuesday 25th for the delayed elections in Camden’s Haverstock ward, and Thursday 27th for Ryde South on the Isle of Wight and a variety of deferred- and by-elections for Town Councils across the country.

In the first serious electoral test since the formation of the coalition, the Liberal Democrat team in Camden successfully defended three seats in the deferred elections in the Haverstock ward. A quick note on classifications; we are reporting this result as two hold and one gain despite there being three Lib Dem councillors on both the 5th and 7th of May. In 2006, the voters of Camden returned two Labour and one Liberal Democrat in Haverstock. One of the Labour councillors was replaced by a Lib Dem in a by-election in July 2007, whilst the second change was the result of defection. When treating elections, the ALDC policy is to use the will of the voters as expressed at the ballot box as the basis for its results classifications, therefore the seat that saw a defection has still technically been gained from Labour - the party that received the ....

Group Leaders Day - Draft Programme

Fri, 28 May 2010 13:55:00 +0100

The 2010 Liberal Democrat Group Leaders Day takes place on Friday 18 June 2010 - at LGA House in Westminster, London. This is the day immediately preceeding the Lib Dem Local Government Conference on Saturday.

Provisional Programme

10.30am            Arrival with registration and coffee

11.15am            ALDC Group Leaders’ – Welcome and Introductions

11.30am            Leading Success – Challenges for the Lib Dem Group Leader Speakers and Discussion

12.30-1.30pm            Lunch for Group Leaders’ and Council Leaders’

1.30pm             Joint welcome to both Group Leaders’ and Council Leaders’

                        Richard Kemp, Leader, LGA Liberal Democrat Group

                        Tim Pickstone, Chief Executive, ALDC

Councils told to stop CAA work now

Thu, 27 May 2010 14:23:00 +0100

The Municipal Journal is reporting that councils are being told to stop work on Comprehensive Area Assessments (CAA) with immediate effect.

The policy is contained within the coalition agreement between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, but legislation is required to remove the requirement to complete CAAs. However, in the meantime auditors are advising councils that all meetings on CAAs have been stopped and that councils can drop their own work on them.

A formal announcement is expected tomorrow, but more details are available here.

Polling day problems

Thu, 27 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100

This motion was used in Sheffield City Council following the problems with people not being able to vote on polling day. It can be easily adapted to suit local circumstances where we are either not running the council or where there were other problems on polling day.

The Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council has handed back the money he receives from the Ministry of Justice for acting as returning officer, which may be something to call for in your area if appropriate (more details here). This motion also links the problems with voting to the party's proposals for political reform.

That this Council: -

(a)       believes that being able to vote in democratic elections is one of the most important rights that citizens of this country and city enjoy;

(b)       is therefore concerned to learn that at the May 6th General and Local Elections, a number of people were unable to exercise that right through no fault of their own in several locations around the country, including in Sheffield;

(c)        welcomes the swift action taken by the Chief Executive in launching an immediate joint inquiry with the Electoral ....

LGA response to the £6.2bn package of government savings

Tue, 25 May 2010 16:12:00 +0100

The Local Government Association has given its response to the proposal by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat government to save £6.2billion. This response, (this is the LGA response, not necessarily the Liberal Democrat response), is as follows:

Responding to the coalition Government’s announcement of £6.2 billion of savings, Dame Margaret Eaton, chairman of the Local Government Association, said:

“We all know cuts are necessary and councils are ready to talk to the Government about how these cuts are implemented and limit their impact on front-line services. Town halls have delivered savings year after year and know about taking difficult decisions on spending.

“Locally-elected councils are closest to the people they serve. If there are tough decisions to make, they are best taken by the people who know their area best, so it is good the Government is giving councils more freedom over spending and starting the business of cutting the quango state down to size.

“What we need now is fundamental reform of the way the public sector works to cut the maze of public sector bodies, funding streams and bureaucracy that costs huge sums and stands in the way of delivering more for less.

“We have already ....

Taking Stock...

Tue, 25 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100

With very little to report on by way of by-elections, this week’s one and only electoral contest was for a seat on Workington Town Council and sported no Liberal Democrat candidate, the ALDC by-elections team has decided to spend the week number-crunching our election results and are presenting some edited highlights here. With a net loss of between 129 and 136 council seats (the discrepancy between our – latter – figures and the BBC’s appears to be the result of different approaches to classifying seats that have seen defections), it was a bad night for Liberal Democrats in local government. Our actual losses around the country numbered 228, with the net loss figures softened by the approximately 100 gains that are the silver lining on this particular cloud.

The now-defunct Labour Government’s decision to stage the general election on the same day as the locals appears largely responsible for the over 400 net gains made by Labour around the country, a peculiar party-political privilege that may have been used for the last time - its repeal features in Nick Clegg’s forthcoming parliamentary reform bill. Labour proved our main opponents in Unitary and Metropolitan council areas, in each of which over 80% ....

Election expenses - how to declare print discounts

Fri, 21 May 2010 15:19:00 +0100

One of the most frequently asked questions recently about election expenses is how to declare the cost of printing of leaflets (especially Election Communications) where people have been given a discount due to non/late delivery of leaflets or or mistakes in the printing. This is our advice, which has been discussed with the Electoral Commission.

The key to how these are declared in your election expenses is whether you were given a 'commercial discount', i.e. a discount that anyone would receive in those circumstances not just Liberal Democrats. If that is the case, then you simply declare the amount you actually paid and do not need to declare that you received a discount at all or even a corresponding notional donation. Obviously, if you have received a discount because the printer is a sympathiser then the usual rules on declaring the full commercial value still applies.

Where the cost is written off completely or you are given a deep discount that is disproportionate to the amount of the contract that wasn't fulfilled, you will need to include in your election expenses a reasonable sum for what was actually delivered. In these circumstances, it is useful ....

Raising the cash

Fri, 21 May 2010 15:03:00 +0100

The sooner you start fundraising for next year’s elections the better, and with a large round of elections coming up, (2011 sees over half of all Liberal Democrat councillors defending their seats), a lot more money will be needed.

By raising money now it makes it easier to plan your campaign as you know how much you have available to spend. One thing you really don’t want to have to do is to spend all of next Spring raising funds when you’d be better out on the doorstep. Even worse, is running out of funds completely and having to downgrade your campaign.

To help you start your fundraising now, here are a range of ideas of different events you could organise over the coming months. Not only do they raise money but, as importantly, they help bring your supporters together. People are a lot more likely to help the party if they think it will be fun and sociable. Make sure you put some effort in to encouraging new members and supporters who joined during the most recent elections to come along.

On top of these events, you will also need to make sure you have regular funds coming ....

Local Government Conference - Register Now!

Fri, 21 May 2010 14:34:00 +0100

Now that the elections are over, this weekend is a great time to register for the 2010 Liberal Democrat Local Government Conference - Saturday 19 June 2010. This is the first time Councillors and local campaigners will be able to get together since the start of the Coalition Government - we have a lot to talk about!

Registrations start at £45 (that's after a £5 discount for ALDC members). After 15th June this goes up to £50. Council Groups in Group Membership of ALDC can take advantage of our "buy two, get one free" offer - get in touch if you want to take advantage of this.

Register online here. ALDC members should log in first to take advantage of the members discount.

Conference Details

Who, When, Where

- all Liberal Democrat Councillors and local campaigners; group researchers and staff, colleagues from local government and Parliament.

- Saturday 19 June 2010.
On Friday 18 June, there are a number of satellite events, including a Group Leaders Day - separate information has been sent out about this.

On the evening of Friday 18 June 2010, is the Lib Dem Local Government Dinner. Now in its fourth year, this popular event takes place at the City Inn in ....

Interim Report from the Electoral Commission - polling station queues

Thu, 20 May 2010 15:10:00 +0100

The Electoral Commission, the independent elections watchdog, has completed its review into why voters in some polling stations were unable to cast their vote before the 10pm deadline on 6 May. The report sets out what needs to be done to avoid a repeat of the problems two weeks ago.
The review found:

at least 1,200 people were still queuing at 27 polling stations in 16 constituencies at 10pm

in some areas the numbers of electors allocated to particular polling stations were too high and some polling stations had too few staff

in all the areas affected there were also local government elections taking place (and, in some, Mayoral elections) which meant it took longer for each voter to vote and arrangements to deal with this were inadequate

election officials did not identify and respond quickly enough to the problems that emerged on polling day

The report makes the following recommendations:

the law should be changed to allow people still queuing at polling stations at 10pm to be able to vote

local authorities and Returning Officers should improve their planning, review their schemes for polling districts and polling stations and ....

The Coalition: our programme for government

Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Chapter 4 of the final coalition agreement:

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The Government believes that it is time for a fundamental shift of power from Westminster to people. We will promote decentralisation and democratic engagement, and we will end the era of top-down government by giving new powers to local councils, communities, neighbourhoods and individuals.

We will promote the radical devolution of power and greater financial autonomy to local government and community groups. This will include a review of local government finance.

We will rapidly abolish Regional Spatial Strategies and return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils, including giving councils new powers to stop ‘garden grabbing’.

In the longer term, we will radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative Party publication Open Source Planning.

We will abolish the unelected Infrastructure Planning Commission and replace it with an efficient and democratically accountable system that provides a fast-track process for major infrastructure projects.

We will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning ....

Cleggmania

Fri, 14 May 2010 18:41:00 +0100

Nick Clegg, has made a big name for himself and the Liberal Democrats in the General Election.
The TV debates caused a great surge in support for the Liberal Democrats with membership up, people volunteering to help and a renewed interest in our policies. We have also gained as many new members since we went into government.
We have to make sure that anyone who came forward is kept in touch with, and where possible we need to get these people involved in our local parties and campaigns.
If you have not yet had your thank you party, invite these people along as well to other events you have planned, keep them informed and harness their enthusiasm, make sure you get the best out of ‘Clegg-mania’ by turning these members into activists and help your group move forward.

How was it for you?

Fri, 14 May 2010 18:13:00 +0100

Liberal Democrats lost net 129 council seats*. In most of these we lost hard working and loyal Liberal Democrat Councillors and ALDC would like to take the opportunity to thank them, and all our candidates last Thursday for this service to the Party. In fact the results were mixed, with gains and holds in most areas. Particular congratulations to colleagues in Burnley, Winchester and Cheltenham who took majority control of their Councils.

We need to learn from these results, and implement what we have learnt.

Almost all of our losses were to Labour. We do know that having the general election on the same day as the local elections had a significant impact. But there are places who were successful in winning against this trend.

If you had local elections in 2010 I would be very grateful if you could help us by filling in our short online survey. Please note this is just about the local elections. I'm sure other parts of the party ....

Polling Problems

Fri, 14 May 2010 18:01:00 +0100

From people being locked out of polling stations to the wrong ballot papers being issued ALDC has heard of many incidents and problems that took place during the elections this year.
In order to inform discussions with the Electoral Commission and others we have put together an online survey . Please fill it in so we can lobby for improvements and get your council scrutiny process to look at your local situation. Click here to complete the survey

Thank You leaflets

Fri, 14 May 2010 15:51:00 +0100

The elections are over; it’s time to sort your ‘Thank You’ leaflets out.

ALDC have created on in black and white and two colours, the campaigns department have created one in black and white, which we have adapted to two colour and balck, and white in the ALDC style for your use.

All are available in PagePlus11 and PDF files below

PPP files:

ALDC A3 two colour 'Thank You' template

ALDC A3 black and white 'Thank You' template

ALDC A4 two colour 'Thank You' template

ALDC A4 black and white 'Thank You' template

Campaigns Department 'Thank You' templates:

A3 black and white fighting Labour

A3 black and white fighting Tory

Campaigns Department 'Thank You' templates adapted by ALDC:

A3 black and white fighting Labour template

A3 black and white fighting Tory template

A3 ....

Post-Election email gathering

Fri, 14 May 2010 15:13:00 +0100

During an election campaign, most councillors, parliamentary candidates and council candidates will have received a lot of email correspondence from local residents raising issues or concerns. Before you forget, now is a good time to go through all your emails and put these email addresses in to EARS.

Don't forget that if you have been using a council email address then you won't be able to do this as they have contacted you in your capacity as a councillor using public resources that cannot be used for party campaigning. However, anything that has been sent to you using a private email address, you can then save and use to keep local residents updated on general or local issues.

When you do send out emails in future, you must ensure you include an opt-out statement at the bottom of the email, as some of these people you contact may prefer not to be included in the future.

A mixed bag of results: Local election report

Fri, 14 May 2010 14:47:00 +0100

Just as the General Election produced a mixed bag of results, so did this year’s council elections. Although overall we had a net loss of 135 seats and control of a number of councils, the outcome was far more complex.

The results in metropolitan and London councils saw a net loss of 52 and 77 seats respectively losing overall control of Richmond upon Thames, Liverpool, Rochdale and Sheffield in the process. However, in unitary councils and the English districts we lost just 5 and 1 seat respectively, and gained control of Burnley, Cheltenham and Winchester councils. These figures also hide the fact that we lost significant numbers of seats in councils where we were in joint or minority administrations where Labour where the main opposition, such as Brent, Camden, Islington, St. Helens and Warrington.

Apart from the places where we gained control, there have been a number of other stars in this election. Firstly, we gained two seats from scratch on Merton council, a council where we now hold the balance of power. We also retained our by-election gain in Kensington & Chelsea and gained one more councillor to keep Carol Caruana company in this Tory fiefdom.

Other positive news came from Sutton where we saw a massive ....

Interesting Times...

Wed, 12 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Whilst it was an unhappy birthday for Tony Blair, May 6th will surely be remembered from now on as a historic day in British political history. In other parts of the Western world, it was the 18th International No Diet Day defending body-shape diversity and celebrated with a blue ribbon (or a Blue Riband, perhaps). In-keeping with this theme, there was a veritable feast of political contests to enjoy last Thursday - there were 51 principal by-elections reported to ALDC this week. A number of these took place in wards which had scheduled local elections as well and in cases like this it is impossible to tell which of the two elected candidates was elected in the ‘by-’, so today we are covering the 34 seats for which the competition was purely a by-election.

Of those 34 individual by-elections, the headline opposition figures are as follows; the Tories successfully held 15, Labour held 3, and the SNP defended their seat in Strathallan ward in Perth and Kinross. In terms of opposition gains, there were two Conservative gains from Independents, and Labour took one from both Tories and Independents as well as a third from the Liberal Democrats in the Burnley ....

Any Other Business?

Tue, 04 May 2010 14:05:00 +0100

Group Membership Benefits
An increasing number of the more successful Liberal Democrat Groups are in group membership of ALDC. This is where a whole Council Group joins ALDC together, very often this is part of what Councillors receive in return for their "Group Subs".

To encourage even more Groups to sign up, and as a "Thank you" to those groups who been in group membership for many years, we've got together a package of Group Membership benefits.

- Group Members receive 12% off all membership rates
- Free places at the Local Government Conference (buy 2 ....

We Want You to Succeed

Tue, 04 May 2010 14:02:00 +0100

New Councillors' Discount
As an exciting new initiative this year all NEWLY ELECTED Lib Dem Councillors will be able to join ALDC in their first year for HALF PRICE! As all of us know their first months as a Councillor are important. We want to make sure as many of our new Councillors benefit from the advice and support that ALDC offer from Day one.

This makes ALDC membership for new councillors less than 75p a week!

The new offer is only available till the end of August - after that it's back up to the normal rate. It is only for newly elected Liberal Democrat councillors (not someone who has been re-elected), and it's only available by direct debit.

GOOD LUCK from all of us at ALDC for Thursday 6th May 2010.

ALDC will be open for emergency calls on polling day 01422 843 785 up to 5.15pm. We will be open again at 11.00am on Friday 7th 2010.

Outside office hours if you need urgent advice please contact us via the website here.

Just to let you know that on FRIDAY during the day we will be running a results service for the local elections. I suspect there might be "bigger news" nationally - but we're still interested in what happens in the local elections as well!

The results will be online here.

During the day / early evening please phone ALDC when your local elections count is finished - 01422 843 785.

OR email us at ....

Local Election Results 2010

Tue, 04 May 2010 13:14:00 +0100

Results of the 6 May 2010 Local Elections will be posted here.

Final Week Essentials

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:40:00 +0100

Elections are won and lost in the last week, so what you do in the next six days really will be crucial to your chances of victory on the 6th May.

We all know that the greater majority of un-decided voters will only make up their minds how they will vote in the last week, hours, or dare we say, on the way to the Polling Station!

Just keep repeating your messages louder and clearer – and make it all bigger and bolder!

The winning post is not far away!

Materials up to polling Day
Last weekend leaflets
All Conservative squeeze materials
All Labour squeeze materials
Blue Letters

Polling Day
Eve of Poll
2012 Good Mornings      Old Goods Mornings
2012 Knock ups              Old Knock Ups
Polling Day Preparation list

Helpers signing in sheet PDF

Helpers signing in sheet PagePlus

Tellers Rota PDF

Eve of Poll from Nick & Vince Conservative-facing seats - PagePlus
Eve of Poll from Nick & Vince Conservative-facing seats - PDF

Eve of Poll from Nick & Vince Labour-facing seats - PagePlus
Eve of Poll from Nick & Vince Labour-facing seats - PDF

"A message from Nick Clegg" good morning Inside - PagePlus
"A message from Nick Clegg" good morning Outside - PagePlus
"A message from Nick Clegg" good morning Inside - PDF
"A message from Nick Clegg" good morning Outside - PDF

Final week colour leaflet - PagePlus
Final week colour leaflet - PDF

Good morning ....

Membership News

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Some exciting membership news (for after the election!) from ALDC

New Councillors' Discount
As an exciting new initiative this year all NEWLY ELECTED Lib Dem Councillors will be able to join ALDC in their first year for HALF PRICE! As all of us know their first months as a Councillor are important. We want to make sure as many of our new Councillors benefit from the advice and support that ALDC offer from Day 1.

This makes ALDC membership for new councillors less than 75p a week!

The new offer is only available in May and June 2010 - after that it's back up to the normal rate. It is only for newly elected Liberal Democrat councillors (not someone who has been re-elected), and it's only available by direct debit.

If you're already an ALDC member, and get elected on 6th May, don't worry just let us know and we'll immediately amend your direct debit to take account of the discount rate.

Group Membership Benefits
An increasing number of the more successful Liberal Democrat Groups are in group membership of ALDC. This is where a whole Council Group joins ALDC together, very often this is part of what Councillors receive in return for their "Group ....

The Calm Before the Storm...

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:19:00 +0100

If no news is good news, then this week’s by-election report is positively gospel. The only by-election reported to ALDC was for two seats on a Town Council in Westbury, and it featured no Liberal Democrat candidates! It took place on what would have been satirist Henry Fielding’s 303rd birthday. One of Fielding’s best known quotes is that ‘the slander of some people is as great a recommendation as the praise of others’ – and having read April 22nd’s broadside against Nick Clegg in the right-wing press, one can only conclude that the same still holds…

As there is so little to report on, here is a whirlwind tour of our year so far:

January saw five by-elections across the country. In addition to successfully defending our seats in Taunton Deane and Harrogate, we pinched the Great Bowden and Arden ward of Harborough District Council to open this year’s by-election account with a monthly net gain. February was a busy month, with 27 principal council seats up for grabs. The main news was Labour rallying, holding three of their five seats and gaining a further eight, for a net monthly gain of six. The Tories gained and lost three apiece, essentially standing ....

Student campaign pack

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:27:00 +0100

The Campaigns Department have produced a pack of materials that will help you target the student vote in the elections. This includes a set of guidance notes that give you tips and advice on how to campaign with students, as well as various examples of artwork. Although this pack is mainly aimed at key parliamentary seats, many of the techniques and examples of artwork can be adapted for more local campaigns.

Students are an important group to target, especially at a General Election when they are much more likely to vote than at a council election. This means that in a ward where you have a lot of students but they do not usually vote at council elections, you will need to make sure you are campaigning with students if you want to defend your seat on the same day as the General Election.

Students are very receptive to the Liberal Democrat message, especially on student tuition fees, but on other policy areas too. However, as they may have moved from another part of the country where the Liberal Democrats are less active it is particularly important to remind them of the local situation. Although traditionally students tended to be on the ....

Squeezing Conservatives

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:11:00 +0100

Many voters decide who to vote for based on who is most likely to beat the party they dislike the most. It's one of the consequences of our electoral system. We have provided templates to help you squeeze both Labour and Conservatives, as appropriate, but here is another recent example used in the campaign in Sheffield Central.

This was leaflet was blanket delivered to parts of the constituency which are either shown on EARS as having an above average number of canvassed Conservatives or where Mosaic shows that the area should tend to vote Conservative.

Keeping up the squeeze is really important even at a time when the national opinion polls are really positive. We must keep reminding people who the challengers are in their area, as polls still show that the Liberal Democrat vote would be much higher if people believed the Lib Dems can win in their area.

Download the artwork

Sheffield Central Conservative Squeeze - PDF
Sheffield Central Conservative Squeeze - PagePlus

Lib Dem and "I agree with Nick" posters to download

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:39:00 +0100

You can now download a generic Liberal Democrat poster from the Liberal Democrat website, which people can print off themselves and display in their window. This includes Liberal Democrat posters for England, Scotland and Wales, as well as I Agree with Nick diamonds that can also be used.

It would be sensible to include a link to this site from your own party website, or you include the URL on your local leaflets especially ones going out to students or in areas with a lot of younger voters who are the ones that are switching to the Liberal Democrats in larger numbers.

Download the posters here

Fenland agrees with Nick

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100

On the 98th anniversary of the Titanic disaster, it was the Conservative Party’s by-election teams that hit an iceberg last Thursday. Of the five seats they were defending, we are pleased to report four losses – three of which came our way as did a very close second in the Tories’ only successful defence.

Three of the five by-elections reported to ALDC this week centred on Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, with our candidate Dave Patrick running for Wisbech Town Council, Fenland District Council, and Cambridgeshire County Council at the same time. The openings on the two principal councils were a result of the death of the incumbent Conservative Councillor. Of the three, most significant was the contest for the Wisbech Kirkland ward of Fenland District Council. The Lib Dem campaign in this relatively urban ward in Fenland produced three main by-election leaflets, in a variety of colour and formats, and made good use of EARS to create an effective squeeze message for ‘soft’ Conservatives. The biggest issue in the local area was the controversial Fenland DC plan to relocate a taxi rank and, as Chair of a local Hackney Carriage drivers’ association, Dave was well-placed to get to ....

Postal vote Good Morning & Eve-of-Poll centres

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Get ready for the Postal Votes landing on the mat

Postal Votes will land on doormats from the 23^rd April (check with your Returning Officer for when yours will be landing) most areas the General Election postal vote will land a couple of days later.

The artwork below is the centre of a good morning leaflet that can be used with the outsides that are available to download here. The second and third pages of these template includes a number of alternative bar charts, "ballot papers" and text to suit your circumstances and can be dropped in to the appropriate place in the artwork on page one.

Don’t forget to telephone knock up your Postal Voters.

Remember that your Postal Voters are more likely to vote and you should make sure that you do all you can to aid this.

A postal vote "how to sign letter" is available and can be downloaded here.

You have one more week to canvass these people.   Use the telephone to help you contact as many of this group as ....

Useful font where Labour is third

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:43:00 +0100

Here's a useful font for people who are campaigning in areas where Labour are third (or fourth, fifth etc).

The font is called Neo Tech and this image gives you some idea of the sort of literature that it can be used for in the elections.

Download this font

Neo Tech - Zipped font file

Telling and Polling Stations

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:41:00 +0100

Tellers are the people who sit or stand outside the polling stations collecting the electoral roll numbers of people who have voted or are about to vote. This number is on the official polling card. Voters do not need to bring this card with them to the polling station, but most do. You can’t demand an elector’s number, but most people give the information willingly. If an elector does not know his or her polling number, get their name and address. If only a surname is given note whether the voter is male (M) or female (F). Also record if they make their party affiliation clear. Tellers should not try to cram the information they glean in one box on the tellers pad. What is important is clarity and accuracy.

We do this so we can reduce the number of people on our list of supporters (the shuttleworth) that we want to remind to vote. The numbers are then collected and taken to the Lib Dem committee room where they are crossed off our lists. This can be done via EARS or Connect. We then send out teams of people to knock on the doors ....

Recruiting Lib Dem members in the General Election

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:03:00 +0100

The General Election is an excellent time to recruit new party members.

Our national profile is never higher than during a General Election campaign - this is especially helpful in a constituency where we are a long way behind the other two big parties.

People are far more interested in politics during an election campaign and so may be more motivated to actively support a party by joining the one they are voting for.

The buzz of an election campaign, especially if they are in a key parliamentary seat, will make them feel they are joining a winning team. This helps keep them involved.

Although all recruitment is worthwhile, it is especially important to try and get members to join through direct debit. Not only does this mean that their membership is less likely to lapse and so helps save you trying to chase up their payment in a year's time, the saving on administration means that your local party gets a bigger share of their membership subs. The benefit for the member is that they can spread their membership fee over the course of a year by paying monthly or quarterly. The majority of Liberal Democrat members now pay their subs through direct ....

'...and Some We Lose'

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:31:00 +0100

In Japan, April 8th is ‘Buddha’s Birthday’ and the ‘Flower Festival’ celebrations in streets and temples across the land add some lovely Spring colour to the occasion. For those of you who would still like to take the opportunity to wish him many happy returns (pun intended), the rest of eastern Asia will be celebrating Buddha’s birthday on May 21st, in line with the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. Hopefully, this week’s by-election results are free of any karmic connotations – of one principal and one Town Council by-election reported to ALDC, we took last place in both.

The single principal by-election took place in the Golf Green ward of Tendring District Council. In 2010, Tendring will fall within the new parliamentary constituency of Clacton. It was formerly located in the ancient constituency of Harwich, whose most notable representative (with all due respect to current Tory MP Douglas Carswell) remains seventeenth century gentleman-diarist Samuel Pepys.

Not one to trouble any budding Liberal Democrat diarists, the Golf Green by-election went down as a Conservative gain from Tory splinter-group Tendring First. The roots of the Tory-Tendring First animus goes back almost a decade, and the well-funded defending T.F. team went heavily after the Conservatives ....

Winning the postal vote in Wolverhampton

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:33:00 +0100

ALDC and the Campaigns Department have been hammering home how important the postal vote is for many years. You can find out more about how to win the postal vote on our website.

This artwork from Wolverhampton gives the usual message about the importance of voting and gives a positive message on why to vote Liberal Democrat. However, it also includes a strong anti-Labour message that may appeal to those who are perhaps less likely to vote but who may be motivated to do so if it is easy to do. It also looks very different from the usual Liberal Democrat direct mail that they receive and so they may be more prepared to read it.

Thank you to Bryan Lewis from Wolverhampton Liberal Democrats for the artwork.

Download the artwork

Wolverhampton postal vote letter - PDF

Calling cards from Brentwood

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:05:00 +0100

One of the benefits of G8 is that ALDC gets to see some really good artwork from around the country. In the case of these calling cards from Brentwood, they are an old idea that's been updated and done really well.

There was a time when calling cards were regularly used during a campaign containing a head and shoulders photo of the candidate and their contact details... and that was about it. Steadily these were replaced with canvass leaflets instead. However, these cards from the Liberal Democrats in Brentwood in Essex do the same job but in a different and very professional looking way.

Why we liked these leaflets

These leaflets are very colourful and show a good way of using the new range of party colours whilst still looking like a Liberal Democrat publication.

These calling cards use photographs really well. A good head and shoulders photograph of your candidate looking cheerful should be a vital part of your photo library as it helps reassure people that your candidate is normal and approachable. The other photos used on these cards are a mixture of action shots and photos of ....

Sharing a platform with a BNP candidate

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:58:00 +0100

Below is the Party’s advice on what to do if you are invited to share a platform with a BNP candidate during the campaign.

We do not want to do anything that gives publicity to the BNP.

First we will never appear on a platform that they (the BNP) has organised and we will never organise a platform to which the BNP is invited.

There will be a small number of third-party events (such as BBC regional debates, Churches Together, etc.) that will proceed with a BNP rep whether or not a Lib Dem is present. In such situations we should make case-by-case assessments, of how many people we would reach, whether our presence enhances the kudos of the event and so on, before deciding to attend. The default position should be non-attendance unless there is a clear reason for us to participate.

If the BNP are standing in your area, please let Mark Alcock know, and he can give you advice on what, when and how to combat them.

Ring 01422 843785 or email: mark.alcock@aldc.org

Anti BNP artwork

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:51:00 +0100

This latest anti BNP artwork is designed to be used in areas were the BNP are a threat and are putting out leaflets.

If the BNP are standing in your area, please let Mark Alcock know, and he can give you advice on what, when and how to combat them.

Ring 01422 843785
or email: mark.alcock@aldc.org

Files to download in PDF and PPP:

Anti BNP artwork PDF

Anti BNP artwork PPP

Campaign calling leaflets

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:37:00 +0100

Now the campaign has been called we have provided another draft calling leaflet so that it is different to the one you have been using in the pre-election period.

There is three different colours, red, blue and orange the draft is aimed at a Tory Lib Dem seat and will need to be changed for a Labour target or for a seat we hold.

PDF Templates:

Calling Leaflet black and white PDF

Calling Leaflet red PDF

Calling Leaflet blue PDF

Calling Leaflet orange PDF

PPP Templates:

Calling Leaflet black and white PPP

Calling Leaflet red PPP

Calling Leaflet blue PPP

Calling Leaflet orange PPP

Peter Black: Funding local government in Wales

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:59:00 +0100

Budgets have been set, Council Tax bills have gone out, Council officers are evaluating how they will be delivering services in the current financial year, whilst Councillors and other politicians continue to squabble over some of the very difficult decisions that have needed to be made to make the books balance.

A quick web search reveals a scene of such devastation that one would be forgiven for thinking that the public sector is on the verge of collapse. Nothing could be further from the truth, but what is clear is that the very deep cuts that many Councils have made in the current financial year appear to be just the start of what seems to be local government retrenchment.

As BBC Wales reported, with one in four workers in Wales employed in the public sector the impact of projected budgets cuts could see devastation on a scale not seen since the Thatcher years. Their worse case scenario is that about a third of Council jobs may go. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) has described this as the most difficult financial period in 50 years. They have forecast that 2,000 to 4,000 council jobs ....

On Your Marks...

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100

In addition to being both April Fools’ Day and Maundy Thursday this year, the first of April has, for the last ten years, been ‘Edible Book Day’. Anyone who fancies whipping up a gastronomic masterpiece for next year should check out www.books2eat.com for inspiration. Unfortunately, our electoral tasting menu is again rather sparse this week, with one principal by-election and one single Town Council result reported to ALDC.

The principal by-election contest took place in the John O Gaunt ward of Lancaster City District Council. It is all change in the parliamentary constituency, the thirteen-year-old constituency of Lancaster & Wyre is giving way to the new Lancaster & Fleetwood for next month’s general election. In John O Gaunt itself, the Labour party were defending this highly urban ward following a resignation, with the Greens aiming to make the jump from second to first place and become the largest group on the Lancaster City Council. The Liberal Democrat campaign benefited from an enthusiastic new candidate in Harry Armistead, a mature student at the University of Cumbria’s Lancaster campus, whose tireless campaigning impressed many. Also adding value was the ‘back-room’ organisation of Michael Mumford, which had doubled the activist base in Lancaster over ....

How to sign your postal vote artwork

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 22:55:00 +0100

Don’t forget to keep targeting your postal voters; today we have for you, artwork to help get your postal voters to vote and to vote Liberal Democrat. We have included a letter with instructions on the reverse and a leaflet that does the same, we have produced them in full colour and black and white, don’t forget to canvass all the postal voters as they are likely to vote (around 80% will vote).

In the two elections the ballot papers will be two different colours, in the draft artwork we have the General Election as a white ballot paper and the Council one as yellow, you need to check with your returning officer what colour the ballot papers will be in your area.

If you are in a Target Parliamentary seat, please take advice from your campaigns officer as to how you are going to target your postal voters.

PDF Templates:

Postal vote instruction signing Leaflet black and white PDF

Postal ....

Less than 1 week to go!

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:53:00 +0100

...to the close of Local Election Nominations for May 6th.

Target getting all of your nominations ready to be submitted by Tuesday April 6th at the latest. This should give you a couple of day’s leeway to deal with any problems.

For how to complete your nominations see our guide.
on the nomination process.

Nominations opened on Monday 29th March and close at noon on Thursday 8th April.

Make sure you get yours in early – don’t leave it to the last minute.

The final deadline is noon on Thursday 8th April.

Liberal Democrat Guidance
How to complete the forms (PDF)

Essential paperwork
Delegated Nominating Officer (DNO) form (PDF)
Nomination, candidate's consent and appointment of election agent forms (MS Word)

Total Place event Invite

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Cllr Roger Gough and Cllr Arian Naylor (the elected member representatives from the Total Place Kent and Bradford pilots) would like to invite you to the national members event at Westminster Central Hall on the 21st May 2010.

This is a national event where leading figures from national and local government will be setting out their thoughts on where Total Place takes us.

Members from ....

Birmingham in Photos

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Birmingham's ICC was the venue for the Party's Federal Spring Conference. ALDC had a busy programme highlighting the forthcoming local elections and a number of issues which we have been working on.

Once again our stand was co-located with our colleagues from the LGA Liberal Democrat Group and the IDeA creating a "councillors area" in the exhibition hall. Staff were busy during the weekend providing advice to campaigners and councillors and information on ALDC and its services.

Our fringe programme included a joint event with Liberal Youth on Climate Change: Keeping up the Pressure. Speakers included Simon Hughes MP and speakers from UK Youth Climate Coalition, Liberal Youth and Green Liberal Democrats. "Winning in the Wards" was a briefing session on the forthcoming local elections with Local Elections Campaign Chair Andrew Stunell MP and Director of Campaigns Hilary Stephenson. On Saturday lunchtime we hosted a working lunch with the Leadership Centre for Local Government to showcase the "Next Generation" programme of councillor development.

Training provided by ALDC and our partners included sessions on Winning in the 2010 local elections, and session for Councillors on budget setting, coalitions, mentoring and candidate selection.

There is small selection of photos of the events at our Flickr site, ....

Local Government Conference - Last Chance to be an Early Bird!

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Good news - because we're all so busy with something called the election - we've extended the deadline for cheap "early bird" registrations for the 2010 Liberal Democrat Local Government Conference to TUESDAY (6th April) - giving you the whole bank holiday weekend to register.

Registrations start at £35 (that's after a £5 discount for ALDC members). After next Tuesday these will go up to £45 for ALDC members and £50 for non-members. Council Groups in Group Membership of ALDC can take advantage of our "buy two, get one free" offer - get in touch if you want to take advantage of this offer.

Register online here. ALDC members should log in first to take advantage of the members discount. (Your log in details are at the end of this email).

Conference Details

Who, When, Where

- all LIberal Democrat Councillors and local campaigners; group researchers and staff, colleagues from local government and Parliament.

- Saturday 19 June 2010.
On Friday 18 June, there are a number of satellite events, including a Group Leaders Day - separate information has been sent out about this.

On the evening of Friday 18 June 2010, is the Lib Dem Local Government Dinner. Now in its fourth year, this popular ....

Email newsletters in Gateshead

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:40:00 +0100

One of the great things about using email to campaign is that it is - virtually - free to do. Although it can take a long time to gather the email addresses of local residents, more and more people are now happy to give their email address to a local political party. Once you have a reasonable number of these, then you should make sure you use them to keep people up to date with what you are doing locally, just as you would with a Focus leaflet. Emails won't be able to replace Focus (after all, you will never have everyone's email address and only those who know they want to hear from you will hand over their address), but it is a very easy way of keeping people up to date regularly. It also helps you respond quickly on an important local issue.

Cllr Jonathan Wallace from Gateshead does a very good email to residents in his ward of Whickham South and Sunniside. Here he gives some background:

I wrote my email newsletter for constituents and sent it out on Monday. It goes to 1000 homes in the Whickham area directly but we know many more people receive it as ....

Ashcroft artwork

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:39:00 +0100

The tax situation of Lord Ashcroft has understandably become a key election issue, especially in those constituencies where he is funding the local Conservative parliamentary candidate's campaign. It is likely that where this is the case, you will already be aware of it, however you can check by looking at the local Conservative Association's donation reports on the Electoral Commission's party finance website. The main company that Lord Ashcroft uses to channel money to the Conservatives is Bearwood Corporate Services. Even when Ashcroft is directly funding the local Conservatives, this is still a story you can use due to his donations to the national Conservatives too.

Many people do not like the idea that someone can influence an election simply by spending so much money, and so it is worth including artwork on this subject. However, you need to be very careful about the wording you use. We don't want Liberal Democrats sued by a political party that is substantially richer than our own, simply because of a poorly expressed Focus story. To help, we have made available some articles that you can use in your local leaflets that have been doubled-checked by the Campaigns Department and the party's legal ....

MyCouncillor Server Problem 29 March 2010

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:43:00 +0100

The MyCouncillor website server suffered a period of downtime over the middle of the day today. This was as a result of a SPAM problem at the site's hosting agency.

We think everything is working again now, but please report any issues as soon as you notice them.

Many thanks.

Election campaign financial appeal

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:30:00 +0100

No matter how successful, all Liberal Democrat local parties are strapped for cash. It's important to make financial appeals to members and supporters all year round, just as we should campaign all year round. But at election time, you will undoubtedly get a very strong response to financial appeal letters, especially if they are specifically tied in to the money you need for the campaign.

This financial appeal letter is specifically designed for joint general and local election campaigns. Just as charities do, it is always a good idea to show what different donations can buy and you should also make it as easy to return as possible. Don't forget to make sure anyone who gives donations over the legal threshold must be checked to ensure they are a permissable donor.

Download the templates

Joint election financial appeal letter - PDF
Joint election financial appeal letter - PagePlus

Fighting Labour dirty tricks

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:28:00 +0100

If you're taking on Labour - especially in an area where they are used to dominating local politics - it won't be long before they resort to dirty tricks. These can range from claiming that you haven't done things that you know you have, to simply making up policies and stories about the party.

A good way of trying to pre-empt this sort of campaign, or even fighting back if they have already done it, is to remind local voters of the way that Labour use dirty tricks. In fact, even former Prime Ministerial aide Damian McBride was implicated in personal campaigns against the other parties.

This piece of artwork is a good article to run in local leaflets to warn people. It won't stop some people believing what Labour put in their leaflets, but it makes sure that our supporters are more questioning of what they read.

Download the artwork

Labour Dirty Tricks artwork - PDF
Labour Dirty Tricks artwork - PagePlus

Squeeze leaflets

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:57:00 +0100

Whilst promoting the merits of your candidate is the core of your campaigning, an equally important part of the campaign is to squeeze the 3rd, 4th or subsequent parties. Although many people actively choose to vote for a specific party, the key swing voters are often those whose motivation is to defeat a specific party instead. In many cases, those people will choose to vote Liberal Democrat to defeat whoever is the current incumbent party (or to keep out the main opposition, where we are the incumbents).

You should include squeeze messages on your leaflets all year round. With all the national media focusing on the two bigger parties, you still need to keep hammering home the squeeze message even if you think that everyone must know by now and even if you think people will realise who the fight is between. The best known ways of emphasising the squeeze message are through using a bar chart as well as the "Two Horse Race" or "It's a straight choice" straplines. However, adding in extra squeeze leaflets that focus especially on the battle in that seat are very useful. Here we've provided a set of squeeze leaflets that ....

It Wasn't Built in a Day...

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:05:00 +0100

In ancient Rome, March 25th would have fallen in the middle of the Hilaria festival – a weeklong celebration of Spring that began on the first day that daylight lasted longer than the night. With Spring Equinox on the 20th this year, we’ve turned that particular corner and our days are finally getting brighter. There was one principal by-election and three Town Council by-elections reported to ALDC this week. The results were a little dimmer than the weather, however, with the Greens stealing a march to gain the principal seat from the Tories, and only one new Liberal Democrat Town Councillor of a possible four.

The Haughley and Wetherden ward of Mid-Suffolk District Council is nestled in the heavily Conservative parliamentary constituency of Bury St Edmunds, which has been continually represented by Tories in Parliament as far back as 1826. The election in this rural ward was triggered by a Conservative resignation and featured five candidates - one from each of the main three main parties, with UKIP and the Greens making a showing from the fringes. The Lib Dem campaign was well received on the doorstep, with excellent leaflet coverage in a variety of formats and good use of ....

Budget response from the Leader of the LGA Liberal Democrats

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

“So we know what we know but we still don’t know what we don’t know,” is the Lib Dems view of the Chancellors ‘sleight of hand’ budget. According to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Local Government Cllr Richard Kemp, Alistair Darling used smoke and mirrors to distract attention away from the grim reality of the cuts that were outlined in his pre budget review last winter.

“We have seen a little tinkering with local government and other budgets not of all of which are bad but what the Chancellor did not spell out was the fact that from the financial year 2011/2012 there will be big cuts in both the capital and revenue budgets. The budget contains ludicrous figures for income growth suggesting, for example, that the take from income tax will be 35% higher in 4 years time than it is now and that growth will rise to more than 3% - a figure that we have not reached for years and is unlikely given the ongoing problems with international capital finance. Even if we achieve these figures there will be total cuts at some time soon of 50% in capital budgets and 10% ....

Julie Morris: The Blue Badge fiasco

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Here in Epsom & Ewell, balancing the books this year has been a tricky business. Car park income is down and since our little borough only gets 11% of council tax charged, that is a pretty important revenue stream.

We abandoned flat-rate Sunday charges a year ago (amidst much complaint) and the ruling Residents' Party, comprising of so-called independent councillors, has decided to charge Blue Badge holders who had, up until now, been accustomed to free parking in our car parks. Neighbouring boroughs are varied: Sutton is free we believe, Kingston charges for the most part.

The trouble was, they rather foisted it upon the Blue Badge community, paid lip-service to consultation and gave us an opportunity to latch onto and run with a hugely unpopular proposal. At the eleventh hour, the ruling group decided to "amend" their plans to include one hour free, THEN charge, subsequently deciding to properly consult and delay charging until July, but it was all too late.

We took to the streets with our petition, gained front page headlines and all in all, gave them a rather ....

Seven Weeks Out and Still Winning Here...

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:02:00 +0100

March 18th saw two notable anniversaries in the annals of democracy. Firstly, the world celebrated eighteen years since the watershed referendum that voted to end the system of apartheid across South Africa. In a longer lens, it was also the anniversary of the declaration of the Paris Commune in 1871, an event that gave the Western world a working model of delegative democracy, and a parliamentary recall function similar to our own proposals for errant M.P.’s – let us hope 1980s synth-pop band The Communards (‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’) cease to remain its most recognised cultural echo!

Back in modern-day Britain, there were only two principal by-election results to report on, the Taverham North ward of Broadland District Council and Gravesham Borough Council’s Meopham South and Vigo ward. Whilst the Tories held the latter quite handily, it is our pleasure to report a Lib Dem gain at Tory expense in Taverham. There were no Town or Parish Council by-elections reported to ALDC this week.

Currently a part of the Norwich North constituency, the Taverham North ward of Broadland D.C. will be part of the new Broadland parliamentary constituency from 2010. Former Councillor, grassroots activist and renowned political blogger Nich Starling ....

Lambeth: Let's oust Labour completely

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Few Boroughs can match the political turbulence of Lambeth – the last four elections have seen the administration change hands! This May could make it five, with the added bonus of securing the borough’s first-ever Liberal Democrat MP.

Lambeth packs some 270,000 residents into just a few square miles from the London Eye on the South Bank to Streatham and West Norwood. There are some very wealthy districts of fine Georgian houses or Victorian villas. But northern parts of the borough are still dominated by large estates of modern social housing, too much of it in dismal condition. Further south is more suburban in feel, but with every bit as diverse a population.

Lib Dems here are already whizzing round with a skip in their step. The two by-elections since the last full Council elections in 2006 both showed hefty swings from Labour to Lib Dems, plenty big enough to see Labour ousted from control.

Labour’s critical weakness in Lambeth is the total collapse of the Council’s housing service, which is now effectively insolvent. It meant rents rocketed by 14 per cent last year despite a ban on non-essential repairs that is leaving estates riddled with broken block doors, ....

Making an impact on housing in Lambeth

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Lambeth is an area where we have seen a real up-turn on our electoral success in recent years, following a difficult election back in 2006. One of the big issues in this London borough is housing. Not just council housing, but also abandoned private housing.

This Focus from the Vassall ward in Lambeth is very effective at promoting Labour's failure on this issue and our campaign to do something about it. Vassall is a key marginal ward in Vauxhall Constituency and is where we gained a seat from Labour in a by-election in 2008.

Thank you to Cllr Steve Bradley for sending us a copy of this leaflet.

Why we liked this leaflet

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that is why this leaflet is so strong. It doesn't just tell local residents there is problem it proves to them that there is a problem through all the photos of derelict properties.

This leaflet has immediate impact when it goes through people's letterboxes as it gives you the key issues briefly and to the point. Not just through the photos, but also through the bullet point facts and figures on the issue.

If you name roads ....

Fighting the BNP - latest artwork

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:37:00 +0100

The BNP are planning to stand in almost every constituency at the next General Election. That means that wherever you are, even if you have never seen any campaign activity from the BNP before, every house will get at least one glossy leaflet from the BNP. In recent council by-elections their vote is often quite high even when they have done no campaigning at all, and this includes traditional Tory shires as much as inner-city Labour areas.

But don't panic! In areas such as Burnley and Oldham we have taken them on and beaten them. In our shop you can buy our book on how to do it. We have also now produced some new artwork based on the latest best practice from Liberal Democrats around the country.

You need to assess how much of a threat the BNP is in your area. If they are actively campaigning then you need to tackle them head on. But even if this isn't the case, ALDC's advice is to make sure you run regular anti-BNP artwork in your leaflets to help keep their vote down and to position us as the alternative.

Download the artwork

Direct mail is an incredibly important part of your campaign, and this letter is a good way to get your campaign off to a flying start by concisely explaining the key issues in the election. It also helps get feedback from residents on the main issues that are bothering them.

This letter is designed to be put in an unsealed envelope that they can then use to return the letter. It should also be localised so it emphasises the key issues in your campaign. You should mention both the local and general election candidates to ensure the leaflets are integrated. However, you need to decide which election is the highest profile for the Liberal Democrats in your area, and concentrate on the messages relating to that election campaign.

Download the templates

Flying start letter and survey - PDF
Flying start letter and survey - PagePlus

Blue-ink letters

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:14:00 +0100

Blue-ink handwritten letters provide a massive contrast to the typed and laser-printed letters that have now become a core part of any successful election campaign. They can take a lot of time to organise but they are well worth it. The feedback that you get from them, especially the first time they have gone out in an area, shows you how effective and popular they are with voters.

Key features

Blue-ink letters don't have to be done using blue paper and envelopes, they could also be done on cream. However, make sure that the envelope and paper match. The reason we pick these colours is because they are the most commonly used colours for personal handwritten letters from relatives and friends. Think of it as a thank you note for your granny's Christmas present.

The key to a successful blue-ink letter is that it should be more personal and informal than the rest of the direct mail that voters receive. Delivering another heavily political letter, but written by hand, doesn't have the same impact.

You need to give some thought as to who your blue-ink letter is from. There is no straightforward answer to ....

Richard Baum: How to get banned from tweeting, in one easy step

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

A significant number of my colleagues presume I am mad for having a second job as a Councillor. This number has grown significantly since I announced a third job – that of prospective parliamentary candidate. By 7^th May, I may well have joined them in that opinion.

There are days, greater in number and closer together at the moment, when I wish I could just crumple into the sofa and watch Eastenders of an evening. Sadly though, there’s canvassing to be done, and my group leader won’t let me rest until I have single-handedly accomplished Nick Clegg’s Million Door Challenge. I am truly worried when I find it difficult to get to sleep without the rhythmic pounding of the leaflet folding machine to comfort me. I went to give blood the other day and they turned me away because it was 20% Focus ink.

Amongst all the contact with voters I am currently enjoying, I was reminded the other day that unfortunately not all political parties are as up for keeping in touch with voters as I know that we Lib Dems are. I thought it would be an idea to belatedly join the Twitter ....

Election hustings

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:02:00 +0100

During general elections (and occasionally, but rarely local elections), it is quite common for there to be a series of election hustings where they invite all of the election candidates to face questions from an audience. There are a number of important details to be aware of before accepting an invite.

How many hustings should I expect?

This can vary tremendously depending on the sort of constituency you are in. In some areas, there may only be one or two, but in other areas especially in cities where there are a lot of politically-active campaign groups, there may be many more.

It is common for a "Churches Together" group to organise the biggest hustings, with other political and community groups such as Unlock Democracy, trade unions, the Women's Institute, Friends of the Earth etc to also organise events.

Do I need to attend every hustings?

Ideally, you would attempt to attend every meeting, however this may not be practical if they clash with something else important or you find there are so many of them that you cannot find time for other campaigning. Generally, we would advise ....

Postponement of parish elections

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:27:00 +0100

A relatively unknown piece of legislation is that parish and community council elections cannot be held on the same day as a general election if this is the same days as principal council elections. This means that when they clash, the parish and community elections are automatically postponed for three weeks. In 2010, this means that parish elections scheduled for 6th May will move to 27th May if there is a General Election on that date.

When elections are postponed

Parish and community council elections are automatically postponed when a General Election is called for the same day on which they were already due to be combined with the scheduled date for elections to principal councils. This does not mean that there have to be principal council elections within the area where the parish elections are being held, they just have to be held somewhere within the country.

Does this apply to any other elections

These same rules also delay parish council elections when a European Parliamentary election is scheduled to be held on the same day as elections to principal councils. However for the 2009 European Elections an extra ....

Soldiering On...

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:14:00 +0100

March 11th is better known as ‘Johnny Appleseed Day’ on the other side of the Atlantic, a celebration of the well-loved nineteenth-century nurseryman who first introduced apple orchards to vast swathes of the American mid-west. On this side of the pond it was a relatively tranquil by-election Thursday, with only two principal council by-elections and a pair of Parish Council results to digest. The two principals resulted in Conservative holds, whilst in the two parish elections reported to ALDC we held one seat and gained the second from Labour.

The by-election in Adeyfield West ward of Dacorum Borough Council in Hertfordshire became fractious with the introduction of a BNP candidate and some highly negative campaigning by the Labour party. Of the three main parties only the Lib Dem campaign succeeded in increasing the proportion of their vote, the defending Conservatives shedding nearly 9% and the Labour vote dropping by over 13%. The presence of the BNP appears to have had the effect of solidifying the soft-Labour support that was showing signs of melting away at the previous County Council elections. Without the additional turnout of Labour supporters catalysed by the BNP, Labour could well have been facing a dramatic collapse. The ....

Election campaign leaflet templates 2

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:22:00 +0100

Here's our second set of election leaflet templates that you will need for the campaign. These leaflets are designed to be used towards the end of the campaign. Again, these are available in various styles - full colour, black and white, with orange spot colour and with the colours reversed out.

The key towards the end of the campaign is to keep reminding voters of your squeeze message and to remind them how close it is and that polling day is imminent. Another important feature of these templates it a reminder that even if people have forgotten to return their postal vote, that they can still take it along to a polling station on polling day.

IMPORTANT: If you are using these templates, you need to check with your council's elections office for the colour of the ballot papers in your area (see the panel on the reverse). Ballot papers will be a different colour for each election, but the colours used will vary from council to council.

Download the templates

Election Leaflet Three Full Colour A3 - PagePlus
Election Leaflet Three Full Colour A3 - PDF
Election Leaflet Three Full ....

Unison letter on local government pay

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:16:00 +0100

Many local councillors will have received correspondence from Unison on local government pay. The Liberal Democrat Group in the Local Government Association has produced a draft response that may be of use to local councillors in forming their own reply. The text is below, and people are encouraged to use this if they write back:

Thank you for your e-mail to Lib Dem colleagues and me regarding this year's pay award. I am pleased that you recognise that there is much in common between the Unison and the Lib Dem standpoint on the issues of pay and particularly pay to the lower paid.

As we look to the future we believe that local government and other sector employees should be paid the same sort of rate with the same sort of increase. To that end Lib Dems in local government reiterate our position that we will propose in future years a maximum increase of £400 per year which will be a bigger increase for the low paid than for the well paid. On a wider level many Lib Dems support the calls from Compass for a High Pay Commission although this is not yet official Lib Dem policy.

However, ....

Royal Mail Election Communication guidelines

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:51:00 +0100

Royal Mail have published their guidance on the Election Communication (freepost) service that is available to all parliamentary candidates.

Each candidate is entitled to either one unaddressed leaflet to each house in the constituency OR one addressed leaflet to each voter. This booklet from Royal Mail explains how this works and the rules that apply to the format of the mailing. There is also a spreadsheet that you can download that supplies you with details on how many leaflets are required for each constituency and the local contact for the Election Communication.

If you require further guidance then either contact ALDC or speak to your Regional Campaigns Officer.

Royal Mail Election Communication Guidance - PDF
Royal Mail Delivery Points - MS Excel

Exam results and the "pupil premium"

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:40:00 +0100

This council motion from the Liberal Democrat Group on West Sussex County Council is a good way to promote the Liberal Democrat national "pupil premium" policy. It should be adapted using your own local exam result statistics.

This Council notes that :-

in 2009, West Sussex schools achieved an above national average increase in GCSE results at A-C, and that the council’s draft Corporate Plan pledges to build on this success,

in spite of this, some schools are lagging behind and that the schools doing least well are in some of the most deprived areas of the county,

in 2009 in West Sussex only 20.2% of children with Free School Meals achieved 5+ A*-C GCSEs including English and Mathematics, as against 54% for those without Free School Meals.

it is generally accepted that children achieve better in smaller classes.

a lack of communication skills is a significant factor in hampering the progress of some children at school.

The Council therefore resolves to ask the Cabinet Members for Children and Young People’s Services and Education and Schools to write to the Government Minister and the two Shadow Ministers for Children ....

Changing the imprint on your MyCouncillor site

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:50:00 +0100

All MyCouncillor sites include a default imprint that ensures your website is legal and there is no reason for you to edit this if you do not wish. The imprint automatically takes your name and address from your contact details on the website.

However, although this imprint can be used all year round without any legal problems, it is better during election time to amend this imprint to include the name and address of your election agent. If your MyCouncillor site is shared between a few councillors and/or candidates then this is also recommended that you customise your imprint to make sure it makes sense.

How to edit your imprint

In the admin area of your MyCouncillor site click on the "Manage" tab and then on "Imprint". You should then tick the box that says "Show custom imprint" and then edit the words in the box below. You should only edit the first paragraph rather than the rest of the text as the name of the host and the designer won't change. You can find out more about the correct words to use for an imprint here.

When you have edited your text, click on Save. When you next check your website ....

Photo ops with Clegg, Cable and Huhne at conference

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

At the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Birmingham on 12th - 14th March, Jonathan Wallace has arranged four photo ops for Liberal Democrat campaigners:

Friday 12th March 2.30-3pm with Nick Clegg
Saturday 13th March 11-11.30am with Chris Huhne
Saturday 13th March 3.30pm-4pm with Nick Clegg
Saturday 13th March 5.30-6pm with Vince Cable

All photo ops will be taking place in Hall 5 of ICC.

These photo ops are free for candidates and campaigners. At this conference there won't be any props but members are encouraged to bring their own materials for use in the photos, such as a constituency tabloid or Focus (preferably A3 size).

You do not need to register in advance but you are encouraged to do so to make administration easier. Please email Jonathan Wallace to let him know which sessions you are intending coming to. Please include a mobile number and your local party/constituency.

Jonathan is also providing a number of other services during and after conference. ....

Nominations 2011

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:17:00 +0100

Local Election Nomination papers

“Where do I get my nomination papers from?”
Blank nominations papers area available from the Electoral Registration Office at the relevant local council offices and this is also where you submit the completed forms. The Electoral Commission supplies copies of the paperwork: www.electoralcommission.org.uk.
It is better to use this version than any forms handed to you by the council. This is because occasionally councils provide forms which are out-of-date and do not reflect the latest changes in election law.
You can ask the Electoral Registration Officer to informally check your papers for any mistakes or problems before you formally hand them over. This is particularly useful because if you formally hand in papers that are faulty, you then have to go and collect a new set of nomination signatures from new people.
Do not leave this until the last minute - the deadline is noon on Monday 4th April 2011.
Hand in the nomination papers at least 48 hours early to avoid a last-minute crisis. That way, if there is a problem you still have time to get it sorted out.

You cannot under any circumstances get ....

A Spring in Our Step

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:12:00 +0100

On the 213th anniversary of the first peaceful transfer of power between two democratically elected leaders (Washington and Adams), British liberal democracy enjoyed a rather quiet tally of one principal by-election and two reported contests for a total of three Town Council seats. The former resulted in a Tory hold, whilst of the three Town Council seats, two now find themselves occupied by the Liberal Democrats.

Tory dominated Fenland District Council’s by-election in The Mills saw the Conservatives hold on despite a dramatic 11% decline in their vote, the majority of which fell to UKIP. The Liberal Democrat campaign varied A3 and A4 literature, with EARS, Mosaic, and partial telephone canvassing making up the hi-tech end of the effort. Whilst canvass coverage was slightly depressed due to inclement weather, a blanket Eve of Poll and targeted Good Morning held the Lib Dem vote steady and ensured a good second place for well-respected local campaigner Chris Howes. Nestled in the constituency of North East Cambridgeshire, a former Liberal stronghold and parliamentary seat of Clement Freud, one wonders whether Fenland Lib Dems stand on the verge of further successes in the future.

The Mills was also the venue for a double-contest for Chatteris Town ....

Election direct mail

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:00:00 +0100

Direct mail (or target letters) should be a core part of any winning election campaign. As they are personally addressed they are more likely to be opened and read, but they also stand out because they are such a different format from the usual leaflets. That is why business spends millions on direct mail every year. The other advantage is that direct mail encourages people to respond to local campaigns and issues. If the envelope in which the direct mail is sent out is left unsealed, it also encourages people to respond as it means they do not need to find another envelope to send back their reply.

The template direct mail that you can download below is a good start to the campaign from the local candidate. It sets out clearly who the challengers are and who is out of the race. They also draw attention to the main campaign issues in the area.

The downloads include a standard direct mail letter, and there is also a version to go to people who don't have a postal vote to encourage them to apply for one. There is also artwork for an insert to go in the envelope with the direct mail ....

Election Law Helpline

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

ALDC will be running the Election Law Helpline service for the Party throughout the 2011local election period. It is vital that everyone in the party stays on the right side of the law throughout the campaign, and we'll be here to help you do this.

What sort of advice and information will be available?

Practical issues around election law - nominations, DNOs, imprints, expenses, freeposts etc.

Detailed queries about election law issues.

Guidance on issues such as libel and defamation.

Advice if you are threatened with legal action.

There are three ways you can access advice:

1 - Online

ALDC members can browse our up-to-date advice resources in our members' website. Most of the relevant information is contained in the "Advice" section of our website. Articles can easily be found through the "topic" flags on the right side of the site or use the search at the top of the site.

Below we've listed links to the most frequently asked pieces of information. If you're not a member of ALDC, why not join us - by monthly Direct Debit it's only 76p a week for candidates standing in May.

2 - By email

Email us your queries and we'll make sure that the most appropriate person deals with your ....

Well done to Northumberland

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:19:00 +0100

Cllr Richard Kemp, Liberal Democrat leader in Local Government, has congratulated Liberal Democrat led Northumberland Council on picking up four key awards last night.

The awards ceremony, jointly designed by the LGA and held at 11 Downing Street, recognised the country’s most innovative councils who work with other parts of the public sector. Each winner will share in a £3 million pot to spread their pioneering ideas and best practice around the country.

Northumberland won in the following categories:

Keeping children and young people safe in the community - for engaging with children and young people, understanding the risks they face and working with them to protect the most vulnerable. Northumberland gets £560,000 to spread ideas and good practice.

Achieving more through partnerships – working with the Fire Service and Sure Start to set up a Community Fire Station and Children’s Centre – delivering real community benefits at a reduced cost. Again, Northumberland will get £560,000 to spread good practice.

Northumberland Council also won two awards for bright ideas:

Strengthening Families – a community family skills programme for mothers, fathers, carers and ....

Peter Black: A Liberal Democrat vision for Wales - a personal view

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:11:00 +0100

In a previous article I started to discuss where local government will fit into a newly empowered Welsh Assembly, making laws within the ambit of the twenty fields of competence granted by the Government of Wales Act 2006.

I argued that there is a wider debate as to what structures we need to deliver services to a nation of 3 million people and in particular whether 22 local councils and seven health boards are appropriate vehicles to spend the bulk of the Assembly’s £15 billion budget.

My view then (and now) was that we most probably need bigger and fewer Councils but that the main debate should be around the democratisation and accountability of service delivery as much as its efficiency. In contrast, the Welsh Government’s agenda is becoming much clearer as we approach the next set of Assembly elections.

My concern is that in Labour and Plaid Cymru we have two very centralising parties whose objective is to emasculate local government. Already, we have heard calls for social services and education to be taken off local councils, whilst the intentions of other parties towards reorganisation remain secret. Ministers are seeking or have acquired ....

That’s a bit better

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:22:00 +0100

There were eight principal council elections held on the 25th February. The Lib Dems gained two seats - one from Labour and one from the Tories. Labour held one seat and gained three from the Mansfield Independent Forum. The Tories held one seat. There were four Town and Parish Council results reported to ALDC. Two were Lib Dem gains from the Tories and one was a Lib Dem gain from Labour. The Tories held one seat.

The Eastwood South Ward of Broxtowe District Council lies in the new Ashfield parliamentary constituency in Nottinghamshire where Geoff Hoon has recently announced his retirement – before he was soundly beaten.

We won the county seat last June with 49.7% of the vote so mopping up one of the District seats should perhaps come as no surprise, but it’s still a welcome fillip in the run up to the General election and an opportunity for some intensive Voter ID and general doorstep contact. The majority of our vote last June in the county election came from the Lib Dem held Eastwood North district seat so the large, historically Labour voting council estate in Eastwood South presented a ....

Just one week left to order your Election Communication leaflets

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:41:00 +0100

There's just over one week left to place an order for your General Election Communication (freepost) Leaflets through the Campaigns Department's online ordering service.

The service - run on behalf of the party by Media Group - will produce professional looking Election Communication leaflets and deliver them to the relevant delivery office for a really good price. All you need to do is supply text and photographs.

The FINAL date for placing orders is 8th March.

To place your order click on the image. But if you have yet to set up an account go to: www.libdems.org.uk/members and click on the button at the top of the screen marked 'Artwork Templates'. There is a registration form that will need to be completed to provide you with an online account. Once completed, your account will be created and details emailed to your registered email address, This will take up to 24 hours to become active and will allow access to the template artwork.

Should you experience any problems, there is a dedicated telephone helpline available between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday (0845 467 4938) along with a support website where you can log and track any questions, problems or ....

Opposition watch

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:26:00 +0100

Keeping an eye on what your opposition is doing is crucial to success in your campaign. Paying attention to the effectiveness of the opposition campaigns not only helps us assess the level of work that we need to do, but it also helps us work out if there are attacks and criticisms that we need to respond to. That doesn't mean you have to respond to every criticism they make - sometimes it may be best just to ignore it - but unless you know what they are saying you won't be able to make that call.

The template available below is for an insert that can be used in a local members and supporters' mailing to encourage people to send in copies of what they've received through their letterbox. It's not unusual for members to tell you that they have had a leaflet but they threw it away. This flyer will help to remind them that they must send in a copy. It's far better to get more than one copy than to never hear about it at all.

The template is designed to be printed on a risograph with spot colour included. It should then be cut in to thirds.

Election campaign leaflet templates 1

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:07:00 +0100

Here's our first set of templates for the Focus leaflets that you'll need to produce during your election campaign this May. These leaflets are focused on places where we are fighting council elections but not expecting to win a parliamentary seat, although they could be adapted for other places and don't ignore the parliamentary campaign. We are continuing to assume that the General Election will be on the same day as the council elections, but obviously this is still to be confirmed.

These leaflets include three different sets in different versions:

Leaflet one is to announce your council candidate, (although they should have been appearing on leaflets for months as a local campaigner), and to reinforce the main messages of the campaign. It also includes places to highlight the main issues that you have been campaigning on locally, a poster people can put in their window and 'vox pops' from local residents that are supporting the Liberal Democrats.

Leaflet two has the same messages and issues as the original leaflet, but instead the headline and main story relate to an issue on which you have been campaigning.

Leaflet three is in a very different format and highlights the message that only the Liberal Democrats ....

Alex Folkes: Tories failing on open & local government

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

I went to a recent LGIU conference where the three party local government spokespeople were parading their commitment to localism.

Ok - I'm more than a little biased and felt that the Lib Dem proposal for decentralisation, as evidenced by our record in office around the country, was the most believeable.

I asked John Denham why, after 13 years of Labour centralisation, we should start to believe his promises of more power for local councils now? All would be different if Labour get re-elected, he promised.

But what of the Conservatives? Caroline Spelman certainly talks the right way. But I fear that the Conservatives in office make her promises little more than empty words.

Here in Cornwall the Conservatives campaigned last year with a ton of leaflets pledging to freeze council tax for two years. Last week they voted to raise it by 2.9% and they have set provisional figures of 2.5% and 2.25% for the next two years.

The Conservatives in Cornwall also pledged a culture of transparency and openness. But once again their record has been fairly much the opposite. We have found out that they have a secret list ....

Chris White: Kill puffins and paint horizontally to save money

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:45:00 +0100

Local newspapers in western Hertfordshire exploded on Friday evening with news that the county council had lost a court case. It was chasing an invoice for £335 in a dispute with a water company over a broken manhole cover. The county council had had to put up a couple of cones to warn passing motorists and apparently cones are expensive things to handle.

The water company felt that this was excessive and the council and the utility had seen each other in court. The costs of the case were awarded largely against the council and were reportedly £110,000.

Debate has raged. The Tory Administration has told me that they find my remarks to the press ‘unhelpful’ (I would have preferred ‘outrageous’ but ‘unhelpful’ will do). Anyway: not all the costs were lawyers’ fees – some were internal to the council. Furthermore, it was a test case, although mysteriously they could not identify any council that was willing to help Hertfordshire with its costs.

It is becoming apparent that this was a process that had grown its own legs. While the politicians are accountable the system is responsible. Councils employ lawyers to sue people and sue ....

Richard Kemp: Abroad starts at your front door

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

I hope that after 4 years most Lib Dems know that I am the Lib Dem Leader at the LGA. Not so many will be aware that I am also the portfolio holder for European & International Affairs. I was volunteered for the job when we needed to mainstream our E & I work and make it more relevant to the wider local government family and I happily decided at accept the position. Interestingly the portfolio holder for the Welsh LGA, Chris Holley, is also a Lib Dem. Perhaps it’s just something about practising what we preach!

Much of the work inevitably involves European activity. European legislation is so important to us as 50% of the Westminster legislation that affects councils originates in Brussels. Increasingly however with the political work in CoR and Congress now being dealt with comprehensively both within the LGA and by our local politicians in Brussels I have been able to look at the international work in more detail.

As a result of pressure from the LGA the DFID Select Committee chaired by Malcolm Bruce (another example of practising what we preach?) has suggested to the Government that Councils should be used a ....

Seven Votes Swings Seat…. again

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:39:00 +0100

There were six principal council elections held on the 18th February. Labour held one seat and the Tories two. We lost two seats to Labour but gained one from the Tories There were four Town and Parish Council results reported to ALDC. A Tory hold, two Lib Dem holds and a Lib Dem gain from Plaid.

In the Pendre Ward of Bridgend Council in Wales we managed to lose to Labour by just seven votes having won the seat by seven votes just two years ago. We ran a good literature and doorstep campaign but we needed to use the phone before and on polling day. In retrospect the campaign must be kicking themselves for only starting to knock up at 3pm. When we won by seven in 2008 it was a straight fight between us and Labour. This time, as is usual in by-elections, a wider range of parties stood. With four non-Labour candidates to choose from, first past the post allowed the anti-Labour vote to be split.

Leeds City Council is run by a joint Con/Lib Dem administration. In the Hyde Park and Woodhouse Ward we ran a very intensive campaign ....

Election campaign essentials

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:15:00 +0100

To help make your campaigning as easy as possible, we’ve gathered together some of the essential campaign tools, paperwork and information that you’ll need as the campaign goes on. Do let us know if there is anything else that you need and we will add it in.

Campaign artwork tools

Liberal Democrat fonts: Helvetica Neue & Andrew Garratt only (zip file)
Liberal Democrat fonts: other useful fonts (zip file)

Liberal Democrat logos (zip file)
Liberal Democrat General Election Campaign Logo
Liberal Democrat clipart
Liberal Democrat colours

Buy PagePlus software

More campaign resources also available on the Liberal Democrat Members’ Site

Campaign template artwork

A4 Focus templates
A3 Focus templates

Canvass leaflets
Posters

Good morning & eve of poll leaflets

Essential paperwork

Delegated Nominating Officer (DNO) form (PDF)
Election expense forms – General Election long campaign (MS Excel)
Election expense forms – General Election short campaign (MS Excel)
Election expense forms - Council Elections (MS Excel)

Postal Vote Application Form (PDF)

Nomination papers will be available from ....

Julie Morris: Epsom Calling

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:55:00 +0100

Well, Epsom and Ewell actually. Channel 4's Best-Place-To-Live-In-The-UK in 2004 (or was it 2005?) but relegated to 4th place more recently.

It is a unique form of government we have in this borough: controlled by Residents' Association councillors for more than 70 years which are a group of so-called independent councillors mostly registered as Residents Associations of Epsom & Ewell. We call them the Residents' Party. There are 23 RA, 10 Lib Dem, 4 Tory and 1 Labour. The Lib Dems are strong in the Epsom area and the RA in Ewell. The Conservatives - undoubtedly our long-term threat - have 1 Epsom-based councillor, one RA defector from Ewell and two others representing a Ewell ward. The 1 Labour councillor took a seat from us in a by-election - she was a previous Mayor and well known - but the by-election being held the day after David Cameron's son passed away didn't help us either.

Until 1999, the Conservatives did not stand in local elections here, (something about an unwritten agreement with the RA that they would leave the borough in their capable hands), but since one Chris Grayling's arrival as our MP ....

Postal Voter recruitment

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:18:00 +0100

We all know how hard it can be to get our supporters to the polls on Election Day. We also know that if someone has a postal vote, they are TWICE as likely to vote.
That’s why signing up your supporters to postal votes has to be a top priority - especially in a local election when this years is likely to be on the same day as a General Election.

The time to do this is NOW! The more supporters you can sign up to postal votes before the elections start, the more votes you will get on polling day.
You will find a mailing to help you do this; the artwork consists of a single letter (2 versions, one from your candidate and versions from Nick Clegg and Vince Cable), a DL slip (asking for help/money) and a postal vote form (you should ensure that the correct number of forms are put in each letter, preferably with the voters details mail-merged).

The mailing should be sent to all Lib Dem supporters, 3rd party squeeze supporters and all people who are possible supporters from your pool (except those who already have postal votes).
Make sure you personalise the letter and ....

Posters - Generic and candidate/s

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Everyone needs more window posters, to establish visibility and get their campaign off to a flying start. It’s important window posters go up within the first couple of days of the Election period, building momentum for more to go up as the campaign progresses.

It is recommended that if you are in a parliamentary target seat, that you only have the PPC/MPs name on posters and the generic Lib Dems winning here!

If you are in a non target seat you can have council candidate name/s on posters and the generic Lib Dems winning here posters, but don’t mix with PPCs name as this will confuse the voters.

We have included Generic ‘Liberal Democrats Winning Here!’ and candidate and multi candidate templates for printing on Day-Glo orange paper to have maximum impact.

Remember you must download and install Helvetica Neue FIRST to use these templates.

Click on the links below ....

Ward Partnership Data

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

1) This Council:

a) Recognises the role of ward councillors as champions for and leaders of their communities and their need for up-to–date information to assist residents with day-to-day issues;

b) Supports the idea of Ward Partnership Information, which is a central source of local information for each ward in XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX to improve transparency and provide enhancement of the quality of life and daily organisation opportunities for local residents;

c) Acknowledges other sources of information such as the online Ward profiles and existing Residents’ handbooks.

2) This Council believes the Ward Partnership Information should be accessible for all ward councillors and local residents through:

a) The Website of the council (downloadable);
b) In printed version or disability accessible options.

A few days ago you should all have received copies of the ‘Yellow Book’ detailing key election law changes, information on campaign planning and details of templates and new on line ordering offers.

It is vital that you share this information with your key team members NOW and use it when deciding on your campaign literature and activity – otherwise you may miss out on some important offers that will make your life easier and cheaper and allow you more time to campaign on the ground.

What follows is clarification on how you can take advantage of what is on offer. I strongly recommend you file this sheet to refer to and help you to access the materials in the simplest way.

Best wishes,

Hilary.

I got my first lap-dancing related hate mail the other day. The writer (who was not anonymous) suggested that I had nothing better to do with my time and argued that I belonged in the Stasi.

One of the hazards of politics is that you occasionally take a clear public view and someone doesn’t like it. My crime was to have issued a statement in support of the new rules on sexual encounter establishments.

Since the 2003 Licensing Act, lap-dancing clubs had been subject to the same licensing regime as pubs and restaurants – in particular, there was a presumption in favour of a licence being granted and objections could only be raised on a limited range of grounds.

Residents could not object to a lap-dancing club on principle or because it was something they didn’t want in their neighbourhood. This, with the strong support of the Local Government Association, has now changed.

There are major issues for Liberals here. Do we support people being able to object to pubs on principle? Clearly not. Do we support people who might object to a pub being opened near a school? Probably not although we would ....

Candidates Handbook 2010

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:33:00 +0100

Liberal Democrat candidates are being sent a free "Candidates Handbook" from ALDC, with details of the election campaign, how to survive, and essential contact and election law advice. This is a new publication from ALDC and aims to ensure all our candidates have the essential information for the election at their fingertips.

The Handbook was sent out by post in the last two week - so if you or your candidates didn't receive, then it's because ALDC hasn't been given details of your candidates!

We'll be sending out the Handbook to every candidate we're notified of before the deadline for nominations - WHILE STOCKS LAST.

Election Briefing emails are also being sent to all candidates - from now on every 10 days - so it's vital that we have email addresses for candidates.

Please help us by letting us know who your candidates are. Do it online here, or if its easier just send an email or attachment to david.ball@aldc.org with your candidates.

Don't worry that someone else has sent these in already - it's better to receive the information twice than not at all.

Don't forget to cc:aldc your best campaign literature - just think much easier it would be if we didn't have to ....

Lib Dem Council Group of the Year

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Please note the deadline for nominations for the Liberal Democrat Council Group of the Year 2009 has been extended to 5pm on Monday 1 March 2010.

Does your authority or group have a track record - or have you promoted a specific policy - in any of the following areas over 2009?

Lewisham Lib Dems winning at the awards last year.

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour

Helping children and young people

Supporting culture, leisure and regeneration

Improving local housing

Improving Transport

Improving social care services

Council Group of the Year Award

The winner of the Council Group of the Year Award will be the Group that demonstrates the best overall work as a Lib Dem Council Group or Lib Dem controlled council.

Green Council Group of the Year Award

We would like to see you demonstrating how Lib Dem groups practice environmental awareness. You should also include a separate section specifically on action to tackle climate change.

Backbencher of the Year

This is the award to the back-bench councillor who has made the greatest contribution to their community and their council. Group leaders are free to nominate members of their group, supplying a short statement of why they should win the award.

Vice Presidents Award

This will be awarded to the group that is active, feisty, operating in ....

Birmingham Opportunities

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

This year's Liberal Democrat Spring Conference is in the City of Birmingham, 12-14 March 2010. The event is open to all Liberal Democrats. Day delegate rates are available if you are within a day's travel distance of Birmingham.

ALDC has a busy programme at the Conference, largely focussed on the important general and local elections that we face in a couple of months.

"Campaign Essentials" Training - focussed on winning in 2010
Winning in the Last Week (9.15am)
Maximising the Postal Vote (11.00am)
Running an Effective Polling Day (14.30pm)
8 Weeks to Go (16.00pm) (briefing from Andrew Stunell and Hilary Stephenson)

Councillor Training - helping develop our Councillors
Finding and Recruiting Good Councillors (9.15am)
Inducting and Mentoring new Councillors (11.00am)
Council Budgets in the New Era (ALDC and IDeA) (14.30pm)
Managing a Coalition (ALDC and IDeA) (16.00pm)

All training is free to attend and open to any member of the Liberal Democrats registered for Conference

ALDC Fringe Programme

Friday 12 March 2010
20.00-21.15 ICC Hall 6, Climate Change: Keeping up the Pressure
ALDC and LIberal Youth discuss how campaigners can keep up the pressure for real progress at Copenhagen II. Speakers include: Simon Hughes MP and Kirsty Schneeberger (UK Youth Climate Change Coalition).
Don't miss ....

Voter ID: the telephone

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:31:00 +0100

Why use the telephone?
Successful campaigners are using the phone more and more for one very good reason: because it works.

It’s quick
Using the phone to contact people is quicker than contacting them on the doorstep. Using the phone you would expect to make 30 calls an hour (including outs). On the doorstep you would expect to knock on 20 doors per hour. Over an election campaign this difference adds up. The phone is used more and more by campaigners on polling day to knock up our supporters simply because it is quicker than doing the same thing on the doorstep.

It’s easy
In rural wards you should use the telephone to complement your Voter ID on the doorstep. It allows you to get to the really inaccessible parts of a rural constituency. In urban areas you can use it for those flats with entry-phones.

Voter ID tip: Use the phone to contact people who were out from the previous nights doorstep canvassing, rather than going back down the same street again.

It’s comfortable
Forget wind, rain or even snow, you can contact voters from your own front room using the phone! The ....

Voter ID: Do's and Don'ts

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:20:00 +0100

Top Tips and Some common problem areas (and how to deal with them!)
People with detailed policy questions.
It is best to leave these to the candidate or PPC. People who ask detailed questions about say our views on the decline of the Merchant Navy fleet will usually be much more knowledgeable than the canvasser. If it is a genuine interest they will not be expecting a detailed answer there and then.
A question about something local you should know the answer to but don’t!
Again don’t worry about referring this to another person to look up. Most people will accept an honest “don’t know but I’ll get someone to find out for you” as an answer. The crucial thing is to ensure that they get a reply reasonably quickly! Wherever possible a canvasser should try to get a phone number and email for someone so they can be contacted in the most suitable way.
The seriously floating voters.
These are a growing group of people who are very hard to categorise. A number of people have voted all 3 of Lab, Con and Lib Dem in recent years (and may well also ....

Voter ID: Canvass Categories

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:17:00 +0100

The secret to gaining useful and reliable canvass information is understanding exactly what the different sections on the canvass card mean. These are very often misunderstood.
Definite Lib Dem
Someone who is a Lib Dem supporter and will definitely vote on polling day. When you knock on their door if they instantly and without hesitation say that they are supporters and will be voting.
You should always offer them a window poster, and ask if they would mind a stakeboard poster in their garden or if they could spare any time to help the party, maybe to deliver their street.
Probable Lib Dem
Someone who is a Lib Dem supporter and who will probably vote on polling day. Similar to above but less enthusiastic. Offer them a window poster, if they take it this shows further commitment and they should be put down as a definite. To further clarify ask who they voted for last time? If they voted for a different party last time put them down as a soft voter of that party (i.e. if they voted conservative put down as soft conservative).
Probables are not people you’ve managed to convert on the doorstep or who ....

Voter ID: Afterwards

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:54:00 +0100

Work as a team. Even if you go off separately meet up at the end so you can find out] what sort of “feel” people were getting. Meet in a pub or at somebody’s house. It makes sure you get the canvas cards back and that you can help build the team.

Recording your data
You may hear other Agents and activists talking about having done a ‘full canvass’. This implies that they have spoken to every household in their patch. In reality this just does not happen - even in the biggest by-election campaign imaginable, there will always be someone who is out when the canvassers call.
The figure that matters is the percentage contact rate. This is the percentage of the electorate who have been spoken to by one of our canvassers and the number on our shuttleworth.
You need to have a system for dealing with all the data that comes in from canvass cards so that no valuable information is lost. Make sure it gets to the helper who is dealing with EARS and it is input regularly (ideally nightly so that it doesn’t build up).
The data should then be analysed ....

Voter ID: How

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:43:00 +0100

There are more “old wives tales" told about canvassing than probably any other political subject. Most previous Lib Dem guides used to have a simply a flow chart or crib sheet. These are essential and should be amended for local circumstances but don't perhaps tell the whole story . Here we describe why we say what we do on the doorstep.

The crib sheet you should have with you will give you suggested wording for the doorstep but it is not essential that you get the words “right” every time. However if you do stick to the script you’ll not go far wrong. It’s more important to actually get onto the doorstep and start than worry too much about the odd fluffed line.

Who
The first thing we are trying to do is identify who we’re talking to. To do this we make a best first guess. Pause before walking to the household door to look at who’s on the register at the house. On the EARs canvas card names are listed surname first with horizontal lines between houses. If the person who answers the door is male, pick the most likely male name for ....

Voter ID: Who, Where and When

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:38:00 +0100

Firstly and most importantly canvassers should have clear written instructions about what they are being asked to say/do and they should all read it before starting canvassing.
If you are expecting a large number of canvassers to come in from outside (e.g. you are mounting a serious challenge in a by-election) then many people find it helpful to have a briefing sheet saying who the candidate is, where the polling stations are etc.

It is very important that canvassers feel that their time is well spent and do not spend a long while standing around waiting for people to arrive/come back.   When organising a canvassing programme for a campaign it is a good idea to set a meeting and finishing point and make it clear which roads are being canvassed so that someone arriving late can catch up with the rest of the team.
Some areas are best canvassed at particular times of day and only experience will tell you what is the best time for particular areas. Old people’s housing such as sheltered accommodation should be done in the daylight as many old people are reluctant to open their doors in the dark. Blocks ....

Voter ID: Why?

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:17:00 +0100

Canvassing is not what it used to be.
Don’t wait till Easter - make a start now.
There is strong evidence that just being called on by someone from a political party makes a voter more likely to turn out to vote and to vote for that party. This trend is so strong that in some areas people have reported that after analysing marked registers, the turnout of people canvassed as “Non-voters” is actually higher than turnout across the ward in general!
Meeting people face to face also gives you the best opportunity to find out what issues are concerning them. You can then ensure that your campaign messages are based on issues that are relevant to local people. Face to face contact is the only way you will get information about how well your campaign is going and the impact your, and your opponent’s, campaign messages are having.
We want as many people as possible to take part in election campaigns. These days the term ‘canvassing’ no longer explains to the person who has never done it before what we are trying to achieve.
A useful way to explain to the new member of your team how Voter ....

Shame: One in Six By-Elections Uncontested in 2010

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:29:00 +0100

After last week’s slow start to the month, February’s electoral schedule gathered pace with a total of seven principal council by-elections and a pair of Town Council results reported to ALDC this week. Four of the seven were retained by their incumbent parties, and of the remaining three Labour and the Tories exchanged two, with the final being a Conservative gain at the expense of an Independent.

The pick of the results was our successful defence of Aylesbury Central ward of Aylesbury Vale District Council, in the Buckinghamshire constituency of Aylesbury. The campaign of Graham Webster polled more than 50% of the popular vote – a 20% majority over the Tories, for whom this ward was an important local target. A wide variety of Literature, and growing use of telephone canvassing and election software, add to the legacy benefits of a highly successful campaign. The Tories’ transparent attacks on the previous incumbent backfired on the doorstep, as their lurid allegations of corruption were exposed for what they were and depressed the Conservative vote by a further 6%.

Related to the Aylesbury Central defence was the ....

General Election Campaign Logo

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The campaign logo for the General Election campaign has now been launched and can be downloaded in different formats for use by campaigners around the country.

The slogan is designed to reflect the key themes of the General Election campaign - change and fairness - and should be used as widely as possible on campaign literature between now and the end of the campaign.

The logo is available in two different versions - with the slogan in a swirl for leaflets or in a block (as shown here) for use in headers and footers. The generally preferred version is as a swirl. It is available with or without the party logo, in different colour backgrounds and in different file types (i.e. jpegs, eps and png files).

You can download two zip files containing the logos below:

General Election campaign logo with bird
General Election campaign logo without bird

Budget Engagement draft motion

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Council notes that:

1. The impending and unprecedented squeeze on public finance, estimated to leave a budget shortfall of £XX - £ XX m between 2011 and 2014, will place severe pressure on all areas of council spending.

2. Whilst remaining fully committed to minimising costs through improved ways of working, the likely scale of government grant reductions will be such that spending on all front line services will come under pressure.

3. To successfully meet these challenges, methods of service delivery will need to change and innovate in a way that ensures those services still meet residents needs.

4. To deliver broad public support for change in the way council services are delivered, a new approach is required to ensure the active engagement and support of local people.

5. Statutory consultation processes (such as in planning or schools reorganisation) and non-statutory processes such as in the Strategic Asset Review can sometimes be insufficient to overcome the barriers to change that can occur by not sharing problems at an early stage and consulting only on preferred options.

Therefore, this Council requests that:

The Director of XXXXX XXXXXXX bring forward proposals for enhanced community engagement to ensure that major policy decisions include more robust processes of public consultation, as appropriate, before decisions are ....

2010 Candidates Handbook

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Liberal Democrat candidates are being sent a free "Candidates Handbook" from ALDC, with details of the election campaign, how to survive, and essential contact and election law advice. This is a new publication from ALDC and aims to ensure all our candidates have the essential information for the election at their fingertips.

The Handbook was sent out by post in the last two week - so if you or your candidates didn't receive, then it's because ALDC hasn't been given details of your candidates!

We'll be sending out the Handbook to every candidate we're notified of before the deadline for nominations - WHILE STOCKS LAST.

Election Briefing emails are also being sent to all candidates - from now on every 10 days - so it's vital that we have email addresses for candidates.

Please help us by letting us know who your candidates are. Do it online here, or if its easier just send an email or attachment to david.ball@aldc.org with your candidates.

Don't worry that someone else has sent these in already - it's better to receive the information twice than not at all. You can check who we've already got registered on a ward by ward basis here.

Don't forget to cc:aldc your ....

We must defend the arts against right-wing cuts

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:56:00 +0100

Keynes was both a serious Liberal and a serious man. His work in two world wars and their aftermath is the stuff of legend. His contribution to economic thinking, recently somewhat vindicated, makes him a giant. Bertrand Russell found him intellectually formidable.

But he also built the Cambridge Arts Theatre and was the first Chairman of the Arts Council, created by the postwar Labour Government.

It would be too easy to say merely that a great man needs a hobby like anyone else. The Classical world and civilisation since have shunned the suggestion that somehow culture was an add-on, like sitting down to watch the X factor after a tiring week. Greek culture was defined by Homer. The Romans (or at least the ones who wrote about these things) saw beyond ‘bread and circuses’.

So the gathering of cultural luminaries in the House of Lords last week was not, by any measure, just a ‘jolly’. Familiar faces from film, old rockers and young soul performers rubbed shoulders with television actors, impresarios and even a specialist in high fashion jewelry.

Jane Bonham-Carter had organised, with the assistance of Nick Clegg’s office, something which was as much a political statement as a chance to see and ....

Kensington & Chelsea’s winning by-election campaign

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:56:00 +0100

One of the most exciting council by-elections last year was Carol Caruana’s winning campaign in the Colville ward of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. Not only did this see us gain a seat from Labour in an area that they have won for years, but it also made Carol the first Lib Dem to be elected in the borough.

The campaign came about as a result of the resignation of the previous Labour councillor in a ward that we had already been targeting for many years. This meant that we went in to the campaign with a strong track record of campaigning in the area and with our candidate’s name already well known.

The quality of the literature and the hardwork that went in to the campaign meant that Kensington & Chelsea also won the 2009 ALDC Campaigner Award for the Best Ward Campaign. As well as Carol Caruana herself, much of the credit for the victory goes to her agent Robin Meltzer.

We have now uploaded a set of leaflets from the campaign for you to download.

Why we liked these leaflets

The campaign did really well at picking up on very ....

Local Government Pay Letter - Suggested Response

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:10:00 +0100

All Councillors will have received an email from UNISON about the Local Government pay award.

Here is our suggested response, kindly provided by Cllr Richard Kemp, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group in the Local Government Association.

Thank you for your recent letter regarding pay claims for 2010/11.

As a Liberal Democrat I am always concerned about the pay of workers in the public sector – especially those at the bottom end of the pay scales where people who provide a massive value to society are often paid poor rates for the value that they add.

That is why last year our national leadership in local government fought to get the increase from employers up from 0.5% to 1% with an extra weighting for the very low paid.

This year councils are in an impossible condition. A recent report revealed that private sector wage levels have actually decreased by more than 7% since the recession started with people losing work, hours or bonuses. Against that background councils have been fighting to preserve local services with big cuts in our own income. That is why this year our national leadership supported the ‘no offer’ position.

Looking to the future there are no easy solutions. You will be ....

Total Place - a real way forward

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:54:00 +0100

I hope by now that every Lib Dem Councillor knows something about Total Place. Although it is described as a Treasury idea that is not correct, although the Treasury are providing important backing for it. This was an idea that originated with the Leadership Centre for Local Government and has been enthusiastically supported by us. So what is it?

Total Place asks two basic questions:

How much does the public sector spend in totality on dealing with a problem?

What outputs and outcomes do we need to achieve if we are satisfactorily to deal with that problem?

Then it goes on to ask the killer question. If we need to achieve those outputs and outcomes with that money would we organise ourselves the way that we do now?

The answer to the third question is inevitably NO!

Let me give you one simple example. The output we want to achieve to reduce crime is to keep 20 year old men who leave prison from reoffending. Unfortunately 80% of them reoffend within two weeks and a very high proportion of them end up back ....

The Essential Guide to Campaigning in the General Election 2010

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:56:00 +0100

Dear friends,
It’s official - according to new election law the campaign started on January 1st 2010.

Now we’ve less than  90 days to a May 6th polling day.
Your Agent should have been in place by January 1st and your costed campaign plan should be ready to go.

You should also be thinking about how you will help your nearest target seat.
This booklet is designed to give you a clear idea of the tasks you need to think about now and the ways in which the the Camapign Department will be helping you.

Don’t forget to order your stationery - stickers, rosettes and posters - early in the new year so you have them in time for the election.

Please read (and keep) this booklet, plan ahead, have a flyingstart to the election year.

Best wishes,

Hilary Stephenson
Director of Campaigns and Elections

Please be careful who see's this book.

To download this book, follow this link.

Where we mess up, we lose

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:01:00 +0100

There were four principal council elections held on the 4th February. The Tories held one seat. The Lib Dems held one seat but also lost two seats to Labour. There were three Parish council elections reported to ALDC.

Rarely, thankfully, do we have to report on an utter disaster, but that was the case in the Holmewood and Heath by-election in North East Derbyshire. In 2007 two Labour councillors were elected for the ward un-opposed. In fact they had been unopposed for the last 20 years and only Labour had ever been elected in this coal mining and largely council housing renting area. In April 2008 there was a by-election that we won with 42% and a 26 vote majority. Our sitting councillor resigned after 14 months non-attendance due to ill health and we failed to stand a candidate to defend the seat. The problem may have come from the ward switching from the North East Derbyshire constituency to Bolsover in the boundary changes but whatever the reason conceding without a fight borders on the politically criminal.

Further bad news came in the form of a loss to Labour in the Queens Park Ward of ....

Street Letters

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:41:00 +0100

Street letters are a particular variant of Focuses. Whilst a normal Focus would be produced to cover a whole ward or several wards, a street letter is produced to cover a much smaller area (such as a street – hence the name!)

These can be very effective ways of getting information out quickly when there has been a development affecting a small area.

A good way of doing a street letter is to have a standard layout onto which you can copy a reduced down version of a reply from a council officer.

Street letters are an excellent way of connecting with your electorate on very local issues. It is a good idea to get a ward map and colour in each street when ever you deliver a street letter in that street, aiming to do every street in your ward in a year.

We'd like to see you're latest Focuses. It would be great to have some examples of your lealfets and direct mail! In the meantime, you can download a two colour and a black & white templates using the links below.

Email your examples to anders.hanson@aldc.org.

Page Plus Files
Street letter 2 colour

E-lections are changing!

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:10:00 +0100

Hamish McCallum, from sunny St Austell in Cornwall, explains how social networking such as Facebook and Twitter can help!

Harvesting email addresses, particularly in rural areas like Cornwall, is a full time job for a willing volunteer and as spam boxes fill-up getting heard over the background noise is ever more difficult. We all fret about keeping our websites up-to-date in the hope that someone stumbles over them. Even if they do, what will they find, usually an archive of press releases and if you’re lucky a couple of pages on the candidates’ background and why he or she is the best person to vote for. That’s pretty much the standard package for e-campaigning – collect email addresses and keep a website up-to-date. It works, and it’s better than nothing. But technology is developing every day, the opportunities for e-campaigning are growing by the second.   Well worth a look are the various “social networking” sites – like Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo. Initially a way of keeping in touch with increasingly dispersed friends, they’ve developed into a way of building on-line communities who share interests. By being web based, they offer users a variety of ways ....

Where should power lie in a devolved nation?

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:39:00 +0100

Liberal Democrats have always been clear on where political power should reside. We are democrats and we are instinctive supporters of decentralisation and empowerment. We trust people to make their own choices and to run their own lives, or do we?

A few years ago I sat on the Party’s commission to look at public services. It was an unwieldy body that struggled to find focus and despite the fact that it was tasked to produce federal policy it delivered instead pages of English-only imperatives that served only to pad out its main thesis, that we should be empowering local people not turning public services into a money-making venture for private entrepreneurs.

In many ways the public-private argument is superfluous to the thrust of this article. At the end of the day who delivers a service is secondary to who controls and directs it and why they are doing so. The big surprise for me in all the discussions on the public service commission was the reluctance of some very good liberals to propose that English Councils and English Regional Government take on responsibility for the delivery of many public services that are currently within the ....

Bank Charges Draft Motion

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Council notes with disappointment the Supreme Court ruling which sees the end to the Office of Fair Trading challenge on bank charges.

This council does not believe that bank charges are fair and proportionate.

Fairness cuts through party politics and this council supports the Early Day Motion headed by Rt Hon Vince Cable MP which states “That this House notes the judgement of the Supreme Court that banks and building societies were legally entitled to charge penalty fees for unauthorised overdrafts; further notes that the Supreme Court conclusion was not a judgement on the fairness of such charges; condemns the disproportionate penalty charges levied on customers by banks and building societies; welcomes the Office of Fair Trading's assessment that such charges are unfair; urges the Office of Fair Trading to continue to pursue this issue using the other powers available to it; calls on the British Bankers' Association to amend the Banking Code to make explicit the industry's principles on service charges; further calls on the Government to review existing pricing structures; and further calls on banks and building societies to voluntarily refund unfair and disproportionate penalty charges.”

This council formally recognises the impact of unfair bank charges on some of the most ....

Lib Dems Sweep through in Councillor of the Year Awards

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Liberal Democrats won three of the nine awards in the LGIU’s first Councillor of the Year Awards.

Alexis Rowell, from Camden, won the Sustainability Councillor of the Year award. He was described by judges as, “a “real terrier”; and noted that he is “someone who won’t let you forget about the climate change agenda. He is a very visible champion of these issues and his local persistence has made him well known in Camden and beyond.”

Alex Folkes from Cornwall, has won the New Councillor of the Year Award with judges saying, “that ....

PagePlus 11 download

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:40:00 +0100

NOTE: Although this offer is still available, this software is gradually being replaced with PagePlus X4. You can now purchase PagePlus X4 using a special Lib Dem Offer.

Although all files in PagePlus 11 can be opened in PagePlus X4, the same is not true the other way round. All ALDC templates will continue to be produced in PagePlus 11 until the 2011 Local Elections, after which when we then expect to change to X4 along with the wider party.

PagePlus 11 - the desktop publishing software used by Liberal Democrat campaigners - is now available to download from the Serif website.

Previously, the software was available to purchase on disk only via the ALDC shop, however Serif have now discontinued the physical disks. Instead, Serif have agreed with ALDC and the Campaigns Department an exclusive offer where Liberal Democrat campaigners can now download the software instead.

To purchase and download the software, go to:
Liberal Democrat PagePlus download offer
(note that this link automatically includes both PagePlus 11 and PagePlus X4 in your shopping basket, please be careful not to purchase both)

Great start to the New Year

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:34:00 +0100

There were two principal council elections held on the 28th January. The Lib Dems held one seat and gained one from the Tories. In the only Town and Parish Council results reported to ALDC the Tories held the seat.

The Great Bowden and Arden Ward of Harborough District Council in Leicestershire saw this year’s first by-election gain, at the expense of the Conservatives. Tory attacks fell flat when faced with candidate Phil Knowles’ wide experience of local issues and hard-working reputation established during his previous time as councillor. The campaign’s popular position on a touchstone local planning issue was further boosted by extensive media coverage following a visit by party President Baroness Ros Scott. Emphasising the importance of local issues and grassroots activism throughout, the Knowles campaign used regular Focuses, Street and Targeted mailing, and an extensive door-knocking in terrible weather to open our 2010 local elections with a resounding success.

Thursday saw the second by-election in the Lyngford Ward of Taunton-Deane District council in Somerset. In October last year another of our three seats in the ward was successfully defended in a by-election, so given that this was a disqualification this was another ....

Personal Care at Home Bill Draft Motion

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:43:00 +0100

Council supports the principle of helping more people with care needs to stay in their own homes and the measures in the Personal Care at Home Bill to achieve that aim.

However, Council is concerned that Local Authorities will be asked to fund a substantial part of the new entitlements included in the bill from their own resources, assuming additional savings, and that the proposed Government funding is inadequate, even if its estimates of the cost of the entitlements are correct.

Council also shares the LGA’s concern that the Government has underestimated the number of people likely to be covered by the provisions of the bill and calls on the Government to commit to fully funding any shortfall in budgets that results should these estimates prove to be incorrect.

Council therefore instructs the Director of Housing and Adult Social Services to respond to the consultation on the proposals, setting out the Council’s concerns about the impact the additional cost will have on social care budgets.

Pension Credit & Cold Weather Payments Draft Motion

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:40:00 +0100

Council notes that:
· Cold Weather Payments of £25 per week are paid to people on low incomes who receive a qualifying benefit, such as Pension Credit.
· The form to apply for Pension Credit is 18 pages long. The advisory notes on how to fill it in are 19 pages long.
· Last year 1.7million pensioners missed out on an average of over £1700 each of pension credit
· The Government has saved £17.5billion in 11 years that has not gone to struggling pensioners in pension credit payments.

Council is concerned that the complexity of the system to claim Pension Credit has put so many people off claiming the credit and that consequently they also do not receive the additional cold weather payments.

Council therefore instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State expressing Councils wish to see the system for claiming pension credit simplified.

Proposed by

Seconded by

new A4 focus templates

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The Party recently issued new style guidelines, which includes the new additional colours (Lib Dem Aqua etc), and also recommending a new Party font - Helvetica Neue.

We thought we'd have a go at producing a Focus in the new font - following on from our first attempt wich we produced an A3 leaflet, we have now produced the same style but in A4 format. This works well in two colour black and orange riso, and we've also done a reversed header version (orange writing on black) - some times when we produce Focus quite frequently its a good idea to let people realise that it is a new edition!

This also works well in black and white only and so there is a black and white version to try. We've also provided an alternative front page layout with a side column down the right hand side.

We've have split the page in three rows, so that it looks good when it lands on the doormat after being folded into thirds.

Remember you must download and install Helvetica Neue FIRST to use these templates - otherwise they'll look daft!

Please note that although the download contains six font files, these may only appear on your ....

Campaign even more locally in Sheffield

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:58:00 +0100

Liberal Democrat campaigning is all about the local community. In other words, talking about the issues that are of genuine interest in the local area. However many council wards are often many different communities thrown together in an artificial administrative boundary. A good way of addressing this is to produce different editions of Focus for the different communities within a ward.

These leaflets are for Nether Edge ward in Sheffield and address many of the issues that are of particular relevance in each of the communities that go to make up the ward.

Why we liked these leaflets

The maps on the front page help local residents understand the local area, and it shows that the Liberal Democrat team are busy throughout the area. This is also quite good discipline as it means you have to make sure you are active throughout the area to make sure the maps doesn’t show that areas have been neglected.

The front of the leaflet varies from one part of the ward to the other, however the back and occasionally parts of the front as well are common throughout. This makes it a lot easier to produce varied leaflets.

The leaflets ....

MPs should keep out of local rag debate

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

MPs were debating what are sometimes called ‘council newspapers’ last week. None was supportive.

At first sight it is easy to see why. Administrations exploit the legislation which forbids party political propaganda on the rates. So long as the rag doesn’t actually say ‘Vote Conservative’ it is usually quite within the letter of the law. So a publication featuring mainly the leader of the council and only positive stories may irritate the opposition (and the voter) but will not cause the monitoring officer to stir.

But this isn’t why it is open season on these publications. Trinity Mirror and other regional publishers have started claiming that council magazines and newspapers are undermining the free local press.

Some MPs seem to have bought this: a cynic may be forgiven for thinking that they are merely trying to improve their local press coverage by denouncing (a) the council – usually a sure fire way of currying support – and (b) their dismal magazines.

The debate in Westminster Hall carefully avoided too many facts. Indeed the Audit Commission report on council periodicals was published only a few days later. This concludes firmly that there is no case to answer.

In particular:

While over 90 per cent publish a periodical ....

Council budgets briefing for Lib Dem councillors

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:02:00 +0100

Today the Local Government Employers announced that the pay offer to staff would be 0%. Negotiations are likely to take some time and it is very unlikely that the Unions will accept this offer. But there could be an effect upon budget preparations people are making.

If you have already published your budget you may want to amend this, or be prepared that your opposition may use this new figure in their response. The end result of negotiations and possible arbitration may well be that the national pay negotiations come up with an offer above the 0%. The only way to be really certain of being able to put this 0% pay award into your budget is to make clear that whatever the national offer is, in your council you would not pay any pay award at all.

Overall I have been asked to give some advice to groups on how to construct your budgets. Inevitably this changes if you are in power, or in opposition, or in opposition where there is a chance for your budget being adopted.

In Power

For those in power the job is to create a budget that keeps your ....

Get your Election Communication vetted

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:02:00 +0100

Royal Mail have now started the process of vetting Election Communication leaflets that they deliver for free for all General Election candidates. You can find out more on here on their website.

Royal Mail have yet to produce their guide to how to organise the Election Communication (freepost) leaflets, but it will be available through the same page on their website when it is. However, don't forget that you are entitled to have a leaflet delivered for free to either one unaddressed leaflet per household or one addressed leaflet per person. The latter is obviously preferable if you can afford it and have the time to organise it, and will be an expectation in key parliamentary seats. Whatever you do though, you need to get approval from Royal Mail for the design of the leaflet before sending it to print.

We are getting some reports of Royal Mail not approving some leaflets and querying bar charts that use the "notional" result from the previous election in constituencies where there have been boundary changes. If they raise this issue in your constituency then don't change the artwork, but report the problem to your Regional Campaigns Officer and get their advice.

The Campaigns Department ....

Less than 100 days to polling day...

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

There was two principal council by-election held on the 21^st January. The Conservatives held the Erewash BC, West Hallam and Dale Abbey ward. In this by-election the Lib Dems came a very credible second place having not stood last time around, the result showed Gary Hamson the Liberal Democrat candidate polling 506 votes, which was a 37.6% of the vote share.

The second by-election was in the Airedale and Ferry Fryston ward of Wakefield MBC. The Liberal Democrat candidate Paul Kirby’s campaign team delivered a range of literature including Focuses and Blue letters, and there was some telephone canvassing that resulted in Paul receiving 603 votes an increase of 8.3%, moving in to second place above the BNP with Labour holding the seat.

There was just one Parish and Town council election result reported to ALDC, in the Lickhill ward of Calne TC. This result was in a ward were UKIP beat the Lib Dems into third place in 2007 election, which led to the Tories winning. Since then there has been three by-elections in Lickhill ward, which is the largest Town council ward and three great Lib Dem wins! If the Liberal Democrats win the Priestley ....

No offer is the right offer

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:44:00 +0100

Tomorrow night (27^th January) Liverpool City Council will adopt a council tax rate for the next financial year at exactly the same level as for the current year. A key component of that zero increase is the decision of the LGA and Local Employers to make no pay increase offer this year.

In the private sector there has been a gross drop in pay of more than 7% since the recession hit. This is a combination of no wages (jobs lost) or reduced wages by cuts in basic pay levels, perks or hours worked. Workers as a whole have felt great pain. By and large against this back drop public sector workers have not done to badly. The 1.4 million employed through local government negotiators have received at least a 3.25% increase with a bit more for those at the bottom and a bit less for those at the top. The remainder of the public sector have had an increase of at least 4.5%. So the LGA had to ask itself two questions when deciding what to do this year:

Is it morally justified to ask people whose pay and conditions have got worse to pay ....

Counting on Thursday?

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Local campaigners may be interested to read the views of the Speaker of the House of Commons on the need for counting on Thursday night for the forthcoming General Election:

"For my own part, I am a passionate believer in instant, not slow motion, democracy. It seems to me that it is in the interests of the House and the country that the count should take place on the night, and there are two overwhelmingly compelling reasons why: first, I believe that there could be a threat to the security of the ballot if the count is delayed; and, secondly, it seems to me that on the day the election takes place, it should be possible for the count also to take place so that we get the result speedily. Frankly, it should not be beyond the wit and sagacity of humankind-or indeed of local authorities-to ensure that that happens. I politely suggest to the House that what is required is not a passive acceptance of the particular views of individual local authority chief executives, but rather an assertion of leadership nationally and politically, at a local level, to achieve what I sense the House is uniting in wishing to see." ....

Imprints on MyCouncillor websites

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:37:00 +0100

A few people have asked us recently about changing the imprint on their MyCouncillor website to allow them to include their agent's contact details.

At the moment the imprint automatically takes details from the councillor or candidate's contact details. We aren't able to alter this at present, however we are currently in discussions with the company that looks after the design side of the MyCouncillor system to change this. We hope to be able to offer a more flexible way of selecting your imprint soon.

In the meantime however, although the current imprint on MyCouncillor sites do not necessarily follow best practice, they are legal. So there is no need to worry about breaking the law.

What’s happening at the council?

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:22:00 +0100

Councillors Newsletters

Part of having a cohesive council group is to keep in touch with ALL your councillors. A good way of doing this is to have a Council newsletter like to one attached from Lewisham, which keeps their members informed on what, and when things are happening at the council like:

The events at the last council meeting, dates and deadlines for group meetings, motions/questions deadlines, cabinet meetings etc. What has been happening in the press and other relevant information?

I think it is also good to send to any candidates and your local executive and even your members.

We have included the newsletter as:

   PPP file

PDF file

Interviews, grills and pledges: Thursday in action

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The last time I did a big interview for the BBC, it wasn't broadcast, despite having put in a large amount of work and research for the programme (it was Panorama over a year ago - I was interviewed about opencast mining). I am a bit more hopeful that the interview I did this morning will be broadcast. It was for the BBC Politics Programme, North East edition. Mark Denten interviewed me about how the proposed conference centre for Gateshead will be paid for. I'm not going to go into the details of it now. I'll save it for another day. I feel a little more confident that this interview will be broadcast. Fingers crossed for Sunday. The programme starts on BBC1 at midday.

The 2 photos above were taken at the interview. In the 2nd one, it looks like I'm playing the air guitar! Maybe I thought I was performing at the nearby Sage Concert Hall!

Inevitably I took an interest in the camera they were using. Meanwhile, Mark asked me if all my stories on ....

Power 2010 - Vote Now

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Power 2010 is a non-Party campaign to promote democratic change - find out more at their website - www.power2010.org.uk

Power 2010 are currently running a national "vote" to see what people's priorities are for democratic reform.

At the moment, "Stronger Local Government" is down in 7th place, so it could do with our votes!

If you want to get local government higher up the agenda for democratic reform, vote today at: www.power2010.org.uk/vote

Battery eggs

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Council recognises the growing public concern about the use of battery eggs and the fact that the government has already voted in the EU for an end to the battery system from 2012;

Council further recognises that a number of stores, including McDonalds, Marks and Spencer and the Co-Operative have already stopped using eggs from battery hens in response to public pressure.

Council recognises its duty to the Council Tax payer to achieve the best possible prices for contracted services but believes that the difference in price in this instance would be acceptable to the residents of XXXXXXXX in the light of the overwhelming animal welfare arguments, (which have already been accepted by the government), and in the light of the growing public campaign to move to the use of free range eggs; and

Council therefore asks that free-range eggs only be used in XXXXXXX Council establishments including schools.

The Campaign is On!

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Now that the Snow has gone...
None of us will have been able to escape the fact that the air-war campaign for this year's General Election (and, let us not forget the Local Elections in many areas) has started in earnest.

But unless you were very lucky, snow and ice in the first few weeks of the year created problems for the ground war - its been difficult to leaflet and difficult to motivate some of the team.

If this has been you, now is the time to get going. Both our opponents are already busy, and remember that almost all of the time they will have more money than us.

Catch up on you leafleting, even on things that should have gone out before Christmas (but NOT Christmas Cards!) - people will understand that things are a bit late.

Revisit your campaign plan to get back on track. We still need to be doing the basics (Focus a month, postal voter recruitment, direct mail and squeeze), so work out how best to fit this in.

"We're not up till 2011"
Most Lib Dem Councillors are next up in 2011. But this does not mean 2010 is your "year off". Getting re-elected ....

Keep Up with our Councillor Columnists

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Over Christmas ALDC has been busy recruiting some volunteer Councillor Columnists, to write in the headline "editorial" section of our website www.aldc.org.

There are four online so far:

Cornwall Councillor Alex Folkes explains why Cornwall is Different.

Peter Black AM talks about the link between Wales and Local Government

Bury Councillor Richard Baum talks of his frustration with some Home Truths on Gritting

and Gateshead Councillor Jonathan Wallace tell us, well, a Day in the Life of Jonathan Wallace

Have a read, and feel free to comment or tell us or the Councillors what you think! - open to all Lib Dem Councillors as well as ALDC members.

Could you be a Councillor Columnist?
If you think you could do better we'd love to hear from you! We're basically asking for a commitment to write a monthly column about being a Liberal Democrat Councillor (or why not - a candidate or agent or staff member). All offers welcome, but it would be great to hear from more women councillors, group leaders, executive members, BME councillors political assistants, young councillors, new candidates - anyone with something interesting to say!

Email Anders at anders.hanson@aldc.org or speak to him on 01422 843 785.

Why do we knock on doors?

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

This is probably a question that has occurred to many Liberal Democrat activists as they are slogging round the streets in November in the rain and the cold!

Why speaking to people is important

Firstly, not many people do this any more so you will stand out from the crowd!

More importantly there is strong evidence that just being called on by someone from a political party makes a voter more likely to turn out to vote and to vote for that party. This trend is so strong that in some areas people have reported that after analysing marked registers, the turnout of people canvassed as “Non-voters” is actually higher than turnout across the ward in general!

Meeting people face to face also gives you the best opportunity to find out what issues are concerning them. You can then ensure that your campaign messages are based on issues that are relevant to local people.

Finally face to face contact is the only way you will get information about how well your campaign is going and the impact your, and your opponent’s, campaign messages are having.

Among the commonest reasons for knocking on doors are:

1) To find out how people will ....

A day in the life of Cllr Jonathan Wallace

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

I was in the bizarre situation yesterday of walking to a meeting in the morning in Gateshead because it was quicker that using any vehicle on the roads. I was supposed to be in Gateshead at 9am. I am taking part in a health promotion drive with other councillors and it starts with a health check. That was my 9am meeting. The bus I got from Sunniside took me as far as the Teams when I decided that the traffic was so congested it was time to put my legs into action and walk the rest of the route. The last I saw of the bus was when I got to the end of the Redheugh Bridge. I could see it in the distance, barely moved from the bus stop where I had decided to get off.

I was of course late by then. Arrival time was not helped by my turning up at completely the wrong place for the health check. For some reaon I have St Mary's visitor centre next to the Tyne Bridge as the venue. People there knew nothing about it. A phone call to the Civic Centre and I discovered it was meant to be in ....

Defections galore

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:13:00 +0100

This week we can report three defections to the Liberal Democrats in key councils around the country.

The first is the decision by Cllr Brian Haley, the Labour Cabinet Member for the Environment in the London Borough of Haringey, to quit his post and join the Liberal Democrats. Haringey is a key council for the Liberal Democrats with Lynne Featherstone as one of the MPs in the area and with Labour holding a tiny overall majority on the council. To attract such a senior councillor is a real coup for the party in the area.

The second and third defections are the husband and wife team Keith and Diane Bennett who have left the Conservatives on Cannock Chase District Council and joined the Liberal Democrats. They are both chairs of council committees and will be a welcome addition to our growing council group. The Liberal Democrats are the largest party on the council and also hold the leadership.

Unfortunately, a defection has also taken place in the opposite direction with Cllr David Theobald of the London Borough of Sutton moving from the Liberal Democrats to the UK Independence Party ....

Top priorities for new Tory MPs

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

A new survey by ConservativeHome has show what political priorities the party's potential new MPs are likely to have. The survey interviewed 250 candidates from the Conservative party's most winnable seats. The results are telling and perhaps show up the dividing line between the two parties more starkly than anything else

Whilst Liberal Democrats might not disagree that "reducing the budget deficit" should be a top priority, it is the items that were placed at the bottom of the list that are the most interesting. In bottom position with just eight candidates saying it is a top priority is reducing Britain's carbon footprint - something that would no doubt be near the very top for any Liberal Democrat candidate, and doesn't say much for Cameron's greenwash of the Conservative party. Other issues that languish near the bottom are many that are of interest to Liberal Democrats in local government - affordable housing, schools and better road and rail services. Again, all areas which the Liberal Democrats would be likely to prioritise.

Whilst many of the top priorities may be popular with both Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, these are the sorts of issues that are probably popular with supporters of ....

Lib Dems shortlisted for Councillor of the Year Awards

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Congratulations to the Liberal Democrats who have been shortlisted in various categories for the Councillor of the Year awards, run by the Local Government Information Unit and CCLA.

Warren Bradley (Liverpool) – Leader of the Year
Carla Butler (Newhaven) – Young Councillor of the Year
Alexis Rowell (Camden) and Paul Tilsley (Birmingham) – Sustainability councillor of the year
Alex Folkes (Cornwall) and Dennis Meredith (Northants) – New Councillor of the Year
Daisy Benson (Reading) and Alex Perkins (Canterbury) – Online Councillor of the Year
Tracy Ismail (Islington) – Community Champion of the Year

Good luck to all of them and you can find the full details of all the shortlists here. Thank you also to Liberal Democrat Voice for the news.

Campaigns Department GE Campaign Packs 1 & 2

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:56:00 +0100

The campaigns department have produced two GE artwork packs which gives you the basic campaign literature templates for your campaign;

The first pack includes the following artwork:
Flying start leaflets
Squeeze
Young voters
National artwork drop ins
Postal votes
Pre election leaflets

In the second pack they have put:
A pool letter template
National insert

National Campaign artwork drop ins
Artwork for two more red/blue area squeeze leaflets

Download pack 2 here

Pack 2 PDF

Conservative cuts to local government

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Nationally, the Conservatives have been promising to protect vital public services, whilst still paying off the huge national debts that have built up over the last few years. However, locally many Conservative councils are looking at bringing in swingeing cuts to services, at the same time as heading for 0% council tax rate rises.

We are trying to gather evidence of what proposals Conservatives are coming up with to cut services. This is whether they are proposing them as part of a Tory administration or whether they are through alternative budgets or statements to the press in opposition.

If you are aware of proposed cuts in your area, please email details to Anders Hanson at ALDC at anders.hanson@aldc.org, along with the money they are expected to save and where the information came from.

Home truths on gritting

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Three things happened at Christmas which I found depressing. Firstly, after explicit instructions to the contrary, a relative who shall remain nameless (though not blameless...) purchased for me the DVD of Michael McIntyre’s stand up comedy tour, despite me finding him about as funny as a compound fracture. Second, the Christmas turkey was woefully mis-cooked despite my best efforts. And finally, every day for a week either side of the big day I was on the receiving end of ever-angrier phone calls from residents busy tumbling about on icy pavements and falling head first into snow drifts.

The first two of these problems have been sorted. Oxfam have benefitted from the DVD, and next year I’ll have a frozen ready meal for one and go back to bed. But the problem of what to do when it snows remains, because as an opposition Councillor it puts me in a quandary.

Opposition Councillors have three roles – to scrutinise the Executive, to lead communities, and to represent the people in their wards. It’s all fine and dandy when all those things pull in the same direction. When the Executive want to close down our library, we can represent the will of the community ....

Electoral Commission Publications

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:28:00 +0100

In the last few weeks the Electoral Commission has produced guidance for both the General and Local elections in 2010

Guidance for candidates and agents for both the local and general elections are now available to download:

1. Guidance for candidates and agents: local government elections in England 6 May 2010 (PDF)

2. Guidance for candidates and agents: 2010 UK Parliamentary general elections in Great Britain (PDF)

In addition the Electoral Commission has completely revised the recommended forms for election expenses for the General Election for 2010. The 2009 legislation now requires a return for expenditure from 1/1/10 to the dissolution (this may not be the same date as the Prime Minister announces that the General Election is a called) – the long campaign period.

The forms are based on those used at the local elections in recent years and are down-loadable Excel spreadsheets. In a new departure they now include calculated summary totals on the main page that will automatically update when you enter on the subsequent detail pages. Some may choose to use these sheets before the elections as a way to budget and kept track of expenditure. It also has ....

Lib Dem four key principles for the General Election

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:08:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrats today announced the party's four key principles on which it will fight the General Election campaign. A copy of the speech given by Nick Clegg is available to read here on the Liberal Democrat website.

The key principles were:

Fair taxes.

A new, fair start for all children at school.

A rebalanced, green economy.

And clean, open politics.

A model press release is available which can be adapted for use by local parliamentary candidates, and by council candidates where there is no PPC or if the focus is more on the local campaign. The text of the press release is as follows:

__name__ puts fairness at the heart of the Liberal Democrat campaign

Contact:
Embargo: Immediate, Day Month Year

The Liberal Democrats have announced they will fight the General Election on four key principles, designed to make Britain a fairer place.

PPC for __constituency__, ___name___, has today set out __his/her__ campaign priorities: fair taxes; a fair start for every child; fair, clean and local politics and a fair, green economy with jobs that last.

__name__ said:

Solid Start

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

There was one principal council by-election held on the 7th January. The Lib Dem held the seat. There were no Parish and Town council election results reported to ALDC.

In the Woodfield Ward on Harrogate council in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency we ran a professional campaign that you would expect in a held parliamentary seat to regain a seat lost by defection to the Tories. The defection in October 2008 had also handed overall control of the council to the Tories so it was nice to see it reversed. Technically the result is a Lib Dem hold but it deprives the Tories of their overall majority on the council leaving the balance Tories 27, Lib Dems 21 and Ripon Independents 6. It also builds on our success last June when we won back the Bilton Nidd Gorge ward of North Yorkshire County Council which the defector had also held.

Whilst the Tory vote increased it was pleasing to see both the BNP and Labour falling back. The BNP ran an active campaign that included the Yorkshire’s BNP MEP both on the streets and at the count – perhaps it was counter productive? Labour did little in ....

Find a loo

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

A website has been launched by Andrex which allows people to search for public toilets in their area.

It also lets people search for public toilets near them and to rate ones they've used. It's a useful service and would be a good thing to publicise to residents in Focus leaflets or on councillor websites, particularly in areas where the local council website, (which is often not the place people would think of going), doesn't provide the information conveniently.

Anyone can add new toilets or rate existing ones, and it'd also be good to get some councillors adding in the toilets they know about in their ward.

You can find the site at www.AndrexOnTheGo.com

Using the media to get your message over

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:42:00 +0100

A good way to get your name better known and to show that you are working and campaigning for your local community is to use the local media.

Putting out a good short press release out each week is a good target, which will over time get you in the local papers on the local radio station and with the right issue on the local TV stations.

Below is a draft press release to use as a guide:

News Release

XXXXXXXX Town Liberal Democrats

Contact – Happy Candidate – 0784 5096 580

Labour Grabbing the Grit

In this unprecedented cold snap, XXXXXXXX council has been managing their gritting processes and have been able to keep on gritting all the main routes across the area.

After learning that the Government has stepped in to take control the supply of ....

Ashes Test Cricket in the North West

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:45:00 +0100

"That this Council gives it's moral, political, and vocal support to the campaign to restore Ashes Test cricket to the North West, and call upon our representatives within 4NW to provide the leadership to ensure that this comes about in 2013."



Freedom of Information

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

This Council resolves that, in common with many other councils, XXXXXXX should publish on its website information about Freedom of Information requests including the date received, the date when a response is due, the details of the request, the source of the request and a link to the response given.

Requests the Chief Executive to take action on this resolution, report progress to Corporate Improvement Committee followed by a report to Executive within 6 months.

Focus Template - New Lib Dem Font

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

The Party recently issued new style guidelines, which includes the new additional colours (Lib Dem Aqua etc), and also recommending a new Party font - Helvetica Neue.

We thought we'd have a go at producing a Focus in the new font - and here's our first attempt. This works well in two colour black and orange riso, and we've also done a reversed header version (orange writing on black) - some times when we produce Focus quite frequently its a good idea to let people realise that it is a new edition!

This also works well in black and white only and so there is a black and white version to try. We've also provided an alternative front page layout with a side column down the right hand side.

We've tried to to thirds of the page, so that it looks OK when it lands on the doormat after being folded into thirds.

Remember you must download and install Helvetica Neue FIRST to use these templates - otherwise they'll look daft!

Please note that although the download contains six font files, these may only appear on your computer as two files. The "heavy" version is achieved by bolding Helvetica Neue ....

Sir Chris Clarke Memorial Service

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:35:00 +0100

A memorial service is to be held for Sir Chris Clarke, the former Leader of Somerset County Council, who died in December 2009.   You are invited to join others to remember Chris at a service of thanksgiving and a celebration of Chris' life and work.

The service will be held on 5th February 2010 at 2pm in Wells Cathedral. After the service there will be tea and a chat in the Town Hall, Wells, BA5 2RB.

LGA Lib Dem Group Budget Briefing Cancelled

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:23:00 +0100

The LGA Lib Dem Group has issued the following message cancellling the above event for tomorrow (7 January 2010).

I am afraid to tell you that, due to the worsening weather conditions, Gerald Vernon-Jackson no longer feels confident that he will be able to make it to London from Portsmouth tomorrow and has therefore asked that we cancel this event. Apologies for the short notice, but we thought it best to cancel at this point rather than ask everyone to travel in for what would be a severely truncated agenda.

I will send round any materials that I can gather from the speakers, the accounts department will be refunding all those who have already paid in due course.

Wales and local government

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:56:00 +0100

The relationship between the Welsh Assembly and Local Government has often been a fraught one with many ups and downs over the last ten years. When the Government of Wales Act was passed in 1998 many local council leaders were suspicious and wary. Their view was if we are to have devolution then why not devolve powers straight to local government. After all Wales had had unitary authorities since 1996 what was the point in recreating another tier of government? They had a point.

The consequence of that attitude was that for the first term at least the Welsh Government trod very carefully around the sensitivities of councils, ensuring that there were proper protocols in place, consulting on all decisions and delivering some of the best financial settlements Councils have seen for some time, without capping. It helped that Welsh Liberal Democrats formed part of that administration of course.

The second Assembly term, in which Labour ran things as a minority administration was much the same but there was evidence of a hardening attitude towards Councils along the line of the previous Welsh Office and by the third Assembly it was business as usual.

Ministers now talk about initiatives that are far more centralising ....

ALDC office closed, but advice still available

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Due to today's heavy snowfall across the North of England, the ALDC office in Hebden Bridge is closed today (5th January 2010) and all staff are working from home.

Advice service still available

However, if you do need need to speak to a member of ALDC's political staff then please complete our online form and someone will get back in touch with you as soon as possible.

Alternatively, try using our new improved search facility for your query in the top right hand corner of our website, as the information you need may already be available to ALDC members.

Conservatives - Losing Here

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:20:00 +0100

2009 has been the best year for Lib Dem success against the Tories in local government by-elections in this parliament.

There is an old Lib Dem adage “Where we work we win” and this seems to be the initial conclusion of ALDC’s analysis of the 2009 principal local by-elections. With 17 net gains we have had our best year since we made 17 gains in 2006.

The difference in 2009 was that we made 11 net gains off the Tories, helping them to 25 net losses for the year. In 2006 we had net losses of 3 to the Tories but offset this by making 16 net gains off “others” – largely rural independents. In 2009 there were fewer Independents defending; 23 rather than 46 in 2006. In addition the Independents improved their defence rate from a mere 20% in 2006 to around 50% in 2009.

Whilst we have not yet done a full and more detailed analysis of the results (see January’s Campaigner for this) we believe a number of factors to be at play in these results. The theory that “anti-politics” mood would herald success for Independents and smaller ....

Cornwall - it's different

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

I would imagine that most Lib Dem councillors only have experience of one council (or at least, only of councils in a particular area). And so we fondly imagine that most authorities must work in the same broad way as our own. Having worked as a Section 9 political assistant for two very political London boroughs, I imagined that my own home county of Cornwall would be similar. Nope. We have independents, we have too many councillors and too many pointless meetings and we 'don't do politics'.

Back in June the Lib Dems didn't do too well in Cornwall. The old County administration actually did most things right but got the crucial bit about communicating that work horribly wrong. And so we came out of the first unitary elections with just 38 of the 123 seats. Yep, you read that right - 123 councillors each representing single member wards. To win overall control, we would have had to have a group larger than the Parliamentary Party.

The good news was that the Tories didn't win overall control either - with 50 seats. There were 32 independents - of whom 31 decided to operate as a group and to go into coalition with the ....

Tell us Your Candidates!

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

New Years Day is 125 days to the important local elections in London and much of the rest of England on 6 May 2010. We do not need to tell you that these are vital elections for both the Liberal Democrats and the people that we represent and campaign for.

Candidate Support Programme - For the first time we'll be sending out a Liberal Democrat "Candidates Handbook" in January free to all Lib Dem candidates in the local electons. It will contain all the essential advice that candidates need about elections, staying on the right side of the law, campaign planning, and crucially where to go for more help. This is being accompanied by monthly Election Briefing emails

But we can only send the information if we have the candidates. ....

Sir Chris Clarke OBE 1941-2009 - An Obituary

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Sir Chris Clarke dedicated decades of his life to the simple task of helping people make the most of their own lives and in particular to giving society’s less fortunate the chances they need to escape the traps of their misfortune, whether imposed by poor education, ill health or just a social environment that offered too little hope.

Chris also played a leading role in the renaissance of British liberalism, helping to build the party’s heartland in the South West of England. He was (as a Councillor for 22 years and Leader of Somerset for 8 years) a terrific exponent of community politics, making Somerset a beacon for the localised form of politics that the Liberal Democrats put to such potent use, first in making huge gains in local government elections and then in taking an unprecedented number of parliamentary seats, generally based on their local successes.

For Chris Clarke though electoral success was not the purpose of politics. His own motivation was always to make a real difference to the lives of ordinary people. Political commentators were quick to see the significance of the Lib Dem gains that saw them take control of Somerset County Council in 1993. Combined with the ....

Lib Dem Children & Young People Conference

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrat Group in the Local Government Association is organising another residential conference for Children's and Young People's services. It is being held at the National College for School Leadership's Learning and Conference Centre in Nottingham on 5th-6th February 2010.

This event is recommended for all Liberal Democrats with an interest in education, children and young people's services, but especially for portfolio holders or opposition spokespeople in these areas. It will be attended by leading Liberal Democrat councillors from across the country, as well as the party's parliamentary spokespeople on education.

More details, including the price and a booking form is available as a PDF from the LGA Lib Dem Group website.

Example Campaign Plan

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:46:00 +0100

Here is an example campaign plan that is for the period from the 1^st January 2010 up to polling day on May 6^th.

This is the time to fill out your campaign plan for the campaign ahead.

The example plan has all the things that you should be doing and you can also download a blank plan for you to fill in your own plan.

There are 16 columns, which cover the following:

Date – this gives you the date and month

Day – gives you the day of the week

To go – this is the number of days left until polling day

Delivery – this column gives an indication as to when you need to be delivering your literature

Door canvass – this column is for you to work out when you are going to go door canvassing

Blank – this is a blank column for your use

Tel canvass – this is for timetabling when you are going to telephone canvass, when you should be ....

National Expenses return material

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:27:00 +0100

Due to the new national campaigns expense limits, the party have to declare everything that is spent in the general election campaign.

It is very important that every local party fill in the following forms that have been sent out by the Party.

We have put the letter of introduction and the instructions briefing note along with the form to return here.

Please make sure that your local party treasurer is aware of and have these papers.

Taking Action On Issues

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:41:00 +0100

After you have completed your surveying, looking round, talking to people what are you going to do about the issues raised?

The most effective way of dealing with a lot of issues, particularly those that come in as pieces of casework, will be through the council.

Your approach may need to vary depending on whether you are a councillor or not. Non-councillors may sometimes find that there complaints are taken less seriously than others but generally if you say that you are writing on behalf of Happytown Liberal Democrats for who you are a Campaigns Officer and use headed note paper, headed email you should get a response. Copying correspondence to the Lib Dem leader might also help!

Struggling to get a response?

If you really struggle to get a response from the council then you might need to get a fellow Liberal Democrat councillor to take up your concerns. Either way it is no bad thing to tell local residents that you are working with the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on this issue as that reinforces our credibility as a strong local team.

If you are faced with a worst-case scenario of an unresponsive council and no Liberal Democrat councillors ....

Winning in Warrington

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:52:00 +0100

We achieved an amazing 63% of the vote in a parish council by-election in Great Sankey. This parish is in the key parliamentary seat of Warrington South and this will be a boost to Jo Crotty’s chance of becoming their next MP. The by-election was called by the Conservatives who were confident of taking the seat from us. However we ran an intensive campaign of regular leaflets, good mornings and blue letters. We also made special efforts with the postal vote and this proved crucial with roughly 50% of those voting doing so by post – important on what was a very cold polling day.

Earlswood and Whitebushes is a former Lib Dem held ward just south of the town of Redhill in Surrey. Since we lost the seat it has gained a reputation for close by-election contests. This time we came within 78 votes of beating the Conservatives, with the same candidate having lost by just 41 votes two years ago. With a keen campaign team in the borough, lets hope that next time we finally make it.

Christmas

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

ALDC's office is closed from the end of Wednesday 23 December 2009, and will re-open in the morning of Monday 4 January 2009.

An answer-phone will take messages, but these will not be checked until the new year.

If you have any urgent queries, please use the advice form on this website, which will be checked periodically, and very urgent issues dealt with accordingly.

The MyCouncillor system is being maintained through the holiday period. If you experience any urgent issues please use the advice form above.

Can we take the opportunity to wish all our members and friends a

VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS

AND BEST WISHES FOR 2010

Defamation and Libel

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:53:00 +0100

What is defamation?
Defamation is the blanket term that covers libel and slander, the difference being the permanence of the offending item. Libel encompasses more permanent forms of defamation, e.g. written and published items, whilst slander usually encompasses the spoken word.
In the rough and tumble of a campaign, threats of action when one candidate does not like what another has said about him or his colleagues are quite likely. Legal action is normally very expensive and risky for both sides in defamation cases with the result only very rarely easy to confidently predict.
Sticking to the guidelines that follow and the ‘Ten Golden Rules’ is strongly advised in order to ensure that you and your campaign stay out of trouble.
To have a good case for defamation, the complainant must:
I.    Establish that what has been said or written is defamatory
It is unlikely that a claim will be successful if it can be shown that the offending statement was true or, if it is a comment that it was ‘fair comment’ i.e. what any reasonable person might have said in the circumstances (this is hard to be certain of). The courts tend to presume that politicians ....

Lib Dems take overall control of Cheltenham

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Liberal Democrats have taken overall control of Cheltenham Borough Council, thanks to the defection of a Conservative councillor to our group. We previously ran the council under no overall control.

Councillor Klara Sudbury is both a borough councillor and a Gloucestershire County Councillor and will now join both the party and our groups on both councils.

In a statement, Cllr Sudbury said:

"However, I have been impressed by the work of the town’s Liberal Democrat MP Martin Horwood who has been a hard working and dedicated MP for the town for nearly five years. The Liberal Democrats have taken the lead on many local issues such as defending Cheltenham railway station from the threat of a Parkway station at Elmbridge Court and protecting services for the town’s most vulnerable people. I also fully support their proactive approach in fighting to save the town’s green spaces and Green Belt from inappropriate development."

Welcoming her to the group, Liberal Democrat council leader Cllr Steve Jordan said:

"Klara has a well deserved reputation as a campaigner on many local issues and I am very pleased that she would like to continue those campaigns as a member of the Liberal Democrat group. I warmly welcome her application to join ....

Find a loo

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

A website has been launched by Andrex which allows people to search for public toilets in their area.

It also lets people search for public toilets near them and to rate ones they've used. It's a useful service and would be a good thing to publicise to residents in Focus leaflets or on councillor websites, particularly in areas where the local council website, (which is often not the place people would think of going), doesn't provide the information conveniently.

Anyone can add new toilets or rate existing ones, and it'd also be good to get some councillors adding in the toilets they know about in their ward.

You can find the site at www.AndrexOnTheGo.com

Business property revaluation and rate rise

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

This motion was used in Islington

Shops, restaurants and other businesses in XXXXXXXX could see their business rates almost double as a result of the Labour Government’s plans to revalue business properties. When local businesses are struggling due to the recession this massive increase in business rates will inevitably lead to job losses and local businesses going under.

Council is concerned that:

-         Business rates for some firms in the borough are set to rise by up to XX per cent as a result of the revaluation— a business tax bombshell costing around £XXXXXX extra each year.

XXXXXXXXX Council reaffirms its commitment to tackling climate change and resolves to use its purchasing power and influence as a vehicle to stimulate green initiatives, which will provide significant employment opportunities for XXXXXXXXX people and reduce the energy bill of all citizens and businesses in the city. With an annual turnover of over £XX XXXXXXXXX Council has the capacity to lead change and influence markets across the city and the UK.

In comparison to many of our European neighbours Britain is using far less renewable energy as proportion of our total use. XXXXXXXXX Council has a duty to one million people to influence and change behaviour.

Therefore this Council believes that by 2015:

• all vehicles procured by the Council should be electrically powered or run on liquefied petroleum gas.

• there will be at leastXXX electric cars running on the streets of the XXXXXX as we will develop the electric charging infrastructure.

• XX% of electricity used by the ....

Sir Chris Clarke

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Liberal Democrats in local government throughout England have been saddened by the news of the premature death of Sir Chris Clarke the former Leader of the Liberal Democrats at the LGA.

Chris served as leader from 2001 to 2005. He served originally as an SDP councillor in Richmondshire before moving to Somerset where he eventually became Leader of Somerset County Council.

He was awarded a knighthood for services to local government in 2005 after failing to gain a seat on Gloucestershire County Council when he moved there to live with and later marry Liz who survives him. He described his visit to the Palace to pick up his award ....

Government puts housing benefit cut on hold

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:51:00 +0100

A government proposal to claim back £15 a week from housing benefit claimants has been put on hold following an outcry from recipients and a campaign by a number of Liberal Democrat councils.

At present, if a housing benefit claimant finds a property to rent at less than the rate of housing allowance set by the council, they can keep up to £15 of the difference. However, the Labour Government had tried to scrap this scheme in April, which would have hit those on the lowest incomes the hardest. However, the government has now been forced to put off this cut until at least 2011.

More details from the BBC

Hypocrite Humphrys’ bonus bunk

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:23:00 +0100

John Humphrys was sounding pleased with himself on the Today Programme the other day. Nothing unusual there, you might say. He was attempting to skewer a minister because civil service managers at the UK Border Agency were being paid a bonus.

At first hearing it seemed as though they were each getting in excess of £300,000 for doing their own job. It was only on careful hearing that it became apparent that the figure was the total bonus pool and that the bonuses amounted to little more than £10,000 a piece.

The justification for the payments was that they were clearing up the chaos of immigration files left by predecessor organisations. The proper line of questioning was: why did the Government manage its affairs so poorly? But the thrust of the interview was that here were public servants pulling one over on the taxpayer.

The hypocrisy is breathtaking. Today Programme celebrities can pull in that sort of money in a few – probably very few – speaking engagements. Their celebrity status has been earned at the licence payers’ expense. Their employer, the BBC, has itself become notorious for excessive salaries to senior managers who work in an organisation largely protected from commercial risk. ....

Blackbrook in the High Peak

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:26:00 +0100

The by-election arose as a result of the sudden death of the Conservative Mayor of High Peak Borough. Locally popular, he had won the seat from us two years ago in this two member ward, where we had also lost the other seat four years previously to a well known former shopkeeper when our longest established councillor stood down.

This time we were lucky enough to have a very strong local candidate in Edith Longden. A member since the last leadership election and regular Focus deliverer, she was brought up in the largest village in the ward, is married to a local farmer, has two young children, the eldest just started at the local school which she herself attended, and she is a qualified solicitor. Our strategy was to help the electorate to get to know her, and down play the politics.

The Conservatives helped by nominating a candidate who, although a former parish councillor, had moved to a neighbouring town a few years ago. Labour had not fought this ward for some time, but also put up a candidate from outside the ward.

The ward is fairly rural and includes some of the Peak ....

Older People Campaign Pack 1 - Warm Homes for all

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:13:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrats are launching a series of campaign packs aimed at getting a better deal for older people. The first of these is about warmer homes. They key background information is:

Earlier this year, Labour and Conservative MPs failed to back David Heath’s Private Member’s Bill, which would have ended the scandal of ‘fuel poverty’. This is where households spend more than 10% of their income to heat their home and meet other energy needs.

The Bill would have 'fuel poverty proofed' the homes of those living in fuel poverty, bringing them up to the energy efficiency standards of modern homes and would have also seen a cut in heating bills for those most at risk.

In this first stage of the Lib Dem’s campaign for older people, we are calling on the Government to take urgent action to back Lib Dem plans and provide warm homes for all.

This is a great campaign to highlight both Labour and Conservative failures to deal with this important issue and to highlight an important aspect of Lib Dem policy.

You can download a campaign pack produced by the party's Campaigns Department that includes the following materials from the extranet (you will need your ....

Were We Work We Win!

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:15:00 +0100

There were ten principal council by-elections held on the 10th December. The Lib Dems gained two seats from the Tories but lost one to Labour and held one. Labour took two seats off the Tories, one off the Lib Dems, one from the BNP and held one.

The Tories held two seats. In the five Parish and Town council election result reported to ALDC the Tories held one seat but lost a seat to the Lib Dems and another to an Independent. There was one hold for Labour and another for Independents.

The first gain off the Tories was in the Tavistock South ward of West Devon BC with a 33.5% increase in vote share off a very complacent Tory party who only delivered two leaflets and not to all properties in the ward. The Lib Dem campaign consisted of several Focuses, targeted blue letters, lots of telephone and doorstep canvassing and a concerted effort with the postal voters, showing again where we work we win.

The second gain off the Tories was in (ward number 3) of East Dunbartonshire UA Bearsden South, where we won at the third stage count in this STV ....

In depth ‘Health Survey’

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:03:00 +0100

In depth health surveys are a good way of finding out what sort of health issues local residents are interested in.

They also give you an opportunity to find out useful health stories and statistics that you can then later use for campaigning.

These surveys will produce a lower response rate than the knock and drop surveys, but they will generate replies from a different set of people who are interested in or have health issues.

Key features

· You could either send it with a mailmerged letter were you can say about what our policies are and how it would benefit the residents of were you ilve or on it’s own.

· The questions are a mixture of open health related questions, questions that will provide useful statistics to campaign on.

· The survey should be sent out in a C5 window unsealed envelope, which the recipient can then use to return the survey.

· If you have the money, this is a useful survey to send out to every household to build up your knowledge of the health issues that motivate each individual house. However, if you aren't able to do this, it will be ....

Ave Alveston

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:49:00 +0100

For those who’ve been around a few years there can’t be much more dispiriting than the announcement, ‘we’ve got a November by-election’. Cold, wet, dark evenings and another month of our lives gone.

The sudden death of a respected and capable Tory Councillor took everyone by surprise. Just a couple of hours before I’d sat in a Committee meeting with him and he’d offered to have a whip round to buy me a new pullover! He’d been both a District and Town Councillor in the strongest ward for the Tories in Stratford Town – Alveston, containing some of the wealthiest parts of a generally well-off town, including ‘millionaires row’. A ward however where we’d been making inroads in the last couple of years, fighting on contentious local issues. We’d won the District ward in 2008 and the County division in 2009 (it’s a three member district ward). The real question was whether the issues that had been important then would continue to resonate with the voters.

After the funeral the Tories opened with a ‘tributes pour in’ leaflet, having chosen as their district candidate their defeated but well known candidate from 2008 and 2009. ....

Restorative Justice Motion

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

This Council notes:

1. The publication in November 2009 of the Prison Reform Trust report, Making Amends: restorative youth justice in Northern Ireland, which reveals that reoffending rates were much lower when offenders were involved in restorative justice schemes and calls for the youth justice system to prioritise restorative justice, whereby young offenders face their victims.

2. The excellent work being carried out by Youth Offending Service to prevent and reduce offending, protect the public and provide restorative justice to victims of crime by encouraging young people and their families to take responsibility for their behaviour.

3. The excellent work being carried out by Merseyside Probation Trust with offenders on Community Payback to provide free labour to local communities as offenders pay back for the crimes they have committed.

4. The increasing number of local authority and police areas, including Cheshire Police, Thames Valley Police, North Liverpool Community Justice Centre, South Yorkshire Community Justice Panels, that operate effective methods of restorative justice.

5. That a leading Conservative think-tank, The Centre for Social Justice, has called for a Restorative Justice Act and expansion of Restorative Justice conferencing, training of police in restorative disposals and a ....

Carbon Budget Motion

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

    Council notes:

a. The excellent work already being carried out to reduce carbon emissions by the council and across the borough through the launch of the CRed scheme and its aim to achieve a 60% reduction in C02 emissions by 2025.

b. The sign-up and commitment of the council to the national 10:10 initiative, which encourages individuals and organisations to save 10% during 2010.

c. That the Carbon Reduction Commitment, a mandatory emissions trading scheme affecting large local authorities with an annual electricity bill of more than £500,000 will come into force from April 2010.

d. The launch in September 2009 of the Scottish Government’s carbon budget, linking greenhouse gas emissions with the environmental impact of total government spending.

e. The publication by DECC in July 2009 of the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, setting out how the UK will meet the 34% cut in emissions on 1990 levels by 2020, set out in The Budget.

f. The publication by CLG in July 2009 of ....

ID Cards Motion

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Council notes:

That the Government is pressing ahead with imminent plans to roll out the Home Office voluntary scheme for ID cards across the North West region from early next year.

Council notes that the existing policy of the XXXXXX council is that it is opposed to the introduction of ID cards and the associated database and that funding would be better spent on additional police officers.

There were two principal council by-elections held on the 3rd December. The Lib Dems held one seat and Labour took a seat off the Tories. In the only Parish and Town council election result reported to ALDC the Tories took a seat from Labour.

In the Ormesby Ward of Redcar and Cleveland Unitary Authority we held the seat comfortably increasing our share of the vote in an already safe ward . The by-election was held due to the resignation of long serving Lib Dem Councillor Eric Empson and was the sixth in just over twelve months in Redcar constituency and our 4th win. The Lib Dems have taken three from Labour and held one. Labour have held two. It is important to out campaign your opposition however safe a ward may seem. In this case we did so by putting out five leaflets to Labour three and UKIP’s one and were the only party to target the postal vote. It also helps to have a strong candidate; its often tempting to try to save your best candidates for the target “gain” wards but local by-elections can be very intense and it is wise to select a ....

Create your own Photo Bank now!

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:32:00 +0100

This is the time to start or expand your photo bank, as you will not have time once the election starts. We have put a collection of photo’s together to give you an idea of the type and style that you should looking to take, this is not a complete list as you will have opportunities to take lots of pictures with local residents campaigning on local issues.

The list contains: Family, Crime, Health, Education, Environment, Recognisable, local landmarks, With groups of people, Talking to people, A GOOD ‘head and shoulders’ shot, Transport, Campaign pictures, Pensioner Pictures, ‘Winning photos’ including Lib Dem team shots, Youth Pictures, Other Useful pictures.

Look to have pictures of any local campaigns that are active now and may become active in the future, like council closing a library, you can get pictures now in your bank ready.

Always remember to have a camera with so that you can take a picture with local residents when you have completed some casework so that you can use the picture with a short quote as a ‘Vox Pop’ in your election leaflets. Often the issue is when putting literature together is not ....

Jobs Campaign Pack - part one

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:01:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrats have launched a new campaign pack on jobs, in particular jobs for young people. They key background information is:

Labour’s recession has driven up unemployment especially amongst young people.

Liberal Democrat Policy is to help these young people get off unemployment benefit before they become trapped in a cycle of never ending state handouts.

We have to free them from Labour’s red tape trap.

Lib Dems want to stop Labour’s useless VAT cut immediately and instead spend the money getting thousands of people into work.

35% of those under 24 with no qualifications are unemployed. The longer these people are locked out of work, the greater the risk that they will be trapped in long-term unemployment.

Under Labour 18-24 year olds have to spend ten months out of work before they can take part in any full-time training and even then for just eight weeks.

We want to introduce a 90-day promise to make work, training or education available as soon as possible. This would make help available a full seven months earlier under the Liberal Democrats.

In summary, the main proposals are:

A chance for every young person in Britain to get into work - 800,000 new paid training opportunities, 25,000 new paid apprenticeships and ....

Royal British Legion Manifesto

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:07:00 +0100

This Council: -

(a) Notes the excellent work of the Royal British Legion in campaigning on behalf of our Armed Forces.

(b) welcomes and supports the principles of the Legion Manifesto which are set out below :-

1. Service Personnel and their Families

· Keep the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme under continual, independent review and:
(i) change the standard of proof so that where evidence is inconclusive, the benefit of the doubt is given to the injured Service person;
(ii) remove the link between lump-sum awards and ongoing payments to reflect the fact that they are paid for different reasons;
allow claims relating to injuries or illnesses caused by medical treatment;
(iii) remove the time limits to lodge a claim; and
exempt payments when carrying out means-testing for State benefits.

· Stop breaches of harmony guidelines (deployment ....

Help for council budget setting

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The LGA Lib Dem office is holding a session on budget setting on 7 January aimed at finance portfolio holders or those responsible for setting opposition budgets.

Gerald Vernon-Jackson (Leader of Portsmouth City Council and a national IDeA peer) and Derek Osbourne (Leader of the London Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames and an IDeA board member) will provide advice on the detailed goals and parameters required for a budget that will withstand the intense scrutiny of press, opposition groups and others.

The session will be held at Local Government House but there will be webcasting and teleconferencing facilities for those participating remotely. A registration fee of £25 will be charged for those attending in person; for more info contact Jake Beavan at jake.beavan@lga.gov.uk or on 020 7664 3293.

Kickstart success

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:45:00 +0100

Thank you to everyone who came along to Kickstart and made it such a huge success. This is the biggest Kickstart event we've ever done and there was a real buzz about the whole weekend, and we have high hopes now of many of the council groups who attended having excellent results in the coming years.

If you want to find out more about what you missed, then Alex Foster has written an excellent article on Liberal Democrat Voice about the weekend and gives a sense of what happened. Our favourite quotes include:

"During the weekend, several of them told me that they had been dreading the weekend as a completely new and scary experience, but by the end of the three days, all of us were, without exception, impressed by the training we’d received and how welcome we’d all been made to feel."

and

"ALDC’s tracking data shows that ALDC members are much more likely to win elections than non-members – and that Kickstart attendees still more likely than that. My team is already considering who we’ll send to next year’s event, and there is no question in our mind we got value for our money."

Adding your own photos to your blog posts

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:14:00 +0100

When you compose a post in your MyCouncillor blog, clicking on the image button allows you to put in a URL link to a photo that's somewhere else on the Internet.

That's fine if you've got your photos on an online service like flickr or picasa, or if you're linking to a picture you've found (e.g. through Google Images). If you want to add a photo that's on your own computer, it's less good.

MyCouncillor offers a way to add photos from your hard drive but it doesn't work in quite the way a lot of people expect it to. You add a photo to an online album, maintained by MyCouncillor, and then add it into your blog post, as a full image, a thumbnail (linking to the full picture) or a text link.

1. Resizing your photo

The size of your photo is important, and if you've taken it with a modern digital camera, it's probably too big. Any graphics package can be used to resize an image, or you could use a website like this one.

Where you want the full photo to appear in your ....

Liberal Democrats 3, Conservatives 0

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:23:00 +0100

What a week! Not only did we gain three seats, but they were all at the expense of the Conservatives, which goes to show that no matter how high they are in the polls we can still beat them.

In June, we underperformed across Cornwall but one of the bright spots was in the new St. Austell & Newquay constituency. Despite this, St. Austell Bay was the 3^rd safest Conservative seat in the county. Our candidate was a well known community activist, whereas the Tory candidate didn’t even live in the town – although he was their agent for Cornwall. Both parties matched each other leaflet for leaflet, but we also managed to knock on every door twice. Controversial local planning issues were a key part of the campaign, and these were tied in to a new national Tory policy that would give money to councils in return for approving more planning applications. Under the superb organisation of award-winning agent Hamish McCallum we achieved a 14% swing, which bodes well for Stephen Gilbert at the General Election.

In Stratford-on-Avon we are going from strength to strength. We now have all three county divisions in the town, eight out of 11 district seats and 12 out of 18 ....

Cllr Chris White on... libraries

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:13:00 +0100

Cllr Chris White (Hertfordshire County Councillor and St. Albans City Councillor - as well as being a member of the ALDC Management Committee) has written a piece for Liberal Democrat Voice on the archaic and centralised legislation that the government is trying to use to boss the Wirral around on libraries services.

Highlights include:

"It requires libraries to maintain adequate (a term it does not define) stocks of books and other printed matter, and pictures, gramophone records, films and other materials. So it does recognise that we have moved on from the codex – but is inevitably not so hot on the internet or DVDs."

and

"The Charteris report into the Wirral published this week is a classic case of central government interference of dubious legality – an expert who has been brought in to substitute her prejudices (unchallengeable at the ballot box) for those of elected councillors who were taking reasoned and reasonable political risks for which they knew they were accountable."

To read more, go to Chris White's article here at Liberal Democrat Voice.

Fairer Taxes Campaign Pack

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:26:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrats have launched new proposals for making taxes fairer. The proposals are based around our key principals on tax, which are:

Fairness - tax policies should be equitable and ensure that the payment of taxes is linked proportionately to people’s ability to pay.

Simplicity - tax policies should be clear to taxpayers and new policy should aim to eliminate complexity in existing legislation.

Certainty - tax policies should not be retrospective and should provide the taxpayer with certainty over the correct treatment.

Efficiency - tax policies should provide revenue to the government on an efficient basis and minimise tax leakage.

Transparency - the reasons behind the introduction of new tax policy and the intention of spending of revenue raised should be clearly stated to the taxpayer.

Competitiveness - UK tax policies should be internationally competitive.

In summary, the main proposals are:

The Liberal Democrats want to radically rebalance the tax system by cutting taxes for people on low and middle incomes, which we will pay for by cutting reliefs, closing tax loopholes that benefit the wealthiest and a 1% levy ....

Imprints in 2010

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:23:00 +0100

New legislation regarding the General Election has implications for the imprints we use in the next few months.

A new period of regulated expenditure for the General Election starts on 1st January 2010 (see separate article on expenditure limits for details) which will need us to keep very careful control of all literature expenditure and its allocation (splits) between the different campaigns from 1/1/10 onwards.

Between 1st January and 6th May literature, posters and websites etc. can relate to:

the national campaign (not promoting any candidate but declared in a national campaign return on a national limit) e.g.   the party’s national Bill Board posters in the General election and some direct mail from Cowley street that does not name any candidates.

the local party's parliamentary campaign. This is literature promoting the parliamentary candidate from 1/1/10 to polling day.

the local election campaign which is not regulated (limited) until after 29/3/10 at the earliest but this could be delayed to a few days later when nominations are submitted if the local candidates have not previously “declared” their candidacy.

The party’s strong advice is to use the ....

Bedford's winning literature

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:54:00 +0100

Last month Dave Hodgson was elected as the Liberal Democrat Directly-Elected Mayor for Bedford. The victorious agent Christine McHugh has written up the full story of how we won in the Campaign Stories section of the ALDC website. However we now have a set of all the key leaflets that were part of our campaign to help inspire you to success in your own area.

Why we liked these leaflets

The leaflets include all of the key elements of a successful campaign - clear sharp photos, a bar chart and the three good reasons to vote for our candidate.

The leaflets show a clear campaign message on local issues and why people should support Dave Hodgson.

The leaflets are a mixture of colour and spot colour leaflets, in an election that had a very low election expenses limit.

The leaflets also include the opportunity for residents to respond - whether to declare themselves as supporters or to sign on a petition on an important issue.

Thank you to the Campaigns Department and Bedford Liberal Democrats for this literature.

Download these leaflets

Appeal letter - PagePlus
Appeal letter - PDF

Mayoral booklet advert - PagePlus
Mayoral booklet advert - PDF

General Election count

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:13:00 +0100

This motion was originally used by Cambridge City Council

This Council believes that the interests of democracy and the country are best served if the result of a general election is confirmed as soon as possible after the close of polls. It therefore strongly supports general election counts being conducted on election night immediately following the close of polls, and requests that the returning officer takes note of this opinion.

This Council resolves that in the interests of democracy and the country the result of a general election is confirmed as soon as possible after the close of polls. It therefore strongly supports general election counts being conducted on election night immediately following the close of polls, and requests that the returning officer takes note of this opinion.

Don't Forget ALDC at Christmas!

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

An easy way to support ALDC at this time of year - WITHOUT spending any extra money - is to make use of our Amazon and ITunes links.

Both of these work in exactly the same way - you have the normal full Amazon and ITunes websites, but for every purchase you make ALDC receives a small fee from Amazon or ITunes - you don't pay a penny more!

Amazon is a mail order website, one of the biggest in the world. Amazon isn't just books nowadays, departments include: baby, beauty, mobile phones, clothes, electrics magazines and music.

ITunes is the main source of music downloads in the world - but is also good for films, TV shows, and those "apps" that people have on their IPhones! You can also buy ITunes gift vouchers which can be a great gift for people who listen to music on their IPod or similar!

To buy gifts from Amazon, and support ALDC - click here.

To buy gifts from ITunes, and support ALDC - click here.

These links are available year round - find them at the bottom of any page on the ALDC website - www.aldc.org.

Local Government Conference 2010

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

An date for your new Diary!

The 2010 Local Government Conference will take place on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 June 2010 in London.

Nick Clegg addressing the 2009 Local Government Conference in Sheffield.

Friday will be satellite events during the day, and the Liberal Democrat Local Government Dinner in the evening.

Saturday will be a one day conference featuring speeches, debate, training, discussion and exhibition.

The Local Government Conference is jointly organised by ALDC and the LGA Liberal Democrat Group. Our previous conferences in Birmingham and Sheffield have been a great chance for Lib Dem Councillors and local campaigners to get together.

Registration will be online straight away in the new year.

If you're interested in organising a fringe event, a satellite event, training or being part of our exhibition please get in touch with Emma Hall or Tim Pickstone at ALDC.

Get in on the ACT

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Party members will probably already heard about the Party's new "online networking and campaigning" website - Act.

Why not sign up and join our group for all Lib Dem Councillors - ALDC!

Act is a place where Lib Dem supporters can connect with one another, organise events and campaigns, share photos and videos, and talk about politics. It's open to anyone with Liberal Democrat sympathies, whether they're Party members or not.

Nick Clegg has recorded a short video explaining what we want to help people to achieve: see the video on Act.

Once you've joined up - click on "groups" - and "join group" when you see ALDC! You can set up your own groups as soon as you are a member.

There are no doubt many ways that Councillors and local campaigners can interact on Act - let us know if you have ideas and we can give them a go.

Customizing your MyCouncillor blog

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:54:00 +0100

So you've followed our guide and made it from ALDC member to blogger in six easy steps. But now you want more. You want to customize your blog, making it more useful for your readers and more effective as a campaigning tool.

Let's look at some of the ways you can make your blog your own.

On this example, you can change the overall look of the blog (the colour scheme and layout), the strapline at the top, and your personal details on the right. You can also add a photo (Cllr Grice is uncommonly handsome and, with his customary modesty, has declined to post a photo so as not to make his colleagues look bad in comparison).

Further down the page, you can add a graph (what Lib Dem publication would be complete without one) and some useful links for your readers.

1. Choose your theme

Log on to administer your site, click on Presentation and Themes, then simply click on the theme you want. It changes right away, so why not try a few and see which you like the most.

2. Set ....

New Liberal Democrat Style Guidelines, Fonts and Logos

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

As many members will have noticed, many of the party's nationally produced materials have a new look with an extra set of colours on top of the Lib Dem Gold, a new design layout to our publications, as well as a new set of fonts.

Although local Focus leaflets don't need to change, many people may want to use the new fonts and take the style guidelines in to account if they are producing colour leaflets. The style guidelines can be downloaded here and give details about how these sorts of leaflets should be laid out and how the font and logos should be used.

This Focus from South Cambridgeshire shows how one local party have already used the new guidelines to produce one of their leaflets. However, it's worth noting that the new guidelines shouldn't affect an established format that you may already have for your own regular local black and white or spot colour Focus leaflets.

New colours

Liberal Democrat gold stays the same, but there are now extra colours that can also be used in publications to ensure there is consistency across Liberal Democrat literature. The details are:

Primary colours

Lib Dem Gold: Pantone 1235C
Lib Dem ....

Starting from Scratch

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:01:00 +0100

There were four principal council by-elections held on the 19th November. The Tories lost one seat to an Independent and hled one seat. Labour gained one seat from an Independent and the SNP held a seat. In the only Parish and Town council election result reported to ALDC the Tories held the seat.

In the very rural Cholmondeley Ward of East Cheshire Unitary Council our candidate was Bryan Halson. We ran a one-leaflet campaign in a very challenging area for us. Not only had the there been little political activity from us in the recent past it was also physically challenging. The problem here is sheer distance, taking 45 minutes to drive across the ward and lots of dispersed housing. The new Unitary Authority is still working on the old (very large) county ward boundaries and the Boundary Commission is currently looking at boundary changes. We focussed our effort in the area that could be delivered. One village was targeted for work as it will make up the heart of a new ward just proposed Here we got 32% in its box on the night and so the team are planning to build on this.

In ....

LGA recruiting new Head of Lib Dem Office

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The Local Government Association is recruiting a new Head of the Liberal Democrat Office to replace Ed Fordham, moving to a new role with the LGA.

The job description says that:

"Liberal Democrats in Local Government are looking for a experienced senior advisor to manage the political activity in the Local Government Association (LGA). You will work directly with the Leader of the Group, the Executive and Cabinet furthering our interests within the LGA and also within local government. Working across local government in England and Wales, in Westminster and Whitehall you will contribute to all aspects at the highest levels. In addition you will need experience of managing staff and budgets, leading high profile events and managing resources to achieve our objectives."

For more details about the post, you can find out more on the w4mp website.

Local Housing Allowance

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

This motion would be particularly effective if it is proposed and seconded by a councillor who is up for election next year in an area with a large amount of council housing. They can then use this to campaign in their own ward by gathering petition signatures, as well as involving non-councillors who are standing in similar sorts of areas. The motion was first used in the London Borough of Brent.

This Council notes that at present 300,000 people in the UK on low incomes are allowed to keep up to £780 a year of their housing allowance if they find accommodation that costs less than the maximum benefit.

This Council also notes that this reform was introduced to give tenants greater control over their housing arrangements by paying the rent themselves and the option to trade quality for extra money.

This Council notes however that under proposals which will be implemented next April by the Labour Government, this system will be scrapped, a decision which could cost many of [NAME OF COUNCIL'S] poorest residents up to 20% of their income or up to £15 per week. This Council notes with concern that the removal of competition means that landlords will raise ....

Our troops deserve better - part two

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:39:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrat Campaigns Department have produced their second campaign pack to help members campaign on issues related to the armed forces.

The second pack is aimed at trying to get a fair deal for our troops by ensuring that they are properly paid and have the right equipment. It includes:

Background to the campaign

Direct mail with an insert and petition

A special fair deal for our forces leaflet

Material that you can include in other leaflets

Following our success on the ghurka campaign, it is important to keep up the pressure on the government to make sure our troops are properly treated, a cause on which Nick Clegg is getting a good reputation.

ALDC members can download the pack from our website as a PDF and as a PagePlus file.

Lib Dems in local government respond to Queen's Speech

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Liberal Democrats in local government have responded to yesterday's Queen's Speech emphasising the lack of any concrete proposals that will make a real difference to people's lives. Instead, the speech has been described as "a fantasy Queen’s Speech from a government that has run out of road in a Parliament that has lost the people’s trust."

Liberal Democrat Leader in the Local Government Association, Cllr Richard Kemp said:

“The Child Poverty Bill and the Equality Bill as outlined in the Queens Speech today are high on rhetoric and low on deliverability - in short they are mere gestures.

“I have already given evidence to the Committee scrutinising the Child Poverty Bill which is a hangover from the last Parliament. Giving us a duty without the means to deliver that duty is an empty gesture.

“The same applies to the Equality Bill. I know of no council, irrespective of political control, that is not aware of the gaps between rich and poor and between a variety of communities. The Government needs to get real about what can and cannot be done by councils without further legislation to transfer cash and powers back to us.”

For more details on Nick Clegg's response to the Queen's Speech,

ALDC member to Blogger in six easy steps

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:59:00 +0100

1. Apply for a site

You're already an ALDC member and you'd like a MyCouncillor blog. The first step is to fill in the application form by clicking here. Don't worry about the information you give being set in stone. You can change almost everything later - with the exception of your council area and ward.

2. Receive your email

Within seconds of you submitting the form, the ALDC team springs into action. After making the tea, your blog is set up and an email sent giving you all the information you need to get blogging. The most important pieces of information are:

your site address e.g. www.lennygrice.mycouncillor.org.uk

your username e.g. lennygrice

your password

3. Visit your site

Click on the link in the email to visit your site (or paste the web address into your browser). At the bottom right corner of your new blog is a link "Site Admin". Click on it.

4. Log onto the administration panel

Put in your username and password to log into ....

Campaign to allow free bus passes on to community transport

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

This is a campaign that has been launched by the Liberal Democrats in Gloucestershire and would be a good campaign for people to take up in other parts of the country as it is estimated to effect about 1million people across the country.

At present, pensioners and people with disabilities have a pass that allows them to use buses for free or at a subsidised rate. However, many of these people rely heavily on community transport, which does not usually accept the passes. This campaign is in response to a review by the government on the concessionary fare scheme, and is to encourage the government to change this and to provide the necessary funds to allow the passes on to community transport.

What to do

The campaign in Gloucestershire was largely based on the press and within the council. They introduced a motion to Gloucestershire County Council calling on the council to support the campaign and to lobby the government to make the necessary changes needed.

The local Liberal Democrats also put our a press release which encouraged residents to sign the online petition on the 10 Downing Street website.

Contact you local Community Transport Manager and make sure they ....

Community transport & the concessionary bus pass

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:06:00 +0100

This council notes:

1. The national concessionary bus pass scheme was intended to help elderly people and those with disabilities lead a more active life
2. The announcement on 4th November of the Government’s plan to consult on the future funding of the national bus pass scheme and local authorities have a deadline of 30th December to respond
3. The scheme does not currently help many elderly people and those with disabilities who find it hard to access commercial bus services and who rely on community transport schemes.
4. The new national bus passes, unlike many of the old “local schemes” cannot be used to fund trips with community transport providers.
5. The e-petition on the 10 Downing Street website for which this motion seeks support: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/commtransport/

This council proposes

1. To write to the Department of Transport to ask that legislation is changed to allow use of national concessionary bus passes with regulated community transport providers.
2. To encourage councillors and members of the public to support the e-petition on the issue of community transport
3. The ....

The Really Useful Party

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:50:00 +0100

There were three principal council by-elections held on the 12th November. The Tories gained two seats, one from an Independent and one from the Lib Dems. In the only Parish and Town council election result reported to ALDC the Lib Dems held the seat.

In the Totnes Bridgetown Ward by-election for South Hams District Council in Devon we held a seat in a split ward. Our candidate was well known as the local community bus driver, and this time there was no Independent. We concentrated on canvassing and then getting our supporters to turn out. In contrast the Tories just didn't work as hard and knocked-up every single house regardless of voting intention.

In the Shepway council seat of New Romney Coast in 2007 we narrowly won both seats by 20 votes over the Tories. But by September one of our councillors had defected to the Tories, one of a number of defections from the group in recent years. It was this “defected” councillor's resignation that caused the by-election. Technically a loss to the Tories but it felt like a Tory hold.

Most active campaigners will be preparing their Christmas focuses and perhaps ....

Clipart

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Clipart has been used by Liberal Democrat campaigners ever since Focus leaflets were first invented. They are a good way of breaking up a story so it doesn't appear as one long piece of text, (although you should try and avoid long stories anyway), and they also help catch the eye in the same way that a photograph does and thereby make your story and your leaflet stand out.

ALDC has produced standard bits of clipart for many years on disk. These can now be downloaded from this website in themed zipped folders with the clipart available as TIFFs, GIFs or JPEGs, which can be imported in to most desktop publishing software.

Download the clipart

Arrows - Zipped folder
Boxes etc - Zipped folder
Building and the Environment - Zipped folder
Elections - Zipped folder
Miscellaneous - Zipped folder
Money - Zipped folder
People - Zipped folder
Public Services - Zipped folder
Seasonal - Zipped folder
Transport - Zipped folder

Comments, suggestions?

If you have any suggested changes or improvements to any of this clipart then please contact Mark Alcock ....

ID cards

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

This Council welcomes the announcement made by the Prime Minister to finally abandon plans for Compulsory ID cards.

That the Council note with concern the consistent failure of this Labour Government to recognise the excessive cost of a compulsory ID card scheme which was unlikely to provide any discernable national security benefit.

This motions was first used in Oldham. Although brief, the key arguments against ID cards can be fleshed out in subsequent speeches using information from No2ID or by using details from the speech that was used in the debate on the original motion.

Welcoming in the New Year in Bury & Leamington

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:36:00 +0100

Calendars are a good way of making sure that local residents have something which is both useful and a continual reminder of their Liberal Democrat team's all year round campaigning. In places where these calendars are done regularly, it is common to see them pinned up on the fridge or kept by the phone in many local homes.

You can download template calendars from the ALDC website, but these good examples from Bury and Leamington show how a calendar can be put together.

The main thing to remember is to make sure these calendars are delivered either before Christmas or at least by the end of the first couple of weeks in the New Year.

You can get more details on the key items to include in a calendar, as well as templates for use next year here.

Download these leaflets

Thank you to Andrew Garner of Bury and Alan Boad of Leamington for the artwork.

Bury calendar - PDF
Bury calendar - PagePlus

Leamington Spa calendar - PDF
Leamington Spa calendar - PagePlus

Send us your best practice

If you have done a good leaflet, target mailing, eCampaign or a campaign on a ....

Copenhagen campaign

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0100

Between December 7 and 18 Copenhagen hosts a major climate change conference, during which the world’s leading nations will attempt to negotiate a successor to the Kyoto Treaty. On Saturday December 5 there is a day of action in London including a march on Parliament to publicise its importance. The Liberal Democrats want to use these opportunities to highlight our environmental credentials – and reassert our position as the leading party on climate change.

The Liberal Democrat Campaigns Department will be producing a full pack to help you campaign on this issue over the next few days - keep checking our website as we will make the pack available as soon as it's ready. But to get you going, you can download some black and white artwork for you to use in your Focus leaflets or tabloid newspapers.

A council motion is already available here.

Downloads

Copenhagen Focus artwork - PDF
Copenhagen Focus artwork - PagePlus

Good ideas from your area?

If you've campaigned on the Copenhagen Summit in your area, then let us have your good ideas so we can share them with other Liberal Democrat campaigners. Please send ....

MyCouncillor Service Problems 12 November 2009

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:10:00 +0100

Apologies but we are experiencing a prolonged problem with the myCouncillor server today, Thursday 12 November 2009.

The system appeared to go down in the early hours of the morning, we restarted this at the start of the working day, but it went down again almost immediately. Technical staff are working on this now and we hope to be able to have it sorted imminently.

Apologies...

London candidates' mailing

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:40:00 +0100

All known Liberal Democrat candidates and retiring councillors in London received a bumper mailing this week with information to help them win in 2010.

Next year's London elections are a big challenge. It is likely to be the first time there have been local elections and a general election on the same day - ever! But there are many places around the country who have considerable experience of winning both councils and parliamentary seats on the same day. Likewise, recent elections results show that it is possible to buck the trend and keep picking up council seats even in Labour - Conservative marginal parliamentary seats. So there's no need to panic.

The recent mailing included tips and goood practice as well as details on ALDC's services to help you win. Also enclosed was a copy of London Campaigner with help specially tailored to help campaigners in London. A PDF copy of London Campaigner can also be downloaded by ALDC members. Everyone also received a complimentary copy of ALDC's Winning Elections Volume 1, which you can also buy from the ALDC shop.

If you didn't receive a copy of this mailing then please make ....

Adding StatCounter to your MyCouncillor blog

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:09:00 +0100

Your MyCouncillor blog offers two different ways of seeing who visits your site: Hits and Hits Mk II. Both give monthly totals and show you which pages are the most popular.

There are many things they don't show you. Are your visitors all from your ward, or from Japan? How do they find you? How long do they stay? Where do they go when they leave?

That's where alternative services come in. This guide shows you how to use a service called StatCounter to find out all that information - and more. Other services, including Google Analytics, have similar functionality and should work in a similar way.

In this how-to, we'll set up an account with StatCounter and paste some special code into your MyCouncillor blog.

Setup your StatCounter project

In your web browser, go to www.statcounter.com and click on the "Register Now!" button.

After you've filled in the registration form and registered, click on "Add New Project"

Put in the details for your blog. The only one you must get right is the blog address. The ....

Keeping within the Limits

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:43:00 +0100

There was one principal council by-election held on the 5th November. The Tories held the seat. There were no Parish and Town council election results reported to ALDC.

The Lower Sheering Ward of Epping Forest District council in Essex is a one member rural ward that has a polling station in Hertfordshire and lies in the highly marginal Harlow parliamentary constituency. Despite this Labour failed to nominate a candidate and the Tories increased their vote by less than 1%. We ran a paperless campaign yet got more than four times the vote we received in a by-election in the ward in June 2005.

As the 10:10 campaign gathers momentum the next campaigning step for us all is working towards Copenhagen, the United Nations Climate change conference 7-18th December. The party will be producing a range of materials to help you campaign on this and there will be a number of marches and events to attend in London on December 5th. However it’s worth finding out what is happening in your area e.g. local demonstrations and getting involved. We will keep you updated week by week as the campaign develops.

The Political ....

Copenhagen Summit

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

This motion was recently used by the Liberal Democrats on Sheffield City Council, but will need to adapted for places where we are not in control of the council.

That this Council:

(a)       believes there is a pressing need for action by the international community to cut global greenhouse gas emissions in line with scientific evidence of the reductions needed to keep below a 2°C rise in average global temperatures;

(b)       welcomes the efforts made by the people of Sheffield, businesses, universities, the City Council and other organisations across the City, in tackling climate change;

(c)        recognises that the UK Government has recently implemented climate change legislation, but believes that even more significant action is needed at national and international level and therefore welcomes the Copenhagen Conference taking place this December that aims to set a climate agreement from 2012;

(d)       believes that a resolution from Copenhagen should:

(i)         ....

SIX Months to WIN!

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Today is six months to the most likely polling day for a UK General Election, and for crucial local elections in London and much of England.

We do not need to tell you that these are vital elections for both the Liberal Democrats and the people that we represent and campaign for.

Support for our General Election work will obviously be coming from the Party at many levels. In addition to helping with the General Election effort, ALDC will be ensuring that there is help and support in place to ensure we succeed in the local elections as well.

Training - our busy programme of training for the elections is nearing its conclusion this year with Regional Conferences, and the (fully booked) Kickstart Residential Weekend.

Candidate Support Programme - For the first time we'll be sending out a Liberal Democrat "Candidates Handbook" at the start of January free for all Lib Dem candidates in the local electons. It ....

Council Assets

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:26:00 +0100

That this Council: -

(a)    notes the Prime Minsters recent announcement that the Government plan to sell off £16 billion of public assets, including £11 billion of local authority assets;

(b)    believes that this local authorities assets are managed by the people of XXXXXX through this Council, is therefore extremely concerned that the Government believe they can run roughshod over local democracy and dictate that we sell off assets;

(c)    notes with concern the comments made by the Chairman of the Local Government Association in response to the Prime Ministers announcement:

“What sort of assets are councils being expected to sell? Does it include school playing fields, cemeteries or libraries?”

(d)    confirms that it will resist any move by the Government to force the sell off of assets that, in the Council’s view, should be retained by local people;

(e)    furthermore believes that any organisation with any sense recognises that in the current depressed market it's better to hang onto disposable assets until market conditions improve and value for money can be achieved;

(f)    notes that this is confirmed by the Governments own guidance on local authority asset management, which ....

Armed Forces

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:22:00 +0100

That this Council: -

(a)    notes that, whatever your view on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, these conflicts have brought the sacrifices made by members of the UK Armed Forces into sharp focus;

(b)    believes that members of the UK Armed Forces, including many local XXXXXXXers, do an outstanding job in often life threatening circumstances and they deserve to be fully supported;

(c)    is dismayed that the present Government are seriously letting our soldiers down on a number of issues; including

(1)    failing to provide our troops with the proper resources and equipment to do their job;

(2)    failing to pay soldiers a fair wage through allowing 51,000 staff, a quarter of the armed forces, to receive less in basic pay than a new recruit police constable or fire-fighter;

(3)    failing to provide decent family homes for forces families;

(4)    refusing to give out appropriate compensation to soldiers who have been injured in the line of duty;

(d)    believes that urgent action is required to address the above issues including;

(1)    a review of how we can provide appropriate land based vehicles and extra helicopters as ....

Last Minute Candidate Helpline

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

As part of the Liberal Democrat programme of the Be A Councillor initiative, an Candidate Advice Helpline service is being offered for Liberal Democrats with local elections in 2010.

If you are having issues finding the right number and quality of candidates, the helpline will be able to talk you through the issues, give you ideas about where to look and who to ask, and other practical information and advice.

To arrange help, please email lastminute@aldc.org, answering the following questions in your email.

Name of council

Your contact details: name

Your contact details: phone

Your contact details: email

Total no. of councillors

Total no. of councillors to be elected

No of Lib Dem held seats to be contested

No of candidates selected & approved for these Lib Dem held seats

No of other candidates approved & selected for other TARGET seats

No of other Lib Dem candidates approved & selected for other seats

All questions apply only to this council and only to elections to this council on 6th May 2010.

New Party Website

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The Party has launched its new website at www.libdems.org.uk this week. The new site is in fact the first of three websites, each with a different function, rather than trying to do everything in one place. The other two sites to follow shortly are a new social networking style campaigning website called ACT, and an enhanced Lib Dem members website (including replacing the Extranet).

Here's the Party's Director of Marketing, Fundraising and Members’ Services, David Loxton, talking on Lib Dem Voice about the new sites.

Using the Marked Register in Hull

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The marked register is available from your council after the election and shows you who voted in the election. This information can then be entered in to EARS and used to write to people with a message tailored to whether they voted or not.

Liberal Democrats in Hull used this information following the Drypool by-election to Hull City Council. They wrote to people who voted (excluding known opposition supporters) to ask them whether they would be prepared to help the party. They also wrote to people who didn’t vote, but who we had canvassed as supporters, to encourage them to take up a postal vote (a form was included in the envelope). They also included an A4 reply slip which promoted the ward team. People who vote in a council by-election are usually the keenest of voters, and so a copy of the marked register will allow you to identify those people who will always vote and then using this information to follow-up with targeted letters. These letters were then delivered with the Thank You Focus.

In response to requests from a number of members we've launched two alternate domains for myCouncillor sites:

focusteam.org.uk

4mp.org.uk

We've had a number of requests from people who were council candidates, and didn't want to use the myCouncillor.org.uk internet domain name before getting elected - focusteam.org.uk is for you!

Secondly we've noticed a number of our members using their sites as a simple site for a parliamentary candidate - so 4mp.org.uk is for you.

All the domains are interchangeable and work at the same time

so: richardbaum.mycouncillor.org.uk; richardbaum.focusteam.org.uk and richardbaum.4mp.org.uk all go to the same place - it is just a different address for you to advertise on Focus leaflets, emails.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need to know more.

Copenhagen is Coming

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Yesterday it was announced that all our Core cities in Lib Dem control have signed up to the 10: 10 campaign; Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield, with another 24 Lib Dem run or influenced councils so far doing the same. The next step is Copenhagen, the United Nations Climate change conference 7-18th December.

Locally

For action at a local level we will be producing:

council motions

a campaign pack including focus and tabloid ready artwork

draft press releases

direct mail template

but also find out what is happening in your area e.g. local demonstrations and get involved

Nationally

Website presence

Co-odinated action at and with the national demonstrations on Saturday December 5th. Put this date in your diary, book some transport and keep an eye out as more information as it emerges as we need a large and clear Lib Dem presence

Parliamentary action at Westminster, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Brussels.

Liberal Youth will be working with PPC’s etc in University seats in particular.

We will keep you updated week by week as ....

Winning in Wroxham

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100

October got of to a good start in Norfolk with two by-election gains in one night in the new Broadland Constituency. In Walsingham we gained a seat on North Norfolk District Council – a definite vote of confidence in our administration in an area that had been represented by an independent for more than 20 years. In the Wroxham ward of Broadland District Council we made another gain electing 19 year old local boy Ben McGilvray.

Wroxham is a two member ward made up of three large villages, Rackheath, Salhouse and Wroxham and the small hamlet of Belaugh. Wroxham is the centre of much of the Broads tourism industry. It was in the communities of Salhouse and Rackheath that there was the strongest feeling about plans for a massive amount of house building. This includes plans for one of the governments ‘eco-towns’ on the former R.A.F. Rackheath air base but also significant growth for Salhouse as well. On top of this ambitious plans for a huge Broads based conference centre, called the Norfolk Hub, which would have dwarfed Salhouse. The so called Hub was a product of the publication of the publication of a ....

Remember, Remember the 11th November

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:22:00 +0100

There was one principal council by-election held on the 29th October. The Liberal Democrats held the seat. There was one Parish and Town council election results reported to ALDC, a Tory hold.

In the Huntingdon North Ward of Huntingdonshire District Council they had their third election of the year. The County elections were followed by a town council by-election where we made a gain off the Tories before our sitting district councillor moved. In a two-member ward the Tories had won well in 2008 and in the by-election we were defending a majority of 19 from 2007. Our strong campaign was matched with a five-leaflet UKIP campaign, which may have taken votes from the Tories. UKIP tried to mobilise resentment in a very deprived ward against East European migrants whilst Labour mobilised them to vote. We ran a proficient campaign holding all others off to increase our majority from 19 to 30.

The 11th of November is the first date on which a death or resignation of a councillor who would otherwise be up for re-election on May 6th 2010 will cease to cause a by-election under the “six month rule”. To avoid unnecessary by-elections ....

In depth survey

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:45:00 +0100

In depth surveys are a good way of finding out what sort of issues local residents are interested in. They also give you an opportunity to find out useful stories and statistics that you can then later use for campaigning.

These surveys will produce a lower response rate than the knock and drop surveys, but they will generate replies from a different set of people.

Key features

There is a space on the front that should be used for the address of the recipient. Whilst you could ask people to write in their own address, (and there is space for that below in case the details are wrong and to provide an email address and phone number), fewer people will do this and so you cannot reply to the respondents.

The questions are a mixture of open questions, questions that will provide useful statistics to campaign on and questions that are used to promote some of our key policies and campaign messages.

The survey should be sent out in a C5 window unsealed envelope, which the recipient can then use to return the survey.

If you have the money, this is a useful survey to send out to ....

Postal Voter Sign Up

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:43:00 +0100

Exploiting differential turnouts is more difficult in joint elections but it is still really important to make sure that we maximise the turnout of known and potential supporters. Getting those people onto Postal Votes is then a key way to accomplish this. The enthusiasm of Postal Voters to use their vote means that we need to
a)    get the maximum number of our existing and potential supporters onto postal votes
b)    persuade and identify the many engaged but unaligned postal voters
to maximise the turnout of our voters
c)    spread the load of getting our vote out onto the second “postal vote” polling day.
Here we focus on maximising the number of our existing and potential supporters who are on postal votes.

Who?

Liberal Democrat supporters:
These should be the most obvious people to target first – voters who if they vote at all will vote Liberal Democrat or who are most likely to vote Liberal Democrat. You could simply contact all those D’s and P’s who do not have a postal vote or using the marked register to exclude those who vote regularly, you can prioritise those supporters who aren’t good ....

Keeping Within the Limits 2010

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:29:00 +0100

The Political Parties and Elections Act became law in July 2009. It introduces a range of significant changes to how political parties are regulated. Whilst there are many interesting issues, the most important for the 2010 elections are those for expense limits for the General Election.
In the next six months the spending of political parties will be governed by three different regimes!

1.National Party Spending Limits
The national party has limits on expenditure that promotes the party rather than a specific candidate. This includes information on national policies or people, or posters with the party name rather than the candidate’s. The party limits apply for 365 days before a general election. This means that these limits are already in force, as the last possible date for a general election is 3 June 2010.

2. General Election Constituency Election Spending Limits
New rules for the 2010 General Election parliamentary expenditure split the time between 1/1/2010 and the General Election polling day into two periods as follows:

The first period begins on 1 January 2010, and ends on the date that Parliament is dissolved. This is known as the ....

Advice available October 2009

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

As we are at the end of the month, this is just an update on some of the new advice that's been uploaded to the ALDC website during October.

Election Law

The two six month rules
Keeping within the limits - the new election expense limits

Campaign Techniques

Postal voter sign-up
Working out your campaign messages
Setting up a print society

Party rules and procedures

Council co-ordinating groups
Council candidate approval
Council group model standing orders
Councillors' contributions

We will continue to add these each month. If there is a specific issue that you think we should produce advice on then do let us know by emailing Anders at ALDC.

Putting Bedford First

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Bedford Borough Mayoral By -Election Campaign: the Story of our Success

The bare facts of Dave Hodgson’s victory in the Bedford Borough Mayoral by-election in October are these: After a hard-fought campaign we won by 2012 votes overall following a run-off featuring Dave and his Tory opponent, Parvez Akhtar, after the second preferences of the votes for the other candidates were re-allocated. The bare facts, however, do not even begin to tell the story of the election.

Where to start? We could start with the seeds of this “overnight” success about 35 years ago when pavement politics came to Bedford. We could start in 2002 when the first Mayoral election in Bedford was fought, with the Liberal Democrats fighting to win but finishing second. It was then in 2002 that several members of the 2009 campaign team first came together. We could start in September last year when North Beds Lib Dems started Nick Clegg’s 1 million Door Challenge by attempting to “Canvass a ward in a day” and succeeded in knocking on 2,000 doors that day.

We’ve never lacked ambition, but that ambition was only ultimately fulfilled because we acted to ....

Campaigner Awards Best Literature by a volunteer campaigner - Preston

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Preston were the winners of the award for "best literature by a volunteer campaigner" in this year's Campaigner Awards. The literature is produced Mark Jewell, who gained the Preston North West seat from Labour in the Lancashire County Council elections in June. He also produced literature for the campaign that came very close to electing John Potter in Preston Central South.

Mark Jewell has worked incredibly hard at winning this division ever since he failed to take the seat in the last county council elections in 2005. In the meantime he managed to win a seat on Preston City Council in 2006, and has continued campaigning in this division.

Why they won

The Liberal Democrats in Preston work all year round and keep up with the regular Focus leaflets in between elections. This has helped keep up the momentum since the last county council elections in this division.

Mark has developed his own style of leaflets, but he also takes examples of good practice from around the country, as well as ALDC templates, and adapted them for his own area.

As well as producing regular Focus, there is also regular direct mail on local issues, ....

The truth about Watford's ban on parents in playgrounds

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:54:00 +0100

A number of national newspapers have been carrying stories about Liberal Democrat-run Watford Borough Council banning parents from parks throughout the borough. Indeed the story even made it to the front page of the Metro. But, the truth on this story is very different.

The reality is that the only places affected by this ban on parents is TWO adventure playgrounds, that are specifically designed as supervised play facilities. Every other playground in the borough is still free, open, unsupervised and can be freely accessed by parents. In fact, parents have always been able to enter these adventure playgrounds to help settle their children in. But, just as with nursery schools, parents then leave their children in the care of council staff, so they don't get in the way of the activities that are taking place.

Liberal Democrats are used to getting unfair coverage in the press. But it's a shame that when we achieve the front page of a national paper, it's as a result of an unfair and misleading story.

You can read more about this story from local Lib Dem councillor Sara Bedford.

Kickstart FULL

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:46:00 +0100

Please note that ALDC's Weekend Kickstart event 27-29 November 2009 is FULL.

The weekend event, the main training event in the year for Lib Dem volunteer campaigners has been heavily oversubscribed this year, and as a result we are unable to take any further bookings.

It is brilliant that so many people are keen to get involved and kickstart their campaign. More information emma.hall@aldc.org

Vote Blue, Go.... dirty brown?

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:34:00 +0100

We've been hearing stories of Conservative Councillors voting against 10:10 Council Motions and refusing to sign their council's up to the campaign.

Please let us know if this is happening in your area by commenting to this article!

ALDC Signs-up to 10:10 Campaign

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:18:00 +0100

ALDC Management Committee at its meeting on 24 October 2009 agreed to "join-up" the Assocation to the 10:10 Campaign to reduce carbon emissions by 10% in 2010, and to encourage members and all Lib Dem Councillors to support the campaign.

10:10 is a broad campaign to ensure that we make positive start to reducing carbon emmissions immediately, rather than relying on long term targets alone.

Already many Councils, have signed up to 10:10 - including many Lib Dem run and influenced councils. If yours hasn't then there is a model Council Motion (for ALDC Gold Members) here.

Everyone can sign up to 10:10, and already individual Lib Dem Council Groups have joined up, as have companies, NHS Trusts, charities, trades unions and more. Individuals can sign up too!

Here's the individuals 10 point plan for cutting emissions:

ALDC's Management Committee have asked the staff team to develop an action plan for the Association to reduce its own carbon footprint by at least 10% by the end of 2010. We'll keep you updated on how we achieve this.

Tory 'morons' attack on Cotswold Lib Dems

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The Conservatives on Cotswold District Council are in deep water after describing local Liberal Democrat councillors as morons on Facebook.

Tory council leader Lynden Stowe and fellow councillor Chris Roberts said that local Lib Dem rivals "have a reputation... for being morons" on Facebook. The comments were then reported to the press by friends of the councillors, rather than by any Liberal Democrat members.

Despite this, rather than apologising the Conservatives have gone on the defensive accusing the Lib Dems of stirring up trouble and complaining that Facebook must have been infiltrated by Lib Dem sympathisers. The comments have now been reported on the BBC website, on local TV news and on the front page of the local newspaper.

Local Lib Dem Leader Paul Hodgkinson is now considering whether to report the Conservative councillors to the Standards Board for England.

Tory housing plans - bribery or merely compensation

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

In a speech to the IPPR, Conservative Shadow Housing Minister Grant Shapps has announced what a possible Conservative government would do to encourage more house building. Some has been announced before, but the speech emphasised what the Conservatives believe are key.

The centrepiece is a proposal to scrap regional and national housing targets, but instead encourage councils to accept housing by increasing funding for local services. In many respects it is similar to the current Section 106 agreements whereby developers must pay for improvements in the local area, if their planning application is approved. However, the Conservative proposals would actually agree to allocate 100% of the council tax from any new homes (or 125% for social housing) towards improving services in that community. The intention being that local communities would welcome new housing if they felt they were getting an actual benefit for their local area. Grant Shapps also believes this would therefore allow councillors to campaign for more housing in their community as they would genuinely benefit, rather than having to become NIMBYs to keep on the right side of local residents.

In his speech, Grant Shapps also promoted some ideas that Liberal Democrats will welcome, such as increasing the ....

The Two Six Month Rules

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:23:00 +0100

These often cause confusion as they have same name but entirely different meanings:

1. The first is to avoid unnecessary by-elections. For the last six months of a councillor’s period of office no by-election is normally held if they resign or die. The vacancy is held open until the normal date for the election of that office.

2. The second relates to the disqualification of any councilor who fails to attends council meetings for 6 months.

1.The six-month rule – election deferred.

If a vacancy occurs within six months of the date when that councillor’s term of office would have expired (and this is not the day of the election but 4 days later), there will be no by-election except in the unlikely event that the total numbers of vacancies on that Council then exceeds one third of the full membership. Otherwise the vacancy will be filled at the next fixed election date (i.e. first Thursday in May).
Note that the six-month rule applies only when the vacancy is deemed to have occurred within six months. It is not enough that the election has only been triggered within the six ....

Working out your campaign messages

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:31:00 +0100

It's important to work out before an election the key messages that we want people to remember about the Liberal Democrats when they go and vote. Although as party activists, we may know exactly why people should support us, we need to make sure that these reasons are clear in the minds of the voters and that we keep reminding them. If we don't do it, then we may find the other parties come up with clearer and simpler reasons to vote for their candidate, and to not vote for the Liberal Democrats, than us.

Coming up with a good message

Your campaign messages should be worked out well in advance of the election, and key things to consider are:

Your messages should be truthful and credible. There's no point coming up with messages that people will work out aren't true or, even if they are true, no one will believe.

Messages should be clear and simple. If a message involves detailed policy information or statistics, people with only a passing interest in politics will switch off.

Messages that include clear statements and ideas that people feel strongly ....

Updated Advice on Candidate Approval and Councillor Contributions

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

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 ....

20mph zones around schools

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:03:00 +0100

Council is pleased to note:

The significant progress being made in improving safety on Wirral’s roads, in particular the early achievement of the Government’s national 2010 target for reducing the number of serious accident casualties involving children.

The success of our “Accidents Two Zero” initiative involving the introduction of advisory 20mph signs in residential areas which has now progressed onto a third tranche of sites across the Borough.

Council believes that improving safety on Wirral’s roads, particularly for vulnerable road users such as children and adult pedestrians and cyclists should continue be a top priority.

Council notes that the Department for Transport guidance on setting local speed limits highlights that local authorities can consider introducing 20mph speed limits, variable 20mph speed limits and 20mph zones in residential areas and around schools if they believe it appropriate to do so.

Council therefore requests the Director of Technical Services to review speed limits around Wirral schools and, in partnership with Merseyside Police, examine the feasibility of introducing either permanent or variable “time specific” 20 mph restrictions as appropriate.

Thank you to the Liberal Democrat Group on Wirral MBC for this motion

Unlucky for some

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:32:00 +0100

There were nine principal council by-elections held on the 22nd October. The Tories held seven seats and gained one from an independent unopposed and the Liberal Democrats held one seat. There were no Parish and Town council election results reported to ALDC.

In the Vale Of White Horse DC, Abingdon Dunmore Ward we held the seat seemingly comfortably. The relatively small shift between the Tories and us doesn't really tell the whole story as this ward is half of one of the County seats we lost in June, Abingdon North, with this result:

LD                   1177                37.9%
Con                  1402                45.2%
Grn                    334                10.8%
Lab                    189                  6.1%

The campaign was fought very hard by both us and the Tories. The by-election was caused by our councillor, Tim Smith, moving to Australia because of work. We were lucky to find a young and enthusiastic candidate, Julia Bricknell, who was born and brought up in the ward.

During the eight weeks up to polling day we delivered six Focuses and four sets of target letters, eve of poll and good morning. We did a very thorough canvass - 61% contact during the by-election and an overall total ....

Street Health Checks - campaign in Bedford

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:10:00 +0100

In June following a unitary review we had all out elections to the Bedford Borough Council. One ward we were trying to win was Cauldwell. It has been held by Labour since Moses was a lad. Cauldwell is one of the most economically deprived wards in Bedford. It has about 600 Italian residents and several hundred each of Sikhs, Hindus and Moslems.

We've been working at it for a few years but not made significant inroads, in fact we have remained in 3rd place not far behind the Tories, but this year tried really hard.

Apart from Dave Hodgson churning out huge numbers of ward-wide FOCUS, I produced a series of 'street health check' leaflets. Each was for a few roads and includes a map of the area, and asked residents to give us details of any issues that need sorting out and then either post it back or leave it hanging out of their letter box for collection.

As part of the 'Street Health Check' we did a visible walk through the area with a survey sheet, making a note of all the issues that we spot. The minimum was with Lib Dem clipboards ....

Combined canvass leaflet and survey

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:09:00 +0100

Many areas use knock and drop surveys as a core part of their year round campaigning. These are often produced a straightforward two-sided survey, however they can also be combined in to a canvass leaflet, as shown here.

Key features

These templates are designed as knock and drop surveys as these generate the biggest response. As you call on each house, ask them to complete a survey and then ask them to leave it sticking out of their letterbox in half and hour and we will call and collect the survey.

These surveys should always include space to complete as many contact details as possible for the person completing the survey.

The boxes of questions can easily be amended to replace one with a question about an important local issue that may be of concern to people in the area.

Including lots of white space to prompt people to make useful comments is another good way of picking up more detail on possible casework

These surveys are also very good as the first item to deliver in a new area or if there is a by-election in an area we haven't worked before. Not only will it get us more ....

A Better Deal for our Troops

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:56:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrat Campaigns Department have produced a campaign pack to help people campaign on issues relating to our armed forces.

The campaign focuses on the poor pay that some soldiers get, and includes general petitions, target letters, a model press release and articles that you can put in to your own leaflets. Although this is an issue that will have quite a wide interest with the general public, especially in the wake of our successful ghurka campaign, this is something that you should definitely run if you have a lot of serving members of the armed forces in your area.

Download the files

A Better Deal for our Troops Campaign Pack - PDF
A Better Deal for our Troops Campaign Pack - PagePlus

Council co-ordinating groups

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:41:00 +0100

One of the big lessons to come out of recent rounds of local elections is that councils that have set up proper co-ordinating groups have tended to be the most successful in election campaigns.

Council co-ordinating groups can go by various other names, such as federations, combined or city campaign groups or campaign committee. Their title often varies depending on their responsibilities.

The purpose of a council co-ordinating group

The key purpose for a co-ordinating group is as follows:

To draw up a campaign plan for the year and ensure that this is being delivered on schedule. It should also decide on the status of each ward (i.e. whether a target or non-target ward), monitor progress in each of these wards and make decisions on where to target resources, (both financial and human), over the year. Where a constituency organiser has been employed, they will often carry out this work on a day to day basis, but they should report back to the co-ordinating group.

To manage the process of approving and selecting council candidates. Liberal Democrats in England must now form arrangements with other local parties that make up a council area to do this, ....

Down Your Way - Street Focuses from Bolton

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

It's almost impossible for a Liberal Democrat councillor to win these days without putting our regular Focus leaflets across their ward. But Bolton takes this one step further and also delivers regular street focuses that may only go out to a handful of streets. This allows them to address issues that may be very important to a small area, but of little interest to those further afield.

As a party that belives in community politics, these street focuses are a very effective way of talking to local residents about the issues that really matter to them, and generating new subjects to take up.

Why we liked these leaflets?

These leaflets use a common format that is easy to change for each new street focus.

They have clear information about the candidates who are standing for election next on the front, and contact details to allow people to get in touch on the back.

If you've campaigned on an issue for a while, it is good to remind local residents of this by duplicating a copy of a previous focus on the issue.

The name of the street ....

Local Government Parliamentary Update

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Its been a busy week for Local Government. Here's an update from our friends at the LGA Liberal Democrat Group:

Call by Lib Dems for local authority approval of PCT spending plans:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm091021/debtext/91021-0004.htm#09102134000002

Mention of some of the Lib Dem councils who have signed up to the 10:10 campaign:

The general thrust of the campaign idea is to promote the better speeds that can be achieved with Broadband. Many areas do not have access to Broadband and it can be a good campaign to run.

A lot of the information included is taken from the Basingstoke Broadband campaign: http://www.basingstoke-broadband.co.uk/

What to do

Use the draft leaflet and look at this website to see how you can run a good campaign, there is also a draft council motion to get the council to support the campaign.

Download the templates

Note: writing shown in red should be changed for your local area.

Broadband Focus - PDF

Broadband Focus - PagePlus

Broadband council motion

Comments, suggestions?

If you have any suggested changes or improvements to any of these templates, or you've done something similar that you think would be useful for other Liberal Democrat campaigners to see, then please contact Mark Alcock at mark.alcock@aldc.org

RESULT!

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:55:00 +0100

In the one directly elected mayoral by-election held on 15th October we took the post from an Independent. There were twelve principal council by-elections, the Tories held eight seats, Labour one seat and the Liberal Democrats one seat. The Lib Dems took one seat off Labour but this was reversed with Labour taking one seat from the Lib Dems. There were two Parish and Town council election results reported to ALDC   an Independent hold and a Lib Dem gain from Independent.

The mayoral campaign was gripping everyone in the ALDC as news seeped out of the count all Friday. We fancied our chances from the start. One of our best results in the country on June 4th was in Bedford where, on new boundaries, we became the largest party in the new unitary authority. Then the Tories decided to hold an open selection for their candidate alienating many of their core voters and activists in the process. We ran a good campaign with big guns like Nick Clegg and Simon Hughes visiting. On the Tory side Eric Pickles and David Cameron were wheeled out. They must have been aghast to see our window ....

Cruelty free purchasing policy

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:47:00 +0100

Many people are unaware that hundreds of thousands of animals across the world still endure painful experiments to test cosmetics, toiletries, household products and their ingredients. The ‘BUAV’ aim to drive animal testing out of the cosmetics and household products industries altogether.

In 1996 an international coalition of animal protection groups from Europe and North America, including the ‘British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection’ (BUAV) launched the world's only internationally recognised scheme that enables consumers to easily identify and purchase cruelty free products. In the UK this scheme is known as:

1. The Humane Cosmetics Standard (HCS)

A company approved by the HCS, or Leaping Bunny scheme no longer conducts or commissions animal testing for its cosmetics and toiletries products.

2. The Humane Household Products Standard (HHPS)

A company approved by the HHPS, or Leaping Bunny scheme no longer conducts or commissions animal testing for its household products.

Household products include a whole range of items including bleach, washing-up ....

Low-cost bus fares

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:45:00 +0100

Submitted by David Luscombe, and first used in Birmingham

This council notes the valuable help given to job-seekers and new earners by the Workwise scheme.

However it notes that for many people, occasional bus travel is expensive, with the cheapest through ticket costing £3.30, and that the Workwise scheme only covers limited instances for those out of work or on low and reduced incomes.

It calls on Centro and bus operators to develop "recession-busting" low-cost through tickets that can be used during off-peak hours, by considering options such as:

a) introducing a promotional ticket to be piloted for a period of up to a year;

b) considering time-limited through tickets;

c) adding a low-cost time-limited ticket to the existing Nbus range;

d) incorporating discount and economy options in the development of new pricing structures as part of the implementation of Smartcard systems.

Dave Hodgson wins Bedford mayoralty

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:22:00 +0100

Congratulations to Dave Hodgson, who has just been elected as the new Liberal Democrat directly-elected mayor of Bedford.

Dave won through after second preferences were taken in to account, beating the Conservative candidate Parvez Akhtar by 2,012 votes. Labour were eliminated in the first round where they came fifth, despite having the current MP for the town. The full results are available here. The by-election was caused by the sad death of the former Independent mayor Frank Branston.

Dave is well known to party activists as the former Membership Development Officer for the English Liberal Democrats. He stood down from the job at the start of the year to concentrate on making sure that the Liberal Democrats became the biggest party in the unitary elections in June. This we did, and now it has been topped off with him being elected as mayor.

Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to achieve the result, in particular to Christine McHugh who was the previous candidate and this time's election agent, (as well as being Dave's wife).

Surveys

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:18:00 +0100

Surveys are a great way to interact with local residents and find out what issues are concerning them. They are a very effective way of finding out what is really on the mind of local residents than just walking round the ward yourself. Also, unlike a conversation on the doorstep, they can often prompt residents to think through what they want to say. Another key part of surveys is that they are a good way of finding potential new activists - deliverers, members and poster sites - as well as gathering voting intentions.

Key features

The templates available are of different types - knock and drop surveys and posted surveys. Knock and drop surveys generate the biggest response, as you call on each house, ask them to complete a survey and then ask them to leave it sticking out of their letterbox in half and hour and we will call and collect the survey. The posted surveys are quicker to do, as you can just put them through the letterbox and wait for the replies, but you will get a lower response as people often forget to return the survey if they don't have to do it immediately.

These surveys ....

Signing up postal voters

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

It is important to get as many of our supporters on to postal votes as possible. In the past the other parties have often been better at doing this than us, but as postal voters are much more likely to vote than anyone else, we need to get ours signed up too. That means that on a low turnout, we will get a better differential turnout than the other parties. Getting our supporters on to postal votes also helps save time with knocking-up on polling day.

We have a number of tools that will help you to sign up postal voters. IMPORTANT: the deadline for applications to vote by post at the local elections on 6th May 2010 is Tuesday 20th April 2010.

Don't forget that anyone trying to sign up postal votes should be aware of the Postal Vote Code of Conduct - details can be downloaded from our website below.

Key features

These materials should be used to target: supporters D’s & P’s (and / or likely supporters using Mosaic), Third party voters (and / or likely supporters using Mosaic), pensioners, young people, people affected by a local issue you have been campaigning on, new people on the register, people ....

One up, One Down

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:28:00 +0100

There were five principal council by-elections held on 8th October. The Tories held three seats. The Lib Dems took one seat off Independents but lost one to an Independent Liberal. There was one Parish and Town council election reported to ALDC which was won by the Tories.

According to the agent in the Penrith West Ward by-election for Eden District Council in Cumbria we ran a “classic ALDC campaign”, “by the book”. I could write a whole column - in fact a book - about that but what was clear was that it was considerably better than the campaigns run by the other parties. Blue letters and “Good mornings” were a novelty without competition. With only 1500 doors a full foot canvass was accomplished. The town has an incomplete supermarket, where the developer has gone bust. The council is run by Independents and Tories (often elected in uncontested elections) and has been taking decisions about the sites future behind closed doors. An easy campaigning target.

In the Pickering East Ward of Ryedale Council, North Yorkshire we’ve had a chequered recent history. The two-member ward elected an Independent and a Liberal Democrat in ....

Credit unions

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:55:00 +0100

This Council is deeply concerned by reports from the New Local Government Network (NLGN) and local press that XXXXXXX citizens are at serious risk from loan sharks who are preying on the vulnerable during the recession.

The NLGN predicts that an additional 250,000 people in the UK will lose access to conventional lending during the downturn. The recession has also seen the number of loans refused by the Government’s emergency Social Fund increase from 316,000 to 596,000. The NLGN warns that customers who had previously used these services may now have to turn to loan sharks.

To protect people in XXXXXXX this council could:

A) Work with relevant partners in the Co-operative movement, County Council, faith and voluntary organisations and elsewhere to establish/support a/the Credit Union in XXXXXXX. Consideration will be given to offering financial support and premises, training staff and volunteers, sharing facilities and assisting with marketing to ensure a viable future.

In addition to this or as an alternative this council could:

B) Work with relevant partners to take advantage of low interest rates and borrowing freedoms to establish ....

Droitwich - Finding and running with a strong issue

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:18:00 +0100

Following the County Council elections and a by-election in Droitwich Central (retained by us following the death of a much missed colleague) the last thing anyone wanted was another by election in the town. The imminent resignation of the Tory councillor in Droitwich South West had been rumoured for some time, and happened shortly after the by-election. No-one was in a hurry to call the election, which gave us time to carry out a knock and drop survey. This survey highlighted the strength of feeling regarding the sudden and unexplained closure of the Brine Baths (details of the issue is related in the attached literature). Our candidate felt strongly about this issue, and was proactive in the local media and asked a question at the Council meeting.

Following the survey, we delivered a combined survey report back and 'election address'. An addressed postal voters letter was delivered alongside a report on the Brine Baths campaign and successful campaigning by the second councillor in the ward (a Liberal Democrat). The main final week leaflet followed, containing a petition form to be handed in to our teller at the polling station.

The intention was to follow this ....

Campaigner Awards Best Direct Mail - Bristol

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:55:00 +0100

Bristol were the winners of the best direct mail category in the Campaigner Awards. They won this because of the volume of direct mail and the variety of different types they deployed in this year's local elections.

In Bristol we took overall control of the council, having previously run a minority administration for a few months. The literature submitted to the competition was from the Ashley and Horfield Wards, both of which were crucial victories in the campaign.

Why they won

Throughout the campaign, Bristol accompanied their leaflet campaign with a good variety of target letters, of varying styles and on different issues, but all with key campaign messages running through them.

The direct mail focused both on citywide messages as well as issues very specific to the ward. They were clear to read, with text both bolded and underlined, and with a PS that repeats the key messages.

Variety is key in ensuring that people read the many different target letters they receive during a campaign. Including letters from well known national and local figures is a good way of adding to your campaign. There are also people who vote for us on the basis of ....

Setting up a printing society

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0100

The advantages for a Lib Dem Local Party or Branch having its own printing society are enormous and the bigger the local party or branch gets, the greater the advantages. Here are some of them:

Cheaper printing.

Quicker printing.

Bundling and/or folding into separate leaflet runs in separate ward or distributors' boxes.

Single address return envelopes printed.Available profits going back to the local party or branch

A medium sized local party delivering leaflets regularly across 10 or more wards could reasonably expect to be £3,000 a year better off and not to have to waste valuable time sitting around a table counting, folding and bundling.

How to start:

Meeting of members – the local party AGM is a good venue for a combined operation.

Sign up members – helpers/people with business/commercial experience. 10 would be enough.

Approve a draft constitution (specimen available on request)

Appoint officers:- Manager, Treasurer, Secretary

Authorise opening of a bank a/c with signatures of at least Manager and Treasurer

Appoint an auditor and friendly accountant who won't charge!

Choose a trading name. It is important ....

MyCouncillor server switch

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:36:00 +0100

As many MyCouncillor users will be aware, we have had ongoing problems since the switch to the new server last week. To resolve this once and for all, our internet company are switching to a more reliable server.

Unfortunately this will mean that all users will be "locked out" of their sites for the duration of the switch, to make sure that it is a complete copy of the site that it moved across.

We are hoping that this switch will be completed by tea time tonight. We appreciate this has been frustrating for everyone concerned, but we are expecting the latest glitches to be fully ironed out before tomorrow morning.

If you are still suffering technical difficulties tomorrow, then please email Anders Hanson at anders.hanson@aldc.org

Redcar not so Red

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:42:00 +0100

It’s been a year of by-elections up here on Yorkshire’s north-east coast! And the Lib Dems have emerged by far as the victors.
Redcar & Cleveland is a varied and disparate borough, containing a real mixture of urban and rural, deprived and affluent, coastal and inland. This is reflected in the politics of the borough, where no party has had overall control for many years. The Lib Dems won 13 seats in 2007, all in the Redcar constituency (the borough also includes around two-thirds of the snappily titled Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland constituency). A Lib Dem/Conservative/Independent coalition ran the council between 2003 and 2007, achieving 4-star excellent status, but following the elections in 2007 Labour managed to persuade just enough Independents to back them and formed the new administration. Things went quiet for a while and then the by-elections started happening.

Guisborough, September 2008
Things did not start well for us. The first election was in the market town of Guisborough, which was a knife-edge seat in 2007, Labour taking two of the three seats and the Tories one. The sitting Tory died and one of the defeated Tories from 2007 took the seat with a majority of around 200. ....

Three More Gains

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:09:00 +0100

There were eleven principal council by-elections held on 1st October. Labour held four seats, the Tories two and the Lib Dems one. The Lib Dems took one seat off the Tories and two off independents. Labour gained one seat off an Independent in Scotland. There were no Parish and Town council elections reported to ALDC.

The Independent today quoted the press association “The post-conference "Brown bounce" failed to show in the latest council by-elections, although the Tories were hit by a huge surge to the Liberal Democrats.” This may be true looking at their narrow analysis of 5 three-way by-elections. I think perhaps a more important figure, however, is that we have made 15 net gains in by-elections in the year to date whilst the Tories have lost 18.

Broadlands is one of those councils that only anoraks and East Anglians could probably place. It’s on the outskirts of Norwich and includes much of the Norfolk Broads. In the Wroxham ward by-election we stood a 19 year old local boy, Ben McGilvray, a 2nd year History student at York University who increased our vote by a stunning 58%. His victory makes him the youngest Liberal Democrat Councillor on a principal council that ALDC ....

Strong Leaders in Local Government

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:36:00 +0100

One of the most significant changes in the operation of local government will take affect following next year's local government elections (and already has in the county councils that were elected this June). Yet, this change has gone largely unnoticed by many people in the wider world. Perhaps because, like the original change to the cabinet system, non-politicians are more interested in the outcomes of local government, than the organisation of it.

The big change though is the introduction of what is known as the "strong leader" model of local government. This change has come about through the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. This piece of legislation scraps the right for smaller local authorities to retain their committee systems and also removes the option of a directly-elected mayor and council manager option, which was thoroughly discredited in the only council that adopted it - Stoke-on-Trent. This means that all councils will have to be run either by a directly-elected mayor or through a leader and cabinet.

Much has been written before about a the virtues or otherwise of directly-elected mayors. As the majority of places that have had a referendum on having a ....

Campaigner Awards Runners Up - Hardwick, Cambridgeshire

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:25:00 +0100

The Hardwick Division of Cambridgeshire County Council were the runners-up in the Best Ward Campaign category of the ALDC Campaigner Awards. Hardwick Division is a rural area just to the west of the city of Cambridge, centered around a numbers of villages including Hardwick, Grantchester, Comberton and Madingley.

Fiona Whelan was first elected as the county councillor in November 2008 in a by-election following the disqualification of a Conservative councillor. This by-election saw us take the seat with a 14.5% swing from the Conservatives. You can read more about this by-election win in the commentary that was written at the time.

However, with the normal county council elections due in less than six months, Fiona and her team continued campaigning. As a result they were not only able to point to an impressive record of action by the Liberal Democrats in a short space of time, (in contrast to the inaction of the Conservatives), but she could also appeal to people to give her time to achieve even more.

The campaign included a variety of colour and black and white leaflets. A strong element of the campaign was the choice ....

Sheffield make the 50th Group Member for ALDC

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0100

Sheffield City Council Liberal Democrat Group became the 50th Lib Dem Council Group to become Group Members of ALDC at Federal Conference in Bournemouth.

Sheffield joined the ranks of major cities run by the Lib Dems with a sensational victory in May 2008 and is now one of the largest Lib Dem groups in the country with 44 Councillors.

ALDC Group Membership is when a whole council group joins ALDC together, and in return receives a 12% discount on all membership subscriptions. Existing group members range from major Lib Dem groups in control like Richmond, Bristol and Stockport to our smallest group members North Ayrshire and Burgess Hill Town Council. Many Groups have also chosen to add their group researcher, constituency organiser and target candidates as members.

Get more details on Group Membership for your group from Emma Hall, Membership Services Officer 01422 843 785.

Photo: Party President Ros Scott with Sheffield Group Leader Cllr Paul Scriven.

Conference Training Survey

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:51:00 +0100

We're doing a survey of ALDC's Training at Federal Conference. We're always trying to improve our training output, so if you've got a few seconds please help us by completing this short online survey.

Even if you didn't make it to ALDC training this year, we'd still like to hear your views.

Don't worry its only three screens long - so it really is sixty seconds!

Complete the survey here.

Help elect another Lib Dem Mayor

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:42:00 +0100

There are just TWO weeks to go until polling day in the Bedford Mayoral by-election. We have a real chance of winning thanks to our excellent candidate Dave Hodgson. Dave will be well known to many Liberal Democrat members thanks to his former role as the party's Membership Development Officer. He is now the Liberal Democrat Group Leader on Bedford Council, where we overtook the Conservatives to become the largest group on the council in June. The campaign has also been helped by disarray in the Conservative camp - more details here.

The campaign has just taken delivery of 50,000 tabloid newspapers and they have a letter to postal voters that MUST get out ASAP. There’s more stuff happening after that of course! The campaign could really do with your help with delivering. If you can’t come and deliver please email admin@DaveForMayor.org.uk to ask for some phone canvassing.

If you’d like to donate, please send cheques payable to “North Bedfordshire Liberal Democrats” to the local party treasurer at 71 Ruffs Furze, Oakley, Bedford, MK43 7RT.

Please help. 15th October will either see a PR coup for Cameron ahead of the General ....

Celebration and Thanksgiving for the life of Councillor Maggie Clay CBE

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

We have been asked by colleagues and friends in Leeds to circulate this information about a Celebration and thanksgiving for the life of Councillor Maggie Clay CBE.

Maggie was a much loved and missed former Political Secretary for the Association of Liberal Councillors, and a Councillor in both Leeds and Stockport who passed away earlier in the year.

Celebration and thanksgiving for the life of Councillor Maggie Clay CBE.

Saturday 10 October 2009

3.00p.m. at St. Agnes Church, Stoney Rock Lane, Burmantofts, Leeds 9

Afterwards in St. Agnes’ Church Hall for tea and cakes.

For those who can stay longer, an opportunity for reminiscing accompanied by Maggie’s election hotpot (original 1973 recipe!)

Whether or not you went to the official Memorial Service in Stockport, you are warmly invited to come to Burmantofts, the birthplace of Maggie’s espousal of Liberal community politics and where her legacy carries on. Come and sing ‘The Land’

Bed and breakfast can be provided for those coming the night before or wanting to stay on Saturday night. Contact Christine Brett on 0113 266 8536 or christinebrett@btinternet.com for more details.

To help with catering please let Christine Brett know if you plan to attend.

Campaigner Awards Best Focus - Meon Valley

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:11:00 +0100

Meon Valley Liberal Democrats were the winners of the Best Focus category in the first ever ALDC Campaigner Awards. The award was based on the literature produced in the Catherington Division of Hampshire County Council, which was gained from the Conservatives by Sam Payne in this year's county council elections. This was the only gain from the Conservatives in Hampshire.

Catherington Division is situated just north of the town of Havant and includes the villages of Rowlands Castle, Catherington, Horndean and Blendworth.

Why they won

The Focus leaflets are clear, punchy and to the point. They are easy to read and they will stand out when dropping through a letterbox.

Every leaflet includes a bar chart which will help to squeeze Labour in an area where it was very close last time.

The leaflets clearly focus on Sam Payne as the local candidate and emphasise the community issues she has taken up. But the leaflets also promote the European Elections as well and ensure that there are a good selection of stories about the county council generally.

The photographs used in the leaflet are clear and ....

Mailing of the Month Competition

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:49:00 +0100

ALDC members will be well aware of this year's first ever Campaigner Awards, and we are already accepting entries for next year's prize, and so do send them in.

However, since January the Liberal Democrat Campaigns Department has been giving Liberal Democrats across the country the opportunity to enter a “Mailing of the Month” direct mail competition.

Many people have entered the competition so far, and there has been some fantastic entries.

Anybody can enter as many times as they like, as often as they like, whether a volunteer or an employee. To enter, send a low resolution PDF to: competition@libdems.org.uk.

Each month, the Campaigns Department will announce the winning entries, these are then entered for the “Mailing of the Year” prize, to be presented at Federal Conference.

The winner of “Mailing of the Year” at this year's conference went to Edinburgh South, who produced some fantastic, segmented target letters.

Server Maintenance

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

UPDATE - Tuesday PM

We are experiencing problems at the tail end of the alphabet (sites that begin with R, S, T etc).

We understand that this is the system taking time to propogate around the internet to its new location. Most sites are unaffected.

Hopefully this will rectify itself over the next couple of hours, and we are monitoring it over the evening.

tim

UPDATE

As some people will have noticed, the myCouncillor system has been closed to editing during the day today (Monday). This has been to allow for a move of the system to another machine at our hosting company.

Apart from a short period this morning the system was completely down, but for most of the day its been working fine, but you can't edit your sites.

The system has now been copied to its new location and been tested and we are now switching to the new server. This might take an hour of two to filter through, but it should work for everyone early evening.

PLEASE LET US KNOW ANY TECHNICAL PROBLEMS YOU EXPERIENCE - email tim.pickstone@aldc.org - or comment to this post below.

thanks, and sorry for any inconvenience.

tim

Reclaiming the Green Agenda

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Reclaiming the Green Agenda" was ALDC's most popular fringe at last week's Bournemouth Federal Conference.

Speakers included:
- Simon Hughes MP
- Tony Bosworth (Friends of the Earth)
- Cllr Louise Bloom (Eastleigh BC)
- Cllr Alexis Rowell (LB Camden)
with Cllr Andrew Dakers (LB Hounslow) in the Chair.

We've recorded the fringe as a "podcast". A few different options for listening. There are a variety of ways of listening or downloading the episode at our "podbean" page - click here.

Let us know about any technical issues, as we've not tried this before!.

Challenging the Tories in Tendring

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:38:00 +0100

For a second week in a row, no council seats changed hands in the by-elections being contested.

The best result for the party this week was in the Burrsville Ward of Tendring in Essex. This ward makes up the northern suburbs of Clacton-on-Sea and saw a 16% increase in the Liberal Democrat vote. This campaign was fought hard as Conservative overall control of the council rested on the result. In the end, despite a good increase in our vote we didn't quite succeed in removing the Conservative's slim majority on the council.

Results in the other wards up for election showed no obvious trend, other than that all were in wards that have tended to be very weak for the Liberal Democrats and in some cases they were the first time we had contested the ward for some time.

The other by-elections this week were:
North Tyneside MBC, Preston
Hartlepool UA, Elwick
Broxtowe BC, Toton and Chilwell Meadows
Three Rivers DC, Hayling

If this week's by-elections aren't very exciting, then maybe next year's council elections will be. ALDC's Kickstart is the leading training course for people aiming to do well in next year's ....

10:10 Campaign

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:02:00 +0100

10:10 is a mass movement that is signing up people and organisations from every corner of British life for the start of the journey to a low-carbon society. So if you want to establish your council as a leader in tackling the most important and pressing issue of our times; stay one step ahead of oncoming legislation to limit emissions; save money on your energy bills; and respond to the moral challenge of climate change; then 10:10 is for you.

We would urge all Liberal Democrat councillors to be taking a lead in getting local authorities to sign up to the 10:10 campaign - more details below. 10:10 is also about individual commitment, and more materials for use in focus etc on their way. This campaign is of quite wide interest to green minded people. You can get a rough idea of who to target by using any green petitions etc, you have entered in to EARS. There are also certain Mosaic categories that tend to have a high proportion of green-minded people.

Real action to cut yours and your Councils ‘greenhouse gas emissions’ which help to keep us at the leading ....

Members & Supporters Survey

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:29:00 +0100

Members and Supporters Surveys are a good way of turning our supporters in to activists. As well as find out what motivated them to get involved, so we can try and get them involved in those activities, but they also help raise awareness of the range of things that members can get involved in.

The best way of doing these surveys is to ask an existing activist to call in other members and going through the survey with them. Otherwise, they can be posted out to members with a letter from the local campaigner, councillor or PPC and ask them to return them. The former however will bring in a much better response rate.

Key features

The survey includes a good mix of campaigning, fundraising and social activities, so there is always something for everyone.

Including items such as displaying a poster means that you may pick up many more poster sites from those people who feel guilty for not ticking any other boxes.

Make sure the list of social events is adapted to include any different events that you already organise, but also include some that you would like to do but have ....

ALDC Management Committee 2009-2010

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Nominations for the ALDC Management Committee for 2009-2010 have now closed and the following report of the Returning Officer has been issued:

Report of Returning Officer

Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors 2009-2010

At the close of nominations on 23 September 2009 the following nominations had been received. As the number of nominations does not exceed the number of vacancies there will be no need for a postal ballot of the members on this occasion:

President: Cllr Mike Storey, Liverpool

Chair: Cllr Kath Pinnock, Kirklees

Vice-Chair (2 vacancies): Cllr Mike Ross, Hull; Cllr Claire Hudson*, Mendip

Secretary: Cllr Sarah Boad, Warwickshire

Treasurer: Mike Ward, Mole Valley

Ordinary Members (10 vacancies)

Jon Burden, Hammersmith and Fulham

Cllr Sarita Bush, Hull

Cllr Stan Collins, Cumbria/South Lakeland

Steve Hitchins, Islington

Cllr Graham Knight, Mid Sussex

Cllr Isobel McCall, Milton Keynes

Richard Ormerod, North Yorkshire

Cllr Adi Smith, Hinckley and Bosworth

Cllr Jeanette Sunderland, Bradford

Cllr Chris White, Hertfordshire

Scottish Rep: Cllr Willie Wilson*, Perth and Kinross

Welsh Rep: Cllr Veronica German, Torfaen

English Rep: no nominations

* Claire Hudson and Willie Wilson were also nominated as Ordinary Member.

Bruce Hubbard

Returning Officer

Many thanks to the retiring Management Committee, particularly to Jean Crossland, Paul Sample, David Hare, Keith Whitmore and Andrew Dakers who are not re-standing this year. Between them they had over 20 years ....

One Planet, One Voice - Message to anyone thinking about voting for the Green Party

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Party Leader Nick Clegg has launched an important message for everyone who’s ever voted for the Green Party, or is thinking about doing so at the next general election. Nick is asking them to lend their your vote to the Liberal Democrats in 2010, to stop climate change.

Nick says:

"This election is our best chance – it’s probably our last chance – to get a government that acts to cut carbon emissions and protect our planet for our children. This is not a time for people who care about the environment to quarrel between ourselves. This is a time for unity.

I understand completely why people are drawn to the Green Party. Lots of people tell me they know the Greens can’t win, but they want to send a message that the environment matters. I understand that.

But the time for sending messages is over. Climate scientists tell us the next government will be the last one that can stop dangerous climate change. So it’s time for action. Only a party that has real power and influence at the heart of government will be able to make it happen.

There has been too much hot air from Labour and the Conservatives. If either of them ....

Campaigner Awards 2009

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The first ever "Campaigner Awards" were given by ALDC at their Annual Meeting in Bournemouth in late September. The event was kindly sponsored by Midshires and Riso, with the awards including five categories with the winning local parties getting a £100, and an overall winner with the local party receiving £500.

Many thanks to everyone who entered! Artwork (where appropriate) from all the winning entries will be available to download over the coming weeks for ALDC members (in the Campaigner: Best Practice) section.

Overall winner: Lewisham

Very good all-year-round campaigning throughout the borough from Cllr Chris Maines, Cllr Brian Robson, Cllr Dan Houghton, Cllr Philip Peake and Vijay Naidu, but in particular the winning by-election campaign in Downham when Duwyane Brooks and Jenni Clutten were elected.

Best Ward Campaign: Kensington ....

Bournemouth Conference Report

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Just to update members and other Lib Dem Councillors on our busy programme at Liberal Democrat Party conference that finished on Wednesday.

Training saw over over 40 hours from ALDC and our partners. This year the programme was divided into four themes:
- winning in 2010, with support from key individuals such as Andrew Stunell and HIlary Stephenson;
- Councillors Training, in partnership with our colleagues at the IDeA (and Centre for Public Scrutiny);
- Essential Campaign Skills, training for people new to campaigning;
- Skills and Ideas, sessions looking at a variety of issues from websites, to issues facing women councillors and recruiting candidates.

The ALDC Fringe programme kicked off with our Annual General Meeting and Campaigners Awards 2009 presented by Party President Ros Scott. See separate story here. It was great to be able to celebrate the achievements of volunteer campaigners and certainly something to build on in future years.

Both Nick Clegg and Vince Cable joined us at our ALDC Members Reception, again with the kind support of our friends at The Co-Operative. Our policy led ....

Advice Available September 2009

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

As its the last Campaigner Email of the month, we thought we'd update you on some of the advice thats been uploaded to the ALDC website in the last month:

Election Law
Expenses for Local Elections
By-election Timing
Eligibilty for candidates in principal local elections
How to fill in the Election Expenses Form

Campaign Techniques
Walk Maps
Building Delivery Teams
Stakeboarding

Being a Councillor
Helping parents to be effective councillors
Dealing with Casework
Council Groups and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act
Data Protection

Council Procedures
Committee Proportionality
Personal and Prejudicial Interests

We will continue to add to these on a monthly basis. Please let us know if there are particular "issues" that you would like ....

Campaigner Awards Overall Winner - Lewisham

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The Liberal Democrats in Lewisham were the overall winners of the first ever ALDC Campaigner Awards. They won on the strength of their all-year-round campaigning with good quality literature, in a variety of different formats, as well as the excellent by-election campaign for the Downham Ward. You can read the story of the Downham campaign in our Campaign Stories section.

Why they won

Lewisham clearly campaign all year round.

Lewisham's leaflets are clear, punchy and to the point. They are artworked by different people and look different between wards, but still retain these essential elements that show they are from the same party.

Lewisham have a strong mix of the national and the local, which helps to encourage people who vote for us locally to also back us in other elections.

Lewisham spend a lot of time consulting residents and then reporting back to them on important local issues, such as planning applications and bus route changes.

We particularly liked the 'Green Card' idea, which gives details of how to recycle a whole host of items in the local area.

Their Downham by-election campaign ....

Helping parents to be effective councillors

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0100

Liberal Democrat council groups should aim to be representative of the communities they seek to serve. Parents are part of all communities so there is no area where they should not be part of our council group. However sometimes council groups can seem dominated by those who either have no children, or whose children have left home. This must change.

Why?

Parents bring a number of important strengths to council groups. They and their children are users of a number of council services. They bring invaluable insight into how the council is performing. They also open up new campaigning opportunities. Direct access to the ‘school gate’ and ‘playgroup’ networks can be a powerful campaigning tool.

If councils as employers are, rightly, increasingly sympathetic to parents in regards to leave and flexible working patterns. It seems foolish not to apply the same to our own councillors. In particular we must be sympathetic to those parents who are the primary caregiver to children.

The importance of leadership

The key to making this work is for leadership to establish the culture that values parents and tries to make it as easy as possible for them ....

Winning in style in the Cotswolds

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

This week’s by-elections were a fairly uneventful lot if you consider that no seats changed hands at all. However, they were still on the whole a pretty good selection of results for the Liberal Democrats.

The Liberal Democrats in Cotswold showed how to win in style, with a resounding defence of the Water Park ward near Cirencester. We took an amazing 72% of the vote on a 32% swing from the Conservatives – something that will fill other local parties with jealousy. As well as an incredibly hard fought campaign with lots of literature backed up by masses of canvassing, the real key to our success was our candidate. The biggest issue in the ward was the controversial decision by the Conservative run council to sell some land to a developer. Our candidate Esmond Jenkins was a leading light in the community campaign against this sale, and so had a strong personal following which helped to bring on board many Soft Conservatives.

In Amersham in Buckinghamshire we were a frustrating 72 votes from victory. This division seems to be always destined to be very close, as our excellent candidate Davida Allen was beaten by just 159 votes in June and lost by 84 votes in the county council ....

10,000 more Police - Lib Dem Proposals

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:51:00 +0100

10,000 more police officers on the beat would lead to more than 90,000 more arrests each year, according to research by the Liberal Democrats. The party has today published figures showing where the extra officers, funded by the £1bn saving from scrapping the ID card scheme, would be stationed across the UK.

The figures, contained in annual reports, also show that:

Officers in England and Wales made an average of 10.3 arrests each last year. If the new officers put on the street by the Liberal Democrats made the same, there would be an additional 92,352 arrests each year.

Officers in England and Wales cleared up an average of 9 crimes each last year. If the new officers did the same, an extra 82,265 crimes would be solved each year.

Useful quotes from Nick Clegg:

“10,000 more police on ....

The Liberal Moment

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:50:00 +0100

Party Leader Nick Clegg has launched "The Liberal Moment", a document published by the think thank DEMOS. The document sets out the Leader's thoughts on the future of progressive policies in Britain.

The pamphlet is about the future of British politics and the future of progressive politics in Britain.

The question for progressives is what comes next? Nick's argument is simple: if progressives are to avoid being marginalised by an ideologically barren Conservative party, bereft of any discernible convictions other than a sense of entitlement that it is now their turn to govern, then the progressive forces in British politics must regroup under a new banner, and that liberalism offers the rallying point for a resurgent progressive movement in Britain. Download The Liberal Moment here

Emergency Motion - Decent Homes

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

If you are going to be in Bournemouth for the Federal Conference from tomorrow, please consider supporting this Emergency Motion on Housing submitted by Camden, Sutton and Streatham Local Parties.

Here's the message from members in Camden, Sutton and Streatham:

We’re writing to ask you to support Emergency Motion number 1 on Decent Housing in the ballot between 9.00am and 1pm on Sunday 19^th

Many of you will know what a serious issue housing is in local areas across the country. Labour have failed to meet their own target to bring all social housing up to the basic Decent Homes standard, leaving millions of people in poor quality, unhealthy and overcrowded houses. Now they are raiding budgets earmarked for investing in social housing to bring it up to the Decent Homes standard – just to pay for Gordon Brown’s last desperate attempt to win votes by building a small number of new council houses.

Please read our motion on Decent Housing – copied below – and vote for it in the ballot between 9.00am and 1pm on Sunday. The Decent Homes motion is really important: it impacts on the most disadvantaged members of society and is a vitally important issue that we as Liberal ....

Bournemouth Conference - Winning in 2010

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

On Saturday 19 September 2009 at the Bournemouth Conference we’ve got FOUR half day sessions which are a MUST for people hoping to win in the 2010 local elections.

Two sessions in the morning focus on campaign challenges – capacity and team building, and “two elections, one polling day’ (the session called “look out for the bird!”.

Two sessions in the morning focus on campaign planning – Winning Big for areas with major parliamentary campaigns, Bucking the Trend for other areas.

At 20.00 (Highliffe Marriott) Ros Scott presents the first “Campaigner Awards” at the ALDC AGM with prizes of £1000 going to celebrate local campaign success and innovation.

Click here for a copy of the Local Government Directory for Bournemouth Federal Conference 2009. This contains details of the programme from ALDC and the LGA Liberal ....

WSYWYG Sidebar Widget

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

A new feature has been added to the MyCouncillor system. This is a "What you see is what you get" (WSYWYG) sidebar panel.

There are a whole host of things you could do with with this, from a simple advert for your PPC, to a Twitter feed; an automatic picture badger or a news feed.

Here's a couple of examples:

Paul Ankers has used his sidebar widget for a feed of his Twitter "tweets".

As an example I've put a Flickr photo badge (it's set to just have photos of my local area) on my website.

Will people let us know how they get along - its probably not for the beginner user, but for more advanced users it could be really exciting.

Instructions
1) Log into your MyCllr site's back end
2) Go to 'Presentation' + 'Sidebar Widgets'
3) You will see in the 'Sidebar 2' column (or in the case of your template Sidebar Z) a new entry called "WYSIWYG Text 1"
4) Click on the 'Configure' button on the right hand end of this new widget
5) A pop-up window appears to let you edit the contents
6) Make the changes you require and then press the X in the top ....

10-10 Campaign

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

This Council notes that:

1. Climate change predictions show that without severe cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, the world will be hit by drought, flooding and famine affecting all of us and poorest countries in particular. Some of these countries are already suffering from the effects of climate change. This is an issue of social justice as well as a call to take environmental action.

2. Under the UK Climate Change Act 2008 the UK is due to cut its emissions by 34% by 2020, and that Camden aspires to a 40% cut by 2020 as a supporter of the Friends of the Earth “Get Serious” Campaign, but that, according to climate change scientists, a cut of 10% in 2010 is in line with what is now needed to avert runaway climate change.

3. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which meets in Copenhagen in December of this year, may be the world’s last chance to negotiate a deal that will avert the worst consequences of climate change.

4. To ensure a breakthrough at the critical Copenhagen conference government ministers need to know that their public’s support more dramatic cuts ....

MyCouncillor at Bournemouth Conference

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Just to let people know about some of the events that might be of interest to MyCouncillor site users who are going to be at the Party's Federal Conference in Bournemouth from this weekend.

Training - Councillors and the Internet - Sunday 2.30-3.45 Royal Bath, Bayview
with Mary Reid and Tim Pickstone
This is an general session about emails, website tools, websites, blogging and social networking.

Training - MyCouncilor sites - Tuesday 2.30 - 3.45 Royal Bath, Gladstone
with Tim Pickstone
This is a session aimed at existing MyCouncillor site users looking at imporving how we use our sites. The session will cover: what content to use; making best use of photos; and the basics of HTML code. The last 30 minutes of the session is an open "surgery" to answer any queries that people have.

MyCouncillor Day!
Tuesday 22nd September is MyCouncillor Day at the ALDC Stand. We'll be celebrating how Lib Dem Councillors lead the way for online presence - come and see if you can spot your site on our special stand display.
Julia Goldsworthy will be "launching" the day at 10.30am - it would be really good if any existing MyCouncillor users could be around to say hello ....

Quangos

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Motion submitted by Tom Dommett, and first used by Basingstoke & Deane (Sept 2009)

Council Notes that:

The Local Government Association is calling for a major programme of reform to give voters more local control over key public services

The Local Government Association is also campaigning for a radical overhaul of the unelected quango state to ensure that taxpayers get value for money and can see where their taxes are being spent.

There are an estimated 791 quangos in England and Wales that spend £43.2bn every year, equivalent to £2,000 for every household.

Council believes that there is a need to change the way Britain is governed to give people a much better say over what happens in their area.

There is a need for a radical shift to wrest power away from Whitehall, give local people a real voice, and give their locally elected representatives the power to deliver what voters want.

There is a significant lack of public scrutiny of where and how this money is spent.

This Council Resolves to:

Support the Local ....

Squeezing Labour

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:16:00 +0100

There were eight principal council by-elections held on 10th September. Labour held one seat and took one off the Greens. The Lib Dems, Tories and Independents each held two seats. In the one Parish and Town council election reported to ALDC the Tories won the seat.

In the Cheadle and Gatley by-election for Stockport council we were particularly keen to win, not just as a fitting tribute to ex-Council Leader Brian Millard who’s untimely death instigated the election, not just because it lies within the Mark Hunters Cheadle parliamentary constituency but also because we lost one of the three seats in 2008 by 17 votes. As you’d expect in a parliamentary target this campaign had all the bells and whistles but was none the less satisfying, particularly squeezing Labour down to 2.9%. This is the second by-election in the new Cheadle constituency this year - the other was Stepping Hill, formerly Maggie Clay’s seat. The two unfortunate but successful elections have allowed us to gather good recent data for about a third of the constituency, which the Tories are targeting, in the run up to next years General Election

In the Market Harborough Welland Ward of Harborough District Council we lost the ....

Crossrail, Airtrack

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Motion submitted by Cllr Werner

Used by Windsor and Maidenhead (Sept 2009)

There are several plans to improve the rail infrastructure in the next decade.
This council is supportive of Crossrail, Airtrack and plans to re-open the line from this borough to High Wycombe.

The council therefore resolves:

To resist any delays in the building of Crossrail, establishing clarity as to the line’s Berkshire terminus and ensuring that existing travellers journey times are not extended.

To ensure that Airtrack benefits borough residents both in the provision of stations on its route and the timings of its service.

To lobby the Association of Train Operating Companies to include the full restoration of the Maidenhead to High Wycombe line as a desired project.

Business rate relief for Urban Post Offices

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Motion submitted by Cllr Adams

Used by Windsor and Maidenhead (Sept 2009)

This council notes that Bristol City Council have asked the Government to extend the same business rate relief to urban post offices as rural as a submission under the Sustainable Communities Act.

This council supports this idea and resolves to write to the Local Government Association and the Department of Communities and Local Government in support of having uniform help for the countries’ post offices

The Kennel Club

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Motion submitted by Cllr Mrs Pitteway

Used by Windsor and Maidenhead (Sept 2009)

The Kennel Club would like the principles and standards set out on in their Accredited Breeding Scheme to be mandatory for every dog breeder.
This council supports the raising of standards this would bring and resolves to write to 10 Downing Street agreeing with the aims of Kennel Club’s campaign.

The UK National Inventory of War Memorials

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Motion submitted by Cllr HolnessMotion submitted by Cllr Holness

Used by Windsor and Maidenhead (Sept 2009)

The UK National Inventory of War Memorials website has hundreds of entries for sites in the Royal Borough but only a few specifically relate to post World War Two.

This council believes that conflict and casualties since 1945 deserve to be equally remembered. Accordingly it asks for a report to be presented at its next meeting giving specific proposals to address this.

Focus - Year Round Templates

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:50:00 +0100

Focus has been a core part of the Liberal Democrats (and previously Liberal) belief in community politics since the 1970's. Whilst it is the key to our electoral success, it is much more than that. It is the main tool we use to keep local residents informed of what is happening in their area and is there to encourage people to get involved and to shape the area in which they live.

Local campaigners are encouraged to develop their own style and design for Focus and to use this consistently throughout the year, not just at election time. However, to help people get started you can download some sample Focuses here.

Key features

A big bold headline on an issue of wide interest in the ward is important in making sure that they read the leaflet in the first place. You don't have long to catch people's eye between the letterbox and the bin, and so this is important.

Good, clear photographs illustrating what we are doing are vitally important. They say "a picture tells a thousands words" and that is true on Focus leaflets too.

Bar charts ....

Christmas Cards

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:54:00 +0100

Many Liberal Democrats send Christmas Cards to every house in their ward or constituency. These are a good opportunity to remind you that you are there, without a heavy political message. People usually add these cards to the rest they receive and so unlike Focus leaflets they tend to be held on to for quite some time.

Key features

This is a good opportunity to remind people of the contact details for your local Liberal Democrat team.

Some local parties, especially where they have an MP or the councillors, organise a Christmas Card design competition with local schools or children of party members. Alternatively, you could find a nice local scene. Either way, make sure the picture is one that people will want to keep and put on their mantlepiece. If you are organising a competition outside of the local party, make sure the card is not too political.

These cards do not need to be addressed but should be stuffed in to envelopes so they arrive like other cards they receive.

Christmas Cards can be printed on a Risograph, but they are much more likely ....

Petition sheet

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:29:00 +0100

Petitions are a very easy way of getting local residents to show their support for a campaign that you are running, especially if it is something that is of interest to people both political and apolitical.

The attached petition form can be adapted for any campaign that you are running.

Key features

The top of the form makes it very clear what the issue is and that the campaign is being organised by the Liberal Democrats.

The phone and email columns are very useful as many people will supply this information on a petition and this can then be used as a convenient way of gathering details you may not have, so that you can respond to people on the issue.

The Data Protection statement has been added at the bottom of the sheet, which gives you permission to use the information people have supplied to write back to them on this or other relevant issues.

Download the templates

Note: writing shown in red should be changed for your local area.

Petition Sheet - PDF
Petition Sheet - PagePlus

Comments, suggestions?

Council Group Model Standing Orders

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:21:00 +0100

Liberal Democrat council groups (in England, but strongly recommended in Scotland and Wales), are now required to adopt a set of standing orders that explain the rules how the council group should be run. Whilst it is hoped that these are not needed on a day to day basis, it is important to adopt standing orders now to avoid problems in the future. They also explain the basic rules on how group elections should be run.

Although it is not a requirement to adopt a specific set of standing orders, ALDC provides a set of model standing orders that contain best practice on how to run a Liberal Democrat council group. It is not compulsory that these model standing orders are adopted, how it is recommended that they are as close to this model as possible as they are written to be consistent with the party constitution and current legislation and so it is easier to keep standing orders updated if they contain the same clauses. The Model Standing Orders can be downloaded below.

All council groups in England must send a copy of their standing orders to their regional party, and any council group that does not adopt a set of ....

Finding Six to Fix in the Shires

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:30:00 +0100

The county council elections often bring many challenges, not least because you are dealing with anything up to a dozen local parties. Wiped off the map in recent years by successive general elections, 2009 had the possibility of something different: no General Election and thus the chance of actually campaigning on county council issues.
Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats started thinking about the county election in 18 months before polling day with early discussions on a manifesto, a full slate and our campaigning ideas. By July 2008 we were struggling with a dull document with hundreds of words but containing some buried gems.
By the Autumn, while we were still making heavy weather with a document that was boring even us to death, two members of ‘Team Hertfordshire’, Susan Gaszczak and Chris White, found themselves listening to a talk by Simon Hughes. He uttered the immortal words ‘Six to Fix’, a recollection of his own local campaigning experience. Immediately we both wrote lists and swapped them: they were almost identical. We had our themes.

Kickstart

Our next step was to attend ALDC Kickstart, something we had not used before, or even thought to use. We cannot ....

Two Labour Councillors join Lib Dems in Redbridge

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:24:00 +0100

Good news has arrived from the London Borough of Redbridge, where it has been announced that two Labour councillors have defected to us. This increases our group there from 11 to 13 councillors.

The Liberal Democrats in Redbridge have been incredibly successful recently, with two by-election gains in Clementswood and Valentines. With the Conservatives losing their overall majority on the council in May as a result of a number of their councillors falling out over the election of the council leader, things are looking very good for the party in next year's London elections.

Councillor Hugh Cleaver, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Redbridge Council said:

"the addition of two more experienced and able Councillors from the south of Ilford will add significantly to the strength of the Liberal Democrats on Redbridge Council. This means that the Liberal Democrats are in a strong position to make further advances in the 2010 elections. We are the fastest growing political party in Redbridge and we have shown we can play a key role in the running of the Borough for the benefit of all our residents"

For more details, visit the Redbridge Liberal Democrats website.

Labour's Lost Generation

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Nick Clegg's team have today launched a policy initiative tackling the challenge of youth unemployment

Young people looking for a job would not go more than three months without a right of access to a place in work, training, or education, under plans unveiled by Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

The promise forms part of a wider package aimed at getting help to young people more quickly during the recession. Other proposals include:

Funding 10,000 more university places and 50,000 more College-based Foundation Degree places this year.

Introducing a new “Paid Internship” scheme where young people would be able to work for up to 3 months without cost to their employer, while being paid a weekly training allowance of £55. The scheme would allow up to 200,000 young people from less well-off backgrounds to gain valuable experience to improve their skills and enhance their CVs.

Creating a “Green Taskforce” of over 20,000 young people to improve the energy efficiency of millions of homes and public buildings in Britain and make lasting improvements to Britain’s transport infrastructure.

You can access a PDF of the paper: Here

More information from NickClegg.com

Dealing with Casework

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

What is Casework

Casework is individual pieces of work that elected representatives are asked to do to help their local community or local area. with At its smallest it might involve asking for the Council to prune an overhanging bush, at the other end of the scale a case might involve working with immigration, policing or social services.

In putting ourselves forward as a community representative, people naturally then look to their Councillors for help, advice and support. So casework comes with the role. The amount of casework can vary enormously from area to area. All Councillors will have some levels of casework; through the amounts can vary enormously from area to area. It is essential that we deal with ALL casework we receive.

Lib Dem campaigners will also get involved in casework – hopefully as a forerunner to getting elected as a Councillor. MPs also have a busy casework load and normally employ one or more caseworkers to help them do this.

Why do we do Casework?

One thing that sets us apart from the other parties is that we genuinely believe in empowering people to make a difference ....

Two New "Fresh" Themes for MyCouncillor

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

One new theme, in two colous has been launched for MyCouncillor users.

The "Fresh" theme, is available in both Lib Dem "Gold" and the new additional Lib Dem "Aqua" colours. It's the first MyCouncillor theme with only ONE sidebar (the right hand sidebar). Instead, pages are listed across the top of the site. (You may need to think about how many pages you have, and the length of their titles for this to work!).

To change your MyCouncillor site theme - go to "PRESENTATION" in your site admin.

An Audacious Plan - Preston in the Counties

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Summary:

Having overturned a Labour majority of 673 to win in Labours heartlands by 384 votes County Councillor Mark Jewell reflects on a winning campaign in Preston North West.

Background

I stood for the Preston North West seat 4 years ago losing to Labour yet pushing the Conservatives into third. The year after I got elected as a Preston City Councillor for the ward in which I live, which is also within the Preston North West District. Year on year we have increased our share of the vote, but Labour still stood supreme across the district.

As a prominent cabinet member on Lancashire County Council my Labour opponent was not going to be a pushover.

An audacious plan
Last summer I read a collection of essays entitled

‘community politics today’ forwarded by Ed Davey (available from ALDC's online shop ed.). It reinvigorated me to more actively engage with residents. I planned out what we would need to do to win. It meant a solid year of campaigning. It was clear that I had to build a team to deliver it. I spent the summer simply knocking on doors of our ....

Outstanding Liberal Democrat Campaigner of the Year - in Tribute to Neil Trafford

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Message, from Ed Fordham, Head of Office LGA Liberal Democrat Group

Friends,

Campaigning is an all year round slog and most intensive for the staff and full-time campaigners who do this every day, every week. In that context many of you will have fond memories of Cllr Neil Trafford, Federal Campaigns Officer for the north west of England. Neil tragically died in an accident last year, but a group of us have used that sad occasion to institute a new award within the party.

This award will be for the outstanding member of campaigns staff – be they employed by a Local Party, constituency, MP, MSP, AM, MEP or indeed the federal party. It will recognise their outstanding campaign ability and judgement.

The award would be to enable an internship to the Democrat Party in the USA for a period of one-month. The objective would be to give the lucky person travel costs and arrange the details of the placement.

In short this means we need to secure donations equating to £500 a year and so a total sum of about £3,000. I’m delighted to say that we have sufficient funds for this year already and working with Hilary Stephenson, Director of Campaigns (and of ....

Bournemouth Highlights

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Click here for a copy of the Local Government Directory for Bournemouth Federal Conference 2009. This contains details of the programme from ALDC and the LGA Liberal Democrat Group and our local government partners. If you’re going to Bournemouth, there will be a copy in your delegate’s bag on registration.

Highlights for Councillors and Local Campaigners.

Saturday 19 September 2009

-2010 Local Elections Training

We’ve got FOUR half day sessions which are a MUST for people hoping to win in the 2010 local elections.

Two sessions in the morning focus on campaign challenges – capacity and team building, and “two elections, one polling day’ (the session called “look out for the bird!”.

Two sessions in the morning focus on campaign planning – Winning Big for areas with major parliamentary campaigns, Bucking the Trend for other areas.

-ALDC AGM and Campaigner Awards 2009

Ros Scott presents the first “Campaigner Awards” at the ALDC AGM with prizes of #1000 going to celebrate local campaign success and innovation.

Maps make life easier

Now is a good time to update or create delivery maps for every ward you work in or are intending to start to work in. ALDC’s Political Officer Mark Alcock improves your Walk Maps:

The need for good delivery maps is a key part of your ability to be able to deliver your message in your Focuses, direct mail and newspapers both in peacetime and even more importantly in the election period.
Above is a delivery map template with notes around explaining the different sections and why they are needed. It is very important that you include all the different information as indicated in the template.
You will have a network of deliverers, (hopefully) these will be people who know the areas that they deliver in. If you create delivery maps for everyone of your rounds, you will make it easier to recruit new deliverers as you will be able to show them the map with the round that they will be delivering. Having your whole delivery network mapped is a must if you are looking to bring in outside assistance in a by-election or for an action day ....

Building Delivery Teams

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:19:00 +0100

Whilst we all enjoy the delivery exercise that goes with any campaign delivering thousands of leaflets weekend in, weekend out, is not always the best use of councillors and other campaigners’ time. There does come a point when ward organisers, activists and councillors need to stop being delivery machines, and build up a network of deliverers to help distribute Focus. This frees up time for councillors and activists to campaign, knock on doors and build up even more support for the party.
But many people find it hard to find deliverers. London Assembly Member Cllr Caroline Pidgeon outline’s her top tips on finding and keeping focus deliverers:

A good place to start in any area is with a local survey. This can be on a range of issues, or more focussed on a local topic such as parking, crime or the NHS. Always include a help box with the words ‘I can help deliver a few leaflets in my area’ clearly visible.

Always follow up anyone who ticks this box with a phone call or personal visit and see how much they are prepared to deliver. Not everyone who ticks will be able to help, but ....

Beating the BNP in Downham, Lewisham, February 2009

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Here in Lewisham we are celebrating the election of two exciting young Liberal Democrat councillors – and it was an election which has helped bury the BNP as a campaigning force in Lewisham.

Background:

Downham ward has seen a fair few by-elections over the years. It was the breakthrough ward for the Alliance in 1987, when after 50 years of un-broken Labour representation, an SDP candidate was elected in a by-election. The Liberal Democrats went on to take all three seats in the 1990 council elections and, with a few minor mishaps along the way, the ward has been held ever since. The ward is dominated by the Downham Estate, which consists of terraced “cottage”-style properties which were built in the 1930s. Downham also has the highest elderly population of any ward in London.

The BNP
In 2002, the BNP stood two candidates in the all-up elections for the first time. They each polled over 500 votes, which sadly meant that one Labour councillor was elected alongside two Liberal Democrats. He lasted six months before resigning! The by-election was hard fought between the BNP, Labour and ourselves but candidate Mark Morris ....

Elections 2010 - Who's Defending What

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:26:00 +0100

On 6th May 2010, council elections will be held for:

32 London Boroughs (all-out)

36 Metropolitan Boroughs (thirds)

20 Unitary Authorities (thirds)

78 English Districts (thirds and halves)

4 Directly-Elected Mayors

It is also widely expected that this will be the same date as the next General Election.

In total 4,229 councillors will be elected across these councils, with the current political make-up of these councillors as follows:

1,738 Conservative Councillors

1,400 Labour Councillors

879 Liberal Democrat Councillors

33 BNP Councillors

27 Green Councillors

169 Others

Of the councils up for election in 2010, the Liberal Democrats are defending majority control in Kingston-upon-Thames, Richmond-upon-Thames, Sutton, Liverpool, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Rochdale, Sheffield, Stockport, Bristol, Hull, Portsmouth, Cambridge, Eastleigh, South Lakeland, Three Rivers and Watford, as well as the mayoralty in Watford.

Stakeboarding

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:10:00 +0100

1.    Introduction

During the 2005 General Election in Westmorland and Lonsdale the stakeboarding campaign was a major element in our success. In previous elections the stakeboarding/window poster display had been average, equal to the Conservatives our main opposition, but never significantly more than them.For 2005 the Constituency Campaigns Team were determined that we would take stakeboarding very seriously and that it would be throughout the campaign a visual demonstration to the public of our growing support and the success of our campaign. By election day we had 700 sites, at least twice as many as the Conservatives.

Background

Westmorland and Lonsdale is a rural constituency. Its main town is Kendal with a population of some 25,000. Probably at least 75% of homes in the constituency have front gardens suitable for stakeboards and there is mile upon mile of roads with farmers fields alongside also. Perfect stakeboard territory. As stakeboard co-ordinator I thought it would be helpful to write-up our experiences and elements of good practice. We realise that it will need adapting considerably for very urban constituencies where front gardens and farmer’s fields are not so widespread. A Flow Chart for a stakeboard ....

Councillors' Contributions

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:50:00 +0100

The requirement for councillors to make a financial contribution to the Liberal Democrats has been standard practice in a large number of councils for many years. However, this has now also become a formal requirement under article 3 of the constitution of the English Liberal Democrats and is highly recommended in Scotland and Wales too.

Councillor contributions go under various names, such as the councillors’ levy, tithe or donation; but they are all essentially the same thing. The big differences are in how they operate, and here we give you more details.

Why councillor contributions are important

To be able to put our values and principles in to practice, it is important that we elect many more Liberal Democrats at all levels of government. However, it also takes up a considerable amount of the Liberal Democrat’s financial resources to elect our councillors. Unlike the other two main parties we cannot rely on large donations from multi-millionaires or trade unions, and so we rely on our members and supporters for our income.

The reason we ask our councillors to make a specific commitment, is because the allowances they subsequently receive as a councillor is ....

Council Groups and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:44:00 +0100

The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) was introduced in February 2001 to regulate donations and the funding of political parties. It applies not just to constituency parties but also - in slightly different ways - to the funding of Council Groups. It has been amended both by the Electoral Administration Act 2006 and Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.

Council Groups are regulated donees under this Act, as they are members associations (associations whose membership consists wholly or mainly of members of a registered political party). This is because they are not given a status in the Party Constitution that allows the Party to intervene in or take disciplinary action relating to their financial and administrative affairs sufficiently to take legal responsibility for their finances.

Summary

Donations over £200 can only be accepted from permissible sources

Details of donations over £200 must be recorded and kept for 6 years

Donations over £5000 (in a calendar year) must be declared to the Electoral Commission.

Donations over £1000 received by an individual councillor must be declared to the Electoral Commission

The word donations includes not only cash, but ....

Eid Cards

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:33:00 +0100



Eid are the two festivals of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha - two of the most important celebrations for Muslims around the world. Many Liberal Democrats join in with these celebrations by sending Eid cards to Muslims living in their area.

Key features

The phrase Eid Mubarak is the greeting used by Muslims at the time of Eid - just as Merry Christmas is used by Christians at Christmas - and so is an important phrase to include.

This is a good opportunity to remind people of the contact details for your local Liberal Democrat team.

You can identify Muslims living in your area using the CEL data in EARS and identifying people who are declared as Muslims. This is not 100% accurate but you can supplement this data by asking Muslim members to go through EARS in those areas where there is a larger Muslim community. Instead, or ideally as well, you can also send an Eid card to the imam at your local mosque(s) and the chair of local Muslim community associations.

Casework Enquiry Sheet

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Keeping track of casework is vital if you are to make sure you provide a good service to constituents. This form is a clear way of keeping a note of the issues that people raise and monitoring what you have done to follow it up. If you don't use a computerised system this is a very simple way of keeping yourself organised.   The form could also be used by a local party office to keep a note of casework before passing it on to a relevant campaigner to follow up.

Download the templates

Note: writing shown in red should be changed for your local area.

Casework Enquiry Sheet - PDF
Casework Enquiry - PagePlus

Comments, suggestions?

If you have any suggested changes or improvements to any of these templates, or you've done something similar that you think would be useful for other Liberal Democrat campaigners to see, then please contact Mark Alcock at mark.alcock@aldc.org

Crime - Bogus callers campaign

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Practical, real action to cut crime has been a Liberal Democrat hallmark for years, instead of the competition between the other parties on who can sound the toughest. A popular campaign that we have run in many places has been the campaign against bogus callers, which you can download here.

What to do

You can download three items from our website for your campaign:

A target letter about distraction crime that you can also adapt to your own local circumstances and local issues, and in that you can include the following two items.

A survey that you send to local residents to find out more about issues of crime in their local area, which you can then use for further campaigns.

A bogus callers card, which residents can put in their front door to deter bogus callers and door-to-door sales people. In areas where these have been produced, they can often still be seen in doors many years later and people sometimes ask for replacement ones when they get faded. They are genuinely popular.

Who to target

This campaign is of quite ....

How to fill in the 2009 Election Expenses Form

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

In 2009 the Electoral Commission introduced a recommended expense form as a "do it yourself" excel spread sheet. This had the advantage of adding things up for you if you downloaded the file from their or our website. This year they have changed again (with no warning to us that it was happening) and they have a new manual PDF form that is simpler than those of recent years but its still 13 pages long!! Some councils will not have caught up with the Electoral Commission and will still be issuing printed versions of last years excel based forms. The legal requirement is that you submit your expenses and declarations, not which forms, or format are used, We will give advice on both sets of forms so be careful that you are looking at the correct set of advice for the forms you are using!!

The advice below is for the old 2009/2010 forms

How would I know the difference? The forms are radically different but if you've only got what the council has issued you with how can you tell simply which format they have used.

On the first page of the actual ....

Council Motions - How and Why!

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Council Motions

Council motions are a good way of highlighting our stance on key issues. They normally help get additional press coverage.

Using Council motions can also help provide a tactical advantage and more ammunition for our campaign material. If our opponents (particularly Labour in this case) are given the opportunity to support the local police and oppose the mergers, but choose to back the Government and oppose the motion, we can hit them hard for failing to stand up for our area. If they back the motion, we can highlight the splits in the Labour Party to demonstrate how badly thought out the Government’s ideas are.

Here is the wording of a sample council motion:

This Council notes with concern the proposals put forward by the Labour Government to merge police forces across the country.

(Council notes with particular concern the proposals for our area which could see the policing in our area run from as far away as X or Y. Council believes that this would make policing in our local communities even more remote and unaccountable to local people.) [Paragraph applicable if your council area would not be the HQ of a new authority]

Council further notes that the Association ....

A flying finish in York

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:39:00 +0100

These leaflets are three of the leaflets delivered towards the end of the 2007 Heworth Without by-election for York City Council. This was a hard fought by-election campaign with us seeking to regain a seat that we had lost the previous year to the Conservatives.

Why we liked these leaflets

In these leaflets we particularly liked:

All three leaflets keep repeating the same handful of key messages. There is no point adding in a new reason to vote for your candidate at the last minute. If it is that good a reason to vote for your candidate then you should have mentioned it earlier in the campaign – and kept repeating it.

Voxpops – always useful for reminding local residents that your candidate is backed by people like them. You need to ensure a cross-section of people who look different and who are voting for the candidate for different reasons.

The ‘Warning’ article on the Final Weekend Leaflet is useful if you suspect your opposition may use dirty tricks on the morning of the election. Both Labour and the Conservatives have a habit of putting out a last minute ....