Do you have questions about the Electing Diverse MPs motion?
There's been a lot of discussion online about the Electing Diverse MPs motion that's coming to Federal Conference in just four weeks' time.
A lot of the discussion has centred on All Women Shortlists - but the motion is about so much more than that.
Its supporters have set up a Facebook page to answer any questions people have about the proposal in the motion and to make the case for its acceptance. Already over 200 people are taking part.
Here's a flavour of the issues being discussed:
WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS THIS MOTION IS TRYING TO SOLVE?
- SUPPLY: we don't have enough approved candidates full-stop, let alone from underrepresented groups. So we want to set up a Task Force to co-ordinate efforts to pro-actively recruit more.
- BARRIERS: we know from anecdotal evidence that there are supply-side and demand-side barriers to individuals from under-represented groups getting approved, selected and elected, so the task force will help identify and tackle them
- SKILLS FOR SELECTION: we wil continue programmes of support, networking, training and mentoring including through the Leadership Programme
- CONSCIOUS SHORT-LISTING: by requiring all seats where we polled 15% or more in the 2015 General Election, to prove that they have taken serious steps to attract and search for potential candidates from underrepresented groups.
- INCENTIVISE ACTION: require all regions to ensure the slate of candidates meets the Leader's ambition of having at least 50% women candidates and at least 10% BAME candidates across Great Britain.
- BREAK THE GLASS CEILING: a package of measures to break the glass ceiling within the party and accelerate progress. These are:
• Ensure that any local party will be able to vote for an all-women shortlist or an all-disabled shortlist, or reserve some spaces for candidates from other under-represented groups
• If any sitting MP elected in 2015 decides not to contest the next General Election, his replacement should be selected from an all women shortlist.
• Each region will be required to make sure that of all the seats which polled more than 25% at the 2015 election, at least one candidate will be selected from an all-woman shortlist.
• Each region must ensure that the seats which finished in the top 10% of Liberal Democrat vote share, should field at least two candidates from under-represented groups.
This motion isn't just about one thing - it proposes a package of measures to address challenges at every stage of the recruitment, approval, selection and election of parliamentary candidates to transform our cohort by 2020.
Do come and join in the discussion here.
