Ming Campbell says ‘the party must change’
At a Leadership hustings this evening at the National Liberal Club in London, Ming Campbell will focus the Liberal Democrat Party yet again on its need to modernise.
Modernisation of the party has been one of the key themes of his campaign to date and tonight he will focus on some specific areas he would tackle as leader to ensure the Party does better at reflecting the diverse nature of today’s society at every level.
Ming Campbell will say that whilst Liberal Democrats have always been at the forefront of promoting equality and anti-discrimination legislation in society at large, the party cannot accept that it has done enough within its own ranks.
He will not only pledge to support a motion, set to come before the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in March, to create an Ethnic Minority Election Task Force but state that he, as leader, he would personally ensure that diversity remained at the forefront of the Party’s thinking.
He will also set out specific goals including :
- At least 1 new black or ethnic minority MP after the next election
- 40% of new MPs and 25% of the Parliamentary party being female after the next election
- Every MP, MEP and MSP and AM to mentor one potential candidate who is a woman or who is from an ethnic minority
- New and unique funding to assist candidates get selected
Ming Campbell will say that he wants the nation to celebrate the contribution that all ethnic minority communities make to today’s society ….but that the Liberal Democrat party must do more to attract, retain and develop the talent in all ethnic minority communities
ENDS
Notes to editors
The speech will be posted on the Campbell Campaign website at www.campbellcampaign.org/media-centre at 1900 today.
Liberal Democrat Leadership hustings to be held at the National Liberal Club , London, 1900-2030.
The motion to create an Ethnic Minority Election Task Force is set to come before the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference is the result of a paper called “Diversity, Racial Equality and the Party”. This document was described as the best document to emerge from a political party by “Operation Black Vote” (http://www.OBV.org.uk).
