Chair of the Local Elections Campaigns Team

In December 2007 our new Leader Nick Clegg asked me to take on the national coordination of the Liberal Democrat's local election campaigns. Now as Chair of the Local Elections Campaign Team I'll be helping to build a more vibrant local democracy across Britain, with strong and effective Liberal Democrats working at the heart of it. My role involves coordinating strategies, identifying key issues and working with our local campaigners to help get our message across on a local level.

My priorities as Chair of Local Elections will be:

Raising the flag for local politics

I've always been a champion for local action and local decision making. The Liberal Democrats believe that local communities are the key to bringing about economic and societal change. A vital part of giving people the power to get involved in the decisions that affect their lives is reviving their faith in local politics. Decades of top down meddling by central government has made Britain the most centralised country in the Western world. A key part of my role as Chair of Local Elections will be identifying and communicating the areas where local government can make a real difference to people's lives, and how engagement can make local government a responsive hub of British politics, aided rather than hindered by Westminster.

Best practice

The Liberal Democrats firmly believe in the principles of local democracy. That means that we want campaigners and candidates to be engaged with local issues and build their campaigns around local concerns. My job for the most part will be simply ensuring that those on the ground who are best able to respond to local problems can simply get on with the job of getting their message of change out to the people. Creating smooth lines of communication and facilitating best practice that allows local teams to deliver their messages more effectively, will be paramount.

Identifying key issues

Safety and security, a decent home, a good school, and a friendly environment are close to the top of everyone's wish list - all services provided by local government. It follows that a key to effective local campaigning is identifying issues that local people care about, improving what they have, and providing what they lack. It will be part of my remit to identify key issues and themes for the party to connect with local people. The current round of Post Office closures will be an immediate priority, but broader issues of local regeneration, climate change, the green disposal of waste, and the desperate shortage of affordable housing will not be far behind.

I believe that local democracy empowers people and makes government accountable. I am looking forward to playing a part in making sure that the Liberal Democrats are at the forefront of that movement for change.