Parliamentary candidacy - you can do it too!

1.37.00am GMT Wed 7th Dec 2005

By Liz Leffman, PPC Witney, May 2005

Liz Leffman stood in her first General Election as a candidate against David Cameron

Last May, for the first time, I stood as a parliamentary candidate in my home constituency of Witney, against no less an opponent than David Cameron.

The possibility of becoming an MP first took shape about 20 years ago. I was a member of the party, and helped with canvassing and leafleting during elections, but I didn't have the time to be more involved. So I thrust the idea to the back of my mind.

Then one day in 2003 I received an E mail from GBTF inviting me to a course. The course was for women who wanted to contribute more to the party. By the end of the day I had decided - I had never even attended a party conference, but I was going to be an MP, and I was going to start by standing in my local constituency.

I was selected in July 2004, and immediately set about my campaign. There are two resources that all campaigns need - money and people, and like most development seats, ours was short of both. But I was not deterred. I had a goal - to push Labour into third place, and position the Lib Dems as the real opposition in Witney. A shortage of funds and manpower was not going to stop me.

My campaign consisted of three elements - raising funds, delivering the message, and making contact. The first was accomplished by asking friends as well as party members to contribute. The second included a regular newspaper, and a personal letter to all women in the constituency. And the third was about being on the street and the doorstep, every day.

I enrolled friends and family to come and help with deliveries and with labelling my election address. Those members that couldn't deliver were enrolled into labelling and envelope stuffing. And every weekend during the election itself, teams of members, some of whom had never been involved before, were out on the street with me, and Witney was awash with yellow balloons. The campaign was a genuine team effort, and the connection with our members and the public was the best part of it for me.

I am certainly going to stand again, and I would encourage anyone who is thinking about standing to go for it. GBTF runs regular courses, and there is lots of party training available, which I took great advantage of both before and after selection.

---- The Gender Balance Task Force currently has two trainings planned - 7th January 2006 in London (venue to be confirmed) 10 - 4.30pm 'Getting yourself Selected' led by Sal Brinton and Sandra Gidley MP, and 4th February 2006 at the office of Saj Karim MEP just outside Manchester, 10 - 4.30pm 'Getting yourself Selected' led by Tracey O'Brien. These trainings are open to all women who are currently approved parliamentary candidates or who are considering or applying for approval. For further details e.mail Francesca Marritt on gbtf@libdems.org.uk.