Newsletter: Building momentum for reform

Spreading the word: The LDER exec, since the election, has been ensuring electoral reform stays high on the party's agenda as we recover and move ahead. We secured pro-reform commitments from both leadership candidates*; and a Liberal Democrat Voice post placed reform firmly within the context of liberal principle, calling on our many new (and current!) members to join our group. We are also sprucing up our own promotional materials, including a new pull-up banner, which will hopefully be on display at our Autumn Conference stall.

Coming event: There's a rally outside Parliament planned for July 25 - The Great Gathering for Voting Reform, being supported by civic reform groups. We're keen to see a strong Liberal Democrat presence on the day, so if you can make it, please sign up at the Facebook event page here.

Ammunition: The Electoral Reform Society's Election report (A voting system in crisis) has great analysis, facts and commentary on just how undemocratic May's result was - e.g. the Tories gained a seat for every 34,000 votes; we had to secure over 300,000 votes per seat! (And of course, even worse for the Greens and UKIP, who needed votes in the millions for every seat won). Go to www.electoral-reform.org.uk for a free copy of the report.

Our AGM; and executive membership: With so much opportunity, we are looking for new Executive members to be elected at our AGM, to be held in September during Bournemouth Autumn Conference. It's a fundamental cause for our party; and highly relevant given the distorted election result and pressing devolution debates. The Exec meets, via conference call, some six times annually as a core time commitment. Other activities are taken up as needed on a volunteer basis.

Help at our Conference stall - and a free pass! We are looking for enthusiastic members to help on our Bournemouth stall - this includes set up and the highly sociable activity of manning the stall for a few hours during Conference. And, we get three FREE exhibitor passes for helpers. Please contact Crispin Allard or Keith Sharp if you're keen - please note though that July 24 is the deadline for registering for free exhibitor passes.

Keith Sharp

Chair - LDER Executive.

* Congratulations to Tim on becoming our new leader. We know his belief in electoral reform and look forward to working with him and his to create change.