Kirsty writes for Lib Dem Voice on the leadership
Lib Dem Voice published a piece on the leadership election. Kirsty had 500 words to play with - you can read why she wants to be leader of the Welsh Lib Dems here.
Kirsty Williams is Leader
The Vision to Succeed
A message from Kirsty as members start voting
This post is availiable bilingually
I understand that it is not easy to choose a new leader for our party; we have come along way in the last ten years and we should we should be deeply grateful to Mike German for his leadership over this time.
But we can and must build on Mike’s work in order that we achieve far more as a Party. Together we must grow the party, be more professional in everything we do, reach out to people and communities that politicians have left behind. I would personally take a lead to increase membership working with every local party – no matter how small at present.
Like you, I’m a liberal and am committed to freedom and justice. We now need to make it mean something to ordinary people across our nation.
We are superb at local campaigning – as our local government successes have shown, and now we must regain our rightful place as the radical and reforming party of Wales. A party which is able to speak for all of Wales, reconnecting with people that have lost faith with politics and politicians.
But hope and aspiration is not a strategy. We need careful long term planning and action. That is why I have sent you a copy of my ‘Vision for a Liberal Wales’: A Manifesto for Change which sets out in details some of my ideas to take the party forward. I look forward to any comments or further ideas that you may have.
This leadership election is about the future of our party. I know that, like me, you want to see Welsh Liberal Democrat policies being implemented at all levels of government here in Wales.
I will lead from the front, with energy, passion and commitment, but what we achieve as a Party we will achieve together. I ask for your support now and more importantly after the election is over, so that we make Wales the kind of country we all want – a sustainable and more prosperous country with freedom and social justice at its heart.
Got your ballot paper?
Ballot papers were posted out on Friday, if yours hasn’t arrived soon then contact the Returning Officer, Roger Burley.
Dragon’s Eye
The leadership contest featured heavily in Dragon’s Eye on Thursday.
You can view it on iplayer for the next couple of days, the feature starts about 16 minutes in.
Kirsty will be a voice for North Wales
As Kirsty heads to Mold for the Annual North Wales Lib Dem dinner she has raised concerns that not enough has been done to push the party to electoral success in North Wales and that for too long it has been left out of the Party’s strategic planning.
“Despite the success of our North Wales AM Eleanor Burnham and of the Lib Dem led Wrexham council along with individual councillors in Conwy, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Ynys Mon we have not put enough resources and support into campaigning in the region.
Kirsty Williams said:
“Under my leadership there will be no ‘no-go’ areas in Wales and no local party will be forgotten. We need to professionalise our campaigning activity and strategy and give support for candidates in all seats from Town and Community Council to County, Assembly and Westminster level.
“The Liberals were the original party of Wales but this message has been lost somewhere along the way and I want to reclaim that space from Plaid. They are letting the people of Wales down from their position of Government but skilfully and deceptively pointing the finger of blame at Labour as though they were a party of Opposition.
“The Liberal Democrats must stop this game and show that we are the party that stands for the ordinary people of Wales. The party that believes education is the greatest form of empowerment and that localism is the best tool for social equality and prosperity.
“I want our party to invest more time and energy in taking our message out to North Wales voters.
“In this year’s council elections and in my own leadership campaign I have spent time supporting and campaigning with our candidates in Wrexham, Conway, Ynys Mon and Rhyl. We have good people working hard in North Wales and I want to help them to the success they deserve.
“I have support from every single local party in Wales and I am truly the candidate to speak up for the whole of our country.”
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Manifesto
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