An interview with… Candy Piercy Welcome to a new occasional series of interviews with key members of the Liberal Democrats, the sort of people who are crucial to our success, make a huge difference to what the party is like but haven’t yet landed the four-page interview in a Sunday newspaper magazine. Last time it was Caron Lindsay. This time it’s Candy Piercy, who for the last few general elections I’ve worked with on editing the party’s manual for election agents. Q. What made you support the Liberal Democrats?

A. I was a founder member of the Lib Dems. I first got angry about politics when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister. I realised I needed to get involved and do something rather than complaining from the sidelines. I watched all the party leaders on TV and realised that David Steel was expressing my values most closely. I wanted a party that stood for social justice, with an optimistic, outward-looking view of the world. So I joined the old Liberal Party and worked on the Alliance general election campaign in 1983. I was then the election agent for my home seat of Aylesbury in 1987. Q. What is the main focus of your party activism at the moment?

A. My main focus is getting more women and people from other under-represented groups elected as Liberal Democrat MPs. As Chair of CGB (the Campaign for Gender Balance, which is a sub-committee of the Federal Board) I work closely with women all over the UK to help them get selected as candidates. I am very proud that all four of our women MPs came on CGB training, including our super-successful flagship workshop, the Future Women MPs Weekends. I also run Unconscious Bias training workshops and adapt the successful CGB training to help BAME candidates develop their political careers. In addition, I it on the Federal Board and on the Federal People Development Committee. When there is a big by-election I am a member of the team that runs our amazing Front of House operation, welcoming Lib Dem helpers from across the country to the by-election campaigns. It was particularly interesting meeting so many talented newbies on the Witney and Richmond Park campaigns. Q. What is the most exciting or optimistic thing you’ve seen in the party in the past year?

A. Seeing 76 high-quality applications pour in for the 17 places we had available on the Future Women MPs Weekend last month! And the quality of the women who attended was mind-blowing. They were all so committed and exciting to work with. It will be great to see them fighting in target seats and joining the Lib Dem team in Westminster, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly in the next few years. Q. What is the best political advice you have received?

A. The next campaign starts the day after polling day! Seriously, you cannot win a seat as a Lib Dem in just four weeks unless you have the whole by-election team on board. It is the work months and years ahead of polling day that is vital. You need lots of regular campaigning, with strong organisation and a powerful message that will ultimately pay off. Q. What political issue or viewpoint have you changed your mind on and why?

A. There are two linked issues here. I have become more radical about the need to intervene to support people from ethnic minorities and those with disabilities in business and in politics. I thought our society was becoming more tolerant, open and civilised. Since the Brexit vote, it is clear it has not. For example, I want to see the law changed to allow all-BAME political shortlists – and I want the party to implement this without waiting for a change in the law. If we have to fight this through the courts so be it. And I believe the Brexit vote and the election of Trump have revealed the alienation of a part of the population that feels let down and disenfranchised. So I want to see government intervention to engage and support these sections of society. Q. If you could change one thing about the party overnight, what would it be?

A. Introduce the new disciplinary system recommended by the Macdonald Report. I hear rumblings of moves to block it from senior levels of the English Party, particularly some regions. Are the new recommendations perfect? No way. They need amending in several respects. But even as they stand, the Macdonald proposals are light years better than the existing old, unfair and long-winded disciplinary system. Some cases meander on for two or even three years. Some even are never resolved. I find it hard to believe that we should keep using a system that is clearly not fit for purpose. A system that let everyone down during the Chris Rennard saga, has failed to manage racism allegations effectively and shows little sign of responding to the needs of wishes of the majority of Lib Dem members. Why should this broken system be kept in place? Q. Where can people find you online?

A. Best place to find me is via Facebook as Candy Piercy. And do join the CGB –The Lib Dem Campaign for Gender Balance page on Facebook to find out about how we help women candidates and what forthcoming training is in the diary. Our new website is due to go live any day now and will be announced on Facebook.