We would strongly recommend that you complete the self-assessment questionnaire included at the end of this document. This will allow you to judge how ready you are to go through the approvals process.

If there are any areas in which you feel you would benefit from further training, or gaining practical experience before proceeding, contact the Candidates’ Office for recommendations on how to gain this. Some useful resources can also be found on the party’s online training portal here.

Once you feel satisfied with your answers to the self-assessment questionnaire, you should download and complete an Application Form and Code of Conduct.

The application forms are very straightforward. They are used to ensure that you are who you say you are and that you are eligible to stand for Parliament. The application form does not form part of the assessment and is not seen by the assessors.

Each candidate is charged a £75 Administration Fee to cover the cost of the assessment day, administration and to conduct a Digital Risk Assessment. If the cost would present you with any difficulties in proceeding with an application, please contact the Candidates’ Office.

When applying, you will be asked to provide the following information:

• Contact details

• Some basic background information

• The contact details of three referees, one of which must be an office holder of a local, regional or state party within the Liberal Democrats

• A signed declaration and code of conduct form

The completed application form should be sent to the Candidates’ Office who will pass your details onto your Regional (or State) Candidates’ Chair (RCC/SCC).

We will also order a Digital Risk Assessment (DRA) via a company called Social Media Check. The DRA will audit your online and social media history. Upon applying to be a candidate, you will be sent a consent request from consent@SocialMediaCheck.com directly.

Social media is a huge area of opportunity in a campaign but inappropriate comments can also derail a campaign and bring the Party into disrepute. If any issues arise from your DRA, your RCC will contact you to discuss and will then make a decision as to whether your application can proceed.

Once you have returned the completed application form and done your digital risk assessment you’ll be able to take your one hour online, open book policy paper which is the first stage of the assessment. If you pass this you will be added to the list of people waiting for an Assessment Day place. We will invite you to attend an Assessment Day as soon as there is a space available.

Assessment Days take place online currently and our target is that all eligible applicants will be offered a place at an assessment day within nine months of handing in their forms.

The assessment day is based on the competency framework. This sets out the things we would expect a parliamentary candidate to do, and those things that a good candidate would probably not do. The assessment team does not see the information on your application form; they will base their assessment purely upon your performance during the assessment day.

At the assessment day, you will take part in a variety of exercises designed to allow you to show the assessors how you would perform as a parliamentary candidate. Information about these exercises will be sent to you once you have returned your application forms to give you time to prepare.

Key points to note:

• The exercises are designed so that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to complete them.

• Several different assessors will mark you over the course the assessment day. Assessors will be required to show evidence of your performance to support the grade they award you.

• If you pass the assessment you will be approved immediately as a candidate. If you are not successful on the assessment day you will receive helpful feedback and be eligible to reapply in either 1 or 5 years, depending on your final mark.

To apply for a seat, you will follow these steps:

1. Application

Contact the Returning Officer (RO) who will send you an application form. Complete the application form and return it by the given deadline.

2. Short-listing

The Local Party Selection Committee will shortlist the applicants for the next stage. Sometimes this will require you to attend a short-listing interview.

3. Campaign and Hustings

If you are successfully short-listed, there is typically a period of three weeks during which you can campaign among local party members to persuade them to select you. At the end of the campaign, there will be a hustings meeting at which point the Local Party members will vote for their preferred candidate.

If the Local Party selects you, then you will fight the next General Election for that seat. If you are not short-listed, or not selected, it is important not to be discouraged but to ensure you request feedback that you can learn from for the future.

There are 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament which are split between two types:

• 73 constituency-based seats elected by ‘first past the post’

• 57 regional seats based on the boundaries of multiple constituency seats, elected using the d’Hondt, or closed party list, method.

To stand in Scotland, candidates must have completed an assessment day and a Scottish policy assessment.

The 60 seats in Senedd Cymru are split between two types:

• 40 constituency constituency-based seats elected by ‘first past the post’

• 20 regional seats (4 in each of 5 regions) that are elected using the d'Hondt, or closed party list, method.

To be a candidate in Wales at either Assembly or Westminster elections, candidates must have completed an assessment day and the Welsh policy assessment. The selection for constituency seats takes place on a per constituency basis. The selection for regional list seats is done by a one-member, one-vote system across each region.

The approval and selection of Parliamentary Candidates is the constitutional responsibility of each of the three Federal State Parties of England, Scotland and Wales. Each State has an elected Candidates Committee, which takes the decisions and sets the policies that govern the processes of the approval, selection and review of their Parliamentary Candidates. In England, this is undertaken by the English Candidates Committee (ECC); in Scotland, the Scottish Campaigns and Candidates Committee (SC&C); and in Wales, the Welsh Candidates & Campaigns Committee (WCC).

Each of these State Candidate Committees has an elected Chair who represents the Committee on a variety of bodies including the Joint States Candidates Committee (JSCC).

In England, each region has a Regional Candidates’ Chair (RCC), who is responsible for organising assessment days, appointing Returning Officers (RO), and providing advice and support to members going through the approvals and selection processes.

The staff in the Candidates’ Office, based at the Lib Dem headquarters in Westminster, are responsible for the day-to-day administration of the approvals process for the English, Scottish and Welsh Parties. They act as the first port of call for any general enquiry about standing as a Parliamentary Candidate, and can provide advice on the best person to speak with at a regional or state level if you have a more specific query.

NB. While “Values in Action” is one of the competencies assessed on the Assessment Day, policy knowledge is assessed through a prior online test. Passing this test is a condition of moving on to a full assessment day.

Policy

1. How much do you know about current Liberal Democrat Policy and how it is made?

2. Have you read a recent manifesto?

3. Have you ever attended a federal Conference?

4. Do you feel confident explaining or defending party policy to others?

Values

1. What do you understand by the term “Liberal Democrat Values”

2. Are you familiar with the preamble to the constitution?

3. Can you demonstrate how Liberal Democrat values find expression in your everyday life?

Building skills in this area

A great place to start with understanding Lib Dem values is by reading ‘What Liberal Democrats Believe (www.libdems.org.uk/policy_papers, number 142). Likewise, the preamble to the constitution (www.libdems.org.uk/constitution) is a succinct summary of Liberal Democrat Values.

Our mid-term manifesto ‘A Fairer, Greener, More Caring Society (2021)’ was passed by Federal Conference in September 2021 (www.libdems.org.uk/policy_papers, number 143) and lays out in broad terms our most current policies.

The Conference area of the website allows you to read past conference motions which will also help in this area. We would also highly recommend attending Federal and Regional Conferences.

Have a look as well at our 2019 Party Manifesto as it’s a good guide to how policy is presented in the run-up to an election.

In your assessment you will also gain credit by drawing comparisons with the policy positions of the other main parties, so looking at the current policies of Conservative Labour, Greens and where relevant the other national parties is very helpful too.

The Liberal Democrats are not like other parties. Our members decide our policy. Their experience and understanding helps ensure we have the very best policies that matter to ordinary people. You can help make policy too.

1. Are you able to use different styles of communication for different audiences and occasions?

2. Do you enjoy talking to people and addressing their concerns?

3. Do you look for opportunities to tell people about what the Lib Dems are doing for them?

Building skills in this area

There is Party training available in this area which is offered at regional and federal conferences. A Powerpoint presentation with some tips is also available here. Many people are nervous about things like public speaking, and training can be of great benefit in building skills and confidence.

1. Do you feel able to communicate appropriately with journalists? Are you able to think on your feet and respond quickly and appropriately to questions on topical matters?

2. Do you make the most of media opportunities in order to maximise Party profile?

Building skills in this area

There is Party training available in this area via the links above. In addition, watching or listening to politicians being interviewed can be very helpful – both to pick up tips and to see what to avoid!

1. Do you have recent experience of participating in an election campaign?

2. Can you see how national issues can be linked with areas of local concern?

3. Can you show that you are organised and able to plan ahead?

Building skills in this area

Council by-elections are also a great way to get some campaigning experience all year round – you can find out what’s happening near you on the events page of the website. There is also plenty of training on campaigning, find it here.

1. Do you take the time to understand other people’s views and needs?

2. Are you able to deal effectively with conflict?

3. Do you make an effort to be friendly and approachable when meeting new people?

Building skills in this area

There is plenty of free training online and there is also Party-specific training available in this area, notably one course called “Dealing with Difficult People”, you can find the slides here.

1. Do you have experience of leading a group of people?

2. Are you able to inspire and motivate people to keep going, even when things are getting difficult?

3. Are you able to listen to and take account of a diverse range of views and opinions?

Building skills in this area

Look out for areas where you can gain experience of leading a group of people both in your professional and personal life. There is also leadership training everywhere online, available at Lib Dem Conferences, and some slides on our website here.