This notice opens the process of electing the officers and executive members of the Liberal Democrat European Group for the next two-year period.

According to the LDEG Constitution there are 23* open positions as follows:

• Six officers: Chair, Vice-Chair (Campaigns), Vice-Chair (Communications), Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Data Officer
• One member representing each of 13* Party regions or nations (11* in England, Scotland and Wales)
• Four ordinary members

A policy proposal to the Party's Spring Conference on 19-21 March was submitted today and is copied below.

Publication here is without prejudice to decisions of the Federal Conference Committee (FCC) and does not preclude drafting and other amendments in due course.

FCC meets on 16 January to select motions for debate.

Recall of Parliament, 30 December 2020 - Voting Recommendation

At its meeting on Tuesday the LDEG Executive agreed unanimously to reject the Tory Government's Brexit Deal and calls on the Party's MPs and peers to vote against the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill when it comes before Parliament this week.

LDEG is led by an executive committee of up to 25 people. While three seats are reserved for co-option 22 seats including six officers are are subject to elections every two years. Twelve of these seats correspond to Scotland, Wales and the ten party regions in England.

At its 21 November meeting the current Executive agreed the appointment of an independent Returning Officer and the timetable for election as follows:

"Honourable Members,

"These are decisive days for our negotiations with the United Kingdom. But I cannot tell you today, if in the end there will be a deal. There has been genuine progress on a number of important questions: on law enforcement and judicial cooperation; on social security coordination. And also on goods, services and transport we now have the outline of a possible final text. In these areas there are still some important issues to agree, but they should be manageable.

Our vice-president Caroline Voaden (above) has written for West Country Bylines on the outcome of the recent U.S. elections and the wider lesson it gives:

"The relief, and even joy, at Joe Biden's win in the US elections has been somewhat tempered by the spotlight it has shone on something that has been lacking in our politics for years, but is now more obvious than ever by its absence.