Lib Dems set to spar over arcane rule row

The closest thing the Liberal Democrat spring conference normally has to fireworks is the falafel stand running out of stock or the shenanigans at its closing ‘Glee Club’ – a bawdy karaoke party featuring ‘hilarious’ spoof songs about rival politicians.

But that may change this weekend as the party spars in the spa town of Harrogate. Just eight months after winning 72 seats in the general election it has decided to plunge itself into a divisive and entirely arcane row about how parliamentary candidates in England are selected.

Presently the English section of the party decides on the rules and processes for selecting candidates in England. But under an amendment to be presented to the party’s spring conference on Saturday by former leader Tim Farron, this role would be transferred to the federal party on the basis that “the party body responsible for running general election campaigns should also be responsible for the candidate process, just as is already the case for Holyrood and Senedd elections as well as local elections”.

Which all sounds incredibly dull, but is precisely the sort of thing which gets Lib Dem activists up in the morning. Opponents mutter darkly that Farron’s amendment is numbered ‘F10’, with one member writing on the Liberal Democrat Voice forum: “The F10 function key on my keyboard serves as a mute button. And that, unfortunately, is what the F10 motion up for a vote this Saturday in Harrogate would also do: mute the voices of all those that want to be able to choose their candidate for Parliament in their hometown.”

The changes have the support of the top of the party, having been recommended by a review of last year’s general election chaired by Farron himself. That said that “major changes are needed to our Westminster candidate processes in order for us to better support candidates and win more elections”. But it has sparked fury among many lay members, who have compared it with a similarly centrally imposed control of candidates and diversity drive carried out by the Conservatives which gave them, er, Priti Patel, Nadine Dorries, Chris Pincher and Kwasi Kwarteng.

Still, it’s nice to see that with the planet burning and on the brink of potential global war, the Lib Dems have their priorities straight. The eyes of the world will be on Harrogate this Saturday!