Support to help you win in challenging times

But the current Coronavirus pandemic is affecting every aspect of our lives, including how we are able to campaign.

The party has produced this guidance on campaigning, it is updated regularly. Please check this guidance – as some materials are now only appropriate if they are delivered via paid delivery.

The Campaigns & Elections Team are here to help you with advice and support. Below are some details of the resources we’re providing. 

Support for your Print campaign

Leaflets and direct mail are some of the most effective campaign tools we have at our disposal, and it is vital that we continue to keep in touch with local residents.

The Campaigns & Elections Team continue to produce template campaign literature, which can be found on our Campaign Hub (to sign up for access go to www.libdems.org.uk/access).

On the Campaign Hub you can find our year round “Volume Plan” literature templates here. We will also be providing templates for A5 addressed postcards here, which can be posted using one of the paid delivery options below to key target groups of voters.

Please note that most of the templates in the Volume Plan are only currently suitable for paid delivery. You can find our specific Coronavirus support templates for hand delivery here. 

 

Options for paid unaddressed delivery

1) Royal Mail “Door 2 Door” delivery service

The Royal Mail’s “Door 2 Door” delivery is an unaddressed mail service by post code sector. It is reliable, offers great coverage and is a simple process.

Take a look at the Royal Mail Rate Card here and advice on finding postcode sectors here.

We recommend two routes for you to make use of this service:

  1. a) By using one of the Campaign & Election Team’s bulk deals here. 
  • Using this option means we can hand hold you throughout – so you do not have to deal directly with Royal Mail or the Printers;
    • It can work out cheaper as we’re ordering in bulk;
    • It allows you to consistently stay in touch with voters and to follow our campaign literature “volume plan”. 
    • There is either the option to choose a Tabloid or an A3
  1. b) By going through a printer and booking direct with RM for your own bespoke needs. 
  • You can book a bespoke deal – you may not get the price reductions of ordering in bulk, but you can opt to book successive weeks on the same contract with Royal Mail. You will receive a 50% reduction on the order for your second week. The price will decrease the more orders you place on the same contract.

To find out more about this, email our Royal Mail contact on: stefan.mills@marketreach.co.uk who will guide you through the whole process or contact henry.mcmorrow@libdems.org.uk for initial advice.

2) Paid local delivery

You could also employ the services of a local paid delivery company to deliver your literature. Individual paid delivery companies will cover varying areas, with different prices and levels of reliability. We strongly recommend that you ask for references from previous customers if you are considering using a new commercial delivery company for the first time.

We are in the process of crowdsourcing a list of commercial delivery companies. If you are in need of a recommendation locally, we’ll see what we can do. Equally, if you have any recommendations – please email campaigners@libdems.org.uk

 

Recommended printers

There are several commercial printers who the Campaigns & Elections Team have dealt with over the years. The printers listed below are ones who have done a significant amount of work for the Lib Dems and are aware of the various needs local parties often have. Obviously you may also have a local printer you use and are happy with.

 

Options for posted direct mail

  • Direct mail deals through Election Workshop and ALDC:

ALDC are offering a number of bulk-buy deals. Some may require further consultation with them on the best way to utilise them but we wanted to alert you especially to their Direct Mail deal. You can find out more here.

  • Stannp – for your direct mail postage needs 

This is a national direct mail (addressed) service with an online booking system for you to make your orders.

  • It’s a reasonably priced national service
  • It’s a simple, online process that can be completed in minutes
  • The more you order, the more you save

You can find out more here.

You may also want to investigate addressed mail services from OnePost and Whistl.

 

Support for your Digital campaign

The field resources team are organising bulk-buys for Facebook and Instagram advertising to reach voters in your area with key messages online.

1 in 6 local parties signed up to our first digital bulk-buy, which saw ads reaching more than half a million people.

The latest digital bulk-buy offer will always be available at libdems.org.uk/digital-bulk-buys 

We are also training local campaigners in how to campaign effectively online, find out more at libdems.org.uk/digital-training

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The Government could have done more for frontline workers

We are in debt to all the front-line workers who have put their own health at risk to fight this virus and keep us safe.

It is clear that the Government could have done far more to protect our key workers

Everyone must continue to do their bit and make every effort to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

This new data shows the sacrifice that front-line workers have made to protect us all from this terrible disease.

It is clear that the Government could have done far more to protect our key workers by providing proper PPE and an effective test, trace and isolate system.

Even now many cases are not being traced and support for those self-isolating is pitifully low. That is why the promised public inquiry into the Government’s handling of the pandemic needs to start now.

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Party Bodies Review

‘How do we make a difference?’ That was the question the Party Body Review Group was asked to answer. Looking at the range of Party bodies, there was only one way to find out!

As a Review Group we decided to ask those Party Organisations what they thought, where the gaps were, how they could make a difference to the Party going forward and how they might help one another. The Review captures their views, their potential and the opportunity for the Party as a whole to benefit from changes and how they and the Party relate to one another.

The Review Group members interviewed representatives of Party Organisations and non UK Parties and held Webinars to discuss interim findings. The report presented reflects both the views of those organisations and of Party members who took part in the on line survey.

The Review Group members are Bess Mayhew, Steffan Aquarone, Tim Pickstone and is ably helped and supported by Jack Coulson. My thanks to them for their unstinting commitment to our task and to all those who took part in interviews and in surveys, or who submitted written evidence.

Read the full report by clicking here!

More information about next steps and ongoing work will appear on this blog in the coming weeks and months. For now, if you are leading an SAO or AO and would like to get involved with the new Party Bodies Forum, please get in touch with jack.coulson@libdems.org.uk.

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Musicians left high and dry by EU Trade Deal

More than 170 musicians have urged Ministers to organise paperwork-free travel in Europe for artists on tour. 

The extra costs will make many tours unviable, especially for young emerging musicians.

The EU Trade deal makes it extremely difficult for touring artists because they now need a costly work permit and face a mountain of paperwork for their equipment. 

The extra costs will make many tours unviable, especially for young emerging musicians.

 This could make many tours unviable, particularly for younger, upcoming artists who don’t have big teams and big money behind them.

The same applies to EU-based artists wishing to perform in the UK.

That means disruption not only to seeing our favourite foreign bands and orchestras but income to festivals and all the benefits of creative co-operation too.

Reciprocity is good for Britain and should not be holding back a deal for artists.

Predictably the government is trying to blame the EU, but the fact remains that when the going got tough during the talks on the trade deal, Tory ministers just ducked for cover and hoped the problem would go away.

As a result, our creative artists have been left high and dry, including musicians, dancers, actors and their many support staff who together with the rest of the creative industries generate over £100 billion a year to our economy.

The Government must get back around the negotiating table and get this sorted.

The creative arts sector is a massive success story for the UK economy. 

It’s already in dire trouble because of Covid and this ‘friendly fire’ assault on its viability from our own government could be the last straw for many of our talented performers and backup staff.

They were sacrificed in a botched negotiation, just like our fishermen, our farmers, and our crucial service industries.

The artists who signed this letter are either furious or fearful for the future of their business, or both.

If the Conservative Government cares about these industries and the economy, they must get back around the negotiating table and get this sorted pronto.

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The Liberal Democrats are the most pro-European party in British Politics

The Liberal Democrats are the most pro-European party in British politics. We truly believe that we are stronger together, and internationalism will always be one of our core values.

That hasn’t changed now that we have left the European Union.

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