David Chappell

We are currently looking for members for three new policy working groups on the future of work, the natural environment and utilities.

The working groups will take evidence and prepare policy proposals to submit to Autumn Conference 2020.

Working group members are expected to attend meetings (in person or by dialling in), input their ideas for policy, and play a role in drafting the policy paper. The position is voluntary.

As a Party we depend on our volunteers - members like you - to run things. We are introducing the new Liberal Democrat Disciplinary Procedure this Summer and need members to volunteer to make it work.

As part of the new disciplinary procedures we need teams of members to volunteer for the four roles that need filling. These are Adjudicator, Investigator, Independent Person (Mediator), and Party Mentor.

We can stop Brexit - we must. For our economy. For our families, friends and neighbours who've made Britain their home. For what it says about us, as a country.

You could pick a hundred reasons why we must stop Brexit. Top of my list is the fight against the Climate Change Emergency.

Climate change's devastation won't respect borders - you have to work internationally, with other countries, if you want to save our planet.

It has been an amazing week since I launched my campaign to become Leader of our party.

From my campaign launch with young tech apprentices to appearances on the Andrew Marr Show, Question Time, Good Morning Britain and the Today Progamme (twice!), my feet hardly touched the floor.

I am standing because our party, and our country, are at a turning point.

The Conservatives aren't exactly covering themselves in glory as they decide who'll be the next party leader.

Michael Gove's cocaine admission has garnered a lot of press. As education secretary, Gove forced through legislation that banned teachers from the classroom for life if they were convicted of possessing a class A drug.

Firstly, I want to say two important things to all of you reading this: welcome and thank you.

Welcome, because I know that many of you reading this will be doing so for the first time, being among the thousands of people who have joined the party in the last few weeks.

Thank you, because it is a result of the energy, persuasive skills and shoe leather of so many of you that we're having this leadership election on the back of our best ever local election results and our best ever European election results, and even top of a national poll!

105,480.

That's how many people had joined the Liberal Democrats as of midnight last night.

That makes it official - our party is the biggest it's ever been!

First of all welcome to our new members - you've joined Britain's biggest liberal family. We couldn't be more excited to have you on board.

It's been a brilliant month for our party.

Wow - 17,000 new people have joined the Liberal Democrats since the start of May!

The Count got a little distressed when he realised how long this was going to take him.

Of those, 10,000 have signed up since the aftermath of our amazing EU election results. That's 10,000 since Vince Cable announced he was triggering a leadership contest. Welcome to you all! ❤

My regular blog has been disrupted by the Euro election campaign and its tumultuous, positive, aftermath as well as my decision to hand in my notice and trigger a leadership contest.

The Euro-campaign was defined, for me, by three rallies.

The launch of the campaign took place in Docklands, before the results of the local elections were known. The mood was cautiously optimistic; but there was some question about the impact of Change UK.

Today is World Environment Day, with a focus on air pollution. Air pollution is a major crisis affecting the UK and it is a crisis the Government has failed to take seriously. The Conservatives have lost numerous court cases over the failure to set plans to tackle the toxic fumes that we breathe every day - and that's not the hot air they're producing in the Brexit crisis.