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So you have managed to secure that vital interview for a seat. You turn up filled with enthusiasm and perhaps a little trepidation – a touch of adrenaline will help your performance.

But why is there a bus parked outside? Who are all these people you have never seen before? Why are they making a big fuss of this other guy?

You’ve just met the Local Favourite.

Just about every selection interview I have attended, for council seats as well as places in Parliament, has featured a much loved local contender with masses of support. Often they are not above trying to shift the odds by busing in their supporters and even providing them with helpful (and unhelpful for opponents) questions to as

They look unbeatable.

But are they?

DON’T  DESPAIR

Although every contest features one or more local favourites a surprising number are won by outsiders. The local may start with a lead but there are good reasons why many don’t triumph.

As one of those outsiders, you need to be aware of the likely weaknesses that a local candidate suffers from – and how to make the most of them.

With careful planning and a gutsy approach even the most deeply entrenched locals can be beaten.

HERE’S  HOW

Local candidates will have already demonstrated their ability, climbing the ladder inside the association or the council group. They have built alliances and generated support. Everything is in place to guarantee success.

But they have also had to make some tough decisions. Nobody gets to the top without stepping on a few sensitive toes along the way. Whilst they have a lot of vocal support, they will also have opposition. People they have upset on their meteoric rise can’t wait to get even – and where better than the selection meeting?

This pool of opposition is waiting to back the candidate most likely to defeat the local favourite. With a strong performance you can provide a flag for them to coalesce around. To get their support you don’t need to be local – you need to be the best of the non locals.

Occasionally there may even be several local candidates who dislike each other. In this case all you need to do is survive the early rounds of voting. You will pick up their supporters as they fall by the wayside.

And remember that big bus parked outside? The candidate who hired it probably felt the need to fill it too. At the front he was sitting with his mother, his close friends and members of his campaign team. But further back down the bus the allegiance is less strong. Some of these people are open to persuasion.

The Favourite may even have brought some of your potential supporters with them!

It takes a strong performance to persuade these people around to supporting you but that is no more than you should be offering to your constituents.

So there are three things to remember when faced with local favourites:

1. Don’t try to out local them. You need to demonstrate you know the issues and have done your homework but you will never gain true local credentials in a 45 minute interview.
2. Provide a flag for the local favourite’s opponents to rally around.
3. Deliver a performance that is powerful enough to win support from the undecideds who have been brought to the meeting.

MENTORING OFFER

With careful planning even a well entrenched local candidate can be beaten..

I’m offering three months of mentoring covering the opening stages of the interview round – January, February and March.

This includes help with Application CVs, interview planning, and opening speeches as well as advice on raising your profile and building a solid political brand. Contact me for a free thirty minute consultation.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

So, you’ve worked hard on an interview plan and perfected your opening speech. You know that you will acquit yourself well in front of the panel.

But how do you get invited to interview in the first place?

Everyone else is getting a foot in the door but your carefully crafted application CV remains in the pile of unread also rans. Is it because you don’t know the right people? Or maybe you went to the wrong school?

Yet candidates just like you are being called for interview all the time. They get the chance to prove themselves and even if they don’t land the seat, their reputation is enhanced and it’s only a matter of time before they get picked up.

All you want is the Opportunity to prove yourself.

You need to step back and take a look at the process through the eyes of the selection panel. Faced with dozens of CVs and little time to process them, they need something to grab their attention and remind them you are there.

Here are some things you should consider:

The Application – take another look at your application CV. Large blocks of text repel the reader at a subconscious level, so you need to break up the content to make it more welcoming. Small text can be another problem. Conservative Party members have an average age in their 60s, so many will not have youthful eyesight. If they can’t read your form they aren’t going to give you a second glance.

The Seat – safer seats will have more applicants, so you have a tougher time beating the competition. You will not get interviewed for safe seats unless you have experience of fighting an unwinnable one, so perhaps you should be realistic and lower your sights. For unwinnable seats there is still a lot of competition in London and the South East – because that is where most Conservative candidates live and work. The further you are prepared to travel, the less competition you will encounter. It’s worth considering where you are in The Candidate Journey.

Your Profile – it’s never too late to start working on getting more widely known. If you are a recognized name your CV is more likely to get a full reading and you are more likely to be called to interview. You should be looking for speaking opportunities and writing articles for on line publication. TV and radio slots are worth their weight in gold but it can take a surprising number of them to become a household name. At a minimum you need a personal website so that people who are curious can find out more about you.

CCHQ – I have never known a time when the party’s Candidates Department was more helpful than now. It is really worth your time talking to them and taking their advice. They will provide you with goals for your own self development as well as telling you which seats they feel you are suitable for. Unless you are very lucky you won’t be successful without their support so they are worth getting to know.

MENTORING OFFER

Securing an interview can be very frustrating for candidates so I am here to help.

I’m offering three months of mentoring covering the opening stages of the interview round – December, January and February.

This includes help with Application CVs, interview planning, and opening speeches as well as advice on raising your profile and building a solid political brand. Contact me for a free thirty minute consultation.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

“Roger Evans is a very, very good teacher for one simple
reason. He looks at you and builds you up around what you do best.
And he has a few excellent technical tips which’ll stand you in
good stead at any level of politics!”  – Cllr Julian Gallant, Conservative Group Leader, LB Ealing

“Roger helps you to see the wood through the trees. His immense experience allows you to know what to focus on and how to focus. With no airs or graces, Roger is a very easy man to work with. I have found our sessions together extremely useful. A great mentor, I highly recommend working with him.” – Cllr Russell Perrin, Leader Harlow BC

SELECTIONS ARE IMMINENT

With the selection rounds in the New Year, candidates are brushing up CVs and speeches and practising their interview techniques. But what do you need to do to make a real difference to your performance? How do you compete with candidates who can spend lots of money and who are plugged into all the right networks? Sometimes the process feels like an uphill struggle for everyone except a few favoured individuals.

It takes hard work to be successful at a selection interview but it shouldn’t be beyond anyone who has attained the approved list of Conservative candidates.

To be shortlisted you need to build a political profile that is recognisable to party members and you need to create a network to support you.

Your application CV should be good enough to get you through the door but it also needs to be working for you throughout the interview process – even after you have left the room.

Your opening speech should be crafted to build rapport quickly and to leave the audience wanting more after just three minutes.

And your interview plan should discipline you to approach every question not as a hurdle to be cleared but as a platform to proclaim your strengths.

THE 3 MONTH MENTORING PROGRAMME

Following the success of the first two waves of mentoring I’m currently recruiting for a Third Wave to run from December to February.

The programme runs for three months and it comprises face to face meetings in person or on Zoom – up to one each week, where we can complete exercises and you can raise questions. These will be tailored to your unique requirements and can include as necessary:

Objective setting and progress – to keep you focused on the important goals you are working to attain.

Application Forms – review content and layout before submission.

Interview Planning – before you have been invited to a selection and in greater detail when the interview is imminent.

Mock Interviews – for crucial selection finals

Speeches – high level advice and detailed line by line reviews

Media – raising your profile and including crisis management if necessary

For the next wave December will be spent preparing for the selection round, whilst January and February will focus on providing direct support during the selection process.

HOW TO APPLY

This is intensive learning so I’m taking on a limited number of mentees.

You need to be committed to working hard for the three months, building your skills, raising your profile and preparing for interview.

You will need to actually apply for some seats to road test your CV, speech and interview plan.

And you will need to pass an initial on line interview with me – because I don’t take everybody on, I want to be clear about understanding your political goals and how I can help you.

I really believe that this approach will boost your chances of selection so please do contact me if you would like to take part.

CHAOS IS A LADDER

The words of the Arch Plotter Littlefinger in Game of Thrones have a certain truth about them.

The Conservative Leadership contest and its aftermath will offer opportunities as established figures depart and the policy ground shifts, leaving gaps for ambitious politicians to fill.

This is particularly true for candidates and I’m working with my own clients to ensure they make the most of this period of change.

So what should ambitious candidates be doing as the contest gets under way?

LEADERSHIP CONTEST

As a candidate you would be well advised to get involved with a Leadership campaign. First you need to pick a contender to support.

With the field wide open, it is hard to make predictions. Picking a Winner is a tough call this time.

If you back the winner you might expect some sort of reward or recognition – but you might not get it.

So it’s probably better to pick a candidate you already know or are close to. They will be aware of your strengths and be able to deploy you to best advantage.

Most of them are not going to win, but you will still get some great experience which will look good on your CV. And don’t forget to take lots of pictures for your website.

You will also be able to build your network. With the fall of Boris Johnson the age of political Astronauts has ended – for now – and the Mountaineers are back in charge.

So Networks are important.

And for candidates outside the Westminster Bubble the contest offers a rare opportunity to build links and gain experience that just isn’t available most of the time.

The Leadership Contest should provide the party with a poll boost. Even Jeremy Corbyn got one…

PARTY CONFERENCE

The October Conference in Birmingham has now gained a new importance. It’s going to be time for the new Leader and their team to set out their stall.

It is likely to attract more attendees than usual so make sure you book your place early.

For Candidates the Conference should be hard work – speaking at fringe meetings and building your networks.

If you spend the whole time Eating and Drinking at receptions you aren’t doing it right…

And the Conference should provide another poll boost if it is managed effectively.

EARLY ELECTION

Those poll boosts make an Early Election more likely.

The new PM will be facing the same dilemma that Gordon Brown did in 2007. Vanity prevented Brown calling an election in which he might get a smaller majority than Blair managed. The delay meant that he didn’t get a majority at all in 2010.

Ten years later Theresa May encountered the same dilemma and went for it. The result was a disaster – but she still won the biggest vote share and arguably the campaign was going well until the publication of the Suicidal Manifesto.

So Candidates need to be prepared. You should have:

A Website

An Application CV that you can easily adapt to any seat you apply for.

An opening speech – ‘Why I would be a good Candidate for This Seat’

An Interview Plan

THE OFFER

I’m launching a Special Wave of Candidate Mentoring to make the most of the valuable opportunities that are now available.

You can read more about the programme here.

And I’ve got some great testimonials here.

An initial 30 minute consultation is absolutely free and will provide you with some useful pointers even if you don’t get to work with me. You can contact me here.

And there’s lot’s of free advice for candidates on my blog.

I’m rooting for you.

But I won’t wish you Good Luck because success in politics is about Preparation, not Fate.

“Roger must be one of the best political speech and presentation coaches in the business. He is superb at adding those final finishing touches to transform your speech from standard and mediocre to stand out and exceptional.

“His techniques for taking control of the Q & A session to enable you to get all your best points across are also vital in a highly competitive process.

“Most of all Roger is one of the nicest coaches I have ever come across. With authenticity so much the order of the day, his 100% affirmative and confidence giving approach, is invaluable and I recommend him unreservedly.”   – Anna Firth, MP for Southend West

A number of the candidates I have worked with have suggested that a longer term mentoring commitment would be valuable when it comes to progressing with their action points and would allow a more flexible approach to take advantage of vacancies and other opportunities as they arise.

In response I have created a three month mentoring programme with regular face to face sessions and access to the additional services that I would normally charge for separately as individual sessions.

There are other trainers available but I believe that this is the first offer of a medium term mentoring partnership. I’m able to do this because I focus EXCLUSIVELY on the political market and use examples and experience from my own political career and the MPs and Ministers who I have helped since 2006.

The programme will run for three months and it comprises 12 face to face meetings on Zoom – one each week, where we can complete exercises and you can raise questions. These can include as necessary:

Goal setting and progress – to keep you focused on the important goals you have set.

Interview Planning – before you have been invited to a selection and in greater detail when the interview is imminent.

Assessment Board practice – including the public speaking exercise and the interview.

Mock Interviews – for crucial selection finals

Application Forms – review content and layout before submission.

Speeches – high level advice and line by line reviews

Media – raising your profile and including crisis management if necessary

As this is a new initiative I’m offering the first tranche of clients an attractive rate all in for three months.

I really believe that this approach will boost your chances of selection so please do contact me if you would like to take part.

In 2022 a lot of attention will be lavished on candidates for Parliament as the next general election approaches. There is an inevitable danger that the good work done by other elected representatives will be overshadowed.

In particular, councillors are often taken for granted by their own parties. Beavering away at casework and leaflet delivery can often seem like an unappreciated effort. Their hard work to often goes unsung.

As a young councillor in a big London Local Authority, I faced the challenge of standing out and getting myself noticed. So I understand that It can be really hard to secure the recognition and responsibility you deserve.

So here are three New Year resolutions for councillors seeking to raise their profile in 2022:

FIRST, Be Curious. Learn new things, whether these are your own skills or specialisms within the council. Politics is full of rejections and when opportunities arise they can come in unexpected areas. You need to be prepared to take on new challenges and climb the learning curve rapidly.

SECOND, Promote your activities. In politics if you achieve something but nobody knows about it then you might as well not have done it at all. Your newsletters and the local media are both great platforms for getting your message across. Don’t overlook the power of social media. It gives you absolute control over the messages you promote, although you will need the hide of a rhino to handle some of the replies from trolls and political opponents.

THIRD, and most importantly, you should resolve to do more speaking at big meetings and community events. Delivering a speech is always a challenging experience for everyone but in just a few minutes you can boost your image and do more for your reputation than hours of casework or campaigning will achieve.

For councillors looking to improve their speech writing and delivery, I’m launching a new service in January. I’m looking to work intensively with a small number of clients over the month to help them get noticed by writing and delivering memorable, star quality speeches.

Does this sound like something that would help you? If so, contact me for a free consultation to discuss the challenges you face and how I can help you to build your political career in 2022.

As 2022 approaches, Candidates will be preparing for an important year.

Despite recent opinion poll turbulence an election in the Spring of 2023 is still very likely. Governments generally dislike going to the polls in Winter, when turnout will be lower, and they also avoid going the full five year term unless they absolutely have to because they lose control of the agenda as the final election deadline approaches.

A 2023 General Election means that candidates will need to be in place well in advance so we can expect 2022 to see selection contests ramped up as the major parties prepare themselves. Candidates need to be dusting off their application forms.

But what else should they be doing? Here are three good resolutions for the next generation of MPs in 2022:

Catch up with Politics – I know you are busy. There’s the day job and the family to occupy your time but you do need to get back into the political mainstream and find out what has been happening. A favourite selection committee question asks you what you would have done differently to your party in Parliament in the last few years. Saying it’s all been fantastic and you agree with everything they did may burnish your loyalty but it also shows that you haven’t been paying attention.

• Hone your Political Brand – For safe seats, word gets around about who has been shortlisted. Selectors and your competition will not miss the opportunity to google you and find out more. Because bad news sells, they will be directed towards less than flattering stories unless you take the trouble to curate your image. This means a quick clearout of old social media at least. You will also need your own website if you want to promote yourself in a way that you can control.

• Develop an Interview Plan – Selections are unpredictable and that’s part of the fun. However you do have a fair idea of what attributes they are looking for and which questions they will ask. You need to be thinking about your responses and gathering the supporting experience you will need to answer those questions. At least have an answer to the question Why are You the Best Candidate for This constituency? Also have a clear description of your Political Values and a solid plan for how your life will change if they select you.

I’m expecting a busy year supporting candidates and I’m looking for more clients. I don’t take everyone on but an initial consultation is free so contact me to book a session.

Advocacy is an incredibly powerful tool for boosting your presentation skills. For politicians, salespeople and lawyers it is essential but it can help anyone who has to present to an audience.

Barristers learn this skill and it is taught by many top fee paying schools as an essential for leadership  but anyone can learn the techniques, so here are five steps to turbocharge your presentation:

FIRST – FOCUS ON THE ACTION

First, you need to focus on the steps you want your audience to take. This is about so much more than just imparting information.

Perhaps you want them to vote for you, or buy a product, or join a movement for social change. Or maybe you want to impress your colleagues and advance your career – a good ten minute speech will build your reputation more effectively than months of unrecognised desk bound effort.

You also need to know your audience, so you can understand how they feel at the start of your performance and what you will need to achieve in the time you are in front of them.

SECOND – CONTENT IS KING

Presenters can get over anxious about body language or nerves. But think of the great speakers that you have seen in action – do Boris Johnson, Tony Blair or David Cameron worry about body language? Many of the personal traits you might think you need to eliminate actually make you look more authentic and less rehearsed. Once on stage it’s much more productive to be thinking about what you will say next than worrying about having your hand in your pocket or how many times you have said ‘erm’.

So you need really good content and it should be assembled in a way that makes your case. It is important to understand causation – why will doing what you recommend achieve this result? And why will this result benefit your audience? Those are two key questions that you need to address.

Also consider the possible objections and how they can be neutralised.

THIRD – BUILD AROUND A CLEAR STRUCTURE

All the content should be assembled in a structure. Every speech should have an opening, a middle and a closing – like a game of chess. The Opening is where you build rapport, the Middle is where you make your case, and the Close is where you call to Action. Having a structure ensures that you remember all your key points and that you make them at the right time.

FOURTH – USE DEVICES APPROPRIATELY

You can use a range of devices in your speech but they must be deployed at the right time and in the right way for maximum impact:

Data – used to back up your arguments with facts and build authenticity. Don’t do too much of this, just select a few impactful figures and focus on them. A blizzard of stats will lose your audience. Data should be used in the Middle of the speech.

Experiences – it’s become fashionable in management circles to describe these as Storytelling. Their value is in their memorability. Your experiences are unique to you and they are the part of your speech that most people will recall. Use them to build rapport in the Opening and to illustrate your case in the Middle.

Humour – can be tricky as it depends on good timing so thorough practice is needed if it is going to work. Use it to break the ice and build rapport in the Opening and perhaps to break up a lengthy Middle. Avoid anything that will cause offence. If you aren’t sure a remark is funny, that is because it isn’t.

Emotion – creating an emotional response is a great way of building support but you mustn’t over use it. In particular, your case should rely on logic and causation, not emotion. I suggest that you save it for the Closing where you can boost your call to Action.

FIFTH – PREPARATION BUILDS CONFIDENCE

It takes time but an important speech should be rehearsed until you are comfortable with it. Initially this is as easy as writing it down and reading it aloud, possibly recording your efforts and playing it back.

You will be able to spot words that you trip over and these should be changed. Longer sentences should be broken up to give you space to take a breath – otherwise you will rush and stumble.

Bear in mind that practice always takes less time than the real performance. You need to leave space for applause and laughter but even if there is no audience reaction it will still take a bit longer, so shorten your speech to create some spare time.

Capitalise key words in each sentence so that you lean into them and emphasise them.

After several practices you should be familiar with the phrases so that you can present without notes or at least not falter if you lose your place on the big day.

FINALLY – THE BIG DAY

Arrive early so you can get a feel for the room. Do the microphones work? Are there strange echoes you need to get used to? How do the audience feel? Are there any distractions?

And when you finish, take stock of how it went and what you can do to improve next time. Perhaps over a glass of wine – you will have earned it!

My blog contains a lot of useful tips for speakers and they are available for free, but I also work one to one with clients, ensuring they can Be Their Best when it really counts. You can Contact me for a free consultation.

We all make mistakes. In politics it has become all too easy to cause offence. Apologising is difficult but it is often necessary and it needs to be done swiftly and professionally.

OFFENCE TAKING AS A MEDIA TACTIC

Unfortunately taking offence is now often used as a vehicle to raise issues. A leading campaigner once told me that if he could get the name of a celebrity or a politician into a story it was much more likely to get media attention. In newspapers and broadcast studios Conflict Sells.

So an individual claiming to take offence may not be offended at all. They may be quite pleased to have the opportunity to promote their demands or products, albeit at another human being’s expense.

In a situation like this you may not need to apologise at all. It may be best just to keep quiet until the story burns itself out. Responding will only create another round of bad publicity.

APOLOGISING FOR OTHERS

A recent tactic, pioneered by Tony Blair and copied by many politicians, is to apologise for things that are historical or express shame for what somebody else has done.

That is not a real apology.

It’s actually a devious way to criticise others and distance yourself from their actions.

Real apologies concern your own faults, not other peoples’.

EMPTY APOLOGIES

Political apologies are often couched in the ‘Sorry You took offence at what I said’ style.

This is an Empty Apology. It is Victim Blaming and is so worthless that you might as well just keep quiet.

REASONS TO APOLOGISE

Apologising is difficult but there are often good reasons to bite the bullet.

First, you may actually be wrong. When you are in a hole you need to put away the shovel.

Second, you may need to work with the person you offended in future. You might need their cooperation or even their votes in a tight contest. The sooner you start to build bridges, the better.

Third, you may need to avoid legal action. An unpleasant feature of modern politics is the speed with which some people reach for their lawyer. If you get to court and are found to be in the wrong it will be expensive and humiliating. If you are vindicated in court it can still be expensive and humiliating. My advice is to avoid getting dragged into the legal quagmire.

So what does a Genuine Apology look like? It needs to contain two elements – genuine contrition and concrete steps to make amends.

GENUINE CONTRITION

This requires an understanding of why the other party has been wronged. You might have to read up about them and their circumstances so you can see the issue from their point of view.

Equipped with this knowledge, you should produce a statement that demonstrates and understanding of and empathy for their situation. This does not mean that you have to execute a U turn and agree with them however you do need to recognise and acknowledge their experiences.

MAKING AMENDS

You also need to take some concrete steps to show that the apology is heartfelt. At it’s simplest, this might mean meeting with the other party and hearing their story at first hand. You may need to visit somewhere with them or even become an ally if they have a convincing case.

Famously, Boris Johnson once travelled to Liverpool to deliver a personal apology and meet people after publishing some disparaging remarks about the city. The episode attracted a lot of publicity.

However as he was required to do this by The Party Leader, the apology lacked authenticity. He was the politician who took the credit and Boris just got the grief. Apologies should be done on your own terms whenever possible, not as a result of somebody else’s orders.

Genuine Apologies are sometimes necessary. Everyone makes mistakes so a degree of public humility does not go amiss if the situation is handled swiftly and with sensitivity.

And everyone needs help at some time so contact me for one to one advice.

It is over 20 years since the first elections were held for the devolved assemblies in Wales and London. Conservatives with an eye on a Westminster seat once viewed them as poor relations but times have changed.

There is now a greater interest amongst Conservative candidates. With the party gaining so many Westminster seats and planning a boundary review to cut their number, opportunities for a career at the House of Commons will be more limited in the coming decade.

Several London Assembly Members who came to prominence during Boris Johnson’s Mayoralty have gained safe seats and swift promotion to senior ministerial posts. The Assembly is no longer seen as a political backwater or a glorified local council.

With stronger competition for places Conservative HQ is reportedly reviewing the process for approving and selecting candidates. Many of the attributes required by MPs are valuable in other political roles but there are some differences that aspiring candidates should be aware of:

COMMUNICATION

If anything, communication skills are even more important at this level. The number of politicians is lower than at Westminster – even if the Welsh Parliament implements plans to increase the number – and that makes the roles more exposed. Regional media are more likely to approach Members for comment so the ability to present a strong argument on television or radio is vital.

For list Members the most effective way to reach a large but widely dispersed audience is going to be social media and this is also the case for larger rural constituencies in Wales. A strong presence on Facebook and Twitter will be a big bonus.

INTELLECT

A lot of the day to day work involves scrutiny of proposals in committee. The ability to swiftly understand, question and explain complex material will really boost a Member’s performance.

In both Wales and London it is a hard fact that Conservatives will often find themselves in opposition. The role provides far more scope for questioning and amending proposals than the tightly whipped corridors of Westminster. Experience of legal drafting, taking part in and chairing high profile committees will be valuable right from the start of a Member’s term of office.

In opposition there is time to devise, test and promote alternative policies and this can also generate valuable publicity. London Assembly Member Andrew Boff has pioneered the use of the Conservative team’s platform and expertise to road test alternative policies for the capital.

ABILITY TO RELATE TO PEOPLE

Larger constituencies with a tighter field of responsibility have reduced the interaction with constituents in London. Welsh constituencies are more manageable but the List Members will still face this problem. It is often useful to interact with resident associations and representative groups who can help to raise a Member’s profile. With so much ground to cover every encounter needs to be leveraged for maximum effect.

A key aim of devolution is to develop tailored solutions to local problems rather than relying on a Whitehall driven universal approach. Candidates who can identify with local people and concerns have a better chance of success – as long as they don’t fall into the trap of lazily blaming the government in London for everything that doesn’t work out.

LEADERSHIP

Westminster MPs devote a lot of time to leading campaigning activity in their seats. It is important for devolved politicians to lead in the same way but it is also more challenging. The Conservative Party is organised around Parliamentary constituencies which are not an ideal fit for other representatives. The party’s culture also places a higher value on its MPs. For List Members the challenge is even greater.

Being seen during election campaigns and leading from the front is really important. Each Member will need to be able to build relationships with several MPs and Westminster candidates because they will need their help to retain their seats.

RESILIENCE

Resilience is vital in all political roles. There will be many disappointments and candidates need to be able to bounce back from adversity. At devolved level the limited powers of the position are even more restrictive than for MPs. To get things done requires lateral thinking and an enthusiasm to try new solutions to long standing problems.

CONVICTION

Political beliefs are always key – without a guiding philosophy it is all too easy for pressure groups to influence decisions. All politicians will face judgement at the ballot box eventually.

The devolved bodies are different because proportional representation is designed to give smaller parties a disproportionate influence. Members will need to be able to reach compromises and build alliances to implement their proposals. The ability to understand where other people are coming from is valuable in this environment, which is less confrontational than Westminster.

Experience at local council level counts for more in devolved bodies than in the House of Commons and it should be viewed as a positive by candidate assessors as well as a good proving ground for their skills.

KEY SKILLS

The party should be looking particularly for candidates who can handle mass communication, who have demonstrated good influencing skills and who can take a thoughtful and innovative approach to policy development and scrutiny.

But candidates who see London or Cardiff as steps on the road to Westminster need to be aware that their performance will be highly visible and this could break their reputation just as easily as it has the potential to make it. Every speech they deliver and every meeting they attend will be recorded and publicly available so they had better be on top of their game. If they can’t give the job their undivided attention, they would do better to seek another route to the Green Benches.

If you think you would be suitable for a political role in devolved government contact me to find out more.