Word of Warning

Election time usually excites a lot of interest, and the people applying are a real mix. If you are thinking of standing there are a couple of things to bear in mind.

1) It's hard work - my time on the NME matched my real job in terms of hours worked per week. Difference is - my real job paid me, the NME cost money (a lot of money). If you are going to do it you need to be able to put most other things on hold and be prepared to commit to 9 months of hard slog.

2) Expect no help - CF as it currently stands has no functioning system of member support and no budget (at least not one the NME get to see). Therefore expect everything you do to be done completely as a result of your own efforts. (eg. CF TV, and CF Net are done on blog software for a reason, and not just because it's user friendly)

3) Politicians Beware - though we all campaign for our jobs, the work is more akin to a civil service. If you expect great rewards, recognition or a shortcut to the A-List, perhaps its time to reconsider. Having said that, youth politics can get very nasty, so prepare yourself for some dodgy dealings and lots of firefighting of egos and rows.

IF, after all that, you can still recognise that CF is an essential element to the future success of this great party, and that it MUST to be turned around, then good luck! (Am happy to sign nomination papers to ensure a large field; after all, Caroline and I signed each others in a fit of sportsmanship)