Council election candidates and new VN Council member announced

Today we announce the candidates standing in the 2019 RCVS Council elections and confirming the two members of Veterinary Nurses Council who were nominated this year.

There are nine candidates standing in this year’s RCVS Council election, including five existing Council members eligible for re-election and four candidates not currently on Council. They are:

• Dr Linda Belton MRCVS
• Dr Niall Connell MRCVS
• Mr John C Davies MRCVS
• Dr Joanna (Jo) Dyer MRCVS
• Professor Timothy (Tim) Greet FRCVS
• Professor John Innes FRCVS
• Dr Thomas (Tom) Lonsdale MRCVS
• Dr Katherine (Kate) Richards MRCVS
• Mr Peter Robinson MRCVS

Following the changes made to our governance arrangements last year, after a Legislative Reform Order changing the size and composition of Council was passed by Parliament, there will be only three elected places available for the candidates, as opposed to six in the years prior to the governance changes.

This year there will be no election for Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council as only two candidates – current VN Council Vice-Chair Liz Cox and newcomer Jane Davidson – stood for the two available places for elected members. Both Liz and Jane will start their three-year terms on VN Council at Royal College Day on Friday 12 July 2019.

Racheal Marshall, Chair of VN Council, commented: “First, I would welcome our new VN Council member Jane Davidson who is well-known to many in the profession as @JaneRVN, a prolific tweeter on all things #planetrvn and a powerful advocate for the veterinary nursing profession through her work with the media, including her regular Vet Times blog. I also wish to congratulate Liz who I am sure will continue to be a great asset to VN Council for a further three years.

“However, it is disappointing that there were not enough candidates standing for us to hold an election this year and give the profession the opportunity to exercise their democratic right and decide who they wish to elect. We will be taking stock of the situation over the next few months and considering how we can do more to promote the activities and decisions of VN Council and its members in the hope that, next year, we will see an increase in the numbers standing as candidates.”

Regarding the RCVS Council election, ballot papers and candidates’ details are due to be posted and emailed to all veterinary surgeons eligible to vote during the week commencing 25 March, and all votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday 26 April 2019.

In order to give the electorate a better idea of why each candidate is standing and ask them for their views on particular issues, this year we are again inviting members of the profession to ‘Quiz the candidates’ by putting their questions directly to the candidates. Each candidate will be invited to choose two questions to answer from all those received, and produce a video recording of their answers. Recordings will be published on the RCVS website and YouTube channel on the week the election commences.

The biographies and statements for each candidate in the RCVS Council election can be found on the dedicated Council election page.

Vets should email their question (NB only one per person) to [email protected] or send it to our Twitter account @theRCVS using the hashtag #vetvote19 by midday on Monday 4 March 2019.