Quiz the candidates for RCVS Council

We have announced the candidates standing in the 2018 RCVS Council election and are, once again, inviting veterinary surgeons to put their questions to them directly in this year’s ‘Quiz the candidates’.

There are 10 candidates standing in this year’s elections, including four existing Council members eligible for re-election and six candidates not currently on Council. They are:

• Mr David Catlow MRCVS
• Mr John C Davies MRCVS
• Dr Mandisa Greene MRCVS
• Miss Karlien Heyrman MRCVS
• Professor John Innes FRCVS
• Dr Thomas Lonsdale MRCVS
• Dr Susan Paterson FRCVS
• Mr Matthew Plumtree MRCVS
• Mr Iain Richards MRCVS
• Colonel Neil Smith FRCVS

At present, we are still waiting for our Legislative Reform Order (LRO) concerning our governance arrangements, including a reduction in the size of Council, to be approved. Under current arrangements six candidates will be elected to RCVS Council – however, if the LRO completes the legislative process and is passed by both Houses of Parliament, then only the three candidates with the most votes will take up their places on Council.

Due to changes in VN Council’s governance arrangements, including a reduction in the number of elected members, there will be no VN Council election this year.

Ballot papers and candidates’ details are due to be posted to all veterinary surgeons eligible to vote during the week commencing 12 March, and all votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday 27 April 2018.

Once again this year we are inviting veterinary surgeons to ‘Quiz the candidates’ by putting their questions directly to all those standing for election. 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 our website.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar, said: “After last year’s record turnout in the RCVS Council elections we are continuing to work with Electoral Reform Services (ERS) to make it easier for members to vote for their preferred candidates.

“While the traditional paper ballot papers and booklets will be posted as usual, ERS will once again send personalised emails linking members to their unique secure voting website and then send regular reminders to those who haven’t yet had the chance have their say.”

Vets should either email their question (NB only one per person) to [email protected] or tweet it using the hashtag #vetvote18 by midday on Monday 26 February.