Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg has today announced the participants in the Liberal Democrat Leadership Programme. The Leadership Programme is designed to support future Parliamentary candidates from under-represented backgrounds through training, mentoring, shadowing opportunities and more.

More than two-thirds of participants are female and a third are from BME backgrounds. Furthermore, a significant number of participants are disabled, openly LGBT, under 30 years old and/or from a lower socio-economic background.

Commenting, Nick Clegg said:

"The Leadership Programme is now ready to start changing the face of the Liberal Democrats. For too long, our party in Westminster has been too male and too pale.

"If we want to represent all of the country then we must have all of the country represented in us. That is why the Leadership Programme has sought out talented Liberal Democrats from across the country to ensure that over the coming years we will together change the makeup of the party.

"I know this excellent Leadership Programme will support them as they seek selection for a seat all the way until they sit in the House of Commons. I am proud to have met them all this weekend and I know we will be hearing a lot more from them in the months and years to come."