For the avoidance of doubt, I'll be voting @LaylaMoran when my ballot arrives later today. There are many reasons why, but I thought I'd focus on one aspect here (which, yes, calls for another self-indulgent leadership thread) #VoteLayla

Back in 2018, I was part of a student homelessness campaign called On Your Doorstep. OYD did a lot of work locally, including challenging the council's various homelessness policies (which long-term followers of mine will remember me harping on about at length)

OYD also identified the 1824 Vagrancy Act, which effectively criminalised rough sleepers as "vagrants", as needing reform. We wrote to dozens of MPs to get them to change this law (on which, see this article by OYD's then-Chair: https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2018/mar/02/privileged-students-homelessness-crisis-oxford)

Layla was the MP to take up the mantle. Within two weeks of emailing, she raised it in Parliament, assembled a campaign, and raised the issue in the media. Over the yr, she teamed up with @crisis_uk to launch a report, even getting a minister to promise to some (tbd) reform

All this is to say that Layla is an excellent campaigner. She instinctively jumps on injustices, and this is just one (imo under-discussed) example of that. As a small party, we need cut-through and radical campaigns, and Layla does that naturally and with ease

"But what of the ever-so-important soft Conservatives? Weren't they turned off by such a powerful campaign based on social justice?"

Far from it. Voters were drawn to us, regardless of who they voted for last time, because they saw Layla's clear conviction to fairness

Over the last few years campaigning in OxWAb, countless times I've spoken to someone on the doorstep who has praised Layla at length and promised their support, only to check MiniVan and see they were down as a "Strong Conservative" two years ago. This is what we need.

I suppose there are several points I'm getting at here

Layla has an instinct for social justice, and won't shy away from powerfully campaigning for it. She listens to constituents and young people, and that's reflected by their respect for her. She gets needed media cut-through.

When you vote, don't vote based on the fictitious caricature of the "moderate Conservative" we've all recently invented as our target - it's more complicated than that, and Layla demonstrates best how we win people's hearts and minds

(see also: https://twitter.com/Finn_Conway/status/1273739589811757056)

So, please vote for @LaylaMoran when you get your ballot. Don't be persuaded by swathes of establishment endorsements - dig a little deeper and consider the points I've raised here. Please also read this excellent article by @nickjbarlow if you have time: https://medium.com/@nick.barlow/how-im-voting-in-the-2020-liberal-democrat-leadership-election-c6e688a28bdc

The party needs a change of direction and good kick up the backside. We can (and ought to) do better than 6%. Move forwards together and #VoteLayla