RCVS & VN Councils elections 2016: time to quiz the candidates!

We're pleased to announce the candidates standing in the 2016 RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council elections and, once again, we're inviting veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to put their questions to them directly in this year’s ‘Quiz the candidates’.

Providing a way for all vets and vet nurses to put their own questions to the candidates is now an integral part of the elections, and one which we hope will continue to encourage people to get involved and have their say.

Nick Stace, CEO

There are eight candidates contesting six places in the RCVS Council election, including four existing Council members eligible for re-election and four new candidates. They are:

• Mr Christopher Barker MRCVS
• Ms Amanda Boag MRCVS
• Dr Melissa Donald MRCVS
• Miss Lucie Goodwin MRCVS
• Mr Thomas Lonsdale MRCVS
• Professor Stephen May FRCVS
• Dr Cheryl Scudamore FRCVS
• Dr Christopher (Kit) Sturgess MRCVS

Six veterinary nurses are contesting two places in this year’s VN Council elections, all of whom are new candidates. They are:

• Mrs Stacey Bullock RVN
• Miss Racheal Marshall RVN
• Mrs Wendy Nevins RVN
• Mr Matthew Rendle RVN
• Mrs Samantha Thompson RVN
• Miss Helen Tottey RVN

Ballot papers and candidates’ details are due to be posted to all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses eligible to vote during the week commencing 14 March, and all votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday, 29 April 2016.

Once again we're inviting members of both professions to ‘Quiz the candidates’ by putting their questions directly to all those standing for election.

Each candidate will then be invited to choose two questions to answer from all those received, and produce a video recording of their answers. All recordings will be published on our website on Thursday 17 March.

“Last year, all election candidates produced videos for the first time and, with over 3,500 views in total, it seemed a popular way for voters to find out more about the individuals who were standing,” says RCVS Chief Executive Nick Stace.

“Providing a way for all vets and vet nurses to put their own questions to the candidates is now an integral part of the elections, and one which we hope will continue to encourage people to get involved and have their say.”

Vets and nurses should email their question (NB only one per person) to [email protected] or [email protected], post it on the our Facebook page or on Twitter using the hashtags #vetvote16 or #VNvote16, respectively, by midday on Monday, 29 February.