The Agenda for this year’s Scottish Conference will be sent to members tomorrow but I’ve had a bit of a sneak peek. I’d better not give you the full list of timings and the like because Scottish Conference Convener Sheila Thomson would spank me if I did, but I can tell you that there is plenty of scope for controversy and debate.
There are more policy debates than for some considerable time – 9 in total with 6 coming from local parties or members. Scottish Conference will get the chance to have its say on the controversial secret courts legislation. Should parents have the right to a defence of “reasonable chastisement?” Should we ban snaring? Liberal Youth Scotland thinks so, but some of our rural members may feel differently.
There’s all sorts of controversy about the Scottish Constitution, but what about the rights of Orkney and Shetland within it? A motion talking about the position of the northern isles in relation to the 1707 Act of Union, and supporting them in exercising their right to self determination of their own future is up for discussion.
The challenges facing young adults leaving care and a call for investment in talking therapies for mental health to mirror that introduced by Nick Clegg south of the border are another two issues up for discussion. The mental health motion also talks about tackling stigma and therapies for self-harm.
There will be keynote speeches from Nick Clegg, Willie Rennie, Mike Moore, Vince Cable and Danny Alexander, a packed fringe programme and policy development workshops and training. A dinner with John Thurso as guest speaker and Liberal Youth Scotland’s legendary quiz are here for evening entertainment.
Conference is being held at West Park in Dundee from 15-17 March. For further information and to register, please contact Linda Wilson on [email protected] or via 0131 337 2314. If you register within the next 24 hours you will pay a discounted rate so get on with it!
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
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3 Comments
Orkney and Shetland and their rights will be decided in a democratic referendum held in Scotland of which they are part the last time I looked. Tavish lost 19% of his vote in the last election because people realised that his knowledge is so limited that he is trying to con his electorate that they would have a 200 mile claim of the North Sea oil reserves completely contrary to international law for autonomous Islands sited on another countries continental shelf.
Sorry Tavish the Lords will be off limits for you as Nicol was the last one who decided that London was a way of spending more time with his family rather than Edinburgh, hint SatNav for xmas gift might not go amiss.
ps. enjoy your chin wag but watch out for Dalex as Greens were on 6% and LibDems on 5% on regional vote.
And what point does Conference service? Looking at Lib Dems against Secret Courts not a single MP will come out in opposition to Part II despite the motion passed in the autumn.
The Orkey and Shetlands were originally Celtic, but became part of Norway. They have been part of the Kingdom of Scotland since the 15th Century and were part of that realm at the time of the Union with England.
I find it interesting that this is an agenda item, but there is no mention of the return of Berwick on Tweed to Scotland as being an item? In the 15th century, the English took the castle . The town by the authority of James V1 became neutral around 1603 and remained so until 1885, when it was arbitrarily included in Northumberland for voting purposes, and since then has been included in England. The majority of residents of the town in a straw poll indicated that they would rather be in Scotland…and most Scots would agree with this sentiment.
If we have an agenda concerning the northern islands, albeit when the Orcadians and Shetlanders seem happy to be in Scotland adding to the country’s flavour, it would seem an agenda is more importantto assist Berwickers to return to Scotland when they have expressed this wish.