The Liberal Democrats are proud to announce the hosting of the ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe) Congress in London at the end of November this year.

The ALDE Party Congress is the biggest annual event gathering Liberals across Europe:

• over 650 members of liberal parties from around the continent;
• top politicians including Prime Ministers, European Commissioners, Ministers, Members of the European and national Parliaments, Members of the Committee of the Regions, and many other delegates
• an event with European visibility, acknowledging the role of the supporting party within both a European and the national political context
• topical debates, high level speeches and policy discussions

The congress will be opened by Nick Clegg, and offers a perfect opportunity for Liberal Democrats to emphasise the positive aspects of the EU membership and to strengthen our message in the run-up to the 2014 European Elections.
 
Jobs and Growth – a strong UK in Europe

In recent years we have witnessed an increasingly vocal anti-European sentiment across the UK, with UKIP and a sizeable majority amongst the Conservative Party seeking to take Britain out of the European Union and leave her isolated. The Liberals Democrats want to offer a more compelling alternative: a strong UK, influential in Europe, and so, more influential in the world – working with our allies on the issues that matter to our prosperity and security. We believe that the UK’s EU membership is in the national interest. As a country, we have astonishing record of successful leadership and must remain as a leading partner in the Union.

Half of our trade is with Europe, over half of investment comes from Europe and Europe helps open up new export opportunities around the world for British companies. EU membership is responsible for keeping many jobs in Britain, is thought to add over £3,000 in extra income for British families and has attracted hundreds of billions of pounds worth of investment to the UK. In addition, Europe’s collective strength in trade negotiations helps unlock greater trading opportunities for British exporters such as the recent EU-South Korea Free Trade deal worth £500m a year to British businesses. 
 
In 2014 we will see the most important elections determining our force as liberals in the European Parliament. As part of the ALDE, we need to remain as a strong voice in the European Parliament, and the Congress, in determining the content of the Europe-wide liberal manifesto for the campaign to come, will be critical in articulating that message.

So, stay tuned for more information as details are confirmed, and mark 28-30 November in your diary…