Author Archives: Caron Lindsay

Caron Lindsay

Don’t forget to contribute to the General Election Review

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 16th October 2024 - 4:34 pm

After every General Election, it’s become our habit to have a good look at what went well and what went badly and publish a General Election Review.

This year’s will doubtless be a lot happier than the last few. The Review team is led by Tim Farron. He is joined by

Cllr Ade Adeyemo
Paul Farthing
Cllr Donna Harris
Cllr Emma Holland-Lindsay
Mike O’Carroll
Sally Pattle

Their remit is to:

  • review the party’s performance at the general election, based on both the campaign period itself and the preparatory work and strategy through the whole Parliament.
  • particularly focus on the lessons relevant to the party’s next stages of development, including the linkages between electoral success at different levels, and make recommendations accordingly.

Time is running out to complete the online survey. The website says that it is open until 3 November – which isn’t long – but one of the review team said in a WhatsApp chat that it closed on 18 October, eg this Friday. So if you haven’t completed it yet, you’d be well advised to get a wiggle on.

I think that our campaign was perfect for the moment. But the moment was that the entire country wanted rid of the Tories. Our fun filled campaign, built on years of careful campaigning, did what it needed to.

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Caron Lindsay

It’s a Liberal Democrat Opposition Day in Parliament

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 16th October 2024 - 8:39 am

Today is the first Liberal Democrat Opposition Day of this Parliament. This means that we need to set the agenda. Does anyone want to take a guess about the topics we have chosen to debate?

You get no brownie points if you correctly answered Carers and Health – though you could, I guess have chosen sewage. We are highlighting the issues that we ran on during not just the election but in the four years leading up to it.

Our Carer’s Allowance motion says:

That this House recognises the remarkable contributions that the UK’s 5.7 million unpaid carers make to society and the huge financial challenges many face; notes with deep concern that tens of thousands of carers are unfairly punished for overpayments of Carer’s Allowance due to the £151-a-week earnings limit; believes that carers should not be forced to face the stress, humiliation and fear caused by demands for repayments of Carer’s Allowance; condemns the previous Government for failing to address this scandal; calls on the Government to write-off existing overpayments immediately, raise the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit and introduce a taper to end the unfair cliff edge; and further calls on the Government to conduct a comprehensive review of support for carers to help people juggle care and work.

The health one is about access to GPs and dentists:

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Caron Lindsay

Maiden Speeches: Ian Sollom, MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 11th October 2024 - 3:15 pm

Ian Sollom, MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire made his maiden speech in the debate on the NHS on Tuesday 8 October.

The text is below:

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Caron Lindsay

PMQs 2 Helen Morgan and Wendy Chamberlain take on Starmer

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 9th October 2024 - 5:25 pm

Keir Starmer not only had to face Ed Davey today, but two other Liberal Democrats, Helen Morgan and Wendy Chamberlain.

Helen asked him about much needed work on the A483 in her North Shropshire constituency:

Here’s the exchange in full:

The A483 runs through my constituency from Llanymynech to Oswestry. It is one of the busiest and most dangerous roads in the constituency, and National Highways says the crossroads at Llynclys is the worst accident blackspot in the midlands. It has a proposal to improve the situation, but Treasury rules place a higher value on road speed than on the lives of North Shropshire’s residents. Will the Prime Minister look at flexing those rules to back National Highways and my residents, to give them the safe road they deserve? (900579)

The Prime Minister

I thank the hon. Member for raising this. It is obviously a big and important issue in her constituency. It is vital that as we invest we improve safety and deliver better journeys for drivers. National Highways continues to study the case for safety improvements to the A483 and will continue to do so. As she probably knows, decisions will be set out under the third road investment strategy. I know that the Roads Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham South (Lilian Greenwood), will have heard her representations and will agree to a meeting, if that is what she would like.

Today is PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day. PANS stands for Paediatric Acute-onset Neuro-psychiatric Syndrome and PANDAs stands for Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections. Wendy has been interested in this since the parents of a constituent told her of the trauma they had suffered with their own child. Last year Wendy led a debate on the issue which you can read here.

At that time she said:

We do not need to be parents ourselves, although many of us here may be, to understand how utterly distressing it must be to have a formerly healthy, happy child suddenly find themselves unable to leave their bedroom, dress, eat, wash, talk to others or attend school and to see them vanish as the illness takes over. Sadly, that distress is compounded and worsened many times over by the lack of available support for patients and their families, as PANS is often not even suggested, considered or acknowledged.

Wendy took the opportunity of PANS/PANDAS Awareness day to ask for a meeting with the Department for Health on getting more funding for investigations and research. She said:

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Caron Lindsay

PMQs: Ed quizzes Starmer on Europe

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 9th October 2024 - 3:47 pm

It’s great seeing Ed getting a guaranteed two cracks of the whip at PMQs every week.

And many people in the party will be thrilled that he pushed the PM on Europe and asked him to consider a youth mobility scheme to give people in their 20s the chance to live and work in Europe for 3 years.

I did wonder before the recess if he was maybe letting Starmer off the hook on his second questions and I think he could have pressed that point a bit further today – though he did say he would leave it for another time before moving on to improving the trade deal.

I look back with fondness on Willie Rennie’s legendary and dogged persistence of one issue at a time with the SNP, whether it be college cuts, ferries, conditions in prisons, free school meals or mental health at First Minister’s Questions. He would prosecute a line pretty forensically over several weeks and that got him noticed. And sometimes it resulted in concessions from the Government when he had destroyed all their rebuttals.

I get the argument that keeping Starmer guessing about the topic also has its merits, but I would like to see a bit more follow-through. When the Prime Minister fails to answer the question the first time, I’d like to see Ed find his inner terrier.

Watch the first question here.

The text of the full exchange is below

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Caron Lindsay

LibLink: Donna Harris on improving equality in maternal and neonatal outcomes

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 2nd October 2024 - 8:36 pm

Layla Moran, Hina Bokhari with LDW members after maternal inequality debate

One of the most moving and powerful debates at our recent Brighton Conference was on a motion from the official Lib Dem Women organisation on improving the inherent inequality in neonatal and maternity care.

I wrote about the debate at the time:

Lib Dem Women had put forward a motion on tackling inequality in pregnancy and neonatal care. Some of the stories of maternal and pregnancy loss were shocking,  and the higher rates among black and Asian communities shameful.  Laura Gordon told a terrible story about the death of a young refugee who didn’t get the care she needed and died. Maybe if she had had an interpreter, her life might have been saved. There’s no sign of Labour improving things because of the lack of money. As Tam Langley said “We have to invest in babies who can’t wait for the economy to recover.”

Donna Harris has written an article for Comment Central about the motion and why it was needed.

espite being the second-largest economy in Europe, the UK has a higher infant mortality rate than 26 of its European neighbours, earning a troubling reputation as the infant mortality capital of Europe. How is this possible? These deaths are preventable. These tragedies are avoidable. Yet, nearly half of our maternity services are rated as “inadequate” or “requiring improvement” by the Care Quality Commission

The motion called for those who had suffered pregnancy loss to be offered help and support by the NHS after one miscarriage, not three. Donna explains why:

Women who suffer miscarriages often face not only the grief of losing their babies but also often endure traumatic medical interventions. Their pain and trauma are often dismissed, swept under the carpet as if it never happened. In the National Health Service, a woman must endure three miscarriages before being referred to a consultant. It is little surprise that many women who experience pregnancy loss suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and perinatal obsessive-compulsive disorder. This policy must change now!

The figures on infant mortality for black and asian mothers and babies babies compared to white mothers and babies are shocking:

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Caron Lindsay

Former Scottish Lib Dem Press Officer Neil Mackinnon dies suddenly

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 30th September 2024 - 11:58 pm

I am so incredibly sad tonight.

I woke up from a nap this afternoon to see the dreadful news that Neil Mackinnon, our first Press Officer in the Scottish Parliament, had died suddenly and unexpectedly.

I know that many of our Scottish readers will share my shock and sadness.

When I first came back to Scotland 24 years ago, Neil was one of the first people I got to know.  He had a really funny dry wit and he was one of the wisest liberals. He was very good at sitting me down and trying to talk me round to the establishment position and sometimes he even managed it.  I’ll never forget the raising of his eyebrow when I did something he disapproved of – and the twinkle in his eye that gave away that he wasn’t really that mad.

He stopped working for the party about 15 years ago and went off to work for the Edinburgh Fringe and then the UK Government in various guises but he was still a supporter and constructively critical friend of the party. He could phone canvass like a demon, too.

There is something going on in my life at the moment that I know he would have liked and I had been meaning to message him to tell him. Lesson for today is when you have the thought to contact someone, just bloody do it there and then.

Alongside Neil in the Scottish Parliament worked a young Alex Cole-Hamilton. He paid tribute to Neil tonight. Here’s the press release in full:

The Scottish Liberal Democrats regret to report that our friend and former colleague Neil Mackinnon has died suddenly and unexpectedly.

Neil worked for the Scottish Liberal Democrats in the press office for the period from before the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 until 2009. After leaving Holyrood he went on to enjoy a career with the Edinburgh Fringe, and then as a project manager first with HMRC and then the UK Government.

Neil was a familiar figure to those working in Scottish politics, especially at Holyrood and will be sorely missed.

He died last week suddenly and unexpectedly. Formal legal processes still need to be undertaken before any further news or announcements can be made.

The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

“Neil was a fierce defender of liberalism and he was our friend. An important voice in the early days of the Scottish Parliament, Neil was liked immensely across the political spectrum and throughout the press pack.

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Caron Lindsay

Scottish Lib Dems celebrate TWO by-election wins

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 28th September 2024 - 7:55 am

Back in the day, before even blackberries were invented, the more tech savvy MPs were issued with these palm pilot things so they could get their emails on the move.

When I worked for him, Willie Rennie would spend Friday afternoons constantly checking his waiting for the ALDC email with all the local government by-elections in it. He used to get so excited, like a child who’s been told he can go to the sweetie shop after school and spend all his pocket money.

These days, you don’t have to wait for the email to come out. The results start rolling in on ALDC’s Twitter feed from midnight on Thursday onwards. Yesterday was Willie’s birthday and the Scottish Party delivered him not one but two new councillors.

Alex Cole-Hamilton, Cllr Liz Barrett, Cllr Alan Watt and Amanda Clark campaign in Strathallan

The first result from Strathallan in Perth and Kinross came in just after midnight. New Councillor Alan Watt had taken a seat from the Tories. The local team had been running a pretty joyous campaign. Not the best start to what would become Russell Findlay’s first day as Scottish Conservative leader.

Of Alan’s win, Alex said:

I am absolutely thrilled to see Scottish Liberal Democrats scoring an amazing by-election victory against the Conservatives in their heartlands of rural Perthshire. Alan is going to make a fantastic councillor, standing up for the people of Strathallan and championing the issues that matter to them.

This brilliant result comes hot on the heels of our party overtaking the Scottish Conservatives at the last general election. I am meeting more and more people who once voted for the Scottish Conservatives but feel disenchanted with the party as it lurches towards ever-greater extremes.

People across Scotland are crying out for a change to the SNP, but it’s clear the Conservatives can’t deliver that. That’s why more and more people are turning to the Liberal Democrats to get the fresh start we desperately need.

By backing the Scottish Liberal Democrats, you will get hard-working local champions who will put your priorities first. Only we have a plan to bring down NHS waiting lists, get a fair deal for carers, help struggling pensioners, lift up Scottish education and grow the economy.

Alan Watt added:

I am delighted to have been elected as the Liberal Democrat councillor for Strathallan, and I want to thank everyone who came out to help me deliver our positive message.

Across the ward, people are doing really great things for our community, so this is a chance to work well and ensure we can get the best outcomes for the people of Strathallan.

I want people to see that by backing the Liberal Democrats, you get someone who’ll fight for you and put the issues that matter at the very top of the agenda.

Alex Cole-Hamilton, Duncan Mackay, Cllr John Edmondson and Tracey Cooper in Cromarty Firth

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Caron Lindsay

Maiden speech: Charlie Maynard MP for Witney

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 26th September 2024 - 8:52 am

Charlie Maynard, our new MP for Witney, made his maiden speech on 9 September in a debate on Syria.

The text is below:

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Caron Lindsay

The most annoying thing Keir Starmer has done this week

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 22nd September 2024 - 10:13 am

Keir Starmer and Labour had earned the right to a bit celebration in Liverpool this week. Having turned Labour around from an utter mess to a party with the size of majority nobody should ever have, their Conference in Liverpool could have been an even bigger celebration than our display of sunshine and unbridled joy in Brighton last week.

However, the mood in Liverpool becomes gloomier with each headline.

And while some of the headlines are definitely the right wing press making trouble, others are signs of serious trouble within the Government.

Let’s take the fuss about the clothes first. Starmer,  his Deputy Angela Rayner and Chancellor Rachel Reeves tried to stem the damage from reports that they had taken thousands of pounds for work clothing from wealthy donors by announcing that they would no longer do so.

I find it difficult to muster up anything other than mild irritation about this. It absolutely does not look great to people who are struggling to pay the rent every month and there is an argument that this should have been blindingly obvious to those who benefitted from these generous donations. When you are taking a vital help with energy bills from poor pensioners and not doing anything about social care, you need to really think about how out of touch you can look if you are seen to be throwing yours or someone else’s money around. And they should maybe have seen that it would have been lumped together with everything we’ve heard about Tories in a recent years in a file marked “sleazy politicians.”

There is no equivalence between the profligate, venal, corrupt behaviour of the Tories, doing things like handing out billions of public money to their mates and the stories we have seen about Labour. Many people, on whose votes they rely, won’t necessarily look at the detail and see the massive difference in scale. They may well be propelled into the arms of populists as a result. And given that some of those populists earn an almost six figure sum for a few hours’ work a month on the media, there is an irony there.

As far as the clothing is concerned, maybe that is a bit on us as well. It is perfectly possible to look smart by picking up a dress and jacket, or suit from some well known High Street stores, but we all have unconscious biases about how people look that have been fed by the media for years. We also know that those biases apply much more to women than they do to men.

When it comes to Keir Starmer’s box at Arsenal, I can see his point of view on this. If he were to stay in the stands, the security would undoubtedly cost a fortune and we’d all be complaining about that. You can see why he thinks that having a box is less disruptive and solves that problem. Going to the football is something that he has long done with his son, who is not going to be a boy forever and I can’t find it in my heart to grudge him that.  In isolation, I don’t think anyone would have really bothered about this. The trouble is it’s being lumped in with all the other stuff.

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Caron Lindsay

In Full: Daisy Cooper’s speech to Conference

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 16th September 2024 - 2:57 pm

BBC Politics has a clip of  that incredibly moving part of Daisy Cooper’s speech in which she describes the moment she was told she needed major surgery or she had four days to live. And then the further blow that she was so ill that she would likely never work again.

Watch the whole thing:

Here’s the text of her speech in full:

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Caron Lindsay

WATCH: Wendy Chamberlain’s speech to Conference

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 16th September 2024 - 10:25 am

Wendy Chamberlain gave her keynote speech to Conference on Saturday. Enjoy:

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Caron Lindsay

Well that was massive – Lib Dem parliamentarians join hundreds in show of solidarity for trans people

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 15th September 2024 - 10:15 pm

Hundreds stand with long trans flag in show of solidarity

Following on from my post his morning about the show of solidarity with trans people planned for this lunchtime, this is how it went.

The event was attended by women and equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine MP, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, Baroness Sal Brinton and former leader Jo Swinson as well as hundreds of Conference goers.

Adrian Hyyryylainen-Trett has some more fabulous photos on Twitter:

The event was reported in Pink News and LGBT+ Chair and LDV editorial team member Charley Hasted is quoted:

Hasted said that the demonstration was designed to demonstrate their support for trans people, particularly in the context of widespread anti-trans rhetoric across the UK, and that LGBT+ Lib Dems would use it as a jumping off point to campaign for “reform and guidance on the law on protected beliefs”.

They continued: “This isn’t just about trans people- there are thousands of protected beliefs including veganism, Scottish independence, anarchism and so on. If a charity, trade union or political party can’t include or exclude people based on their beliefs then how do we maintain the existence of those organisations?”

They continued: “This isn’t just about trans people- there are thousands of protected beliefs including veganism, Scottish independence, anarchism and so on. If a charity, trade union or political party can’t include or exclude people based on their beliefs then how do we maintain the existence of those organisations?”

“It’s our job to take the gesture and use it make a real difference. We have to do better. All of us,” they added.

It’s important to say that this was a display of solidarity for trans rights, but the people who were there also fight for women’s rights, racial equality and rights for disabled people. We all stand side by side and fight for each other’s rights. That’s how it should be. We don’t try and divide and rule.

At the Federal Board report session today, Party President Mark Pack was asked about the decision to allow the anti trans group to have a stall by another friend of LDV, Leon Duveen. This is his response:

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Caron Lindsay

The reality of the crisis in our NHS

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 15th September 2024 - 9:12 pm

Today Lib Dem Conference debated health and social care and passed an 11 point plan to deal with the crisis the NHS faces.

The debate was unsurprisingly one of the most heavily subscribed at Conference.

Regular readers will know that Leicestershire Lib Dem Mathew Hulbert’s lovely mum Jackie passed away in 2022 two days after an eleven hour wait for an ambulance.

He had written a speech for the debate today but was one of many who were not called.

He sent us his speech and you can read it below.

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Caron Lindsay

Caling all trans allies in Brighton – show support at 1pm today

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 15th September 2024 - 10:58 am

Jude Parker spent two days this week sewing a huge trans Pride flag with the help of Douglas, her much loved sewing machine. It’s pretty massive 15 metres and weighs 4.5 kg. She carried it to Brighton along with the rest of the merch for the LGBT+ Lib Dems stall. It was a real labour of love in response to the blow of hearing that an anti trans group had been allowed to have a stall at Liberal Democrat conference.

This flag will be unfurled outside the Brighton Centre at 1pm today in a show of solidarity with trans people in our country and in our party. Everyone who supports trans rights is welcome to show support.

We are proud of our history as a party that has always stood up for LGBT+ rights, as we’ve stood up for women’s rights, for racial equality and human rights generally. It’s in our core.  So what on earth are we thinking allowing in a group that does not align with our values?

This group have been wanting to have a stall for some years and we have turned them down. In fact, the Federal Conference Committee turned them down again for this Conference. Unfortunately, the legal advice the party sought was apparently clear that we could be liable for significant costs and damages if, as was considered likely,  this group sued us.  They seem to have the resources to do so, and, unfortunately, LGBT+ people in the party do not have access to such deep pockets. So, FCC was over-ruled and they were given a stall.

There is surely an issue around access to justice in all of this. If only the rich can take action which sets legal precedents, there is a clear power imbalance which should worry us.

Some would argue that the party should have said, as Harry Willcock famously did in 1950 when asked to show his ID card “We’re liberals and we’re against this sort of thing.”

I can definitely see the logic in that and a bit of me wishes we had the courage to stand up against an unfair and illiberal law, even if the sums involved in defending a legal action makes me, as a recovering state party treasurer, wince with pain. Even if you win your case, you rarely get all your costs back and it’s expensive and time consuming.

Our conference exhibition is our shop window to the world. A law which compels us to include people who do not share our values on the grounds that they have a “protected belief” seems ridiculous. As a political party, we surely should have the right to choose who sits in our shop window.

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Caron Lindsay

Ed Davey on Kuenssberg: We’ll be a better opposition than the Conservatives

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 15th September 2024 - 10:09 am

Ed Davey did his Conference interview with Laura Kuenssberg this morning. Speaking from the top of the Brighton Centre after arriving at the Conference by jet-ski yesterday, he was quizzed about whether we were going soft on Labour. Were we actually going to challenge them.

Ed was keen to point out that we already had on issues like the Winter Fuel Payment, and we’d do it more effectively than the official opposition.

We will challenge them when we disagree with them. We’ll be a better opposition than the Conservatives who are going further to the right

We are keeping people’s trust by talking about the issues they care about – the NHS and cost of living.

He said that the Government had already made mistakes on both of those things.

Being constructive means you have a different tone. You don’t do the yah-boo politics that people are sick of.

We are trying to put forward our own ideas.

Kuenssberg suggested that Labour don’t have to listen to us. Ed replied

You have to do opposition in a particular way to get heard. We’ll put forward ideas we championed at the election and our MPs will be champions for our constituents and we will get our voices heard.

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Caron Lindsay

Sunday at Conference: What’s on?

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 15th September 2024 - 7:30 am

So what’s on at Conference today? You can find full details in the agenda here. Don’t forget about the Lib Dem Conf app too – available on your app store.

If, like me, you are stuck at home, you can watch all the main hall action live here.

One of the highlights is Ed’s question and answer session. He’s generally very good at these, better I would say than his big keynote speech.

There’s a keynote speech from Munira Wilson.

There are big policy debates on the NHS and national parks and a discussion on our policy in the future.

Here’s how the day unfolds:

09.00-09.30 F16 Policy motion: National Nature Parks

09.30-10.25 F17 Policy motion: Our Plan to Save The NHS< 10.25-11.05 F18 Topical issue discussion 11.05-11.20 F19 Speech: Munira Wilson MP Lunch break and fringe

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Caron Lindsay

Breaking: that Lib Dem Disco set list

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 14th September 2024 - 10:28 pm

It’s nearly time for the Lib Dem Disco and, in accordance with tradition, we are publishing the set list.

Ed Davey dropped a fairly big hint at the rally tonight that he might put in an appearance. Could we hear Sweet Caroline? If so I am manifesting video.

UPDATE: I do not need to manifest after a wonderful friend Vita sent me this:

Sweet Caroline at Lib Dem Disci

 

 

Anyway, here are the DJ set lists. Good luck to them all.

David Chadwick MP:

Murder on the dancefloor, (Sophie-Ellis Bextor),
Blue Da Ba Dee (Eiffel 65, ft – Gabry Ponte)
Alors on danse, Stromae
El Merengue – Marshmello
Europopa – Joost.

DJ Smartie (Lisa Smart MP):

Don’t stop me now, Queen
Shake It Off, Taylor Swift
Crazy In Love, Beyonce
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, Arctic Monkeys
Mr Brightside, The Killers

Susan Murray MP:

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Caron Lindsay

Conference Day 1 highlights

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 14th September 2024 - 7:39 pm

I’m usually in the pub during the rally and catch up on You Tube later. Tonight I listened to Al Pinkerton open the event while I was chopping coriander stalks to go in a chlli. So far, after Al, we’ve had Max Wilkinson’s shocking admission that he doesn’t like Abba, Pippa Heylings describing some doorstep encounters and  Josh Babarinde describing the experience of having his mother and Ed Davey critique his bungee jump and Sarah Olney talking about her terror on that rollercoaster.

I am missing Conference terribly. The livestream is fine, but it’s nothing compared to being in the auditorium …

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Caron Lindsay

Saturday at Conference: What’s on?

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 14th September 2024 - 7:30 am

Lib Dems are gathering in Brighton and there’s a mood of optimism and celebration. Our spectacular General Election result has given us 74 reasons to be cheerful – 72 MPs, an adorable guide dog and the restoration of our third party status.

We have had to deal with a fair few lean years so we might be forgiven a bit of shameless gloating.

There will come a time when we have to make decisions about our strategy to deal with the new political environment. Conversations will take place in earnest in bars and fringe meetings. There is a feeling that we were very lucky. We managed to combine an upbeat campaign with a few key messages and we succeeded.  We were a bit light on overall vision and that’s not going to be enough the next time round.  We need to have answers that will work to prevent the country falling back into the grip of populists. We need to show our distinctive liberal colours and show ourselves as a credible alternative to populists, Conservatives and Labour.

So what’s on at Conference today? You can find full details in the agenda here. Don’t forget about the Lib Dem Conf app too – available on your app store.

If, like me, you are stuck at home, you can watch all the main hall action live here.

We don’t have to wait too long for the first of many chances to cheer a new MP. Alison Bennett, our MP for Mid Sussex opens Conference.

We have keynote speeches from Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain, 9 years after she first joined the Party and 8 and a half years after her first Conference in York and from Cotswold District Council leader Joe Harris.

We start the day with a bit of Lib Dem procedural nerdery, changes to the reference back procedure to ensure that requests for references back must be submitted at the same time as amendments.

There are some good policy debates. The official organisation representing women in the party, Lib Dem Women, has submitted a motion on supporting women and anyone giving birth through pregnancy and the neonatal period. There are motions on supporting free movement of young people around Europe, liberalising  the Sunday trading laws (they are already much more liberal up here in Scotland and the universe has not imploded), supporting disadvantaged children and consumer law.

After a day of debate, there’s all the razzle of the Conference rally. Plenty room for a bit of well earned self indulgent celebration there. If I were there, I’d probably spend it in the pub with my friends, though, and watch it back later.

Here is how the day unfolds:

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Caron Lindsay

Caron’s guide to the craziness of Conference, updated for Brighton 2024

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 11th September 2024 - 7:47 pm

In just 2 days’ time, Liberal Democrats will be gathering in Brighton for our annual Conference.  Sadly, for the first time since 2011, I won’t be there.  I was only going to be able to come for 24 hours, but, unfortunately, my husband is ill. He’ll be fine, but now is not the time to leave him.

I’m still scarred by my trip to the Witney by-election in 2016. He hadn’t been well just before but seemed to be on the mend. To cut a long story short, within hours of my return the next evening, he was spirited away to hospital in a blue light ambulance and he was there for 51 nights. The virus we thought he had was in fact an infection in his heart which ate one of his heart valves. Vegetation on a leaflet they called it.  An ironic affliction for a Lib Dem.

However, I have revamped my Guide to the Craziness of Conference for this year. Enjoy. And if you have any questions, ask away in the comments.

Federal Conference is probably the best fun that you will ever have in your life. You will thoroughly enjoy every exhausting moment. If you’re new, it can be a bit overwhelming until you get used to the sensory overload. I had a long break from going to them and when I returned, in 2011, I spent the first day wandering round in a state of wide-eyed amazement,  like a child in a toy shop.

So, with that in mind, I thought I’d throw together a fairly random list of tips and hints for getting the best out of the annual cornucopia of Liberal Democracy. If you have any other Conference survival tips, let me know.

If you have any questions, there are lots of places to get answers. There’s Federal Conference Committee helpdesk in the Brighton Centre. And if they can’t help, ask someone on one of the party organisation stalls in the exhibition – if they don’t know the answer, they’ll probably be able to point you in the right direction.

1. Plan your days

The Conference day has a huge variety of things to do. As well as the debates in the hall,  there’s a comprehensive training programme and a massive fringe.  There are spokespeople Q & As. There are competing fringe choices to be made.  You can guarantee that you will never be bored and that several things you want to see will be on at the same time.  Spend some time now poring over the Agenda (which gives details of the policy motions) and Directory (which has details of the exhibition, fringe and training) to work out what you don’t want to miss. Conference Extra, which has details of amendments will be published shortly.

Don’t forget to pick up the Conference Daily which has news and important information.

Be aware as well that you can eat quite well for free by choosing the right fringe meetings – look for the refreshments symbol in the directory.

Believe me, it’s much easier if you sort out your diary in advance. The best laid plans will always be subject to a better offer or meeting someone you haven’t seen for years randomly in a corridor, but it’s best to at least try to get some order into the proceedings. The Conference App is a real help for this. You can download it from whichever App store you use on your phone (search for Lib Dem Conf). Fully updated now for Brighton, it allows you to add events to your schedule and has all the papers loaded on to it.

2. Make time to do the Exhibition properly

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Caron Lindsay

Alistair Carmichael to stand to be Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Chair

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 8th September 2024 - 8:30 pm

As we have previously reported, the Lib Dems have been allocated three Select Committees to chair in the new Parliament. Alistair Carmichael has announced that he is standing to chair the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. He set out his priorities for role:

As the son of Islay hill farmers and having represented a rural constituency for 23 years, the issues on which the EFRA Select Committee works have always been close to my heart. For the Northern Isles and indeed for the entire country, the next few years are going to be critical in determining the future of our rural economy and rural communities, which is why I am standing for election as committee chair.

Being chair of a select committee does not give you the decision-making powers of a minister. Done properly, however, it can give you some influence in scrutinising the work of government and raising the profile of issues that matter to communities such as our own. In that way you can be a vehicle for change.

In a department where most of the incoming Labour ministerial team come from urban backgrounds, there is a danger that the needs and wishes of rural communities will not be properly understood. That is where a strong voice in Parliament with experience in these issues can make a noticeable difference.”

If elected as chair of the EFRA Select Committee, my priorities will be to:

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Caron Lindsay

Maiden speech: Calum Miller MP for Bicester and Woodstock

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 8th September 2024 - 12:30 pm

We continue our coverage of our new MPs’ maiden speeches with Calum Miller, who spoke during the debate on the Passenger Railway Services (public ownership) Bill this week.

The text is below:

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Caron Lindsay

Lib Dems hold off Reform in Kent by-election

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 4th September 2024 - 8:57 am

Lib Dem Alex Eyre  held off a huge challenge from Reform to hold the Priory Ward in Swale in one of those rare Tuesday by-elections. The by-election came about after Cllr and former Mayor  Mike Henderson died. 

Our Cllr Hannah paid tribute to Mike at the time:

Mike was a dedicated public servant who has worked hard for the people of Faversham, and especially those in the Priory ward.

We have lost a huge part of our local Lib Dem team and doing local politics won’t be quite the same without him, his sage advice, quick wit, kindness and the occasional summoning to Bridge House to be set straight by him about something.

We will all miss him dearly as I’m sure his residents will too.

At this difficult time, our thoughts are especially with his family whom he absolutely adored and was so proud of.

Andrew Teale’s Britain Elects preview of the by-election tells us about the recent voting history of the ward:

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Caron Lindsay

Lib Dems try to force vote on Winter Fuel Allowance cuts

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 3rd September 2024 - 10:38 am

Lib Dem Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper has been talking about the Lib Dems’ efforts to halt the Government’s plans to cut Winter Fuel Allowance for all but the very poorest pensioners.

While the party has no objection to some restrictions being made for wealthier pensioners who don’t need it, we feel that the cut-off, at Pension Credit level, is too harsh and will lead to vulnerable pensioners suffering this Winter.

Daisy told LBC:

 

Daisy Cooper has also written to Lucy Powell MP, the Leader of the House of Commons, demanding that MPs be given a vote this week on the Government’s proposal.

In her letter, Daisy warns that failing to hold a debate and vote on the issue would risk “damaging public trust in politics” especially given the policy wasn’t included in the Labour manifesto at the election and is now set to go through with “minimal parliamentary scrutiny.”

The letter adds that there are just two weeks to go to protect pensioners from the cut before it comes into force on 16th September.

We tabled a motion backed by all 72 of our MPs to block the government’s proposals through a debate and vote in Parliament.

Daisy said:

Over the past few weeks we have heard from countless pensioners worried about whether they’ll be able to heat their homes this winter.

To push these cuts through without any other measures to mitigate the impact on millions of poorer pensioners, and with minimal parliamentary scrutiny, risks damaging the public’s trust in politics and putting the most vulnerable at risk.

We all appreciate the damage that the Conservative Party did to the public finances and the size of the challenges in front of us, but this is a step in the wrong direction and the proposed cuts must be scrutinised properly.

The government must give MPs the chance to debate better solutions, vote on their cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance and prevent millions of the most vulnerable in our society from losing out.

Here is Daisy’s letter in full:

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Caron Lindsay

Rt Hon Jennie has a new official Twitter account AND she’s been on Sky News

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 3rd September 2024 - 8:13 am

Photo shows off duty guide dog Jennie having a cuddle with our editor at last year’s Social Liberal Forum dinner.

Parliament is back and we will be bringing you news of what our 72 Lib Dem MPs are getting up to. Seventeen of our new intake made their maiden speeches in the few days the House of Commons was sitting before recess started at the end of July so that means we have forty to go.

We will also be covering the activities of the most lovable member of our Parliamentary team, Jennie. The golden retriever is the guide dog of our new MP for Torbay, Steve Darling.

Just after the election, someone set up a Twitter account in her name which quickly amassed over 18,000 followers.

Now Jennie’s adoring team has set up an official account which will be updated on a regular basis.

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Caron Lindsay

Ed Davey on Starmer speech: What about health and social care?

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 28th August 2024 - 8:42 am

So many people across the UK are struggling because of a lack of decent social care.  Millions are stuck in pain on NHS waiting lists.

In the past few days alone, I’ve heard some heartbreaking accounts of people having to wait for months for both cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The crisis in social care causes immense suffering for elderly and disabled people and those who care for them.

So you would think, given that health and social care are consistently near the top of people’s priorities, that Keir Starmer might have had something to say in his speech yesterday.

But, no.

Ed Davey called him out for it:

Only the out-of-touch Conservative Party will deny the scale of the challenges facing the new Government and the new Parliament. From the millions stuck on NHS waiting lists to the millions struggling to make ends meet, the last Conservative government has left a toxic legacy.

We need bold and ambitious action from the Government to fix this mess. Liberal Democrats will work tirelessly to put our positive ideas forward and hold the new Government to account if they fail to rise to the challenges facing the country.

Above all, people want urgent, ambitious action to fix the health and care crisis. Only by getting people off NHS waiting lists can we get the economy growing strongly again and ensure more funding for our public services in the long term.

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Caron Lindsay

A heads up for all Lib Dem General Election candidates – deadline this Friday

By Caron Lindsay | Mon 26th August 2024 - 10:21 am

I did something I had never done before this General Election – I stood as a Westminster candidate for the first time. I’d stood for Holyrood and the Council before, but this was was my UK election debut.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I loved doing local and national hustings. I loved interacting with voters who contacted me and while out and about.

I thought that the daily Candidates’ Briefings we received were absolutely fantastic. They were written with humour and contained information that was really helpful. They were very clear about what we should (and shouldn’t) be doing. The people in HQ who put them together deserve a lot of praise and should never have to buy their own drink at Conference ever again.

I was selected on 20th May and we thought we had a few months to execute our campaign plan. Two days later, Rishi Sunak popped out in the rain without an umbrella.

So we had to do a lot very quickly, as well as ensure that we helped in held and target seats. I and others from the local party spent a LOT of time in North East Fife, Edinburgh West and Mid Dunbartonshire as well as running two constituency campaigns.

But there’s one final job that all candidates need to do.

This weekend, I completed the survey that all candidates should have been sent about our experience of the General Election campaign as candidates. It’s part of the review process for candidates, and shouldn’t be confused with the party’s review of the General Election campaign. The deadline for completing it is this Friday, 30th August.

This survey came out by email from the Candidates’ Office on 12 August. Mine, because I’m in Scotland,  was written by our Campaigns and Candidates Convener Charles Dundas. English candidates should have had one from Margaret Joachim and Welsh candidates from Julian Tandy.

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Caron Lindsay

Political violence and intimidation is not new, and it needs to end

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 14th July 2024 - 10:40 am

I was about to go to bed last night when news started to filter through about shots being fired at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. The initial pictures showing a bleeding Donald Trump being taken from the stage by the Secret Service agents who had courageously got between him and the bullets that were being sent his way were incredibly disturbing.

Thankfully, he was ok, though he is bound to be shocked but two people died and two people are, at the time of writing, critically ill.

I was incredibly impressed by how calmly and articulately BBC reporter Gary O’Donaghue described what was going on while lying on the ground taking cover behind a car outside the rally.

It should go without saying that candidates and people should be able to conduct and participate in democracy in safety. Too often, we are seeing the opposite. In this country we have seen two MPs killed while carrying out their surgeries in the past 8 years.

In the recent election, Jess Phillips described in her victory speech the intimidation and harassment she and her campaigners had experienced. It’s a tough listen. Nobody should have to go through this.

She should have been accompanied by Jo Cox’s family on polling day, but she asked them not to come out of worry that it would be too traumatic for them to see what she was going through.

She went into more detail about the emotional impact on her on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast the day after the election.

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Caron Lindsay

A special request to Federal Conference Committee

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 13th July 2024 - 11:14 am

My goodness, Conference is going to be an absolute blast this year. Our annual jaunt to the seaside takes place from 14-17 September in Brighton will be so much sweeter after our spectacular General Election result.

I wasn’t going to go because of caring responsibilities, but I’ve managed to book a flying visit for 24 hours as I can’t bear the thought of not being with the Lib Dem family in such a special year. I mean who wouldn’t want to be around to congratulate 72 MPs and maybe get  a cuddle with Jennie if she’s off duty? And I can vouch for the fact that she does love a cuddle. If you think I am talking about Jennie Rigg, well, her too.

Before I say anything else, I should make the point very strongly that Federal Conference Committee have even more of a challenge than usual this year because someone decided to go outside on a wet Wednesday and call an election round about the time we’d normally have our motion submission deadlines.  Whether you agree with every decision FCC makes or not, I think it is important to acknowledge the huge amount of work that they do.

So, this request to them comes from a place of love. Registration for Conference opened earlier this week. The Early Bird discount is only available for around two weeks. Until 23 July, a members’ pass to the Conference costs £90. After that, until 13th August, it goes up to £130.

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