The outline agenda for the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in Bournemouth has been published and in it there is a great deal to interest and excite the members both old and new who will be heading to the seaside town. I am really looking forward to it because I have never been to Bourmemouth before.
We don’t yet have the text of the motions, or the directory of fringe meetings, but we do know when all the key debates and speeches are taking place.
The most controversial motion on the agenda is the one to oppose the renewal of Trident which takes place at 3:25 on Monday afternoon. Other policy motions include:
Housing
Human rights
Air quality
Safe routes for refugees
Climate change
Poverty
Europe
Term-time holidays
Health charter for trans and intersex people
Tim Farron’s leader’s Q and A has been moved from the traditional Monday afternoon slot to Sunday which will please those people who can only come for the weekend.
There are other keynote speeches from Nick Clegg, Norman Lamb, Kirsty Williams, Willie Rennie, Joan Walmsley, Sal Brinton and Dutch Liberal MP Sophie in t’Veld.
Liberal Democrats love getting their teeth into weighty issues of where the party is going and two long consultation sessions on our Agenda 20/20 policy reviews take place on Sunday and Tuesday. There is also a session on the party’s governance review on Tuesday. Tempting as it may be for those of us who find constitutional stuff boring as anything to head to the bar or the beach, actually we should be there. It’s important we get this right, and we need practical people there as well as constitutional geeks.
Talking of the Constitution, there are two amendments, one on giving the leader a veto on the policy that goes into the manifesto and on making a new elected position of Deputy Leader.
Finally, the One Member One Vote constitutional amendments come back in their revised form after the Federal Executive got its backside well and truly spanked last year. That change is debated on Monday afternoon after the Trident debate.
The full agenda will be published later this month and then the process of discussing and drafting amendments can begin.
If you are making your travel arrangements, we have been tipped off by Lawrence Fullick that the A338 Ringwood to Bourmemouth trunk road, the main approach to Bourmemouth, will be having major roadworks, including a 5 mile long contraflow, during our Conference. His tip:
Think about travelling via Lyndhurst and A35; if coming via Salisbury Ferndown is an alternative route. Better travel by train, or air to Bournemouth then bus or Southampton then train.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
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11 Comments
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_in_%27t_Veld
We need to take advantage of our increased membership, which has also lowered the average of the party.
We need to give the opportunity for new members to contribute to policy, and our policy reviews must include the input from new blood.
Top of the list for discussion should be our policies for youth, all aspects of youth provision including the most sustainable method for funding higher education. The Conservatives have already made it clear that they will remove support from youth to help Tory voting pensioners. Labour’s sole contribution is to revisit a graduate tax, which will be even more unfair than the present system.
There are other ideas where new ideas will be welcome, including economy, immigration, Europe and climate change.
We should be using conferences, National and Regional to promote fringe discussion meetings to enable all members to input to policy. It might be too late for Bournemouth, but it is not too late for Regional Conferences and next spring.
Listening to member’s views on specific themes must be a major activity in policy review.
“Talking of the Constitution, there are two amendments, one on giving the leader a veto on the policy that goes into the manifesto and on making a new elected position of Deputy Leader.”
A new elected position of Deputy Leader is a good idea, if passed i hope that Kirsty Williams will stand.
Giving the leader a veto on the policy that goes into the manifesto is a resigning issue. This party is the only democratic party and needs the involvement of members. Any change should be towards more democratic involvement, not less.
As an unofficial Fringe attraction, you might like to note that PS Waverley will be sailing from Bournemouth during Conference:
http://booking.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/?sailing_area=4&sailing_departure=89
Ideal for escaping to recharge the batteries or having private meetings far from curious media types.
Richard Underhill – “Giving the leader a veto on the policy that goes into the manifesto is a resigning issue. ” I COULD NOT AGREE MORE!!!!
Cllr. David Becket 2nd Aug ’15 – 6:50pm “We need to take advantage of our increased membership, which has also lowered the average of the party.”
?? Insert ‘age’ after average ??
@Cllr David Becket “We need to take advantage of our increased membership, which has also lowered the average of the party. We need to give the opportunity for new members to contribute to policy, and our policy reviews must include the input from new blood.”
I agree. And the evidence suggests that they are more “orange” than there more mature colleagues.
Richard Underhill -Leaders Veto .Leaders right back to David Steel have been embarrassed by conference decisions that is one of the things you have to live with within a democratic party This is why we must remain as a representative party and not just a rally where people can turn up and vote on a whim .They should as representatives reflect but are not mandated by their constituency party , representatives not delegates., I have no problem with on line balloting of members on topical motions it also provides an opportunity for members to get together at constituency level and discuss the motions pre-conference .Our constituency is doing just that with a members meeting already booked.
@David Becket: policy on youth services.
The Lib-Dem Education Association (LDEA) is holding a fringe meeting on the Tuesday 22nd at 6:15 discussing matters that affect young people and FE. I have been arranging the speakers, including from the YMCA, NIACE and Liberal Youth. We want this to kickstart policy development. So do come along. Matthew Hulbert (who is also one of our LDEA activists) is a campaigner on local government youth services.
@Neil Sandison “They should as representatives reflect but are not mandated by their constituency party ”
But this is the problem – activists with the time and money to attend conference are unlikely to be representative of local members. Those with families and/or demanding jobs are just not going to be able to go; those with plenty of spare time, be they younger or retired, will be able to. This is likely to influence the political leaning of the voting members quite considerably.
People do need to get organised with speakers cards, and I am hoping that there will be some clear instructions on what is sent out to people, thinking of new members. our motion “Creating Safe and Legal Routes for Refugees” is the first to be debated on the Saturday afternoon, and people might not have got the hang of getting a speakers card, filling it in and submitting it.
So if “old hands” can give a hand to new people on this it would be useful.