Federal Committees report to each Conference. It’s an important way for members to hold them to account. Conference votes on whether to accept or reject each report. You can read the reports here.  Members can also ask questions which need to be submitted here by 1pm on 8th September.  We’ll be looking at what they say. Our meander through the agenda starts with the Federal Conference Committee report written by chair Nick Da Costa. Here are the highlights: 

I am delighted that we are returning to Bournemouth for Autumn Conference 2025, once again at the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC). It’s a venue we know and love and the team here have been tremendously supportive in helping us deliver what promises to be one of our biggest Conferences yet.
Since Spring Conference in Harrogate, the Liberal Democrats have gone from strength to strength. In the May local elections, we gained an impressive 163 Councillors and won control of three Councils. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who helped achieve those fantastic results!

If this is your first Conference, welcome! And if you’ve been coming for years – welcome back!

FCC Helpdesk & Training
As always, the FCC is here to help you get the most out of Conference. Whether you have questions about the agenda, submitting motions, or speaking in debates – come and find us.

The FCC Helpdesk will be open at the following times:
● Saturday: 10:30 – 11:30 & 13:00 – 14:00
● Sunday: 10:30 – 11:30
● Monday: 10:30 – 11:30

We are also running two training sessions on Saturday:
● How to Survive Conference: 09:30 – 10:45
● How to Write a Motion: 11:00 – 12:15

Everyone is welcome whether you’re a seasoned Conference-goer or attending for the first time.

Agenda & Selections

As ever, time in the auditorium is limited and FCC had to make some difficult choices in selecting motions for debate. We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to submit motions and proposals.

This year, we selected three Federal Policy Committee (FPC) papers for debate: climate change, opportunities and skills, and Leading the Way: Policy Review Paper. We also selected several motions on international affairs including a motion on resetting the UK’s relationship with the EU and defending women’s rights across the globe. Healthcare is another strong theme of this
Conference, and we’ve included motions on emergency care reform, supporting hospice care, and justice for victims of the contaminated blood scandal. In addition, there is a wide range of motions covering topics such as education, housing, policing, and transport amongst others.

We have also reserved a slot for a topic debate, plus slots for emergency motions enabling us to respond to fast-moving developments and critical issues as they arise.

He also invites anyone thinking of standing for FCC in this year’s internal elections to have a chat at Bournemouth.

After Conference, we will enter the next round of Federal Committee elections. If you’re interested in standing for the FCC, do speak to me or any member of the committee during Conference, or come to the FCC Helpdesk. We’re always happy to talk about what the role involves and how you can get involved.

He highlights that Spring Conference takes place in York from 13-15 March 2026.

He also reminds members of the Conference Access Fund, which our Mary Reid helped get into existence:

We remain committed to making Conference accessible to all. The Conference Access Fund offers support with accommodation, travel, and childcare for those who may not otherwise be able to attend. We also provide complimentary carers’ passes.

Thank you to all who have donated to the Access Fund, your generosity is opening doors for more members to take part. If you’d like to contribute, you can here.

If you have benefitted from the Access Fund, please consider writing for us to say how it helped you. You can do so anonymously if you would like.