Who can actually afford to take part in Liberal Democrat democracy?

A conversation with Donna Harris about her campaigning on childcare got me thinking. Donna’s work is fundamentally about removing barriers. Barriers that prevent women from participating fully in society, work and public life.

It made me wonder whether we sometimes overlook the barriers within our own party. Because there is a slightly uncomfortable question we should be asking after Brighton 2026: Who actually gets to participate in Liberal Democrat democracy?

The Liberal Democrats proudly say that conference is where the party makes its decisions. Every member has an equal say and an equal vote. That sounds wonderfully democratic. But equality of voting rights isn’t necessarily equality of access.

The Autumn 2026 full conference pass was £225 at the late rate. A weekend pass was £140. There are concessionary rates, first-time discounts and a £10 rate for under-18 members. There is also an Access Fund.

But those are only the starting costs. Add a train ticket. Hotel. Food. Local transport. Potential childcare. Time away from work. Suddenly, conference isn’t a £225 decision. For many people, it is a £500, £700 or £1,000 decision. And that changes who can realistically be in the room.

Think about an 18-year-old member. Or a student. Someone working part time. Someone starting their first job. Someone renting in London. Someone supporting a family. Someone from a lower-income household.They may passionately believe in Liberal Democrat democracy. They may simply not have the money to participate in it.

The party offers an online solution, however it cost £25.00. Sounds reasonable, but you have to make sure you have the relevant Data and WiFi service. There is also no conference experience, that’s a given.

And that brings us to representation.

We talk constantly about wanting a party that better reflects Britain. We rightly talk about women. Young people. Disabled people. Minority ethnic communities. People from different socio-economic backgrounds.

But if participation requires disposable income, are we unintentionally filtering some of those people out before they ever get through the door?

There is an uncomfortable racial dimension here too. Income and wealth are not distributed equally across Britain’s ethnic groups. The barriers faced by some minority communities are therefore not simply questions of identity. They can also be questions of household income, accumulated wealth and financial security.

So if conference attendance depends heavily on disposable income, we need to understand what that does to ethnic representation in the room. Not assume it. Measure it. And this is where I think the party needs to be much more transparent.

How many conference attendees are under 25? How many are from minority ethnic backgrounds? How many are on lower incomes? How many use the Conference Access Fund? How many apply but don’t?

And perhaps most importantly: How many simply don’t come because they cannot afford to?

The party says its Access Fund information is treated in strict confidence. That’s welcome. But financial support only works if people feel comfortable asking for it.

There is also a cultural issue. People don’t always want to announce that they cannot afford something. Nobody wants to be the person asking for help while wondering who might find out. And if we are serious about widening participation, we shouldn’t expect people to overcome that stigma themselves. We should design a system that makes asking for support normal.

Conference is one of the great strengths of the Liberal Democrats. But we shouldn’t confuse being allowed into the room with being able to afford to get there.

We need solutions on how we address this. Should there be an inclusive membership fee that includes conference attendance fee? I don’t know. Any suggestions?

Perhaps it is time to stop simply looking around the conference hall and thinking: “This is our membership.”
Instead, we should ask: Who isn’t here?

And more importantly: What would our democracy look like if the people who cannot currently afford to participate were actually able to have their say?

* Roderick Lynch is Chair of the Liberal Democrat Campaign for Race Equality.