Conference round-up: the last 24 hours

By Mark Pack | Tue 22nd September 2009 - 9:31 am

Here are the three main lines promoted by the party from conference to the media in the last 24 hours:

Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference unveils plans to increase the pay of Britain’s lowest-earning troops by £6,000, improve the condition of forces’ housing, and ensure proper medical provision for all personnel. The proposals, which would mean that no service personnel in the Army, Navy or RAF would receive less basic annual pay than a new-entrant police constable or development-level firefighter, would be funded within the MoD’s existing budget.
Liberal Democrat Conference has demanded an independent, public inquiry into allegations of British Government complicity in torture. Citing evidence that Tony Blair and others may have been aware of policy guidance on the issue, Conference passed a motion calling for a full and independent public inquiry into the involvement or knowledge of the British Government on matters relating to torture and extraordinary rendition.
Nick Clegg has pledged to put children at the heart of the party’s General Election manifesto: “Giving children the best possible start in life is at the heart of everything the Liberal Democrats believe in. In this time of financial crisis and massive uncertainty, there is a risk that those who are most blameless will be the ones who suffer the harshest consequences. The next generation must not pay the price for mistakes made today. Only by focusing on children, through policies like cutting class sizes, can we tackle the entrenched disadvantage we have in Britain today.”

And a selection of the media coverage:

jim 22nd Sep '09 - 10:11am

Talk about a 24-caret balls up:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/sep/21/nick-clegg-liberal-democrats-tax
Terry Gilbert 22nd Sep '09 - 11:51pm

Seems to me that the right of the party tried to use the recession as a way to get Conference to contemplate savage cuts and abandon core principles, and were so frightened by the response that, to appease delegates, they rushed out the mansion tax thing before it was ready. But the Guardian isn’t usually friendly, anyway, and hardly anyone will notice in the wider electorate. It matters more within the party, as a sign of how the struggle over party direction is going. I have a sense – albeit from afar – that after five years in the ascendency, the Orange Bookers have shot their bolt, and are now on the wane.
Hywel 22nd Sep '09 - 11:54pm

“But the Guardian isn’t usually friendly, anyway, and hardly anyone will notice in the wider electorate.”

It matters because the boy has shouted “but he’s naked” at Emperor Vince which means the media groupthink that Vince is unchallengeable on economic issues might not continue.