We delighted to report that D66 MEP Sophie in ‘t‘Veld will be speaking at the SLF Conference and contributing our new book The Wolves in the Forest.  Lib Dem Voice readers who watch BBC’s Newsnight will be familiar with the contribution of Sophie in t’Veld who has frequently been brought on to patiently explain the reality of Brexit. You can register for the conference here.

The new Social Liberal Forum (SLF) book will shortly be on its way to the printers. The editorial group are reading through the contribution and we are impressed by the quality of writing. Lib Dem Voice readers may recall that this book, which we plan to launch at the Conference in Bournemouth, examines a Liberal response to inequality. 

I have just been reading Kirsten Johnson’s (PPC North Devon) really important contribution on ‘Inequality and the Arts’ and , as mention above, I am awaiting Sophie in t’ Veld’s essay (MEP from D66) to arrive in my in box. Altogether we have fifteen chapters covering the topic from a wide range of perspectives.

The title of this new publication is ‘Wolves in the Forest – tackling inequality in the 21^st Century’ is taken from Lloyd George’s budget speech of April 1909: “we shall have advanced a great step towards that good time, when poverty, and the wretchedness and human degradation which always follows in its camp, will be as remote to the people of this country as the wolves which once infested its forests.

The SLF Conference which is taking place in London on 20th July is looking at the same theme. Irina von Reisse one of London’s MEP’s will be joined by among other Wera Hobhouse MP and Ed Davey MP, who will be giving this year’s Beveridge Lecture. Sophie in t’ Veld MEP has also confirmed that she will also be joining us as a keynote speaker.

The early bird rate for registration ends very soon so please visit our website to taken advantage of this offer.

* Iain Brodie Browne is Chair of the Social Liberal Forum and has been a councillor since 1984.