The outline agenda for Federal Conference in Brighton this September has just been published here, with the full agenda to follow mid-August.
Highlights include a slot reserved to debate Europe with an extended deadline for a motion and amendments so that we may consider something topical. Federal Conference committee was concerned that the motions proposed in July might have been overtaken by events by September.
Other policy debates include Welfare, Transport, PreP, Racism (with reference to the rise in hate crimes as a result of the Leave campaign), the Green economy and Parent Governors; there are consultative sessions on Nuclear Weapons and Sex Work.
Speeches are from Norman Lamb, Alistair Carmichael, Kirstie Williams, Willie Rennie, Susan Kramer, Sal Brinton and Tim Farron, and finally four hours of debate has been allocated to the governance review and the constitutional amendments arising from that. Something for everyone!
SATURDAY 17 September
Opening of Conference / Federal Conference Committee Report 09:00 – 09:20
Federal Policy Committee Report 09:20 – 09:35
Federal Finance and Administration Committee Report 09:35 – 09:50
Members Subscription 09:50 – 10:00
Specified Associated Organisations and Associated Organisations 10:00 – 10:20
Federal Appeals Panel Report 10:20 – 10:35
Policy motion: Safe and Free 10:35 – 12:05
Policy motion: An End to Homelessness 12:05 – 12:50
Consultative Session – Nuclear Weapons
Consultative Session – Sex Work
Fringe Lunchtime 13:00 – 14:30
Policy motion: Tackling Corporate Corruption and Crime 14:40 – 15:25
Speech: Norman Lamb MP 15:25 – 15:45
Policy motion: Adopting Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis 15:45 – 16:30
Towards More Effective Party Governance 16:30 – 17:15
Constitutional Amendments: Party Strategy 17:15 – 18:00
CONFERENCE RALLY 18:30 – 19.30
SUNDAY 18 September
Policy motion: Combatting Racism 09:00 – 09:45
Policy motion: The Opportunity to Succeed, the Power to Change 09:45 – 11:05
Speech: Alistair Carmichael MP 11:05 – 11:25
UK and European Collaborative Research and Erasmus 11:25 – 12:05
Education Q & A 12:05 – 12:50
Fringe Lunchtime 13:00 – 14:00
Policy motion: Campaign to Save Parent Governors 14:10 – 14:50
Speech: Kirsty Williams AM 14:50 – 15:10
Q & A Leader 15:10 – 15:55
Policy motion: Restoring Access to Justice 15:55 – 16:40
Federal Executive Report 16:40 – 17:15
Constitutional Amendments: Changes to the Leadership 17:15 – 18:00
MONDAY 19 September
Emergency Motion or topical issue 09:00 – 09:30
Policy motion: Europe Motion 09:30 – 11:00
Speech: Baroness Kramer 11:00 – 11:20
Fringe lunchtime session 1 11:30 – 12:30
Fringe lunchtime session 2 13:00 – 14:00
Policy motion: Investing in the Green Economy 14:10 – 14:55
Speech: Willie Rennie MSP 14:55 – 15:15
Policy motion: Mending the Safety Net 15:15 – 16:45
Diversity Engagement Group Report / Campaign for Gender Balance Report 16:45 – 17:00
Constitutional Amendments: Diversity Quotas 17:00 – 18:00
TUESDAY 20 September
Emergency motion or topical issue 09:00 – 09:45
Constitutional Amendments: Committees 09:45 – 10:35
Standing Order Amendments 10:35 – 10:50
Parliamentary Party Reports 10:50 – 11:30
President’s Speech: Baroness Brinton 11:30 – 11:50
Policy motion: Future Transport 11:50 – 12:50
Fringe Lunchtime 13:00 – 14:00
Leader’s speech: Tim Farron MP 14:10 – approx. 15:30
Conference ends
Timings may not be final.
* Joe Otten was the candidate for Sheffield Heeley in June 2017 and Doncaster North in December 2019 and is a councillor in Sheffield.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
Remembering Liz Truss and her dogs that barked at drones
We do have a two-tier policing system but it is not what our homegrown racists think it is.
From Norman settlement to a civic square
Church Green video
Tom Arms
Ruth Bright
Tom Bailey
Alex Macfie
6 Comments
Tempted to go, esp to speak on the racism motion. But then again, I never get called to speak at conference about race, which I’ve got loads of experience about. Maybe I should put in cards for other subjects? Still, probably end up going anyway, and not speaking.
Lots of interesting stuff to get stuck into here, but I am particularly interested in the bit on Combating Racism (and a red squiggle told me it’s got just one t), and if there is a focus for this. There are so many aspects, but I think it would be particularly helpful to consider issues surrounding residual institutional racism within our organisations and what we, or government, might do in order to ensure we root it out. In particular, how we ensure that minorities feel they are valued, and have somewhere to turn for help that’s more than lip-service.
A largely dull and irrelevant conference agenda that will pass by the attendees and the public with no impact. It is stuck in the 1970’s. If most of these agenda items didn’t happen who would miss them? It has all the vibrancy of a pile of rubble.
At first sight it does look a bit dull but when you read more closely there are lots of things relevant to the sort of society we want as well as Brexit. Maybe we could get one of our journalist members to come up with some punchier titles?
Lester: if I get the proposer of the motion to hit you up might that help?
We could start by dumping the irrelevant reports and the quaint 10 and 15 min slots for 2000+ people to debate issues and take votes.
We could switch to having democratic votes on policies by ALL party members via online and postal ballots. We could democratise the policy process so ideas are put forward by people reaching a quota to secure a debate or vote. This would be a liberal approach and pace power in the hands of the many not the few, oh, I see why it won’t get much support from those at the top.