The party’s UK-wide spring conference is fast approaching – the first we’ve ever held in a major city run by the Liberal Democrats, and, indeed, the first party conference ever held in Liverpool.

The agenda is available on the party website and printed copies should be arriving during the coming week for those who’ve registered.

The main debate will of course be on the Federal Policy Committee’s policy paper on health, Empowerment, Fairness and Quality in Health Care (also available on the website), kicking off first thing on the Saturday afternoon. It contains several new developments of party policy which we will think will generate controversy; note that the deadline for amendments to the motion accompanying the paper is 12 noon Tuesday 4th March. 

Tuesday 4th March is also the deadline for amendments to the other policy motions, on ballistic missile defence, housing, legal aid, and support for children with special educational needs, and also for emergency motions (two slots available this time, so plenty of chance of getting your motion selected), nominations for the ‘urgent issue’ slot, and questions to committee and parliamentary party reports.

The conference starts off with consultative sessions on the Friday afternoon, three organised by policy working groups (response to globalisation; security; transport) and one by the Party Reform Commission. Just after those, we’re providing you with a welcome drink (courtesy of the North West Development Agency) leading on to the ‘Winning for Britain’ rally in the conference centre, featuring Nick Clegg.

Other major items during the weekend include a presentation by the London Mayoral and Assembly campaign, one from a Lib Dem-run council (Eastleigh) and a Q&A session on schools policy, which we hope will help start the process of developing a full policy paper on the issue, for debate in spring 2009.

Together with speeches from Vince Cable, Julia Goldsworthy, Simon Hughes, and, of course, Nick Clegg, we think we’ve managed to put together a pretty varied agenda – not to mention the usual range of fringe meeting and training sessions. Registration numbers are good, there’s still (some) accommodation available, and the conference hotel has a very good-sized bar – so see you there!

Duncan Brack is Chair of the Federal Conference Committee