Dear Lib Dem Members,

I would like to write to you all and express my regret that Spring Conference this weekend in York has been my last Spring Conference as a member of the Federal Conference Committee.

It was a great honour to be  elected to represent the party back in September 2012. And in that time I have had the privilege to see through several conferences in an historic time, when the Liberal Democrats are part of the Government.

In that time, I’ve learned how to plan a debate, as well as the finer detail of and responses to standing orders that I confess I didn’t know in anywhere near enough detail!

I’ve been lucky enough to chair speeches by Tim Farron and Danny Alexander. I’ve also chaired and aided a variety of debates, luckily none with too much altercation!

Conference to me is the life-blood of the party. From my first conference so many years ago, I’ve adored the camaraderie and long-term friendships that span years, yet we only meet in towns with lanyards round our necks.

Being part of the Conference Committee was indeed an honour, and also tremendous fun. I’ve joked more than once it should be like jury duty for the long-term activists; see behind the scenes, notice those nuances you never thought you’d see. Alongside dedicated stewards and a solid conference team at HQ, it’s definitely an eye-opener.

Sadly, as a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, my time has become more and more limited. The meetings eat into my canvassing time, and while I adore all the people I work with, and Conference, I have to make Guildford my priority.

I’m going to continue as a member of the Conference Access Committee, as an ex-officio, as we’ve been able to see more and more changes and hope to continue running surveys and improving facilities for people with disabilities at Conference.

So, thank you all again to those who voted for me, and I hope you’ll all understand my decision.

Kind regards

Kelly-Marie Blundell

* Kelly-Marie Blundell is a member of Federal Policy Committee, Vice Chair of the Social Security Working Group and previous parliamentary candidate