Do you remember your first conference? I certainly remember mine.

It was in Birmingham several years ago; stewards had a quick look through my bag inside the conference centre, and then I started queueing for a coffee. I suddenly realised that the man in front of me was the great Paddy Ashdown. I was so starstruck, I had to leave!

Once my overwhelming awe had dissipated, I got lost in a whirlwind of speeches, debates and policy-making; and that was just a coffee shop. Sadly I’d forgotten my sandals, I have to confess I didn’t see as many as the right-wing media would have us believe.

This year, and I won’t say how many years on it is, I will return to Federal Conference as an elected member of the Federal Conference Committee and as a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate. And I still thrive on every minute of the political bubble that Liberal Democrat conferences create.

There is a reason why we call Federal Conference “Democracy in Action”.

As a party of government, our conferences have become more lively but at the same time more resilient. On process, the debates have stretched on regarding enhanced security, more corporate attendance and higher levels of media scrutiny. And on policy, deliberations have emerged between ideology and pragmatism. And people may sit in either camp depending on the subject being discussed.

One of my key persuaders in signing people up to become members, is that they as individuals will have the opportunity to shape party policy. We are a progressive centre-left party that still maintains the core belief in democracy shaping the future of the country. But without the forum in which to have these debates, the gravitas that we attach to party democracy could be lost.

This year’s Federal Conference presents a consultation paper entitled “Spring Conference: Cost-Neutral Options for the Future”.

It’s important to note here, as others have done, that this consultation paper was not presented to the Federal Conference Committee prior to publication.

The other parties tend to have policy forums or networking events around the same time, the Liberal Democrats have been resolute in maintaining a spring conference running for a couple of days. This has given us critical media coverage, extensive opportunity to shape and develop not only our party policy but government policy and allows that blissful political bubble to rejuvenate thousands of people prior to elections being held in May all over the country.

As Liberal Democrats, we will always argue that cost should be no barrier to democracy. This is much applicable in reforming the House of Lords as it is in debating policy in our own party. Indeed, to present the value of conference in purely economic terms does the very nature of conference and the party an injustice.

The proposal to remove Spring conference would ultimately halve members’ opportunities to debate and form policy, from consultation through to implementation.

I urge everyone who is attending conference on Saturday to go to the Consultation session, demonstrate their interviews yet to party democracy and their right to hold the party into account, and object to these proposals. And if you can’t do that, respond to the consultation paper on the Liberal Democrat website, and help us keep the Democrat in the Liberal Democrats.

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