Lib Dems are gathering in Brighton and there’s a mood of optimism and celebration. Our spectacular General Election result has given us 74 reasons to be cheerful – 72 MPs, an adorable guide dog and the restoration of our third party status.

We have had to deal with a fair few lean years so we might be forgiven a bit of shameless gloating.

There will come a time when we have to make decisions about our strategy to deal with the new political environment. Conversations will take place in earnest in bars and fringe meetings. There is a feeling that we were very lucky. We managed to combine an upbeat campaign with a few key messages and we succeeded.  We were a bit light on overall vision and that’s not going to be enough the next time round.  We need to have answers that will work to prevent the country falling back into the grip of populists. We need to show our distinctive liberal colours and show ourselves as a credible alternative to populists, Conservatives and Labour.

So what’s on at Conference today? You can find full details in the agenda here. Don’t forget about the Lib Dem Conf app too – available on your app store.

If, like me, you are stuck at home, you can watch all the main hall action live here.

We don’t have to wait too long for the first of many chances to cheer a new MP. Alison Bennett, our MP for Mid Sussex opens Conference.

We have keynote speeches from Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain, 9 years after she first joined the Party and 8 and a half years after her first Conference in York and from Cotswold District Council leader Joe Harris.

We start the day with a bit of Lib Dem procedural nerdery, changes to the reference back procedure to ensure that requests for references back must be submitted at the same time as amendments.

There are some good policy debates. The official organisation representing women in the party, Lib Dem Women, has submitted a motion on supporting women and anyone giving birth through pregnancy and the neonatal period. There are motions on supporting free movement of young people around Europe, liberalising  the Sunday trading laws (they are already much more liberal up here in Scotland and the universe has not imploded), supporting disadvantaged children and consumer law.

After a day of debate, there’s all the razzle of the Conference rally. Plenty room for a bit of well earned self indulgent celebration there. If I were there, I’d probably spend it in the pub with my friends, though, and watch it back later.

Here is how the day unfolds:

9.00-09.10 F1 Opening of Conference

09.10-09.50 F2 Report: Federal Conference Committee

F3 Standing order amendment: Rationalising the Reference Back Procedure

F4 Constitutional amendment: References Back by Federal Policy Committee1

F5 Report: Federal Policy Committee

09.50-10.35 F6 Policy motion: Reforming Sunday Trading Laws

10.35-11.50 F7 Consultative session: Climate Change

11.50-12.35 F8 Policy motion: Equitable and Improved Outcomes Throughout Pregnancy and the Neonatal Period

12.35-12.50 F9 Speech: Wendy Chamberlain MP

Lunch break and fringe

13.00-14.30 Consultative sessions:

Future of Work Policy Working Group

Opportunity and Skills Policy Working Group

14.40-14.55 F10 Party business: Celebrating Our Election Wins

14.55-15.10 F11 Speech: Cllr Joe Harris

15.10-15.55 F12 Policy motion: Europe – Restoring Links for Young People

15.55-16.40 F13 Question and answer session: Defence and Veterans

16.40-17.30 F14 Policy motion: Supporting Disadvantaged Children

7.30-18.00 F15 Policy motion: Buy Now, Pay Later – Standing by Consumers During the Cost-of-Living Crisis

18.30-19.30 Conference Rally

The directory has details of all the fringe meetings and training that run alongside the main hall agenda. There will be multiple things you want to go to in each fringe slot. My eye is drawn to a lunchtime meeting on how we can support the music industry, and evening one on how to support LGBT+ people in rural areas and the ALDC Councillor and Campaigner Awards in the later evening.

And then, of course, there is the disco. It’s 10 years since “DJ Cazzie Sparkle” caused carnage by turning the disco into a ceilidh with everyone doing the Gay Gordons. And there’s video:

One of my favourite achievements is beating Tim Farron. Though I couldn’t overcome Alistair Carmichael.

This year’s DJs are new MPs Susan Murray, David Chadwick, Lisa Smart and Steff Aquarone and the MC is Pippa Heylings. Get your tickets here.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social