Tag Archives: conference countdown

Nicholas Chan

Why the Conference debate on protecting the rights of Hong Kongers is important

By Nicholas Chan | Thu 18th September 2025 - 3:15 pm

Flyer Yes to F34 for rally on 22 September at 8:45 am. The long awaited ‘China Audit’ was not published other than a ministerial statement.  Legitimate reasons? Though in 2023, the Intelligence & Security Committee (‘ISC’) of Parliament published their report. The China Audit could provide elected representatives a comprehensive document demonstrating the complexity of the UK-China relationship, Britain’s interests and UK’s strategy and position. The government cannot be held accountable without its scrutiny. Why do PM Starmer’s ministers try to wave through Beijing’s application for a mega Embassy as a mere “planning application”? Why is his Chancellor attempting trade deals when former PM Cameron’s warm relations with China clearly demonstrated a history of broken promises on trade? Hence, when it was announced that China is left off the Enhanced Tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme in the hope of illusional economic benefits, the public is less informed of the risk of Chinese government’s influence. Subsequently, our agencies are less able to monitor and shield our institutions from China’s meddling in our democracy. China is notably omitted from the Enhanced Tier which included Russia, North Korea and Iran. President Xi asserts his strategic leadership in this triumvirate bloc. I would reason that by adding China to the FIRS Enhanced-tier, is even more critical now given that no publicly available version of the China Audit has been released.

The threats from China are real. 

First, in the era of misinformation, it is easy to discount the ambition, depth and scale of malign influence in the UK, especially given the breadth and depth of the work of the CCP’s United Front Work Department. This is something many liberal democracies have only recently begun to grasp. For example, for years the Chinese influence agent Christine Lee was called out. But these concerns were casually discounted by many. Entrenched within UK’s political parties, other agents orchestrated community-aid groups to frame a “democratic voice” against these warnings. Another example is Beijing’s “elite-capture” – getting UK politicians to become a poster child for its global institutions. Politicians have attempted to discount the risk of AIIB and IOMed to the Rules-Based International Order by framing these institutions in the language of multipolarity and multilateralism. However, these institutions are not truly multilateral, as by design they imply and facilitate Chinese, meaning the CCP, leadership. Enhanced-tier FIRS will improve awareness among UK politicians, ensuring China is correctly framed, like its strategic partners – Russia, North Korea and Iran, as a threat.

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Duncan Brack

For people, for planet

By Duncan Brack | Thu 18th September 2025 - 1:45 pm

One of the key debates at this year’s autumn conference will be on the party’s new climate policy paper, For People, For Planet – on Sunday afternoon, kicking off at 3.15pm.

In the six years since we last published a comprehensive climate policy paper (Tackling the Climate Emergency, 2019) much has changed. With record-breaking temperatures, wildfires, floods and droughts, the threat posed by uncontrolled global heating is becoming ever-more obvious. In the UK, however, at least we now have a government that takes the issue seriously, unlike Boris Johnson’s (which paid lip service to the challenge but didn’t achieve much) or Rishi Sunak’s (which became actively hostile). Yet Labour’s approach is still not good enough – in supporting airport expansion, for example, or in failing to understand the linkages between the climate and nature emergencies, or in being too slow to undo the damage caused by Brexit. 

The Liberal Democrat approach is different. For People, For Planet is based on three key themes. First, putting people first: the measures needed to address the climate, nature and resilience challenges must be equitable, fair and affordable. This includes lowering electricity costs and offering support to all households for investments such as insulation and heat pumps; assisting low-income households with a social electricity tariff and targeted free home energy improvements; creating a Just Transition Commission to develop just transition plans and provide funding support for vulnerable communities; and developing policies in partnership with those they affect, including citizen input through a National Climate Assembly, and local engagement.

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Time for English members to vote on their representatives

By Callum Robertson and Simon McGrath | Wed 17th September 2025 - 5:35 pm

A week ago, Party members in England received an email that may have left some of them puzzled. It asked if they wished to nominate candidates for an election for the English Party representatives to various Federal Party Committees, such as the Federal Policy Committee and the Conference Committee. The unusual thing is that while they can nominate candidates, they don’t get a vote.

Ten years ago, as the Party confronted a disastrous general election result, the Autumn Conference made a significant change to who could attend our twice-yearly Conferences and how people were elected to the Federal Committees that run the Party. It decided that any member could attend Conference and all members would  be entitled to vote in the elections to a number of Federal Committee – One Member, One Vote ( OMOV) 

It seems extraordinary now, but that wasn’t how things were always done. Before then, each local party elected representatives to Conference, and only they could vote in Federal elections. At the time of the debate, Mark Pack wrote an article for LDV entitled, “Would you abolish One Member One Vote if it was already in place?” 

With the benefit of ten years’ experience of OMOV we  can see he was spot on.

Following the decision in 2016, Regional Party Constitutions in England were changed to reflect the principle of OMOV in the way Regional Parties were organised, so that all members could attend their conference and vote for Regional Executives. But that change was not reflected in how English reps to Federal Committees are elected. 

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Gareth Roberts

Capital punishment: how can we get national government to love London again?

By Gareth Roberts | Wed 17th September 2025 - 11:55 am

Shard in the distance taken from the EmbankmentIn many ways, London represents a triumph of liberalism.

London is a city where people from all backgrounds come to make their home. A city of dynamism and enterprise, closely intertwined with the global economy. A city of remarkable history and forward-thinking culture. A city thriving as a cosmopolitan melting pot, with strong communities and individuals free to be themselves.

It is for precisely these reasons that certain politicians denigrate the capital, portraying it either as a suspicious, crime-ridden hellhole or an effete hub of snooty, overprivileged elitism. Or sometimes all of these at the same time.

I vehemently disagree with their illiberal views, but at least I can understand why reactionary populists target the capital.

What perplexes me, however, is the government’s attitude.

London is undoubtedly a UK success story. In economic terms alone, the capital accounts for almost a quarter of the UK’s entire economic output. London creates a surplus for the Treasury of upwards of £40 billion – providing much-needed money for housing, education, social care, and other public services across the country. London’s wealth creation is vital to the UK’s prosperity.

But ministers and their officials give every impression that their feelings towards the capital are lukewarm, at best.

In recent years we have seen the explicitly anti-London policies associated with ‘levelling up’, leaving London excluded from various funding streams and opportunities.

Although ‘levelling up’ is no more, the current government still seems to prefer highlighting investment it makes outside the capital, and reluctant to acknowledge both London’s needs and crucial contribution to the UK.

London’s devolution settlement is 25 years old and in need of modernising. Compared to other major cities around the world such as Paris and New York, London’s devolved powers are fairly pitiful. Greater Manchester and the West Midlands have more advanced devolution arrangements than the capital. Why has London been left behind?

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The Voice

Get your amendments and questions in fast: Deadline 1pm tomorrow

By The Voice | Sun 7th September 2025 - 2:30 pm

There are just 22.5 hours to get your questions and amendments in for Federal Conference.

You can question Ed, the parliamentary parties in the Commons and the Lords or Federal Committees, and the Campaign for Gender Balance and the Racial Diversity campaign. Their reports are here.

Keep an eye out on social media for people looking for signatures for amendments, too. It’s not unknown for someone to write one the night before, so if there is anything in the agenda you think needs amending, have a look at the agenda and put something together. You’ll need to find 10 party members to agree with you and then you can submit it here.

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Lisa Smart

Lisa Smart MP writes…Why now is the time to update our thinking on digital ID

By Lisa Smart | Wed 3rd September 2025 - 11:55 am

Back in the 2000s, the Liberal Democrats led the fight against the Labour Government’s plans for compulsory ID cards and a vast, centralised database of personal information. The scheme was expensive, invasive, and fundamentally illiberal, and we were absolutely right to oppose it.

The values that guided us then still underpin our work today. We remain firmly committed to protecting privacy and civil liberties, and to limiting the power of the state. But the tools now available to both invade and protect privacy have evolved dramatically. In this new information age, it is only right that we take a fresh look at how best to defend these principles.

Smartphones are ubiquitous. Many of us now access banking, healthcare, and public services online. Meanwhile, private companies have created their own forms of digital identity, and government departments have trialled new systems, often without a clear, open debate about their scope or safeguards.

The world has changed profoundly, but our policy has remained largely unchanged for twenty years.

In an increasingly digital world, it is worth asking whether we should revisit our approach to ensure it continues to protect the freedoms we have always sought to uphold.

So what should we be thinking about?

It seems to me that any digital identity system needs to respect individual autonomy; needs to be voluntary, not compulsory; needs to protect people’s data, rather than collect more than is needed; and needs to be secure, transparent and designed with clear legal limits.

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Rowan Fitton

Conference Countdown: The UK Government must provide stability to Ukrainian children in the UK

By Rowan Fitton | Wed 3rd September 2025 - 8:55 am

For over three years, the people of the UK have opened their homes to Ukrainian families and welcomed them into our communities. Offering them safety in the face of Russia’s indiscriminate shelling of cities and the illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory. However, at no point over these three years has our government provided Ukrainian families with certainty or stability. 

So far, the UK government, first under the Conservatives and now under Labour, has refused to grant any permanent status to Ukrainians residing in the UK. The current visa system is strictly temporary and requires extending each time. Which means that Ukrainians face difficulties in securing rental agreements or job offers, and can often feel unsure about putting down roots in their local communities.

This uncertain status also has an impact on Ukrainian children and their education. The temporary nature of their status means that families could be forced to return during a child’s exams, or that children could be uprooted for a second time after living the majority of their lives in the UK. Children need stability to achieve their full potential and young people deserve to make the most of opportunities presented to them no matter their circumstances. 

At multiple different points, and in multiple different contexts, the concerns of Ukrainian parents and the difficulties facing their children have been clearly articulated. As such, those of us in the Young Liberals, as the party’s official diversity AO for children and young people, took it as a sign that something needed to be done.

As such, YL has submitted a motion for debate later this month at Autumn Conference entitled ‘Certainty for Ukrainian Children Living and Learning in the UK’, which will be moved by our party’s Home Affairs spokesperson Lisa Smart MP. The motion outlines a clear set of policies designed to ensure Ukrainian children and their families have the stability and support needed to flourish whilst they are residing in the UK. 

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Nick da Costa

Making sure local government has a real voice at Conference

By Nick da Costa | Sun 24th August 2025 - 11:08 am

Following a letter from Joe Harris, Leader of the Lib Dem Group on the LGA, and Heather Kidd, chair of ALDC, to myself and Party President Mark Pack, we have had a very constructive series of discussions. We all agreed on the need to ensure the brilliant work of our local authority groups is properly recognised at Conference.

Some of the steps we discussed will require agreement also from others, but following the discussions this is the plan:

For this year’s Conference:

Rally: HQ have confirmed there will be a strong local government focus.

Conference Showcase: The programme includes the ReformWatch panel in the auditorium, led by local government voices.

Looking ahead to future Conferences:

Keynote Speaker: FCC would welcome a keynote speaker from local government; proposals (with supporting reasons) need to reach me/FCC Chair by late May for Autumn Conference.

Conference Directory: I’ve suggested an advertorial double-page feature where ALDC/LGA can highlight local government achievements.

Civic Opening: I’d like to reintroduce a full civic opening of Conference, led by the local authority or council group leader, rather than opening by the President. As our Bournemouth Conference has both a local Lib Dem council leader and a local Lib Dem MP, Mark has offered anyway to step aside this time to give more time to the council leader We will work also with the Media Team around coordinating local / regional media.

Auditorium Sessions: I’ve encouraged ALDC/LGA to pitch further auditorium sessions (panels, presentations, etc.). Not all can be guaranteed – but we need good options to consider.

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Michael Taylor

Conference countdown: A confusing state of affairs

By Michael Taylor | Sat 23rd August 2025 - 10:12 am

The party seems to be getting into a strange situation about the European Union, and it seems confused as well.

On the one hand it is calling for a special customs union with the EU, when there’s a perfectly good one already available – one we were in for over 40 years – and on the other it’s castigating Labour for not having the courage to join the Single Market and the Customs Union, but not, apparently, seeking for the UK to join them.

Serious observers of the state of the British Economy vis-à-vis the EU know that the only way to start to make up the serious decline caused by Brexit is to join the Single Market and the Customs Union, so that the many barriers that now exist to trade with the EU can be eliminated and trade can flow uninterrupted to and from the EU, our biggest and nearest trading partner.

Indeed, this contradiction can be clearly seen in the resolution F31 up for debate on the Monday of Conference. In lines 30-34 it bemoans the lack of ambition by the government’s refusal to consider joining the Single Market and the Customs Union and in lines 66-69 urges the creation of a new bespoke Customs Union with the EU to cut red tape and spur economic growth.

It seems to me that there is a singular lack of ambition by the writers of the motion. Instead of calling for the UK to negotiate entry to the Customs Union and the Single Market, it calls for something much weaker instead.

I am very puzzled by this. Opinion polls are now showing a clear majority in favour, not of Single Market and Customs Union, but fully rejoining the EU.

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The Voice

Conference Countdown: Policy motions: Backing youth work to build communities

By The Voice | Fri 22nd August 2025 - 9:22 am

We are taking a gentle meander through the agenda for Federal Conference which takes place in Bournemouth from 20-23 September.  We’ll give you the highlights of policy motions, reports and papers. Under the spotlight here is a motion proposed by Munira Wilson MP, to be summed up by Josh Babarinde MP on the importance of engaging, high quality youth work. This is open for amendment until 8 September at 1pm. You can read all the motions in the agenda here. 

The motion sets out the impact of the cuts in youth work in recent years and explains the value of youth work in helping young people to live the lives they want to live.

Youth work can be a key tool in helping every young person to achieve their potential.

High–quality youth work can act as a preventative service, helping young people to avoid negative outcomes like involvement in crime or anti–social behaviour, or being Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

Youth work provision can lead to improved mental and physical health, strengthened life skills, and a heightened sense of belonging for young people that supports social cohesion.

The motion also emphasises the importance of including young people in building these programs.

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The Voice

Conference Countdown: Federal Policy Committee Report

By The Voice | Thu 21st August 2025 - 9:21 am

Federal Committees report to each Conference. It’s an important way for members to hold them to account. Conference votes on whether to accept or reject each report. You can read the reports here.  Members can also ask questions which need to be submitted here by 1pm on 8th September.  We’ll be looking at what they say. 

Our next stop on our meander through the agenda is the Federal Policy Committee report written by vice chairs Jeremy Hargreaves, Lucy Nethsingha and Helen Morgan MP.

They set out what the Committee has been doing during the past year including the policy review chaired by the Young Liberals’  and Women Lib Dems’ Eleanor Kelly, which will be voted on separately at Conference. Other policy papers to be debated at the Conference are on climate change and opportunity and skills.

Two working groups set up by FPC earlier this year, on mental health and town centres and high streets have consultation sessions at this Conference.

They also report on recruitment for further working groups on Defending Democracy and Primary Healthcare, international security and re-invigorating the economy.

FPC has also been reviewing how it operates, particularly with relation to diversity:

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The Voice

Conference Countdown: Federal Conference Committee report

By The Voice | Wed 20th August 2025 - 8:51 am

Federal Committees report to each Conference. It’s an important way for members to hold them to account. Conference votes on whether to accept or reject each report. You can read the reports here.  Members can also ask questions which need to be submitted here by 1pm on 8th September.  We’ll be looking at what they say. Our meander through the agenda starts with the Federal Conference Committee report written by chair Nick Da Costa. Here are the highlights: 

I am delighted that we are returning to Bournemouth for Autumn Conference 2025, once again at the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC). It’s a venue we know and love and the team here have been tremendously supportive in helping us deliver what promises to be one of our biggest Conferences yet.
Since Spring Conference in Harrogate, the Liberal Democrats have gone from strength to strength. In the May local elections, we gained an impressive 163 Councillors and won control of three Councils. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who helped achieve those fantastic results!

If this is your first Conference, welcome! And if you’ve been coming for years – welcome back!

FCC Helpdesk & Training
As always, the FCC is here to help you get the most out of Conference. Whether you have questions about the agenda, submitting motions, or speaking in debates – come and find us.

The FCC Helpdesk will be open at the following times:
● Saturday: 10:30 – 11:30 & 13:00 – 14:00
● Sunday: 10:30 – 11:30
● Monday: 10:30 – 11:30

We are also running two training sessions on Saturday:
● How to Survive Conference: 09:30 – 10:45
● How to Write a Motion: 11:00 – 12:15

Everyone is welcome whether you’re a seasoned Conference-goer or attending for the first time.

Agenda & Selections

As ever, time in the auditorium is limited and FCC had to make some difficult choices in selecting motions for debate. We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to submit motions and proposals.

This year, we selected three Federal Policy Committee (FPC) papers for debate: climate change, opportunities and skills, and Leading the Way: Policy Review Paper. We also selected several motions on international affairs including a motion on resetting the UK’s relationship with the EU and defending women’s rights across the globe. Healthcare is another strong theme of this
Conference, and we’ve included motions on emergency care reform, supporting hospice care, and justice for victims of the contaminated blood scandal. In addition, there is a wide range of motions covering topics such as education, housing, policing, and transport amongst others.

We have also reserved a slot for a topic debate, plus slots for emergency motions enabling us to respond to fast-moving developments and critical issues as they arise.

He also invites anyone thinking of standing for FCC in this year’s internal elections to have a chat at Bournemouth.

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Caron Lindsay

Conference Countdown 2016: Conference App now live

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 15th September 2016 - 11:33 am

I’ve just downloaded the newly updated Conference App to my phone and spent half an hour making up my schedule for the Conference.

You can get it from your App store of choice now.

It’s brilliant because it has the Agenda and Directory in full so you can look up the text of motions. It will have the Conference Extra and Conference Daily when they are published. It also has maps  of the venue. and exhibition.

I find it particularly useful that it will save the events I select into the main diary on my phone where I’ve been piling up meetings for some time now.

It really is Conference in your pocket so download it now.

You might also like to read my guide to the craziness of Conference which I’ve updated for Brighton.

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Duncan Brack

Conference Countdown: Agenda 2020: The final stage

By Duncan Brack | Wed 14th September 2016 - 12:40 pm

Agenda 2020 paperSunday morning at Brighton will see one of the most important debates at conference. It probably won’t be terribly controversial (though one never knows …), but it is party members’ chance to say what they think – not about specific policies the party should adopt, but about what the party stands for: its basic philosophy.

This is the final stage in the Federal Policy Committee’s ‘Agenda 2020’ process, which has featured many times before in the pages of Lib Dem Voice. Over the past year we have published two consultation papers, organised two consultative sessions at federal conferences, commissioned a set of essays and organised an essay competition within the party (all available at http://www.libdems.org.uk/agenda2020).

The outcome of all this is the policy paper The Opportunity to Succeed, the Power to Change. Its first purpose is to explain the basic underlying beliefs of the party and what, in broad terms, is the point of us. So the first main chapter sets out the case for the Liberal Democrats – the essence of what we are trying to do and why it matters. We’ve phrased this round two objectives: giving people the opportunity to succeed, and enabling them to take the power to grasp those opportunities. Too many people in today’s Britain lack the opportunity to live their lives as they want, and too many people feel powerless in the face of change.

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Ed Long

Conference Countdown 2016: Tackling global corruption should be a core Liberal campaign

By Ed Long | Wed 14th September 2016 - 11:20 am

On April 3 2016, just under 12 million documents were leaked from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca containing financial details on over 200,000 offshore companies. While the bulk of our nation’s media coverage was of David Cameron’s family investment fund – Blairmore Holdings – and the former Prime Minister of Iceland’s resignation, most news outlets underplayed the real significance of the investigation: the details of shell companies used to profit from criminal activity and how the lack of transparency in opaque jurisdictions such as the British Virgin Islands, Seychelles or Bahamas provides cover for organisations involved in people trafficking, narcotics, selling arms to despotic regimes and terrorism.

On Saturday, Tower Hamlets Liberal Democrats are moving a motion demanding that the UK calls time on the lack of progress in our overseas territories and sets a deadline for the implementation of centralised registers which make the beneficial ownership of companies available both to relevant authorities and to the public.

The UK has a strong record in this area: Vince Cable drove forward the development of legislation for Companies House to implement a register of Persons of Significant Control during the coalition and the register is now starting to be filled with statements of beneficial ownership. It is due for completion in June 2017.

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Colin McGerty

Conference Countdown 2016: Looking forward to Lib Dem Disco?

By Colin McGerty | Wed 14th September 2016 - 10:02 am

For those of you heading to Conference in Brighton this weekend, I hope word has reached you by now that Cambridge Lib Dems are once again hosting the hugely enjoyable Lib Dem Disco in association with UK Music.

It was such fun last year that even Buzzfeed was astounded.

This year will see defending champion DJ Jo Swinson taking on the challenge from Kirsty Williams, Simon Hughes and the ALDC’s own Abi Bell. As before, your MC for the evening is one Julian “J Huppz” Huppert.

Things kick off at 10:30pm in the Balmoral & Buckingham Room, Hilton Metropole, Brighton on Saturday 17th September.

Please note that in previous years a special online discount was offered. This year tickets are all £10 each. We would like to apologise if this was incorrectly stated elsewhere. Naturally you can trust this now that you’ve read it on Lib Dem Voice!

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David Grace

Trident and the “doctrine of unripe time”

By David Grace | Mon 21st September 2015 - 7:03 am

In his brilliant book on academic politics “Microcosmographica Academica” , F M Cornford wrote that there was only one argument for doing anything – that it was right. There were, however, many arguments for not doing anything, of which “the doctrine of unripe time” is one of the most common. This applies perfectly to the Liberal Democrat Conference debate on Trident. On the surface, the question seems simple – replace Trident or scrap Trident – but the waters have been muddied by an amendment from Baroness Jolly which says neither. It says we should set up another working group to consider options.

Over the last eight years conference has debated Trident no less than five times, sometimes alone and sometimes as part of a portmanteau motion. There have been two working groups which have taken evidence from senior civil servants, generals, academics and defence think tanks. In addition Ming Campbell conducted a review of options before we went into coalition. Finally in government we forced an official review of options by defence specialists. What can any party group possibly learn that will add to all that? What indeed! There is nothing new to learn. It’s just the “doctrine of unripe time” again. There is no reason whatsoever to kick this can down the road. There is a very good reason to make our minds up now. Some time in 2016 parliament will vote on the “Main Gate” decision committing over £100 billion pounds to Trident’s successor. Our working group would probably report back after that decision and all its regurgitation of old information would be utterly irrelevant.

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John Pugh

Conference Countdown 2015: John Pugh MP writes…Benchmark for Bournemouth

By John Pugh | Fri 18th September 2015 - 7:30 pm

Every political party has its own narrative. In the last decade we have  moved from being a popular party of opposition to an unpopular party of government. Our ambition is to be a popular party of government.

Our success in doing so will be influenced by the direction of travel in other parties. Labour is manifestly on a  strange journey but we should be hesitant about drawing parallels or making comparisons. Blairites in reforming their party took that party to massive electoral success. Orange bookers in endeavouring to re-direct the Liberal Democrats took us to electoral wipeout.

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Gerald Vernon-Jackson

Conference Countdown 2015: We cannot vote to become group members of CND

By Gerald Vernon-Jackson | Fri 18th September 2015 - 12:27 pm

We all remember the pain of the General Election. We seemed to lose votes from two major groups of people.

The first were people who would not forgive us for working with the Tories in Government. They were tacical voters who voted Lib Dem in 2010 and then voted Labour/Green in 2015.

The second group were swing Lib Dem/Conservative voters. Many of them were scared by the Tories into voting Conservative to stop a Labour/SNP government that would wreck the economy and make the UK unsafe.

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George Kendall

Conference Countdown 2015: Why you shouldn’t give me a vote at Conference

By George Kendall | Fri 18th September 2015 - 8:26 am

In the last four years, I’ve been to a lot of Lib Dem conferences – though sadly not next week – but I’ve had a vote at none of them. I was even the mover of an amendment, but I didn’t get to vote on it.

On Monday the One Member One Vote motion would give me a vote at conference. So why do I think you shouldn’t give it to me?

I’m not worried about the vast, vast majority of members. But there are a just a few who do worry me. If we decided votes by referenda, I wouldn’t be concerned. Among 61,000 members, a few rogue votes wouldn’t be significant. But attendance at conference is a lot lower.

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Conference Countdown 2015: Agenda 2020 at conference: your chance to have your say

By Duncan Brack and Julie Smith | Thu 17th September 2015 - 9:45 pm

We’ve written here before about the Federal Policy Committee’s ‘Agenda 2020’ exercise – a major consultation within the party on Liberal Democrats’ basic beliefs, values and approaches. Our political philosophy is the backbone around which we build our policies on specific issues, and a vital part of our fightback.

A short consultation paper, Agenda 2020, and an accompanying set of essays setting out the personal opinions of a range of individuals within the party are both available on the party website.

The paper sets out a brief description of the Liberal Democrat philosophy and outlines the policy challenges the country, and the party, will face over the next five years. Responses to the paper can be submitted via the website, but we are also discussing it at two consultative sessions during the Bournemouth conference. Each of them will give you an opportunity to give us your thoughts on what’s in the paper, what you like, what you don’t like, and what’s missing.

It’s not terribly obvious from the conference agenda how the sessions will be run, so we thought it would be useful to outline them here.

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Richard Allanach

Conference Countdown 2015: Trident debate: the fourth way

By Richard Allanach | Wed 16th September 2015 - 7:25 pm

Current Liberal Democrat policy is that we reduce our fleet of nuclear missile submarines from four to three – but reducing the cost of our nuclear programme by less than a quarter. Most of the time we intend to have a nuclear missile submarine at sea but not armed with nuclear missiles. However at times of international tension we would sortie a submarine armed with nuclear weapons.

Trident and its successors are designed to penetrate sophisticated air defence systems such as those developed by Russia. I can think of no occasion when it would be rational for the United Kingdom to launch missiles at such a foe without the support of other major powers. No scenario in which an independent launch against such a major foe would be a sensible option has been put forward in the current debate.

Delegates to conference who think the three submarine strategy is a sensible use of £100bn can keep this policy by voting down the motion before conference.

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Mark Pack

Conference Countdown 2015: Would you abolish One Member One Vote if it was already in place?

By Mark Pack | Wed 16th September 2015 - 11:55 am

A good test of a proposed new rule is to imagine: if it was already in place, would you be convinced by arguments to abolish it? So imagine with me that the Liberal Democrats had one-member, one-vote (OMOV) in place, instead of our conference representatives system, for electing our federal committees and for voting at party conference. A world with all party members able to vote in both.

It would not be nirvana. You can imagine some being concerned about the time and cost involved in coming to conference and the members who therefore miss out. You can also imagine complaints when ballot papers come round that members do not know enough about what the candidates are like or their track records.

So take one more step down imaginary lane with me and picture me at a podium in front of you, laying out all these problems and revealing – hooray! – I have an answer.

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Tim Farron MP

Tim Farron MP writes…Liberal Democrats will not support like for like Trident replacement but Conference motion doesn’t answer key questions

By Tim Farron MP | Mon 14th September 2015 - 1:50 pm

Another Lib Dem conference and we find ourselves talking about our nuclear deterrent once more. This is a huge and timely issue as the Tory Government will be taking the decision to proceed with the Trident replacement programme next year. In fact, with the recent announcement of an additional £500m for Faslane they have already nailed their colours very firmly to the mast. So it’s absolutely right that conference should debate the issue, and I think members deserve to hear where I stand on it.

There are obviously strong views on both sides, but I do not support the existing motion. Judith Jolly has submitted a very sensible amendment which asks for the motion to be referred back to the Federal policy Committee. I want to see a full and open consultation on this issue so that we can consider the threats we face and be completely clear on the options, implications and costs of any decisions. We need a party working group to look at the questions of how best to allocate scare resources, guarantee security, and fulfil our international obligations while facing up to the type of threats and challenges Britain will face in the 21st Century. And we need Lib Dem answers.  

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Gareth Epps

Conference Countdown 2015: How to learn lessons and not blow the EU referendum

By Gareth Epps | Sun 13th September 2015 - 5:18 pm

In the run-up to Autumn Conference in Bournemouth, we’ll be looking ahead to examine the highlights in the debating hall, the fringe and training rooms. You can find the papers here. You can find all the posts in the series here.

Willie Rennie has finally written a frank and fascinating assessment of the flaws in the Better Together campaign. He draws a number of important conclusions which need to be learned if the EU referendum is not going to fall foul of the pitfalls that beset not only Better Together but in starker and disastrous form the incompetent Yes To AV campaign in 2011. All the articles are well worth a read.

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George Cunningham

Conference Countdown 2015: Let’s scrap the “scrapping Trident” motion

By George Cunningham | Sun 13th September 2015 - 8:55 am

In the run-up to Autumn Conference in Bournemouth, we’ll be looking ahead to examine the highlights in the debating hall, the fringe and training rooms. You can find the papers here. You can find all the posts in the series here.

Yesterday,  the Labour Party made the historic mistake of electing Jeremy Corbyn as its new party leader. Through this decision, it has thrown away years of work (and time in government) convincing the general public that it is electable. To a lesser degree, let us not do the same.

Naturally I respect the views of the “Scrapping Trident” lobby within the party. Theirs is a noble cause. But it should be remembered that the party already threw out the idea of scrapping Trident at party conference just two years ago by coming to a compromise that we would make substantial savings by reducing the number of Successor submarines from four to three.

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Eluned Parrott

Eluned Parrott AM writes…Tourism tax reduction will boost economy and create jobs

By Eluned Parrott | Thu 10th September 2015 - 12:30 pm

Tourism is a major part of our economy, and one of the few industries which truly covers the whole of the UK. There isn’t a single Parliamentary seat which doesn’t benefit from tourism and it’s a sector with great potential for growth.

As Liberal Democrats I believe we should use the levers at our disposal to stimulate the economy and create opportunities for people to get on in life, no matter where they live. That is why, as a group of local parties from across the UK, we have brought this motion to conference. By reducing VAT to 5% for tourism businesses – bringing the UK into line with most of our European neighbours – we could do exactly that.

British tourism is at a competitive disadvantage, being perceived as an expensive holiday destination when compared to other EU countries. The impact of this on our tourism businesses is that it encourages UK customers to holiday abroad and deters visitors to the UK.

But price sensitivity in the tourism industry also acts in subtler ways. With UK hotels seen as more expensive than continental ones, visitors to Europe from the US and Far East spend less time here, ticking off the major sights in London and never stepping beyond the capitol. The higher upfront cost of staying here means that businesses in other parts of the UK don’t benefit, and those visitors that do come spend less in restaurants, shops and visitor attractions because they simply aren’t here very long.

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Caron Lindsay

Conference Countdown 2015: Transgender and intersex health charter

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 6th September 2015 - 1:00 pm

In the run-up to Autumn Conference in Bournemouth, we’ll be looking ahead to examine the highlights in the debating hall, the fringe and training rooms. You can find the papers here. You can find all the posts in the series here.

First thing on Monday morning, Conference will debate a long 122 line motion on what is billed as a health charter for transgender and intersex people, but actually is much more wide-ranging.

Trans and intersex  rights is the next major front for equality campaigners. Lynne Featherstone in government set out an ambitious transgender action plan but this was kicked into the long grass when she was moved out of the Home Office in 2012.

Certainly, there is much to be done. Figures show that waiting times for a first appointment at a gender identity clinic are more than excessive.

Gender Identity clinic waiting times

 

In Scotland, young people are now being told that they have a 7 month wait before they will get an appointment at the only Gender Identity Clinic for children and  teenagers in the country. This is a mighty chunk out of a school year for very vulnerable young people who may be at particular risk of self harm and suicide.

One issue that I don’t think the motion tackles is the lack of gender specialists being trained. Until more people can be attracted into the field, the problem is surely only going to get worse at a time when many more people are seeking help. In Scotland, referrals are steeply increasing, with 2 young people a week being added to the waiting list. The clinic has recently been extended from one half day a week to one full day a week but that is far from sufficient to cope with demand. An article in today’s Sunday Herald shows the extent of the problem:

The long wait can have a serious impact on trans people who are desperate for help, both mentally and physically.

Gerber admitted: “It can be distressing and there are reports of people committing suicide as a result of that.”

Steph Bell, from Edinburgh, said she was so desperate for treatment that she told her health board she was thinking of buying hormones online, as she couldn’t face waiting months for help.

The 29-year-old claims after she told the Lothian health board her plans they agreed to move her up the waiting list, but nine months later she has still not been seen.

Bell, who has a mild form of Asperger’s syndrome, said she avoids going out alone and struggles with anxiety, made worse by her wait for hormone therapy.

Here is the motion in full. The deadline for amendments is tomorrow at 1pm. 

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Caron Lindsay

Conference Countdown 2015: Call for better youth services

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 5th September 2015 - 9:23 am

In the run-up to Autumn Conference in Bournemouth, we’ll be looking ahead to examine the highlights in the debating hall, the fringe and training rooms. You can find the papers here. You can find all the posts in the series here.

The final debate before the Leader’s Speech is on the subject of youth services. The motion’s promoters have been very busy this week, ensuring coverage on the Children and Young People now website. Mathew Hulbert told the site:

Hulbert said the Lib Dem Friends of Youth Services has been formed to campaign internally in the party to influence the party line on youth services in the current parliament and through into the next general election in 2020. “The other part of it is being able to speak out by whatever means possible, joining other other people from the sector who are saying that young people are being dumped on time and again – whether it be youth services, or cuts to benefits. “What have young people done to deserve being treated in this way by government?”

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Adam Corlett

Conference Countdown 2015: Cutting VAT for tourism would be a costly mistake

By Adam Corlett | Tue 1st September 2015 - 10:33 am

In the run-up to Autumn Conference in Bournemouth, we’ll be looking ahead to examine the highlights in the debating hall, the fringe and training rooms. You can find the papers here. You can find all the posts in the series here.

One of the motions at conference is for reducing VAT on tourism as far as possible. Here’s why that’s a bad idea.

The idea is to reduce VAT on hotels and selected attractions from the standard rate of 20% to 5% – the minimum allowed by the EU. This is something the British Hospitality Association has been lobbying the Treasury on for years. The motion refers to the importance of tourism more generally, with figures that include all restaurants, pubs and outbound flights, amongst other things, but I assume its VAT proposal is (mercifully) more limited.

The government’s response to this lobbying (under both Labour and the Coalition of which we were a part) has been to point to the substantial price tag. The cost of cutting VAT for accommodation alone would be £2 billion a year, with amusement parks and similar adding another £200 million. This is serious money. A comparable total would be the cost of the Pupil Premium that Lib Dems fought so hard to introduce.

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