1. Being introduced at a meeting or in a debate as a “Minister” is still a plus point, often triggering a round of applause. People at conference like the fact that the party is in government.
2. The Social Liberal Forum (SLF) is growing quickly in influence in the party, partly thanks to a smartly organised set of fringe meetings, amendments and motions. However, the SLF is very keen to repeatedly stress that it is not anti-coalition.
3. The NHS debate was a decision delayed. All sides are happy with the idea that a conference debate is used to set out or strengthen the party’s negotiating position in coalition talks, but those talks need to deliver results for all sides to remain happy (as Evan Harris pointed out in response to a tweet of mine).
4. The question of what, if any, action the party should take to improve the diversity of its Parliamentary Party has long been the cause of fierce debate and postponed decision making. Today conference voted overwhelmingly for the proposals put before it, more positive action than positive discrimination. Even if the result was not a surprise, the margin of the vote was.
5. Both Vince Cable, even after tuition fees, and criticising bankers remain popular with conference representatives.
6. Shirley Williams is still a fantastic speech maker.
7. It’s extremely hard to find London conference reps who want Lembit Opik to be the party’s candidate for London Mayor. They may not be representative of members overall of course, and no-one else has yet thrown their hat into the ring.
8. There was a welcome flicker of extra interest in using the party’s internal systems of democracy with a big increase in the number of questions asked on federal committee reports. Credit to Tim Farron for his answer to my question, promising to include more detail in future Federal Executive reports. As Caron Lindsay pointed out, though, the questioners were all male.
9. Why does my right armpit keep on setting off the metal detectors?
10. And finally, for those watching my mini-campaign to get people in the party to talk about “community politics” more frequently: kudos to Paul Burstow (two mentions in his conference speech) and to Nick Clegg (one mention in his foreword to the latest LGA pamphlet).
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14 Comments
Re: 9 – alien implant?
Mark Pack _is_ Snake Pliskin!
‘ . . The Social Liberal Forum (SLF) is growing quickly in influence in the party, . . ‘: this is the most significant development, I think. Paving the way for an election pact with Labour in 2015, perhaps?
Mark
The link to your question doesn’t appear to work.
No mention of the ‘somewhat important’ May Elections and AV vote yet.
The big C word springs to mind again.
(Complaceny. Get your mind out of the gutter. 🙂 )
I wonder whether the growing influence of the SLF will trigger other groups to organise? I wonder whether the newer members who have joined recently are really reflected in the conference voting reps? It will be interesting to watch…
Re 9: Hidden Chocolate Bars?
Thought you meant big C Conservative, Lib Dem Titanic (is it the party sinking, or complacency?)
Wait till May Tim and all will become clear. 😉
Cheltenham Robin: Thanks; now sorted.
No mention anywhere of Libya, Japan, tsunami and what seems like impendingarmageddon, with the world economy on a knife-edge and could be pushed over the precipice by these events.
As a sympathetic outsider looking in, it all seems a little parochial.
@Keith: “As a sympathetic outsider looking in, it all seems a little parochial.”
What? Spring Conference? Surely not!
Interesting point about all the questions being from men. Presumably after yesterday’s diversity motion in future there will be a quota for questions from men, women, ethnic minorities, lbgt …….
As one of the men who asked (and tabled questions) I did suggest that my wife do so. She declined the offer though. Not all the questioners (looking over the whole of conference) were male. In fact there was a string of females asking questions at one stage.
“8. There was a welcome flicker of extra interest in using the party’s internal systems of democracy with a big increase in the number of questions asked on federal committee reports. ”
Well anything is better than the zero questions usually asked (when people have gone to so much trouble to write the reports). However on the Saturday at least I was asked to keep it as brief as possible because of concerns expressed to me by the one in black boots, which led to that session finishing ten minutes ahead of time as having received such a request I didn’t ask supplementary questions to a series of questions.
Out of the questions in Conference Daily, more were submitted, some were ruled out of order. In other cases the person chairing had to select only one or two to ask. As it’s a written report, often the Chair’s introduction of the speaker can be longer than presenting the report!