Last weekend the LibDem South Central Regional Conference was hosted at the Oakwood centre, Woodley (which has a LibDem run town council). The event was well attended, members and supporters were welcome to come and see what we had to say. Despite what the conservatives have said in the press, the event was paid for in full by LibDem attendees.
Gareth Epps (PPC Reading East) proposed a policy motion regarding the Heathrow airport expansion. The Motion asked for conference to oppose further expansion plans for Heathrow, and to condemn the Labour Gov't for one of the worst public consultation processes.
There was also an interesting Motion: "Biofuels - Filling tanks or filling stomachs" which called for the EU to scrap volume targets, reduce inports of agrofuels, suspension of tax breaks for biofuel production and for gov't to refocus attention towards efficiency of energy use and better public transport. I strongly agree that we need to stop dabbling in biofuel production and find real alternatives to combustible fuels. In fact its been suggested that growing and using biofuels emits up to 70 percent more greenhouse gases than fossil fuels - especially if forests are cleared for fuel production (in the case of palm oil). This motion passed!
Nick Clegg MP was also present to give a speech at the very end of the conference for members. The conservatives, once again, complained that they should be allowed to quiz Nick Clegg, even though they were invited to the Reading public meeting which followed. Suffices to say, they didn't attend. The public meeting was very sucessful and we had a full house! Questions ranged from the treatment of these with mental health issues, to transport and then to armed forces voting provision.
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