Sorry for the slight hiatus on the Blog - I'm feeling tired but inspired after an excellent few days spent by the sea in sunny Bournemouth.
Personal highlights for me at this year's Conference included:
- Speaking in a debate on the Conference floor in support of a motion calling for urgent action to tackle youth unemployment - something I have been campaigning on throughout the Summer in Reading.
- Being nominated for an award by an expert panel of senior Lib Dem campaigners for my private rented housing e-campaign (I lost out to Jo Swinson MP - the first MP to tweet from the House of Commons)
- Catching up with fantastic campaigners from across the country to swap stories and share ideas among the young Lib Dem councillors who attended the Next Generation 3 course with me.
- Listening to fantastic speeches by Lynne Featherstone MP (child protection, equality), Chris Huhne MP (crime & civil liberties), Vince Cable MP (the economy) and Nick Clegg MP. FInd them all here.
I was joined at Conference by a number of councillors from our Council Group, Reading East PPC Cllr Gareth Epps, and a large number of students from our award-winning Reading University branch.
The group that attended participated in a number of debates, training sessions and fringes. We left feeling invigorated for the year ahead.
This year, the Lib Dem youth and student wing - Liberal Youth, under the energetic leadership of Elaine Bagshaw really made an impact speaking in a number of high-profile debates, tabling motions and generally shaking things up. They were a breath of fresh air and could give plenty of older politicians a run for their money!
These young campaigners are an asset to the Party and I love the fact that our democratic structure enables them to have a real voice in policy-making.
My quote of the Conference goes to Chris Huhne during his keynote speech:
"Labour cannot win. Not even Labour thinks Labour can win. Gordon Brown is the only person who thinks it’s game on. Everyone else knows the game’s up."
I loved as well the way he nailed the Conservative record on crime, in the same speech:
"Look at our track record in all those great Liberal Democrat cities. Look at crime. Tackling crime depends, of course, on effective policing. On detection. On ensuring that criminals know that they will be caught. But it also depends on partnership with councils. Alley-gates in Liverpool stop burglars breaking into back yards. Durham’s Nightsafe scheme curbs drunken brawls. In Tory areas, crime has performed less well than the national average - falling 16 per cent since the peak. Over the same period, crime in Liberal Democrat councils has fallen by more than the national average at 20 per cent. Look at violent crime: down 6 per cent in Tory areas but down more than twice as much - by 14 per cent - in Lib Dem councils. Be proud of our record, because it shows we are ready for national power. Tories talk. Liberal Democrats deliver."
I took my laptop to Conference as part of a host of activists using social networking tools - somehow I made it into the top three Tweeters!
I predict that the use of tools like Twitter by political parties and bloggers will increase even further over the next year.
Blogging MP Lynne Featherstone spoke at a fringe about the future of campaigning - as ever, she is ahead of the curve on these things. Local blogger Mark Thompson won an award for his Blog - amazing given it has only been going for a year.
However, as my colleague Warren Swaine has pointed out our Party Conference is about policy making and I was delighted to see the party members approve comprehensive new policies on improving real women's lives, child protection and decent homes for all.
These are policies that will have a real impact on people's lives in Reading.
Locally, it has been the Lib Dems who have led the way on these important issues and it was gratifying to hear these causes being championed by activists, councillors and parliamentarians across the Party.
I listened to Nick Clegg speak three times during Conference and was impressed each time. It was great to hear him say that the successful campaign for justice for the Gurkhas was the highlight of his year so far.
I was pleased to hear him make the case for more fairness and equality in British society. Too often this gets overlooked by the other two major parties in the battle for votes.
Representing an urban ward in Reading I am acutely aware of the impact of inequality on health and wellbeing of children and families. Putting this right is what get's me out of bed in the morning after a long night of council meetings.
For this reason these words in Nick's speech really resonated with me:
"To build a fair society, you have to start with children. And you have to start young. In Britain today, a poor, bright child will be overtaken by a less intelligent, but wealthier child by the time he is seven. This has to change. The first few years are the most important in determining a child’s future. Those first few years when their character, their personality are being shaped."
I enjoyed the last section of the speech where Nick Clegg articulated the real choice facing the electorate at the next General Election, so I've attached it here:
"Labour is lost. They haven’t the ideas, energy or vision to start again. If you voted for them in the past, you have a choice. You can give away your vote to a fringe party. You can stay at home in despair. Or you can join with the Liberal Democrats and make the difference.
If you supported Labour in 1997 because you wanted fairness. You wanted young people to flourish. You wanted political reform. You wanted the environment protected. Or you simply believed in a better future. Turn to the Liberal Democrats. We carry the torch of progress now.
The choice at the next election is fake change from the Conservatives. Or real change from the Liberal Democrats. At a time like this.
A time of real crisis. Britain cannot afford to be taken in by David Cameron’s illusion of change. Britain needs leadership from a party with real passion, and it’s the Liberal Democrats.
There is hope for a different future, a different way of doing things in Britain, if we are brave enough to make a fresh start. So let today be the first day of the future of British politics. It may be only the beginning. But it is the beginning. The beginning of real change in Britain.
If you want things to be different, really different, choose the party that is different.
Choose the Liberal Democrats.
Now, back to delivering real change for the people of Redlands!,
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