POLICY
"We have a golden opportunity for our party. Gordon Brown
presides over an increasingly stale, incompetent, and desperate government.
David Cameron and the Tories don't know what they stand for anymore.
"We know what we stand for: a more Liberal Britain. I am confident that with hard work and dedication we can turn our beliefs into reality and change our country for the better."
Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg
For a summary of Liberal Democrat policies please
download the Pocket Guide to
Policy.
Policy Working
Groups
The Federal Policy Committee (FPC) would like to invite
Party members to put their name forward to serve on Policy Working Groups. An
application form can be completed online at consult.libdems.org.uk or
alternatively paper copies can be obtained by calling the policy team on 020
7219 2577 or by emailing e.cornborough@libdems.org.uk.
Current
Policy Consultations
The Liberal Democrats have set up a new policy
consultation website. You can check the progress of our current policy
consultations and submit your own comments and articles at consult.libdems.org.uk
Manifestos
The
party's General
Election Manifesto is the Liberal Democrat programme for government. It is
drawn up by the Party’s Federal Policy Committee in consultation with the
Parliamentary Party, as a fully costed and affordable package. It is this set of
policies on which the party fights the election and which a Liberal Democrat
government would introduce when in power.
Policy
documents
The documents available here contain long term
policies for the Liberal Democrats. They reflect the party's federal policy, and
figures are provided on a UK wide basis. In practice, the policies of the
Scottish and Welsh Liberal Democrats may result in different priorities in their
areas of responsibility. There is also a 'Pocket Guide to Liberal Democrat
Policies' available here.
How
is policy made?
Twice a year, in spring and autumn, elected
representatives from Liberal Democrat constituency parties assemble at the party
conference to establish federal party policy - the Liberal Democrat priorities
for UK government.
Federal policy covers those areas that would fall within the remit of the federal institutions of a properly federal United Kingdom. England, Scotland and Wales set their own policies for their own areas.
Scottish policy is set through the Scottish conference and Welsh policy is set through Welsh Conference. English policy and policy with wider applicability across the UK is debated at the federal party conferences.
Every two years, conference representatives elect a Federal Policy Committee (FPC) which is responsible for the production of the policy papers that are debated by Conference, and is responsible for election manifestos. Party members discuss policy papers in local and regional meetings, and their representatives then debate and vote on policy motions and papers at Conference. Conference also debates motions submitted by local parties and conference representatives.
