Conference Daily Sunday 15 September Autumn Conference Brighton 2024 PLAINTEXT Information from the Federal Conference Committee (FCC) for Sunday 15 September and report back on Saturday 14 September. Please read in conjunction with the Conference Agenda. Contents and Timetable Report back for Saturday 14 September 2 Timetable for Sunday 15 September 09.00–09.30 F16 Policy motion: National Nature Parks 3 09.30–10.25 F17 Policy motion: Our Plan to Save The NHS 4 10.25–11.05 F18 Topical issue discussion 6 11.05–11.20 F19 Speech: Munira Wilson MP Lunch break and fringe 14.10–15.00 F20 Question and answer session: Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey MP 6 15.00–16.30 F21 Consultative session: Leading the Way – Liberal Democrat policy direction in the years ahead 6 16.30–16.40 F21A Speech: Magen Inon 6 16.40–16.50 F22 Business motion: Membership Subscription and Federal Levy 16.50–18.00 F23 Report: Federal Board 7 F24 Report: Campaign for Gender Balance 11 F25 Report: Federal Communications and Elections Committee 12 F26 Report: Federal International Relations Committee 13 F27 Report: Federal Council 14 F28 Report: Federal Appeals Panel 15 If no page number is indicated, there are no changes or additional information to the information in the Conference Agenda. Report back for Saturday 14 September F2 Report: Federal Conference Committee Approved Vote to include item 21A on the Agenda Passed F3 Standing order amendment: Rationalising the Reference Back Procedure Passed F4 Constitutional amendment: References Back by Federal Policy Committee Passed F5 Report: Federal Policy Committee Approved F6 Policy motion: Reforming Sunday Trading Laws Passed (Amendment One passed, Amendment Two defeated 119 to 70) F8 Policy motion: Equitable and Improved Outcomes Throughout Pregnancy and the Neonatal Period Passed (Amendments One, Two and Three passed) F12 Policy motion: Europe – Restoring Links for Young People Passed (Amendment One passed) F14 Policy motion: Supporting Disadvantaged Children Passed (Amendments One and Two passed) F15 Policy motion: Buy Now, Pay Later – Standing by Consumers During the Cost–of–Living Crisis Passed Emergency motion Implementing the Recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report was selected by ballot for debate at item F38 on Monday 16 September. For the text of motions and amendments, please refer to the Autumn 2024 Conference Agenda and Conference Daily for Saturday 14 September. Consultative session Sunday 15 September 15.00–16.30 Leading the Way – Liberal Democrat policy direction in the years ahead Chaired by Jeremy Hargreaves. Brighton Centre, auditorium.       See Conference Agenda for more information. Sunday 15 September F16 National Nature Parks Chair: Cllr Jon Ball (Vice Chair, FCC). The FCC has agreed to make the following drafting amendments to the motion: In iv) (line 28), delete ‘countryside and produce high-quality food for our tables’ and insert ‘including woodland, heathland and moorland, particularly upland peat. This will support the recovery of natural flood protections, carbon storage and thriving ecosystems whilst also providing high-quality food for the table’. In 3. (line 63), after ‘restoration’ insert: ‘with a need for special protection of areas of woodland, heathland and moorland, and of the creation and maintenance of natural flood protection’. Amendment One Manchester Mover: Alan Good. Summation: Chris Northwood. After V. (line 16), insert: VI. The government has set a deadline of 2031 for all rights of way in England to be added to an official map, but data gathered by the BBC suggests nearly 8,000 requests to get public paths and bridleways added to the map have not been processed – and some date back to the 1980s. After iv) (line 29), insert: v) Rights of Way must be recorded clearly to be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations. After 5. b) (line 71), insert: c) Scrap the 2031 deadline for the Definitive Map Modification Orders. Amendment Two Sheffield Mover: Andy Sangar. Summation: Rebecca Atkinson. After 5. b) (line 71), insert: 6. Support greater access to National Nature Parks via the promotion and maintenance of walking routes and cycleways plus frequent public transport options from nearby towns and cities and within the Park, to reduce private vehicle use and consequent problem parking over time. Background briefing: This motion updates and develops policy on the protection of the natural environment. It builds on existing policy as set out in the general election manifesto For a Fair Deal (2024), and policy paper 156, Tackling the Nature Crisis (September 2023). F17 Our Plan to Save the NHS The FCC has agreed to make the following drafting amendments to the motion: In 8. (lines 82–84), after ‘care estate’ insert ‘and IT systems’; after ‘concrete’ delete ‘and’ and insert ‘,’; and after ‘buildings’ insert ‘and incompatible, failing digital infrastructure’. In 9. (line 86), after ‘care’ insert ‘and to provide sufficient funding to local authorities to cover the increased costs of social care resulting from these measures’. Amendment One Lambeth Mover: David Whitaker. Summation: Stevan Cirkovic. In M. (line 38), after ‘primary care estate’ insert ‘and mental health estate’. After v) (line 54), insert: vi) Community-based care in non-institutional environments should be expanded where appropriate – physical health checks in pharmacies as well as community mental health provision are important pillars of modern health services that are efficient, preventative, and accessible to all communities, involving the right professionals in the right spaces. In 8. (lines 82–84), after ‘care’ insert ‘and mental health’; delete ‘to end’ and insert ‘to move from’; and after ‘failing digital infrastructure’ insert ‘and therapeutic environments that promote recovery’. Amendment Two 10 members Mover: Peter Lacey. Summation: Tom Gordon MP. After 9. (line 86), insert: 10. To introduce a fair funding deal for hospices and to include palliative and end of life care services in priorities and planning guidance for the NHS to ensure a whole system response to the growing need for these services. Background briefing: This motion updates and develops policy on health and social care. It builds on existing policy as set out in the general election manifesto For a Fair Deal (2024), policy motion Boosting Cancer Survival (March 2024), policy motion 40 New Hospitals (March 2024), policy motion Transforming the Nation’s Health (September 2023), and policy paper 151, A More Caring Society (March 2023). F18 Topical issue discussion: Labour’s economic policy and the foundations for long-term prosperity Hall Aide: Fraser Graham. Proposer: Duncan Brack. Response: Sarah Olney MP (Spokesperson for Treasury and Business). Summation: Eleanor Kelly (Vice Chair of the Policy Working Group). This is an opportunity for members to discuss and further develop the Liberal Democrat alternative to the Labour Government’s economic approach, without agreeing specific policy at this stage. Proposer and response: 5 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. F20 Q&A session: Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Questions will be put to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats by Carolyn Quinn. Members may submit concise questions (maximum 25 words) on any topic, online until 17.00 on Saturday 14 September, or on a form collected from and returned to the Speakers’ Table by 12.50 on Sunday 15 September. F21 Leading the Way – Liberal Democrat policy direction in the years ahead Aides: Cllr Lucy Nethsingha (Vice Chair, FPC) and Eleanor Kelly (Vice Chair of the Policy Working Group). 16.30 Speech Chair: Layla Moran MP (Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs). Aide: Cllr Nick da Costa (Chair, FCC). F21A Magen Inon (Israeli educator and peace advocate) F23 Federal Board Report: questions and accountability As part of the vote on the Board report, the Federal Board will be asking Conference to vote to confirm the name of a new Federal Appeals Panel member to fill a casual vacancy that arose over the summer. There will be a separate vote to confirm or reject this name. The person being proposed is Rebecca Williams. Rebecca is a Liberal Democrat member in Hertfordshire, a lawyer by training, with a career in both local and central government. She has particular expertise in planning law. She has a strong background in handling cases and appeals, and in ensuring timetables are kept and the right procedures followed. She is also a school governor, experienced in dealing with disciplinary and exclusion matters. Q1. Submitted by Leon Duveen Can the Board explain why any group that is not an Affiliated Organisation (AO) and has stated aims that are against Party principles is allowed to have a stall in the Exhibition? Our Conference is a private gathering of Liberal Democrat members, not a public forum open to all. With this in mind, what measures will be taken to make sure that any group, even if it includes Party Members that is not an AO and has aims that are against Party principles can be refused? Q2. Submitted by Adam Robertson Will the Federal Board be changing its structures and strategy to ensure that the Party is looking a party ready for power, or being able to react quickly if political developments happened within the centre of British Politics? Q3. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What efforts are being made to harmonise the National, Devolved, Regional and Local campaigns we run, to make sure that successes in one election can transfer well to others? Q4. Submitted by Janet Grauberg Strategy – in terms of developing a new strategy, how are local parties and other party bodies going to be engaged in the process? Q5. Submitted by Jim Williams A tide of anti-Tory sentiment helped the Party deliver a record-breaking number of Liberal Democrat MPs this year. How will the Federal Board’s strategy review ensure that any lessening in anti-Tory sentiment does not result in fewer Lib Dem MPs at the next General Election? Q6. Submitted by Jim Williams Every Lib Dem gain in this General Election was achieved from second place. Our success this year leaves us with only 27 second-place seats. How will the Federal Board’s strategy review ensure we bring more seats within reach of returning a Lib Dem MP? Q7. Submitted by Jim Williams Evidence and experience suggest that it is wise to avoid being a junior coalition partner. Looking ahead over the next two to three General Election cycles, how ambitious will the Federal Board be when setting long-term Party aims? Q8. Submitted by Christine Headley Will the Board consider ways of providing support to candidates and campaigners to promote wellbeing and avoid burnout? Q9. Submitted by Caron Lindsay Will the Board consider improving support for candidates and campaigners from marginalised groups who are subject to abuse when representing the party? Q10. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What actions have your committee taken to support the mental health of those on your committee? Q11. Submitted by Christopher Johnson What would you say the biggest opportunity and biggest challenge have been for your committee since last conference given the general election? Q12. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate How did Board work well, or less well, with Federal Committees and Bodies, during the General Election campaign? Q13. Submitted by Sarah Lewis Which Federal Committee is accountable (and on what timeline) for providing a comprehensive and transparent response to the recommendations of the General Election Review; and under what circumstances will these recommendations be referred to Conference? Q14. Submitted by Rebecca Jones What is the board doing to ensure trans people are free from transphobia within the party such as misgendering? Q15. Submitted by Alisdair Calder McGregor The party has consistently failed to deal with bad actors abusing the complaints process to terrorise party members who are also members of sexual and gender minorities. By soft pedalling for years, the party has emboldened these bullies in the hope they will go away. Instead, they have made the situation worse by using party funds to try and set precedents in court to undermine equalities legislation and our commitment to a fair and equal society. As we have seen with recent far right riots, treating the purveyors of hatred gently is tearing the fabric of our society apart. Does the party recognise the damage it is complicit, through inaction, in doing, to the fabric of our society and what is it planning to do about it? Q16. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What actions have your committee taken to improve diversity and inclusion on your committee? Q17. Submitted by Pete Dollimore Does the board see emerging technology such as AI as an opportunity or a risk? How will we harness it for best effect? Q18. Submitted by Tony Vickers Why, after 24 years as a recognised AO, is ALTER no longer listed as one on the Party website? Q19. Submitted by Mark Johnston ​Party standards: What steps are the Board, the Board’s Disciplinary Sub-committee and the Senior Adjudicators taking to ensure infringements of equality law are not repeated? Have ​all the relevant officers had suitable legal training​ for this purpose? Q20. Submitted by Leon Duveen The Media (especially the BBC) don’t seem to have caught up with the fact that we no longer have a duopoly in UK politics. What actions have or will be taking to ensure that we get the exposure (especially on in the broadcast media) that having 72 MPs (30% of opposition MPs) merit? Q21. Submitted by Sarah Lewis As part of the annual review of AOs, will the Federal Board give consideration to the role of AOs in formulating an adequate Party response to events of particular concern to specific communities within our Party’s membership e.g. the racist/Islamophobic riots of Jul-Aug 2024? Q22. Submitted by Josh Lucas Mitte Many branches made detrimental sacrifices to support target candidates, has allocating part of MP’s tithes to the regions been considered to support such local parties? Q23. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate How will you manage working with our 72 new MPs? Are there areas you can see opportunities and risks? Q24. Submitted by Katherine Howells Complaints Report states 7 respondents were sanctioned with a warning. How many of these were issued on dismissed complaints and does Fed Board consider it equitable to issue a sanction on a complaint that is dismissed? Q25. Submitted by John Grout Given the severe challenges of the decade so far (Covid-19, social media changes, Conference cancellations, tech re-platforming), how do the Board and FPDC intend to support and nurture the party’s community of AOs going forwards? Q26. Submitted by Zoe Hollowood Do the accounts presented within the FFRC report include the English, Scottish and Welsh parties or are these separate entities? Do they get consolidated into a parent entity? Q27. Submitted by Jacqueline Harris Baker Given a non diverse group of MPs what will the mechanism be to ensure that the parliamentary party represents the interests of the entire nation? Q28. Submitted by John Grout As we are now over the halfway point of the current party committees’ term, how does the Board feel the new constitutional arrangements vis-a-vis the Federal Council are working? Are they working as intended, and is there scope for improvement in the Board’s view? Q29. Submitted by Helen Baxter In the Federal Finance and Resources Committee report, the Balance Sheet (page 19) isn’t consistent with the Balance Sheet as per the audited set of 2023 accounts submitted to the Electoral Commission. Is this perhaps an older version? In addition, the net assets should agree to the total funds and the heading should say “as at 31 December 2023”. F24 Campaign for Gender Balance Report: questions and accountability Q1. Submitted by Christopher Johnson What would you say the biggest opportunity and biggest challenge have been for your committee since last conference given the general election? Q2. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What actions have your committee taken to support the mental health of those on your committee? Q3. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What actions have your committee taken to improve diversity and inclusion on your committee? Q4. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate How will you manage working with our 72 new MPs? Are there areas you can see opportunities and risks? F25 Federal Communications and Elections Committee Report: questions and accountability Q1. Submitted by Caron Lindsay How can the federal party ensure that we build on our Westminster success at the Scottish and Welsh elections in 2026? What support will they make to those vital campaigns? Q2. Submitted by Adam Robertson In Suffolk, we are potentially facing a 1981 result of ZERO seats at the next County Council Election. For areas such as Suffolk to succeed electorally could ‘Special Measures’ be considered to help Suffolk? Q3. Submitted by Christopher Johnson What would you say the biggest opportunity and biggest challenge have been for your committee since last conference given the general election? Q4. Submitted by Josh Lucas Mitte Many campaign staff will leave the party to work for the new MPs, how can FCEC ensure we retain expertise knowledge as we approach the locals? Q5. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What actions have your committee taken to support the mental health of those on your committee? Q6. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What actions have your committee taken to improve diversity and inclusion on your committee? Q7. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate How will you manage working with our 72 new MPs? Are there areas you can see opportunities and risks? Q8. Submitted by Simon Hughes How many 2024 UK General Election Liberal Democrat a) candidates and b) elected MPs define themselves as from a UK ethnic minority? Q9. Submitted by Oliver Jones-Lyons With lack of parliamentary representation no longer an excuse, how can we achieve all important press coverage going forward? Q10. Submitted by John Grout How does the party intend to retrench and recover in Labour-facing urban areas where we have been losing ground to the Green Party lately? Q11. Submitted by John Grout The targeting strategy obviously worked well this year in terms of seats, but left many local parties looking at disappointing results having helped their neighbours win. When will the cavalry arrive for these local parties, many of which face Labour? Q12. Submitted by John Grout In the last Parliament we campaigned successfully on a platform of being “not-the-Conservatives”. What plans to FCEC have to re-focus on positive reasons to vote Lib Dem, and on what we stand for, particularly in the context of a Labour government and insurgent far-right? Q13. Submitted by Brandon Masih What lessons have been learned from local elections on the growing strength of the Green Party where we have intentionally stood down for them? F26 Federal International Relations Committee Report: questions and accountability Q1. Submitted by Adam Robertson How effective have our Liberal Sister Parties have said the ‘Cordon Sanitaire’ has worked in their country against the Radical Right, as we may need to potentially have one against Reform? Q2. Submitted by Christopher Johnson What would you say the biggest opportunity and biggest challenge have been for your committee since last conference given the general election? Q3. Submitted by Christopher Johnson With events in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan ongoing, what is your committee doing to engage with our sister parties in the Caucasus to bring peace and democracy to the region? Q4. Submitted by Christopher Johnson What advice would you give members looking to become involved in the international side of the party but who don’t know where to start? Q5. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What actions have your committee taken to support the mental health of those on your committee? Q6. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What actions have your committee taken to improve diversity and inclusion on your committee? Q7. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate How will you manage working with our 72 new MPs? Are there areas you can see opportunities and risks? F27 Federal Council Report: questions and accountability Q1. Submitted by Abrial Jerram Can you elaborate on the mechanisms, other than calling in and overturning decisions, that Federal Council members use to scrutinise the work of Federal Board? Q2. Submitted by Christopher Johnson What would you say the biggest opportunity and biggest challenge have been for your committee since last conference given the general election? Q3. Submitted by Toby Keynes Is FC concerned, not just about how the party conducts litigation, but why it so often faces litigation from current and ex members, some of them dedicated and long-standing, in the first place? Q4. Submitted by Gareth Epps From the report, it is not clear what work Federal Council has done. Is there a strategy or programme in place? Q5. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate Does Federal Council have a work plan in place? Q6. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What actions have your committee taken to improve diversity and inclusion on your committee? Q7. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate How will you manage working with our 72 new MPs? Are there areas you can see opportunities and risks? F28 Federal Appeals Panel Report: questions and accountability Q1. Submitted by Christopher Johnson What would you say the biggest opportunity and biggest challenge have been for your committee since last conference given the general election? Q2. Submitted by Gareth Epps A decision potentially impacting personal safety at Conference has been issued. It is not in the Panel’s report nor on the Party website. Why not? Q3. Submitted by Alisdair Calder McGregor What legal advice did FAP obtain prior to ruling that an individual who assaulted another member of the party should be permitted to attend conference, and how does it envisage that the party and Federal Conference Committee should uphold their legal duties with regards to protecting members without the power of justified exclusion? Q4. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What actions have your committee taken to support the mental health of those on your committee? Q5. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate What actions have your committee taken to improve diversity and inclusion on your committee? Q6. Submitted by Ulysse Abbate How will you manage working with our 72 new MPs? Are there areas you can see opportunities and risks?