Conference from the other side of the barrierFour conference ago, I walked into Liberal Democrat conference as a delegate. I arrived on my own, not knowing many people and not really knowing what to expect. This year's conference has now come to an end. It was my fourth conference overall and my third time stewarding, so I thought it was a good opportunity to reflect on what conference looks like from the other side of the barrier. When you attend as a delegate, you naturally see the debates, speeches, motions and fringe events. What you don't necessarily see is everything that happens behind the scenes to make ... (more) |
Lib Dems just miss out on another council by-election gain.Following the Lib Dem gain on Wednesday we then also this week had a further five on a more traditional Thursday. There was very nearly another Lib Dem gain to add to that earlier one: Bray (Windsor & Maidenhead) Council By-Election Result: [IMG: 🌳] CON: 36.1% (+1.3) [IMG: 🔶] LDM: 34.9% (+20.1) [IMG: ➡] RFM: 17.8% (New) [IMG: 🏘] BFI: 9.4% (-32.9) [IMG: 🌹] LAB: 1.8% (-6.3)Conservative HOLD.Changes w/ 2023. — Election Maps UK (@electionmaps.uk) 2026-09-25T12:36:36.163Z Thank you to Martin Clarke for being the Lib Dem here. For what all this means for the running total of council by-election results ... (more) |
Proper Grimond liberalismOn Tuesday, 22 September, Tim Farron MP delivered a speech at our 2026 Autumn Conference during the F36 policy motion, "Restoring our waters: Britain's water company crisis", on the need for water mutualisation amid repetitive failures of privately owned water companies. During this speech, he said, "proper Grimond liberalism", referencing former Liberal Party leader Jo Grimond and his support for cooperatives and mutuals to manage public services over nationalisation and laissez-faire economics. For many people, this would have simply been just another niche reference, but for us at the Grimond Society, it meant a great deal. Since July 2026, the ... (more) |
Is Conference still supreme?Aspects of the recent Party conference in Brighton raise an important question in my mind: what has happened to democratic policy-making in the Liberal Democrats? When Nick Clegg was leader, he repeatedly distinguished us from Labour and the Conservatives by emphasising how we made policy. Conference, he reminded us, was supreme. I remember many conferences where that principle was visible in practice. There were robust debates, speakers for and against, amendments carried and defeated, and motions sometimes lost. Conference was not there simply to endorse a predetermined position. Its purpose was to debate and decide. The contrast with the conference ... (more) |
Surgery tomorrowEveryone, please hope for a rain free day tomorrow in Whickham! I will be having my monthly advice surgery with my Lib Dem councillor colleagues at 10am outside Whickham Library. Note the word "outside". The Library is closed for refurbishment so the surgery will be in the great outdoors. The umbrella will possibly accompany me. (more) |
Let me eat cakeToday, Sunniside hosted 2 MacMillan coffee mornings - at the Pharmacy and at the Club. I felt it was very appropriate tht I visit both and buy lots of cakes and scones. That's my lunch sorted! (more) |
Ed Davey's Conference speechCaron threw down a gauntlet in her article on Ed's conference speech. Most of the comments seem to have been negative on two main grounds - that the radical proposals on taxation had been bounced on the party and that whatever gains are made from Europe should be spent by the state. While I agree with much of what is said about Ed - the failure to inspire, the lack of ability to clearly define what Liberalism is, the instinctive tendency to see every vote of protest and none of purpose, in this case I suspect that a very cautious ... (more) |
Buried alive: A 1954 rescue of a teenager from a Surrey chalk caveI've a habit of digging up forgotten disasters and scandals from old newspapers, but a couple of British caving disasters that I've come across have proved to horrible to write about. The BBC News Surrey page, however, has turned up a potential caving disaster from February 1954 that had a happy ending - the cutting is from the Bradford Observer for the 15th of that month: The Westhumble cave, located in the North Downs near Dorking, was once mined for its chalk. In February 1954, four adventurous youngsters - including Fred Topliffe - from London wanted to explore the site. ... (more) |
Lord Bonkers' foreword to the new Liberator SongbookAs far as I know, this foreword appeared in the new Liberator Songbook on sale at Brighton. It's not perhaps his lordship's most seminal work, but I'm posting it here for completeness and so I don't lose it. Besides, he's reminded me that my rent falls due on Lady Day. Talking of Liberator, you can download the latest issue for free from the magazine's website. And, while you're on there, why not sign up to be notified each time a new issue drops? Bonkers HallRutland Tel. Rutland 7 Don't get me wrong, I love the Home Counties. I'm never happier ... (more) |
The continuing cost of BrexitThe Guardian reports on the conclusion of the IPPR thinktank that the UK is losing out on annual exports to the EU that could be worth as much as £6.5bn without a deal with Brussels that allows manufacturers to jettison duplicate product testing. The paper says that in the latest attempt to calculate the loss of trade with the EU after Brexit, the thinktank said many companies have given up selling goods to the EU or set up subsidiaries inside the trade bloc after successive governments failed to secure a mutual recognition agreement that would avoid the extra administration costs: ... (more) |