Bournemouth Conference Agenda

5 days, 15 policy motions, 8 keynote speeches and some very important consultation sessions

The outline agenda for the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in Bournemouth has been published and in it there is a great deal to interest and excite the members both old and new who will be heading to the seaside town. I am really looking forward to it because I have never been to Bourmemouth before.

We don't yet have the text of the motions, or the directory of fringe meetings, but we do know when all the key debates and speeches are taking place.

The most controversial motion on the agenda is the one to oppose the renewal of Trident which takes place at 3:25 on Monday afternoon. Other policy motions include:

• Housing
• Human rights
• Air quality
• Safe routes for refugees
• Climate change
• Poverty
• Europe
• Term-time holidays
• Health charter for trans and intersex people

Tim Farron's leader's Q and A has been moved from the traditional Monday afternoon slot to Sunday which will please those people who can only come for the weekend.

There are other keynote speeches from Nick Clegg, Norman Lamb, Kirsty Williams, Willie Rennie, Joan Walmsley, Sal Brinton and Dutch Liberal MP Sophie in t'Veld.

Liberal Democrats love getting their teeth into weighty issues of where the party is going and two long consultation sessions on our Agenda 20/20 policy reviews take place on Sunday and Tuesday. There is also a session on the party's governance review on Tuesday. Tempting as it may be for those of us who find constitutional stuff boring as anything to head to the bar or the beach, actually we should be there. It's important we get this right, and we need practical people there as well as constitutional geeks.

Talking of the Constitution, there are two amendments, one on giving the leader a veto on the policy that goes into the manifesto and on making a new elected position of Deputy Leader.

Finally, the One Member One Vote constitutional amendments come back in their revised form after the Federal Executive got its backside well and truly spanked last year. That change is debated on Monday afternoon after the Trident debate.

The full agenda will be published later this month and then the process of discussing and drafting amendments can begin.

If you are making your travel arrangements, we have been tipped off by Lawrence Fullick that the A338 Ringwood to Bourmemouth trunk road, the main approach to Bourmemouth, will be having major roadworks, including a 5 mile long contraflow, during our Conference. His tip:

Think about travelling via Lyndhurst and A35; if coming via Salisbury Ferndown is an alternative route. Better travel by train, or air to Bournemouth then bus or Southampton then train.

We would welcome any articles you might want to write for Liberal Demcrat Voice or East Midlands Website about your motion, constitutional amendment or any other Conference related issue in the build-up to Conference. If you haven't yet registered, you can do so here.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings