High Peak Liberal Democrats

East Midlands Autumn Regional Conference 2015 - The #LibDemFightback Conference D

Moor Community Sports College - Saturday 7th November 2015. This was an excellent and well attended Conference.

I contributed to a number of the debates - on electoral reform to argue for the additional member system. To make points on the pathetic UK rail policies, on education and on the EU referendum campaign.

I went to the Social media session run by Becky Thomas and to the session on defining and maintaining a core membership led by Dr Mark Pack. Both were excellent and informative.

Lady Brinton (Sal) gave an excellent presentation on the steady growth of Liberal values around the world, in South Africa, in Canada and elsewhere, and was very positive that the Lib Dem fightback was well under way.

There was a very lively debate and discussion on the forthcoming Referendum, Chaired by Phil Knowles with Lord Newby, Bill Newton Dunn, and Leon Duveen contributing. We all learned more about the very many reasons why it would be a disaster to leave, and why we all need to campaign to remain in the EU. (We note the pathetic efforts of Cameron to quieten his Eurosceptics while not wrecking the negotiations, and we remember how John Major categorised the Eurosceptic b*s*a*d* when he thought the microphone was off. The Conservative Party have a Eurosceptic problem, which could threaten all our futures). Bill Newton Dunn spoke about the positive support from 15-16 year olds for the EU and their rejection of UKIP on his work in schools.

There is a lot more that I could report, but next time, why don't all you Lib Dems come to listen and to take part.

Lord Newby, who is now a leading light of the Lib Dem group in the Lords summed up with a message of clear policies and hope for the future.

I went on to the excellent dinner at the Waterfall in Derby and met with Lib Dems from Nottingham and from Derby, and had lots of good food and chat. Lord Newby finished the evening with an excellent account of the spirit that moved him to join the SDP in 1981 (as I did) and to devote his energies to political activities with the SDP, the Alliance and the Lib Dems ever since. It was a really good evening.

The Executive for 2016 was elected at the AGM before conference.

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