Federal Conference Committee Motions Report

Avid readers of Liberal Democrat Voice will already have seen Geoff Payne's report on the results of this weekend's Federal Conference Committee meeting. All those whose motions were not selected should now have received feedback, so we're able to release the list of motions to be debated in March when the party gathers in York.

Although I have covered this before, a quick reminder of how FCC selects motions is probably helpful particularly as this is the first time I have included information on voting. Selection runs in rounds, with the first round consisting of an FCC member responsible for a particular policy area briefly introducing the motion and making a recommendation on inclusion on the agenda. After this, committee members discuss it and decide if it should be accepted or not. This usually involves a show of hands, although the decision is often clear following the debate and a lack of any objection to the recommendation. Even being very tough in round one, we always end up with more excellent motions left than can fit in the agenda, so the process is then repeated in subsequent rounds as necessary.

It is important to note that non-selection of a motion usually does not mean that FCC believes the topic unworthy of debate, although we are always wary of repeatedly debating the same few items over and over. Most motions end up not making it to conference due to lack of time, because of technical or drafting issues or because Federal Policy Committee already working on a policy paper in that area. Those who submitted motions will have been given more detailed feedback. The committee also can only select from motions that have been submitted to us!

An outline agenda with timings should be available later this week, and the full agenda including the text of motions will follow towards the end of the month. Those arranging local party policy meetings might want to keep an eye on the official conference Facebook group, where I or one of the other FCC officers will announce the publication date as soon as we know it.

And now on to the list. For each item, I have indicated the Local Party/Organisation submitting the motion or the number of members who signed it followed by how the voting, if any, went at each round.

Motions not selected for debate

• Business, Skills, and Higher Education: Creating a Globalisation Redistribution Fund (Beaconsfield, Derby, Wycombe)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against
• Business, Skills, and Higher Education: Regional research and development (East Midlands)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against
• Business, Skills, and Higher Education: Technology for the Common Good (17 members)
• • Round 1: 8-4 in favour
  • Round 2: Clear majority against

• Communities and Local Government: Local Authority Parking (Newton Abbot)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against
• Communities and Local Government: Local Councils (Barrow and Furness)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against
• Communities and Local Government: Special Status for England's Off Shore Islands (Isle of Wight)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against

• Crime, Justice, Equalities, and Civil Liberties: Liberalising Britain's Immigration Policy (Harrow)
• • Round 1: 8-5 in favour
  • Round 2: 4-8 against
• Crime, Justice, Equalities, and Civil Liberties: Protecting the Human Rights Act (Elmbridge)
• • Round 1: 5-8 against

• Economy and tax: Treating earned and unearned income differently within the tax system! (Camden)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against

• Education and families: The creation of a Strategy for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in England (12 members)
• • Round 1: Clear majority in favour
  • Round 2: 7-7 tied
  • Round 3: Clear majority against

• Europe: Brexit: the Reverse Greenland Option (Newbury & West Berkshire)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against

• Health and social care: Moratorium on NHS 'fines' (10 members)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against
• Health and social care: Preventing drug-related deaths (13 members)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against

• International and defence: Israel and Palestine (25 members)
  International and defence: Recognition of and Justice for Palestine (76 members)
• • Voted on together and defered for now to allow time for more work, by a vote of 11 to 4.
• International and defence: Standing up against Rohingya Genocide (13 members)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against
• International and defence: Supporting NATO (35 members)
• • Round 1: 8-4 in favour
  • Round 2: Clear majority against

• Political and Constitutional Reform: Add Meritocracy at the heart of each department (10 members)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against
• Political and Constitutional Reform: Moving Parliament to Northern England (10 members)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against

• Transport: Government neglect of our rail industry (ALDC)
• • Round 1: 4-9 against

• Work, social security and pensions: Fair Transitional Arrangements for Women’s State Pension Age Provision (Liberal Democrat Women)
• • Round 1: Clear majority against

Motions selected for debate

• Crime, Justice, Equalities, and Civil Liberties: A rational approach to harm reduction - Sex Work policy paper (Federal Policy Committee)
• International and defence: Towards a World Free of Nuclear Weapons - Policy paper (Federal Policy Committee)
• • By convention, FPC Policy papers automatically appear on the agenda and are not usually voted on by FCC

• Crime, Justice, Equalities, and Civil Liberties: Tackling overcrowding in our prison system (17 members)
• • Round 1: Clear majority in favour
  • Round 2: Clear majority in favour

• Education and families: Admissions to state-funded schools with a religious character (Federal Policy Committee)
  There is no policy paper attached to this motion, so despite originating from FPC it was voted on along with other motions.
• • Round 1: Clear majority in favour
  • Round 2: Clear majority in favour

• Europe: Associate Citizenship of the European Union (Beaconsfield, Derby, Wycombe)
• • Round 1: Clear majority in favour
  • Round 2: Clear majority in favour

• Health and social care: The Crisis in Health and Social Care (10 members)
• • Round 1: Clear majority in favour
  • Round 2: Clear majority in favour

• A topical debate on Brexit

• Plus the usual emergency motions slot, selected by members in a ballot on Saturday Morning

* Zoe O'Connell is a Councillor and deputy group leader on Cambridge City Council, sits on the executive of LGBT+ Liberal Democrats and is Vice Chair of Federal Conference Committee.