Conference & Policy
What is a conference?
Unlike the conferences of other political parties, Liberal Democrat and Young Liberal conferences also have a formal role in making party policy. Members do not just turn up to listen they get to decide how the party is ran and what policies it has.
A Liberal Democrat party or Young Liberal conference is a gathering of party members. The agenda of each conference is different, but the conferences normally include:
- Policy debates: where members decide what the party or organisation believes in.
- Speeches and Q&As: with the Leader, MPs, councillors and other figures from across the party.
- Training: covering everything from campaigning and public speaking to policy and standing for election.
- Fringe events and panel discussions: where people discuss specific political issues in more depth.
- Party business: where members can scrutinise the people running the party or organisation and make decisions about how it is ran.
- Social events: which are often as important a part of conference as the formal programme.
- Plenty of opportunities to simply meet other Liberal Democrats from outside your local area.
How does a policy debate work?
The policy debate is about a motion. A motion is simply a formal proposal saying what the party believes and what it thinks should happen.
Members may submit amendments which propose changing part of the motion.
At conference, members speak for and against the motion and its amendments. Once the debate has finished, Conference votes. If the motion passes, it becomes party policy.
There are rules governing things such as who can submit motions, how speakers are selected and how votes work called the Standing Orders, but you do not need to learn them before your first conference. Chairs and other conference officials will explain what is happening.
Federal Liberal Democrat Conference
Federal Conference is the main conference of the Liberal Democrats.
It normally takes place twice a year, with a Spring Conference in March and a larger Autumn Conference in September.
Federal Conference decides Liberal Democrat policy on issues which are the responsibility of the Federal Party. This includes policy applying across the UK and policy on issues applying to England only.
If you have seen a news report saying that “Liberal Democrat members have voted to support…” something, the decision will likely have been made here.
What happens at Federal Conference?
The main conference hall hosts policy motions, speeches, reports and other formal business. As a Liberal Democrat member attending conference, you can vote in policy debates and members can submit speakers cards.
But the main auditorium is only one part of Federal Conference. Around it there will normally be:
- hundreds of fringes meetings and panel discussions
- campaign, policy and candidate training
- receptions and social events
- an exhibition hall including party organisations, charities and campaign groups
- meetings of different groups within the party
- speeches and Q&As from MPs and other senior Liberal Democrats.
You can spend almost your entire conference in policy debates, or barely enter the main hall at all. Most people do a mixture.
Young Liberals at Federal Conference
Young Liberals have a significant presence at Federal Conference.
We run our own events, fringes and socials, campaign for issues important to young people and influence the wider party.
The Young Liberals have a stall which is a great chance to see what the Young Liberals are campaigning on and to meet other Young Liberals.
Federal Conference is also a good opportunity to meet Young Liberals from across the country and get involved in parts of the wider Liberal Democrats which you might otherwise rarely encounter.
The Young Liberals have a strong record of influencing party policy at conference, a full list of our motions and amendments can be found here
You do not need to be a policy expert or experienced party activist to go. Plenty of people attend their first Federal Conference shortly after joining.
Young Liberals Conference
The Young Liberals usually hold two conferences each year. Winter Conference in February and Summer Conference in August.
Young Liberals Conference is smaller than Federal Conference, making it a particularly good introduction to how Liberal Democrat conferences work.
It brings Young Liberals from across the country together for policy, training, speakers and, importantly, quite a lot of socialising.
What else happens?
YL Conference is not just a weekend of formal policy debates.
Conferences normally include:
- training sessions;
- talks and panels;
- guest speakers from inside and outside the party;
- opportunities to meet the YL Executive and committees;
- campaigning and political discussions;
- socials, quizzes and other evening events.
If you want to become more involved in YL but do not know where to start, Conference is one of the easiest places to do it.
Making Young Liberals policy
Young Liberals have our own policy, which is decided by Young Liberal members at our conferences. This is different to Liberal Democrat policy.
Something becoming Young Liberals policy does not automatically make it Liberal Democrat policy. Young Liberals can and sometimes does take a different position from the Federal Party.
We can then campaign within the wider party to change Liberal Democrat policy, including by submitting motions and amendments to Federal Conference.
Young Liberal members can propose policies for Young Liberals Conference, speak in debates and vote on the policies that come before Conference in accordance with our Conference rules.
Conference can also consider changes to the Young Liberals' constitution and other internal matters.
You therefore do not have to wait until somebody on the Executive decides to take up an issue. If there is something you think Young Liberals should campaign for, you can try to persuade other members and Conference to support it.
State and Regional Conferences
Alongside Federal Conference, Liberal Democrats also meet at State and Regional Conferences.
The Liberal Democrats are a federal party. Scotland and Wales have their own State Parties and State Conferences, while England is divided into 11 Regional Parties, each of which holds its own Regional Conference.
These conferences are generally smaller than Federal Conference and bring together members from a particular part of the country. They are often easier and cheaper to attend and can be a good first introduction to party conference.
What happens at State and Regional Conferences?
Like Federal Conference, these are democratic meetings rather than simply events where members listen to speeches. Conferences include policy debates, consultations, campaigning and election training, speeches, Q&As, panel discussions, opportunities to meet elected officials (such as MPs, MSPs, MSS and Councillors), fringe meetings and social events.
Scottish and Welsh Conferences make policy for their respective State Parties on matters within their responsibility, including many issues affected by devolution.
English Regional Conferences can make policy on matters specific to their Region, but mostly are an opportunity for training and meeting with other members.
Because State and Regional Conferences are usually smaller than Federal Conference, they can be particularly good places to make your first conference speech, try a training session, ask questions of senior party figures or simply meet Liberal Democrats from outside your own local party.
So which conference should I go to?
There is no reason you have to choose just one.
Young Liberals Conference is a good place to meet other young members, help decide what the Young Liberals believe and get involved in the organisation.
Regional and State Conferences are a good way to meet Liberal Democrats from your part of the country, access training and become more involved beyond your local party.
Federal Conference gives you the opportunity to participate directly in some of the biggest debates taking place across the Liberal Democrats and experience the party at its largest gathering.
If you have never been to any of them before, Young Liberal or Regional Conference can be a less daunting first experience, but there is nothing stopping a new member from going straight to Federal Conference.
You don't have to know everything before you go
Conference can look remarkably complicated when you first see an agenda full of motion numbers, amendments, standing orders and acronyms.
Almost nobody starts out understanding all of it.
You are perfectly welcome to attend a debate without speaking, go to a fringe because the title sounded interesting, turn up to a social without knowing many people, or ask somebody what on earth is happening. And if you do want to get involved, you can.
Liberal Democrat and Young Liberals conferences are based on the principle that members should have a meaningful say in what their organisations believe and do. You can write a motion, propose an amendment, make a speech, vote, ask questions or simply join the discussion.
Conference is not just something that happens around you. As a member, it belongs to you too.