Is a full programme of training, events, networking and parties not enough for you? At spring conference this year we have a huge package of policy motions, which all members have the chance to debate, amend and vote on. Here’s a quick run-down for you! And if you haven’t yet, book your place right here:
F4 – Hong Kong
This motion introduces new party policy on the human rights situation in Hong Kong. It calls for:
- Extending of the right to abode to all British National (Overseas) citizens
- The government to use its relationship with China to persuade Beijing to not end the protests through military force
- An indefinite suspension of export licenses for crowd control equipment to Hong Kong.
F6 – Children’s Social Care
(England only)
This motion updates party policy on children’s social care. It calls for:
- Extra funding for children’s social care
- Higher priority for looked-after children in the education system
- More care places for children who need it
- A new scheme to help older looked-after children find accommodation to transfer into when they are ready to live independently
- The government to review allowances and pay for foster carers
- An exploration into whether an allowance scheme for kinship carers (who look after children of their relatives) should be set up
- A national workforce strategy for social workers and children’s home managers
F8 – Electoral Reform
This motion updates party policy on electoral reform. It calls for:
- The use of Single Transferable Vote as the voting system for all Parliamentary elections and English local elections
- The voting age to be lowered to 16
- The rights of EU citizens to stand and vote in local elections to be protected, and extended to general elections when they’ve lived here for 5+ years
- The use of Alternative Vote for elections to single positions like directly-elected mayors in England
- The scrapping of voter ID law plans
- A legal requirement for local authorities to inform citizens of the steps required to be successfully registered to vote. This includes a far greater effort to register under-represented groups
F13 – Supporting The Trans and Non-Binary Communities within the Liberal Democrats
This is a business motion (one that deals with how the party works internally). It seeks to improve accessibility to Liberal Democrat events for trans and non-binary people and protect their rights by:
- Requiring Lib Dem HQ and all conference venues (Federal and Regional) to have at least one gender-neutral bathroom
- The option to have your preferred pronouns on your conference pass
- The option to include your preferred pronouns on speaker’s cards
- Training for presenters at party events on how to avoid unnecessarily gendered language
F16 – Welcoming Child Refugees
This motion calls on the Government to fulfil its existing obligations to provide sanctuary to child refugees, as well as to:
- Extend family reunion rights so child refugees in the UK can sponsor family members to join them
- Provide specialist legal advice for all child asylum seekers
- Resettle 10,000 unaccompanied child refugees from elsewhere in Europe over the next 10 years
F17 – Student Mental Health Charter
(England only)
This motion calls on the Government to legislate for universities to ensure a strong provision of mental health support for students by:
- Developing a Student Mental Health Charter for universities in consultation with students, universities and mental health charities
- Including in the Charter guaranteed access to quality mental health support and the recording and reporting of waiting times
- Ensuring all universities have the aim to reach zero suicide