A Busy Conference Month
A Busy Conference Month
June has been a busy month for the LGA Lib Dems with two big conferences held in Bedford and Birmingham. The Bedford Local Government Conference, organised by the LGA Lib Dems and ALDC jointly, ran from the 15th to the 16th of June with a packed schedule of sessions and speakers. Attracting over a thousand delegates, the LGA Conference in Birmingham lasted for three days between the 26th and 28th of June. The Lib Dems attracted around 100 senior councils to the Birmingham conference and organised a wide variety of events with a range of speakers.
Much of the Bedford Conference revolved around dealing with the changing political situation facing the party’s councillors. With an increasing number of groups entering opposition or suffering losses, the two days provided an opportunity to take stock with colleagues and look at ways of maintaining the strong link with local residents on which Liberal Democrat success has always been built.
The Bedford Conference also held a variety of sessions attended by some 200 delegates including sessions on: public health; improving high streets; housing; getting back on doorsteps: leading with a neighbourhood plan; police and crime commissioners as part of an integrated campaign; and motivating teams. The conference finished with a well attended plenary with Hilary Stephenson, Andrew Duff, Gerald Vernon-Jackson and Andrew Stunell which discussed winning in 2013 and 2014. With turnout remaining high we hope all delegates considered it a useful weekend.
The LGA Conference in Birmingham had numerous high profile speakers attend including Ed Davey MP, RT Hon Eric Pickles and Ed Balls MP. The LGA Lib Dem Group held four key sessions for their senior councillors: an AGM; a dinner with special guest David Ward MP; a meeting about planning for the next two years; and finally on the future funding of the sector followed by a talk by Andrew Stunell on the Pro-Green, Pro-Growth, Pro-Localism agenda and some Q&A. Additionally, following his plenary speech Ed Davey MP spoke with some Lib Dem council leaders answering concerns and questions, many commented they were pleased to hear how Davey wished to work with councils on tackling climate change.
Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, leader of the Liberal Democrat Group thanked those who attended and added ‘for Liberal Democrat councillors, it was a good opportunity to catch up, swap good practice and hear from our guest speakers’.
With one busy month over the LGA Lib Dem Group are now looking towards the Autumn conference in Brighton, watch this space for details of fringes, meetings and our reception.