Tag Archives: Conference

PODCAST: Cabinet Minister Q&A

Our final podcast from the conference floor was the penultimate session, a Q&A with cabinet ministers Danny Alexander, Chris Huhne, Michael Moore and Vince Cable.

The last session at Lib Dem conference is usually reserved for the Leader’s Speech – but that was not possible this time as Nick Clegg had to fly out to the UN.

It’s quite a shock for Liberal Democrats to get to quizz cabinet ministers, but it’s something they took in their stride with relative ease. This was taped from the reserved press section – and it’s interesting that over a dozen journalists had stayed till this last minute to see what might be learned.

The questions take a wide variety of topics, and bring some interesting answers. Danny Alexander confirms that all departments will have to do equality and carbon impact assessments when preparing cuts; Vince reveals a new hobby; and there are some strong answers to strong questions about cuts to science funding.

PODCAST: Equal marriage debate

After a brief hiatus during which our podcast host migrated us to an account we hadn’t asked for during our busiest week, we can now bring you, in full, the debate on LGBT marriage from Tuesday’s conference floor.

This debate may not necessarily be of interest to the wider public, but certainly anyone who loves Lib Dem conference will recognise many of the aspects of the debate.

Highlights for me include Dr Evan Harris’s explanation, in the opening minutes of the debate of his stint as the only openly gay Lib Dem MP despite not actually being gay; the Voice’s own Sara Bedford recounting her experiences of taking young children to Pride marches (as blogged here) (19’38″); and Brian Paddick’s personal experience of his own gay marriage in Norway (40’00). Also of note, after warnings about the “Methodist wing” inhibiting change, was the queue of three speakers from Religious Society of Friends wanting to explain the stance the Quakers had decided on at a recent meeting (25’00), culminating with Lucy Care telling us that the Quakers had even discussed that, if it proved not possible to register gay marriages, they might renounce their right to solemnize heterosexual marriage.

Veterans of conference will also enjoy the unexpected reference back, the point of order raised and the chair’s attempt to cope with it. This is almost certainly inaudible on the recording, as it was barely audible in person.

A brief review of the debate is available on the Voice, and edited highlights of the debate should appear in Friday’s Pod Delusion
.

Contribute to Lib Dem Voice’s coverage of conference

Just a quick reminder that LDV welcomes contributions from all, and none more so than during conference.

Our team is trying to provide a variety of different perspectives of how the conference works, but it is an enormous endeavour, and we welcome pieces from our readers with your experiences of conferences.

Have you been to an interesting fringe you’d like to review? Do you have a different view of what happened in the main hall from how we recorded it here?

You need no experience to submit a piece to the Voice, and neither do you need to have your own blog. Just write 300-500 words in an email and fire it off to <!–
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//–>voice – voice.hat.libdemvoice.org.spam.com (this is spam bot hidden email address, replace .hat. with @ and remove .spam.com for the real one) – fuller details can be found on our “Write for us!” page.

PODCAST: Fairer? For whom?

"Coalition: Fairer for whom?" Susan Kramer and Will Straw at LDV's conference fringe

This lunchtime, Lib Dem conference representatives gathered in the staggeringly poorly signposted Hall 1B to hear a stellar lineup of Susan Kramer, Evan Harris and interloper Will Straw from Left Foot Forward hold forth on the subject of “Fairer? For whom?” – excellently wrangled by the chairman, our own Stephen Tall.

As with all Lib Dem Voice fringe events, we were there with our trusty recording equipment for posterity, and for the readers of Lib Dem Voice at home who were not able to join us at conference. I’m sure it will also be helpful to those LibDemVoice editors who carelessly agreed to deliver training at the same time as one of our fringes.

Left Foot Forward also have their own write-up of the event.

WED: Green Lib Dems annual conference

News reaches the Voice of the Green Lib Dem’s annual conference, unfortunately just a little too late to promote it in time for the early registration rates:

SESSIONS INCLUDE: “The Great Nuclear Debate”; “Greening Your Council”; “Transition Towns”; “Eco Housing”; “Green Campaigning Workshop”

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Simon Hughes MP; Chris Huhne MP; Heather Kidd PPC; Donnachadh McCarthy, Media Environmentalist; Lembit Opik MP

PRICES HELD AT 2008 RATES – BOOK NOW TO ENSURE A PLACE

Registrations received after 5th June

GLD members £22 (for both days) £14 (single day rate)

Non members £28 (for both days) £18 (single day rate)

Conference fees include lunch. A separate Saturday evening event is also being planned