Monday, October 24, 2005
GLORIOUS DEFEAT AT SCOT LIB DEM CONFERENCE
I recently attended the Scottish Liberal Democrat autumn conference in Glenrothes. I spoke against the last 2 motions which were immediately almost unanimously passed. Nonetheless I heard nothing which persuades me that everybody else wasn't wrong. That is why I am posting the motions & my speeches here.
If anybody who spoke or voted for the other side wishes to put their position I would be very happy for them to use the comments facility, or if preferred I will add it directly to the article.
For anybody who wishes to be sure of being called to speak at conference may I advise choosing to speak directly against some PC motion expected to go through on the nod. As a party we, being nice people, do have a tendency not to object to any proposal that somebody has taken the time & trouble to produce & has a few nice cliches. Since I believe most state busybodiness is somewhere between useless & harmful I personally would prefer if we passed a bit less policy. This autumn of 7 motions 7 were passed.
On the other hand it is difficult to imagine a Labour/Tory conference where your chances of speaking would be greater if you wanted to oppose the leadership so there is definitely hope for us.
I also think that, even an overwhelming defeat is better than letting bad policies go through unopposed - the Fairtrade motion is in any case purely advisory as foreign policy is a matter for federal conference, one speker on the PC inspector motion said that some supporters thought the motion didn't go far enough so at least I have provided some balance.
If anybody who spoke or voted for the other side wishes to put their position I would be very happy for them to use the comments facility, or if preferred I will add it directly to the article.
For anybody who wishes to be sure of being called to speak at conference may I advise choosing to speak directly against some PC motion expected to go through on the nod. As a party we, being nice people, do have a tendency not to object to any proposal that somebody has taken the time & trouble to produce & has a few nice cliches. Since I believe most state busybodiness is somewhere between useless & harmful I personally would prefer if we passed a bit less policy. This autumn of 7 motions 7 were passed.
On the other hand it is difficult to imagine a Labour/Tory conference where your chances of speaking would be greater if you wanted to oppose the leadership so there is definitely hope for us.
I also think that, even an overwhelming defeat is better than letting bad policies go through unopposed - the Fairtrade motion is in any case purely advisory as foreign policy is a matter for federal conference, one speker on the PC inspector motion said that some supporters thought the motion didn't go far enough so at least I have provided some balance.
