Blog originally written on 04.10.12 and posted on the Greater Reading Lib Dem website 

 

When I decided to attend the Autumn conference in Brighton this year I began to receive a steady trickle of leaflets through the post; information on fringe events, training sessions, exhibitors, motions and amendments. Both the event and even the language was new and alien to me.

Fortunately the Greater Reading Liberal Democrats are a friendly group and more seasoned members helped me work out what was going on. Consequently I was able to spend my time learning about and voting on things that will hopefully help me better serve Tilehurst residents and the interests of Reading as a whole.

I was reassured that the Lib Dems have kept to their principles whilst making some difficult compromises in coalition. Other parties use their conferences as american style rallies, where party big wigs tell their members what policy is and why. At our conference members are allowed to put forward motions that can, if they are voted through, become party policy. We are allowed to put forward challenges to senior people in the party and robustly debate important issues. Local activists, like me, are able to tell the leadership what the important issues are for people in Reading.

We live in a country with a proud tradition of Liberal and Democratic thought. I could not be part of a party that didn’t encourage debate and constructive criticism within its ranks. Any movement that is made up of members unquestioningly following the edicts of the few, suggests to me a party that doesn’t trust the intellect or hearts of it’s membership.

Before the conference I had read a lot in the newspapers about plotting and scheming within the ranks of the Liberal Democrats and wanted very much to see for myself what the mood was. It’s almost boring to report that the feeling amongst conference attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with discussions and conversations focusing on campaign strategy for the next round of elections. On my return I struggled to recognise the picture of the conference that was portrayed in the national papers.

On a lighter note, I was not expecting to actually rub shoulders with MP’s and the Deputy Prime Minister. I presumed these important people would be too busy to mix with the rank and file of the party and that I would only observe them on the podium. I am somewhat thrilled to say that this was not the case. At times it seemed that whenever I turned round I was bumping into someone I recognised from the media. The Lib Dem VIP’s that I saw, had time for the members and a genuine interest in their comments and views.

Perhaps because, as a party, we have spent so much time on the outside of a two party system, we have not developed a belief in our right to be listened to. I do hope we can guard against this as the feeling of equality between elected members and non elected members was both refreshing and motivating.

I came away with a renewed commitment to my role as a councillor. Although there are only four of us on Reading Borough Council at the moment, there are over 4000 Lib Dem councillors throughout the country. We are chipping away at social division and inequality; on County, Town and Parish councils throughout the land. And, despite what the majority of the media would have you believe, we have no intention of giving up and returning to the sidelines of politics.

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