Looking Forward to Liverpool

Many local LibDem parties don’t take federal conferences very seriously, apart from selecting a few representatves to go each year. But Islington is an exception. This evening, Islington’s monthly Pizza and Politics was devoted to the agenda for the Spring Conference due to take place in Liverpool in 10 days’ time. Local activist — and stalwart of the Federal Policy Committee, Federal Conference Committee, etc — Jeremy Hargreaves presented some of the main themes that will be up for discussion, both in plenary debates and in seperate, themed consultative sessions, including major matters such as Health, Housing and Security.

Bridget Fox, PPC for uber-marginal Islington South, and her fellow Councilllor, Greg Foxsmith, spoke about the motion they’ll be proposing at Liverpool on Legal Aid. It was a Labour government that introduced legal aid 60 years ago, but it is an indication of how far New Labour has drifted from socialist ideals of justice for all and overcoming inequalities that our current goverment is whittling the service down. Islington actually proposed three motions for Spring Conference, so maybe it is not so surprising that one was selected. But this issue is indeed worthwhile.