Spring conference - Liberal Democrats challenge

11.54.44am GMT Tue 6th Mar 2007

At our spring conference in Harrogate, Liberal Democrats reminded public and media alike as to the seriousness of the party's intent and the strength in depth of our thinking.

Amongst the many highlights:

LEADER'S SPEECH - CAMPBELL SETS FIVE TESTS FOR GORDON BROWN

In his speech to the conference on Sunday, Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell MP reinforced the party's values as "what Britain needs" and set out the party's ambitions - for more votes and seats in May's elections, and for a different kind of government at Westminster. He set five tests that he said Gordon Brown - assuming he becomes Prime Minister in the summer - must meet in his first few months in office if he wanted to show that he had genuinely made the change of direction from Tony Blair that Britain needs.

Campbell's five tests for PM Brown -

1. End Labour's authoritarian attack on civil liberties. Don't spend billions on unworkable ID cards.

2. Grasp the challenge posed by climate change. Make the green tax switch.

3. Break open the poverty trap. Give pensioners a proper income without the humiliation of the means test. Give families the opportunity for decent housing.

4. Trust the people. Take localism seriously and free local communities from the shackles of Whitehall.

5. Britain's foreign policy should not be set in Washington.

The Liberal Democrat ambition -

Our ambition is to create a different kind of government. A government elected by a system where every vote counts. Government that frees people to make their own choices. Government that's compassionate and dedicated to the people it serves. Government that safeguards the environment for the next generation. Government fit for Britain in the 21st century.

NEW CRIME POLICY PAPER RECEIVES CONFERENCE BACKING

A motion endorsing the Together We Can Cut Crime policy paper was passed in Saturday's debate on crime reduction. Proposals include:

• scrapping ID Cards and spending the money on front line police

• giving councils the powers to close problem pubs and clubs

• making sentencing more honest and cutting automatic early release

• compulsory work and training in prison to cut re-offending and better compensate victims of crime

The debate on Britain's criminal justice system is at a turning point. The government's decade-long record of populism and legislative hyperactivity has made Britain less safe and more anxious. This package of measures demonstrates that a liberal approach to crime is not only more principled but also able to deliver greater public safety by reducing levels of repeat crime, restoring honesty to sentencing and providing visible policing on our streets.

TRIDENT MOTION PASSED - LIB DEMS VOTE TO CUT NUCLEAR ARSENAL BY HALF

In Saturday's debate on the future of Britain's nuclear deterrent, the party voted to cut Britain's nuclear arsenal by half and kick-start disarmament talks. A proposed amendment to decide now definitely not to replace Trident was defeated by 454 votes to 414 after an unexpected and impassioned speech from party leader, Menzies Campbell.

I am proud to lead a party that is capable of having such a mature, responsible yet passionate debate.

The international situation with regards to proliferation is fluid and dangerous. While Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, Britain should maintain a minimum deterrent. Tony Blair's premature decision to replace Trident is more about his legacy than the national interest. The Liberal Democrats will not support this move in Parliament. I shall lead all Liberal Democrat MPs into the No Lobby on the 14th March in the House of Commons to oppose the government. The policy passed by our conference is progressive, responsible and rational.

ACTION PLEDGED TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS FROM UK HOMES

The Lib Dems will take action to reduce carbon emissions from the UK's homes and buildings and ensure that Britain is at the forefront of tackling climate change. The proposals, passed on Sunday, would result in reduced carbon emissions, lower fuel bills and an end to excess winter deaths. They include:

• national targets to be set to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the UK's housing by at least 60% by 2050.

• thermal efficiency standards in the building regulations to be improved from 2011.

• energy efficiency of existing homes to be improved through a set of standardised packages, including a range of insulation, draught-proofing, window, heating and lighting replacement.

• schemes used to reduce fuel poverty to be targeted at increasing the energy efficiency of households in fuel poverty, thereby reducing carbon emissions permanently.

• utilities companies to be used to deliver year on year reductions in domestic carbon emissions, along with improvements in energy efficiency.

• improvements to building regulations to make them easier to understand and use, and improvements in the enforcement regime to ensure new homes are built to the required standards.

REGENERATION PAPER PASSED - PLANS TO STEM THE DECLINE OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS

Supermarkets would face tough action from a retail regulator and town halls to halt the decline of independent traders in town centres under a new Lib Dem policy paper approved on Sunday. The new proposals are designed to create sustainable communities that are more responsive to the wishes of local people. Measures include:

• appoint an independent retail regulator and enforce a stronger code of practice to protect supermarkets' suppliers.

• tackle abuse of market power by big retailers and providing businesses with an outlet to complain in confidence.

• make it easier for local authorities to judge planning applications for superstores solely on their merits rather than being influenced by the cost of possible appeals, by making firms and companies liable for their own costs in any planning appeals.

Local people too often feel they have no control over the communities they live in. By setting local government free we will allow town halls greater powers to protect small traders from the overbearing economic power of supermarkets. Large supermarkets can afford to squeeze local competition by undercutting prices, only to raise them again when the small shops are forced to close. With more and more town centres turning into identikit clones of each other, people must be given more powers to shape their communities.

LIB DEMS URGE GOVERMENT TO SUPPORT CLEANER WATER PROJECTS IN AFRICA

Lib Dems have called on the Government to do more to help the billions of people who still do not have secure access to clean drinking water. The motion passed in Saturday's Water and Development debate includes proposals to end the Government's policy of preferring water privatisation and largely ignoring public sector schemes. It also calls on the Government to live up to its spending promises on water and demands that it focuses on the poorest people.

The Liberal Democrats believe that only constructive partnerships between the private sector, NGOs, and governments can bring sustainable and safe water to communities in the developing world. UK aid money should not be used to open up developing markets for our corporations when it is not in the public interest. We demand that the government make it clear that it will support investment in water and sanitation infrastructure based on the public interest alone, and not whether the private sector is involved.

PARTY SETS OUT CLEAR OPPOSITION TO MILITARY ATTACK ON IRAN

The Conference used Sunday's emergency motions slot to state its clear opposition to a military attack on Iran. The Lib Dems passed a motion urging the government to:

• make clear in public that the UK will not support a US military attack on Iran.

• pursue diplomatic dialogue with a view to ensuring that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons.

• work with the United States, the European Union and others towards giving Iran adequate guarantees for its security, including serious negotiation to implement UN Security Council resolutions that have called for a zone free from weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.

• ensure Iran is invited to participate in collective international efforts to bring peace and stability to Iraq, as the Iraq Study Group report proposed.

LIB DEMS PLEDGE TO REVERSE CUTS IN CANAL MAINTENANCE FUNDS

The 'Canal Cuts are Nuts' campaign, criticising government cuts to British Waterways' funds as a result of Defra's budget shortfall following massive overspend at the Rural Payments Agency, was endorsed by conference on Saturday. It was agreed that tourism and the environment would both suffer if the maintenance of Britain's canals were to be neglected, not to mention those who stand to lose their jobs. A motion was passed calling on the government to:

? Use the contingency fund to reverse short-term cuts arising from loss of SPS income.

? Give full weight to the social, economic and environmental importance of the waterway network in determining future grant levels for British Waterways.

KEYNOTE ADDRESSES

SHADOW CHANCELLOR - BLAIR AND BROWN ACCUSED OF MORTGAGING BRITAIN'S FUTURE

Vince Cable attacked Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for mortgaging Britain's future in both public and private sectors. He rubbished Brown's claim to have abolished cycles of boom and bust, saying "he is likely to be as effective as King Canute in stopping the ebb and flow of the tides." He also criticised him for allowing banks to "bolster their profits with illegal charges" and get away with "ripping off their customers". He went on to detail Lib Dem plans to re-balance disparities in the tax system through providing tax cuts for the poorest families, subsidised by higher payments from the extremely wealthy and through a switch to green taxes.

SHADOW FOREIGN SECRETARY - BRITAIN NEEDS TO STRENGTHEN SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH EU

In his speech to conference, Michael Moore MP called for the European Union to develop a united foreign policy and play a stronger role in the world. He said that now is the time for Britain to "acknowledge and develop our 'special relationship' with Europe" and to "re-assess its role in the world" at large. He also called for a full inquiry into the Al-Yamamah arms deal and criticised the Prime Minister's 'black and white" approach to international policy, warning him not to make another mistake over Iran. The party has launched a new website (http://www.corruptionisacrime.com) campaigning on the issue of pursuing serious corruption allegations like those against BAE over Al-Yamamah.

PARTY PRESIDENT - PARTY IS SELECTING MORE WOMEN AND ETHNIC MINORITY CANDIDATES

Simon Hughes confirmed that the Liberal Democrats are making significant strides in selecting women and ethnic minorities in key constituencies. He said that in looking to add to the Party's record number of 63 MPs, over half of the selected candidates in the next batch of 63 most winnable seats are either female or from an ethnic minority. While he celebrated this better reflection of the population in candidates, he said that "our ambition should be nothing less than for half of our candidates in all seats to be women, and eight in each hundred of our candidates in all seats to be black or from other visible minorities." To increase the pace of change within the party, he announced new internationally linked forums within the party to represent different ethnic groups.

CRIME RALLY - REAL SOLUTIONS BEING DELIVERED LOCALLY BY LIB DEMS, SAYS CAMPBELL

At Friday's "We Can Cut Crime" rally, Menzies Campbell MP highlighted that over 51 million crimes have been reported in this country since Labour came to power. "Tough talk doesn't cut crime", he said, but the Lib Dems' campaign "is about taking effective action to make our country safer." He concluded by pointing to the successes that Liberal Democrats have had in cutting crime locally, saying: "It is a tribute to those of you who have campaigned to remove the blight of crime from peoples' lives." During the rally, the party launched a new website to chronicle the problems of the Home Office: www.homeofficewatch.com

REPORTS TO CONFERENCE

Conference received a number of reports for approval, all of which were passed. A PDF file containing these reports is available here