The full conference agenda is set out below. At the end of each debate the names of speakers, and the results of any votes, will be added. Where available, links to press releases, speeches and text of the motions debated will be added too.

The full conference agenda, including text of all policy motions, can be downloaded as a PDF.
The daily announcements sheet produced on Friday evening contains updates to the agenda, including text of emergency motions. This can also be downloaded as a PDF.

As always, all policy motions are voted on by party members attending conference by a process of one member, one vote. Unlike Labour and the Conservatives ours is a vibrant conference that makes vital decisions. We are a democratic party not afraid to involve our members in policy formation.

Conference Agenda

Friday 7th March

15.00 – 17.30 Consultative Sessions: Security; Transport; UK Response to Globalisation; Party Reform Commission
Closed sessions.

Saturday 8th March

09.00 Speeches of Welcome from Lord Rennard and the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Paul Clark

09.15 Report: Federal Conference Committee
The report was moved by Duncan Brack, Chair of the FCC. There were no questions. Conference voted to accept the report.

          Standing Order Amendment: Selection of Amendments
The amendment was moved by Duncan Brack, who also summated. There was one speaker against the amendment (Peter Tyzack from Fulton). In a vote the amendment was clearly carried.

          Standing Order Amendment: Reports
Again, Duncan Brack moved and summated. The amendment was clearly carried.

          Standing Order Amendment: Separate Votes
Duncan Brack moved the amendment. There were two speakers against (David Wright from Harlow and Peter Tyzack from Fulton). Andrew Wiseman summed up. The amendment was clearly carried.
 
          Report: Federal Policy Committee
The report was moved by Sal Brinton, Vice-Chair of the FPC. There were no questions. The report was clearly carried.

09.55 Debate on Ballistic Missile Defence motion
Moved by William Wallace (Lord Wallace of Saltaire), Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman in the Lords. The following speakers spoke for the motion: David Grace (Yeovil), Jo Crotty (Warrington), James Keeley (Skipton and Ripon), Julie Smith (Cambridge), Willie Rennie MP (Dunfermline and West Fife). There were no speakers against the motion. Nick Harvey MP, Lib Dem Shadow Defence Secretary, summed up. The motion was clearly carried, with one drafting amendment.
Read the news release and text of the motion as passed.

10.30 Presentation: London Liberal Democrats
The presentation was made by London Mayoral Candidate Brian Paddick, Assembly Member Dee Doocey, Shas Sheehan and Cllr Meral Ece.

10.50 Debate on Support for Children with Special Educational Needs motion
Andrew Bridgwater moved the motion. Cllr Jacquie Bell (East Lothian) moved amendment one. Former MP Michael Meadowcroft (Leeds West) moved amendment two. Four speakers spoke for the motion: Hazel Thorpe (Worthing West and East Arun), Matt King (Ceredigion), Colin Wilsdon (Arundel and South Downs) and Christina Jebb (Staffordshire Moorlands). Michael Steed summed up for the amendment two. The proposers of amendment one waived their right to summate. Finally Joan Walmsley (Baroness Walmsley) Lib Dem spokesperson in the House of Lords for children summed up for the motion. In the voting, amendment one was clearly carried. Amendment two was defeated by 103 votes to 88. The motion as amended was clearly carried.
Read the news release and text of the motion as passed.

11.35 Speech: Dr Vince Cable MP, Lib Dem Shadow Chancellor
You can read Vince Cable's speech in full here. And a report by Alex Foster on Lib Dem Voice here.
Read a BBC report on Vince's speech here.

11.55 Debate on Legal Aid motion
Bridget Fox (Islington) proposed the motion. The following speakers spoke for the motion: Geoff Payne (Hitchin and Harpenden), Francis Ng (Hammersmith and Fulham), Lord Willie Goodhart (Oxford West and Abingdon), Jonathan Marks QC (Buckingham), Emily Gasson (North Dorset), Alan Beith MP (Berwick on Tweed) (Alan is chair of the House of Commons Constitutional Affairs Select Committee). Elizabeth Jewkes (Chester) requested a separate vote on lines six and seven of the motion. Cllr Greg Foxsmith (Islington) summed up for the motion. The motion was passed.
Read the news release and text of the motion as passed.

12.25 Party Awards
The two awards for membership went to Westmorland and Lonsdale (Leader's Shield) and Ashfield and Mansfield (President's Shield). The President's Awards went to Claire Brooks OBE and Beth Graham (Skipton and Ripon), and to Akbar Ali (Liverpool).

          Speech: Simon Hughes MP, Lib Dem Party President
You can read Simon Hughes's speech in full here.

12.40 Break for Lunch

14.20 Empowerment, Fairness and Quality in Health Care (Health Policy Paper)
Judith Jolly (North Cornwall), chair of the party's health working group, moved the motion. She was followed by the movers of the three amendments - Ed Fordham (Camden) moving amendment one, Steve Hitchins (Islington) moving amendment two and Charles West (Ludlow) moving amendment three. There were then a series of speakers for the motion, including Greg Mulholland MP (Leeds North West), Sal Brinton (Watford), Neville Farmer (Wyre Forest), Katy Gordon (Glasgow) and Duncan Brack (Streatham). Shehnaz Somjee (Sefton Central and Bootle) spoke against the motion. These speeches were followed by a batch of one minute interventions before a closing batch of speeches from Evan Harris MP (Oxford West and Abingdon), Cathy Bakewell (Yeovil), Richard Kemp (Liverpool Wavertree), Ruth Coleman (Leeds West), Martin Tod (Winchester), Kathy Newbound (Maidenhead), Chris White (St Albans), Howard Sykes (Oldham) and Heather Kidd (Ludlow). Norman Lamb MP (North Norfolk), the party's Shadow Health Secretary, then summated in favour of the motion.
The first vote was on whether amendment one or amendment two was preferred. Amendment one very clearly won this. There was then a further vote as to whether amendment one should be passed. It was clearly passed. There was then a vote on amendment three, which was very clearly carried. In a final vote, the motion, as amended by amendments one and three, was overwhelmingly carried.
Read the news release and text of the motion as passed.
Read a Guardian report on the debate here. And read the BBC's report here.

16.05 Speech: Julia Goldsworthy MP, Lib Dem Shadow Local Government Secretary

16.25 Debate on Emergency Motion on Sustainable Banking
Christopher Glover from Maidenhead proposed the motion. Jonathan Davies (Finchley and Golders Green) proposed a separate vote on paragraph four of the motion. Mike Evemy (North Wiltshire) spoke for the motion. Graham Bishop (Bexhill and Battle) spoke against the motion. Vince Cable, Lib Dem Shadow Chancellor, summed up in favour of the motion.
In the vote, paragraph four was retained within the motion and the motion as a whole was carried.
Read the news release and text of the motion as passed.

          Debate on Emergency Motion on Extraordinary Rendition
Ed Davey MP (Kingston and Surbiton) proposed the motion. Chris Ward from Guildford and Sarah Teather MP also spoke for the motion. The motion was passed.
Read the news release and text of the motion as passed.

16.55 Report: Federal Executive
Simon Hughes MP, Party President, proposed the report. The report was approved.

          Business Motion: Liberal Democrat Lawyers
Simon Hughes proposed the motion, that Liberal Democrat Lawyers should become a Specified Associated Organisation (SAO) of the party. Brian Orrell, chair of the party's SAO committee, summated. The motion was carried.

          Constitutional Amendment: Chair of Federal Executive
Lembit Opik MP, Vice Chair of the party's Federal Executive (FE), moved the amendment, which would mean the Party President would no longer automatically chair the FE. Andy Strange (Luton), Steven Rhodes (Vauxhall) and Mohammed Shafiq (Rochdale) spoke against the amendment. Jonathan Davies (Finchley and Golders Green) spoke for it, as did Brian Orrell, in his summation. The amendment, being a constitutional amendment, required a two thirds majority to pass. It did not achieve this so was defeated.

          Report: Federal Finance and Administration Committee
Duncan Greenland, Chair of the Committee, moved the report, which was approved.

17.30 Report: Campaign for Gender Balance
Jo Swinson, Chair of the Campaign, moved the report, which was approved.

          Reports of the Parliamentary Parties of the Liberal Democrats
Paul Burstow MP, Chief Whip of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons, moved the report of the party in the Commons. Responding to questions, he said the party's MPs strongly supported the Independent Living Bill, and that while they had supported the Temporary and Agency Workers Bill at second reading this was so it could go to committee for revisions and scrutiny. The report was carried.
Lord Shutt, Chief Whip in the Lords, moved the report of the party's peers. Sharon Bowles MEP, chief whip of the party in the European Parliament, moved the report of the party's MEPs. Both were approved.

18.00 Close of Session

Sunday 9th March

09.00 Debate on Emergency Motion on Gaza
John McHugo proposed the motion, and it was summed up by Trevor Cope. There was a separate vote on the penultimate paragraph. This was not passed. The motion as a whole was then passed unamended.
Read the news release and text of the motion in full.

09.30 Presentation: Liberal Democrat Group on Eastleigh Borough Council
The presentation was made by Keith House, leader of Eastleigh Borough Council, and Louise Bloom, cabinet member for environment.

09.50 Debate on Homes for All motion
Andrew Stunell MP (Hazel Grove) proposed the motion. Lembit Opik MP (Montgomeryshire), the party's shadow minister for housing, summed up. There was a separate vote on lines 31-36 (Community Land Auctions). This was very clearly retained. The motion as a whole, unamended, was then overwhelmingly carried.
Read the news release and text of the motion in full.

10.35 Question and Answer Session: Schools
This session was chaired by Cllr Munira Wilson (Richmond upon Thames). The panel of speakers was David Laws (Shadow Secretary for Children, Schools and Families), Cllr James Kempton (Leader of Islington Council and Chair of the party's Schools Working Group) and Cllr Mike Storey (former leader of Liverpool City Council and head teacher of a large primary school in Liverpool).

11.10 Urgent Issue: Rising Energy Prices
This was opened by Duncan Hames (Chippenham). Other speakers included Steve Webb MP (Shadow Environment Secretary), Munira Wilson and Neil Stockley. There is no motion or vote on an urgent issue.

11.40 Leader's Speech: Nick Clegg MP
Nick Clegg's leader's speech links: key points / part one / part two / reaction

13.00 (approx.) Close of Conference
The conference has now concluded.