Leading the Way

Submitted by: Federal Policy Committee
Mover: Helen Morgan MP (Vice Chair, Federal Policy Committee).
Summation: Eleanor Kelly (Vice Chair of the Policy Working Group).

Conference reaffirms that the Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.

Conference notes the many great strengths of the United Kingdom, from the people working in the NHS to our world–leading creative industries, from great British farmers to our soft power on the world stage.

However, Conference also notes the enormous challenges facing the UK today, including:

1. A cost of living crisis, high and rising levels of poverty, and anaemic economic growth.
2. The crisis in the NHS and social care, including a lack of access to GPs and dentists, ambulance delays, long hospital waiting lists, and millions of people missing out on care.
3. The twin climate and nature crises, with the UK off track on its emissions targets, one in six species threatened with extinction from Britain, and air pollution claiming tens of thousands of lives every year.
4. Water companies getting away with pumping filthy sewage into our rivers and lakes and onto our beaches.
5. A housing crisis, with a shortage of affordable and social housing and shamefully high levels of homelessness.
6. Prejudice, discrimination and entrenched inequalities blighting too many people’s lives – including women, LGBT+ people, people of ethnic and religious minorities, and disabled people.
7. Communities plagued by burglaries, fraud, anti–social behaviour, serious youth violence and violence against women and girls, while far too many criminals evade justice and go on to reoffend.
8. Rural communities let down by a lack of access to local public services, decent public transport, affordable housing, adequate broadband connectivity, or protection from crime; and family farmers undermined by both Conservative and Labour Governments.
9. A badly broken immigration system, an enormous asylum backlog, dangerous Channel crossings, a lack of safe and legal routes to sanctuary, and no public confidence.
10. A political system that has been fundamentally broken for generations, leaving millions feeling powerless and excluded.
11. Strong global headwinds, including instability and conflict, climate change, the risks and challenges of social media and artificial intelligence, threats from Putin’s Russia and Xi’s China, and Donald Trump’s erratic and unpredictable presidency.

Conference believes that things can get better – the UK has overcome big challenges before and can do it again now. Liberal Democrats have led the way before, from investing in education to legalising same-sex marriage, tackling climate change to promoting human rights.

Conference further believes that the Liberal Democrats must again lead the way to a fair, free and open society where:

1. Everyone has the chance to succeed and see their hard work and aspiration properly rewarded, and extremes of inequality are eliminated.
2. Everyone’s rights are respected, and individuals and communities are properly empowered.
3. Every child gets a good education and has real opportunities to flourish.
4. Businesses and entrepreneurs are supported to create growth and jobs in every part of the UK.
5. Everyone receives the care they need when they are ill or frail, and a helping hand when they fall on tough times.
6. Everyone can afford to live in a decent home somewhere safe and clean, with a comfortable retirement when the time comes.
7. Everyone can enjoy the benefits of our wonderful natural environment, and our children inherit the healthy planet they deserve.
8. The UK stands tall in a safer world, working with our neighbours, allies and partners to champion the values of equality, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Conference reaffirms that the Liberal Democrat response to the challenges we face will always be rooted in the values we share: freedom, equality, community, internationalism, human rights, environmentalism and democracy.

While recognising that there is still more to do, Conference further notes that the party already has bold, comprehensive policies to:

1. Fix the crisis in social care and support unpaid carers.
2. Tackle the climate and nature crises, and stop the sewage scandal.
3. Tackle the housing crisis so that everyone, in every part of the country, can afford to live in a good–quality home.
4. Support families, protect children’s rights and wellbeing, and invest in education.
5. Tackle the skills shortage and support universities in the face of extreme financial pressure.
6. Respect and defend the rights of people of all races, religions, sexual orientations and gender identities.
7. Build a fair, effective immigration system that treats everyone with dignity and respect, while preventing dangerous Channel crossings and combating people smuggling, human trafficking and modern slavery.
8. Fix the UK’s broken relationship with Europe with a four–step roadmap towards membership of the Single Market, including negotiating a new UK–EU customs union by 2030 at the latest.

Conference therefore endorses policy paper 161, Leading the Way, as a strategic, focussed and ambitious programme for renewing our policy in the years ahead, including the following areas as priorities for further policy development in this Parliament:

1. Turning the economy around and making sure everyone feels the benefits of growth equitably.
2. Supporting start–ups and scale–ups, small and growing businesses, entrepreneurs and the self–employed.
3. Improving primary healthcare, with a focus on early access and shifting more healthcare out of hospitals and into communities.
4. Taking a strategic approach to improving health and care more broadly.
5. Making sure policing, the justice system and other public services work better for victims of crime.
6. Empowering consumers in relation to public services, utility companies, arms–length Government bodies, and businesses.
7. Defending and strengthening British democracy.
8. Empowering local communities so that residents and community groups have far more control over the decisions that affect their local areas.
9. Helping rural communities to thrive by tackling the distinctive challenges they face.
10. Reviewing and updating the party’s international security strategy in light of the world as it is today.

Conference believes that policy development should always put our Liberal Democrat values into practice, and take forward our distinctive commitment to put real power in people’s hands and hold the already powerful properly to account.

Applicability: Federal, except for 3.–5. (lines 103–108), and 8.–9. (lines 112– 116) which are England only.

Mover and summation combined: 16 minutes; mover and summation of amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 6-7 of the agenda. You can submit a speaker's card online here from Monday 15 September up to 08.45 Monday 22 September or in person.

In addition to speeches from the platform, voting members will be able to make concise (maximum one minute) interventions from the floor during the debate on the motion. See pages 6 and 7 of the agenda for further information.

The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 8 September; you can submit amendments online here, see pages 9–10 of the agenda for more information. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Monday’s Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 Sunday 21 September; you can request separate votes here, see page 5 of the agenda for more information.