Autumn 2026: Agenda Selection Report

The Federal Conference Committee (FCC) met on Saturday to review motion submissions and begin finalising the agenda for Autumn Conference 2026, which will take place in Brighton from 19 to 22 September 2026. We are very much looking forward to returning to Brighton for what promises to be a busy and engaging Conference.

This Conferences comes roughly midway through the Parliament but very early in the premiership of Andy Burnham. He will spend the summer setting out his agenda and trying to maintain a sense of change and momentum. There are already some (small) signs of a Labour bounce and we shall see what happens with Farage’s fight against Count Binface. 

However, as we are all aware, the task facing Burnham is daunting and his honeymoon could be very short. The political landscape continues to change, and could change drastically between now and Conference. 

We received several updates in advance of Autumn Conference and also welcomed a new member of the Federal Conference Committee, following the resignation of Sarah Teather. Cllr Sandra Gidley was the winner of the recount, and rejoins the FCC after a short hiatus of about 10 years. 

Motions Submissions and Agenda Planning

As ever, we received a strong and diverse range of submissions, reflecting the breadth of engagement across the party. In total, the FCC received:

• 61 policy motions
• 10 business motions
• 1 constitutional amendment

Following very detailed discussion and several rounds of selection, the FCC agreed to include on the agenda:

• 20 policy motions, including one late-deadline policy motion (see below)
• Up to 3 slots for emergency motions or topical debates
• 1 business motion.

We are extremely grateful to all members, local parties, and Associated Organisations who took the time to draft and submit motions. The quality and thoughtfulness of submissions were high, which inevitably made the selection process challenging.

Alongside policy debates, there are mandatory business items. As always, we wish we could include more debates, but we have done our best to maximise discussion within the limited time available.

Transparency and the Motions Bundle

In line with the FCC’s commitment to transparency, we are publishing:

• A list of all motions submitted, indicating whether they were selected and providing brief reasons for non-selection. These have just been summarised, those people who submitted motions will have had fuller feedback from the relevant FCC member.  (please note that motion titles may be edited before final publication).
• The full bundle of motions considered by the FCC, which we hope members will find useful and informative. Please note that line numbers and correct numbering will be added when we produce the final agenda. 

For motions selected for debate, there may be some minor drafting amendments made between now and publication.

Keynote Speeches

In addition to the Leader’s Speech, Conference will feature several keynote speeches across the weekend. One of these has been proposed jointly by ALDC and the LGA and will be delivered by Cllr Lisa Spivy, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council. She is one of our few female council leaders, one year into administration after beating the Conservatives, building on local and parliamentary successes. 

Agenda, Directory and Registration

The Conference Agenda and Directory will be published in the coming weeks.

Drafting Advice, Amendments and Key Deadlines

The FCC continues to offer a drafting advice service, supporting members in improving the structure, clarity, and conference-readiness of their motions and amendments. While the Committee does not provide policy advice, members seeking feedback on substance may wish to contact relevant spokespeople, policy working groups, or AOs.

• Drafting advice deadline for amendments and emergency motions: 13:00 on Tuesday 25 August 2026
• Amendments and emergency motions submission deadline: 13:00 on Monday 7 September 2026

We will also be running a training session on bringing your policy to life, which I’ve mentioned below.

FCC-Led Sessions and Help Desk

The FCC has confirmed that it will be running two FCC-led training sessions at Spring Conference:

• How to survive Federal Conference
• Bringing your policy ideas to life – a joint FCC/FPC session on developing policy ideas within the Liberal Democrats

The FCC will also be running a Conference Help Desk on:

• Saturday 10:30 - 11:30
• Saturday 13:00 - 14:00
• Sunday 10:30 - 11:30
• Monday 10:30 - 11:30

We are delighted that colleagues from other Federal Committees will be joining us during these sessions.

FCC Meeting Summary and Training at Conference

Alongside motion selection, the FCC received an update from Becky Carr, the Party’s Training Manager, on training at Conference.

Training at Conference is a fantastic resource for members and an opportunity to develop new skills and confidence. The Directory, which will include full training details, will be published shortly, and I strongly encourage members to make the most of the wide range of sessions on offer. My thanks go to the trainers, Associated Organisations and party bodies who deliver such a strong and varied programme.

Fringe sessions

We have an exciting range of fringes at this Conference, and are delighted that due to the high demand, we will be taking additional spaces at the Hilton Hotel, next to the Grand in order to accommodate - more information will be shared when the Directory is live. We are also going to be running a Climate Change Day and Youth and Skills Day, which will feature a range of themed fringe and other events over the Conference weekend.

Thanks and Final Thoughts

I would like to thank all members of the Federal Conference Committee for their time, care and thoughtful contributions during what was a full and productive meeting, as well as the staff who supported our work throughout.

We look forward to seeing many of you in Brighton for what promises to be another lively, constructive and engaging Liberal Democrat Conference.