Conference Daily Tuesday 17 September 2019 Autumn Conference Bournemouth This plain text version of Conference Daily contains the text of the published Conference Daily. Page numbers refer to the printed Conference Daily, motion line numbers have been omitted, some elements may appear in a different place in the document and graphics and complex page layouts have been omitted. Information from the Federal Conference Committee for Tuesday 17 September and report back for Monday 16 September. Please read in conjunction with the Agenda and Conference Extra. Timetable and contents Report back for Monday 16 September 2 Timetable for Tuesday 17 September 09.00-09.45 F33 Emergency motion: Standing up for Parliamentary Democracy 3 09.45-10.30 F34 Policy Motion: Deprivation of Citizenship 4 10.30-10.50 F35 Speech: Willie Rennie, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats 10.50-11.10 F36 Tribute to Paddy Ashdown 11.10-11.50 F37 Policy Motion: Reforming Housing Legislation: Scrapping Section 21 'No Fault Evictions' 4 11.50-12.50 F38 Policy Motion: Building Railways Fit for the 21st Century 5 12.50-14.10 Lunch 14.10-15.30 F39 Speech: Jo Swinson MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 5 If no page number is indicated next to a session or item of business, there are no changes or additional information to that in the Conference Agenda or Conference Extra. Please note that timings are approximate only. Some items of business may occur earlier than indicated. Members wishing to speak are requested to submit a speaker's card as soon as possible. Speaker's cards can be submitted online up to one hour before the start of the debate at www.libdems.org.uk/speakers-card Report back for Monday 16 September F25 Policy Motion: Music Venues Passed (Amendment One passed) F26 Policy Motion: United Against Crime Passed F29 Policy Motion: Tackling the Climate Crisis Together Passed (Amendment Two & Three passed, Amendments One & Four defeated) F31 Policy Motion: Open Britain: Policies to Support Tourism Passed F32 Emergency motion: Amazon Fires Passed For the text of motions and amendments, please refer to the Autumn 2019 Agenda and Conference Daily for Monday 16 September 2019. Fringe update Tuesday lunchtime 13.00-14.00 Rights Liberties Justice (Liberal Democrat Lawyers Association) Employment rights in the gig economy UK employment is apparently at its highest ever level but also more insecure, how do protect employment rights in the "gig economy"? Should freelancers have more rights as proposed by the recent Taylor Review. Join us for an informal discussion on employment rights. Chair, Graham Colley. Speakers: Heather Wakefield, Chair - Maternity Action; Barnaby Towns, Pioneer Strategy; Representative from Association of Liberal Democrat Trade Unionists. Highcliff Marriot, Blandford Room Left luggage A left luggage facility will be available at the Highcliff Marriott between 08.00 and 17.00 on Tuesday 17 September. Capacity is limited and will be available on a first-come first-served basis; a charge of œ2 per item will apply. No large suitcases/ bags will be allowed into the BIC. Lost property If you have lost property at conference, please go to the Information Desk in the main foyer of the BIC where a number of items of lost property have been handed in. We want to hear from you! Conference attendees will be sent a feedback survey link. Please let us know about your experience at conference. Spring Conference 2020 Book your accommodation for Spring conference 13-15 March 2020 in York, at visityork.org/libdems Bournemouth Foodbank Please support Bournemouth Foodbank at this year's conference. There is a yellow Foodbank collection bin in the front of the exhibition area in the Solent Hall in the BIC. Tuesday 17 September 09.00 Emergency motion Hall Aide: Cllr Paul Tilsley F33 Emergency motion: Standing up for Parliamentary Democracy 11 members Mover: Tom Brake MP (Shadow Cabinet Member for Exiting the EU). Summation: Lord Newby (Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords). Conference notes that: A. The Westminster model of government and the 'Mother of All Parliaments' are held in high esteem around the world and are considered to be the basis of modern parliamentary democracy. B. On 27 August 2019, the Prime Minister announced that he would prorogue Parliament between 9 and 11 September, preventing Parliament from sitting until 14 October and stopping MPs from being able to vote on whether to hold a Conference recess. C. Liberal Democrats are working on a cross-party basis in Parliament and in the courts to stop our democracy being silenced and restore parliamentary sovereignty. Conference believes that: i) The Prime Minister and the Government are the servants of Parliament, are accountable to Parliament, and only continue in post because they command the confidence of the House of Commons. ii) Shutting down parliamentary democracy for so long during the most significant political crisis in recent memory is an authoritarian power grab by the Prime Minister, significantly reducing the number of days that Parliament can sit before 31 October 2019. iii) The decision silences democracy, preventing MPs from scrutinising Government policy decisions and the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit in the days leading up to 31 October. iv) The Prime Minister's purely politically motivated decision undermines faith in the fairness of the British political system and strengthens the case for constitutional reform. v) Liberal Democrats in Parliament will stand up for the people's right to have their say on the final Brexit deal by ensuring that the United Kingdom does not leave the European Union without a deal on 31 October 2019 and by leading the campaign for a People's Vote in order to stop Brexit altogether. Conference calls on the Government to: a) Rescind the Order-in-Council proroguing Parliament immediately, enabling Parliament to fulfil its democratic purpose and sit throughout the remainder of the Conference Recess in order to ensure that the UK does not leave the European Union on 31 October 2019 without a deal. b) Enable Parliament, rather than the Queen-in-Council, to approve when Parliament is prorogued and for how long, just as the House of Commons approves its own recess dates. c) Set up an independent commission made up of parliamentarians, academics, the judiciary and others, to consider each power that the executive is able to exercise under the Royal Prerogative and make recommendations on how to curtail the illiberal centralisation of power into the executive and in particular the use of the Royal Prerogative. Conference reaffirms its commitments, as set out in Policy Paper 117, Power to the People, to make government more accountable both Parliament and to the people by: 1. Creating a House Business Committee to enable backbench MPs and MPs from opposition parties to influence the parliamentary timetable. 2. Providing that a new Prime Minister and their administration can only take office formally once the House of Commons has voted for them to do so. 3. Electing MPs by Single Transferable Vote in multi-member constituencies and electing the House of Lords. 4. Establishing a Constitutional Convention to draw up a comprehensive written constitution for the UK. Applicability: Federal. Mover: 7 minutes; summation: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. Background Briefing This motion updates and develops policy in response to the Government's decision to prorogue Parliament from September 9 to October 14 2019. It calls for the Order-in Council proroguing Parliament to be rescinded, and in the longer term calls for Parliament itself to be empowered to prorogue Parliament, and for an independent commission to review the exercises of powers under the Royal Prerogative. Existing policy on the powers of the executive is set out in Policy Paper 117, Power to the People (2014). F34 Deprivation of Citizenship Background Briefing This motion creates new policy to restrict the circumstances under which someone can be deprived of their British citizenship to cases where citizenship has been obtained through fraud (or other types of deceit) or in cases in which it is a proportionate response that is necessary for national security and would not make the person concerned stateless. The motion also proposes reforms to the process and the right of appeal to ensure that the courts give permission for deprivation of citizenship rather than the Home Secretary being the ultimate arbiter. F37 Reforming Housing Legislation: scrapping section 21 'No fault' Evictions Background Briefing This motion creates new policy concerning the private rental market. It calls for the scrapping of no-fault evictions and the reform of court processes to ensure that landlords are still able to properly access justice in cases where tenants are found to be in breach of their tenancy agreements. Existing policy is set out in the 2017 General Election Manifesto Change Britain's Future. 11.50 Policy motion Hall Aide: Cara Jenkinson F38 Building Railways Fit for the 21st Century The FCC has agreed to make the following drafting amendments to the motion: In 1. a) (lines 32-33), delete 'existing commuter lines' and insert 'where this can unlock capacity or create new demand'. After 3. d) (line 72), insert: e) Identify and set out an action plan to tackle skills shortages, identifying resource requirements from the industry as appropriate. In 5. a) (line 88), delete 'expenditure' and insert 'cost and schedule'. In 7. b) (line 107), after 'appropriate' insert 'including being statutory consultees as part of the franchising process, and where relevant, moving towards Regional Transport Authorities leading this process for local services in their areas'. In 8. (line 108), delete 'Keep passenger and freight services apart' and insert 'Increase overall passenger and freight capacity and reduce bottlenecks'. Amendment One 16 members Mover: Gareth Epps. Summation: Gareth Epps. In 6. (line 98), after 'franchises' insert 'and creating the opportunity for existing employees to set up an employee-owned company to run franchises through the transfer of LNER into employee ownership'. Background Briefing This motion updates party policy about the railways. It opposes the renationalisation of the railways and, instead, to make the railways work proposes: large-scale investment in existing commuter lines as well as new and reopened lines; fixing the broken fares system by using technology to simplify fares and making season tickets work for people with part-time jobs; creating a new Railway Agency to oversee the day-to-day operation of the railways; making the railways greener, safer and more accessible; reforming franchising and opening-up the bidding process; effectively devolving power to local and combined authorities; and improving freight services so they don't slow passenger services. Existing policy is set out in policy motion Fixing Rail Franchising (2018), the 2017 General Election Manifesto Change Britain's Future and Policy Paper 119, Protecting Public Services and Making Them Work for You (2014). 14.10 Speech Aide: Cara Jenkinson F39 Speech: Jo Swinson MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats