Why the social security policy paper should be rejected

On Monday at Liberal Democrat conference, party members will have the chance to debate policy motion F31 which endorses a new Liberal Democrat welfare policy paper, Mending the safety net. However, as one of the members of the working group which wrote the paper, I strongly urge all members at conference to vote against the motion.

GP
16 Sep 2016
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Autumn Conference 2016 - Nuclear Weapons policy consultation paper

The ethics surrounding the nuclear weapons debate

Members of the Nuclear Weapons Working Group are presenting their personal views as part of a wider consultation process into the party's future policy on nuclear weapons. The full consultation paper can be found at www.libdems.org.uk/autumn-conference-16-policypapers and the consultation window runs until 28 October. Party members are invited to attend the consultation session at party conference in Brighton, to be held on Saturday 17 September at 1pm in the Balmoral Room of the Hilton. The UK's options for the successor to Trident are (boiled down to essentials):

JH
16 Sep 2016
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William Wallace writes…Taking on the anti-tax movement

If you read any other paper than the Guardian, you will have noted some days ago a generously-covered story about the enormous 'lifetime tax bill' faced by British families. The 'average UK household' in 2014-15 was estimated to pay £826,000 in direct and indirect taxes over their working life, while the top 20% 'will pay £1,686,970' - a curiously exact figure for an estimate, and a claimed rise of 4.3% over the previous year. The story had no reference to any benefits that flowed back to taxpayers in return for this drain on their income: education for children (£180,000 per child or more in the private sector between 3 and 18), health care (say £100,000 per person, incurred most heavily in the last two years of life), and post-retirement benefits (state pensions of £6-9000 a year over 10-20 years, bus passes, etc.), not to mention contributions to all the public goods that make civilised living comfortable: policing, roads and railways, external security, welfare, market support and regulation. The reader i

LWW
15 Sep 2016
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Federal Conference - Agenda 2020: The final stage

Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Sunday morning at Brighton will see one of the most important debates at conference. It probably won't be terribly controversial (though one never knows …), but it is party members' chance to say what they think - not about specific policies the party should adopt, but about what the party stands for: its basic philosophy. This is the final stage in the Federal Policy Committee's 'Agenda 2020' process, which has featured many times before in the pages of Lib Dem Voice. Over the past year we have published two consultation papers, organised two consultative sessions at federal conferences, commissioned a set of essays and organised an essay competition within the party (all available here at http://www.libdems.org.uk/agenda2020).

DB
15 Sep 2016
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UK Lib Dem news

Satellite in orbit
Science & Technology

A New Hope for the Space Industry

Space is no longer science fiction – it underpins our economy, security, and daily lives. Our new policy will renew the National Space Strategy, support UK spaceports and hubs, and designate space as a strategic industry.

VC
23 Sep 2025
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Man facing away from the camera with arms open as child runs towards him
Migration

Building a Fair Asylum System

The UK’s asylum system is failing, leaving people fleeing conflict stuck in temporary housing, unable to work, and separated from their loved ones. Our new policy gives practical solutions to clear up the broken system left by the Conservatives.

LS
23 Sep 2025
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A hand holding a mobile phone
Science & Technology

A Liberal Vision for Digital Rights

The Online Safety Act was meant to protect people, yet its flawed implementation risks undermining privacy, free expression, and secure communication. Our new policy addresses our concerns and fights for a digital future where rights are protected.

VC
23 Sep 2025
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High Peak Liberal Democrats AGM Notice 7.30pm, 4 December 2024

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