Prateek Buch, director of the Social Liberal Forum (SLF) pressure group, said: "I cannot understand how a serious party of government can decide, against the democratic will of our members, not to debate the single most important issue that faces our country, if we are unable to discuss a flatlining economy, the biggest issue facing the country?" The SLF, a left-of-centre pressure group, had first attempted to table a motion for the conference calling for a fiscal stimulus a month ago, but was rebuffed by the federal conference committee on the grounds that it would require a two-hour debate. In response the SLF submitted a week ago an emergency motion to go forward for a ballot of delegates attending the spring conference in Brighton. A total of nine motions ranging from secret courts, the NHS and the safety of bees had been submitted for two 30-minute slots set aside on Sunday morning. The SLF emergency motion called for more public investment funded by borrowing, a commitment to build 100,000 houses a year by 2015, increased lending to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through imposition of net lending targets on semi-state owned banks, a mansion tax and the resistance to pressures to commit to public spending cuts after 2015 election. Guardian article in full
