• The Real Alternative To Neoliberalism

    October 15, 2011 11:29 AM

    Paul Hindley writes: Neoliberalism is a right-wing form of economics that promotes expansive free markets, deregulation, and unfettered privatisation. It has been the prevailing economic outlook of the global economy for over thirty years. It is disputable the extent to which neoliberalism could be described as being either new or liberal. In Britain, the term neoliberalism is often replaced with the term Thatcherism after the Prime Minister who most ardently supported neoliberal polic

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  • SLF Fringe programme at Lib Dem conference, September 2011

    October 03, 2011 9:26 AM

    Below are reports from many of our fringe meetings at the recent Lib Dem conference in Birmingham - more to follow!
    The SLF's fringe programme at this year's Lib Dem conference got off to an excellent start, with the panel exploring the Open Public Services White Paper from several angles. Prateek Buch began by introducing the White Paper as having much within it that the party would likely find uncontroversial, such as the insistence on open access to d

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  • What sort of liberal is Nick Clegg?

    September 26, 2011 9:46 PM

    Mark Pack writes: The new (and in fact only) biography of Nick Clegg is very much a book of two halves. The first – a fascinating tale of Nick’s multinational family; the second – a fairly standard recount of some of the political events of the last few years, with little in the way of revelations. If you do not follow political news closely, you will still find in the

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  • A Policy Motion on Policy Motions

    September 23, 2011 6:57 PM

    'The Lib Dem Conference is a recognisably democratic event in a sense that the other conferences can no longer claim to be. Policies are proposed, amended, debated and voted on in an impeccable manner'. (Martin Kettle, 'The Guardian', 18/09/09)

    Conference notes

    Policy forms a vital role within the Liberal Democrats, not only enshrining values as the party evolves but also forming part of the fundamental democratic process that centres on pluralistic beliefs.

    However, confe

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  • Majority of conference calls for detailed debate on the Health Bill

    September 17, 2011 6:06 PM

    An attempt to suspend standing orders and allow an emergency motion on the Health and Social Care Bill was approved by a majority of conference representatives but failed to get the two-thirds majority needed (235 voted to suspend standing orders against 183 who opposed it).  Commenting on the vote, Chair of the Social Liberal Forum Dr David Hall-Matthews said: “Despite the steer to leave the agenda as it is, a clear majority of conference representatives voted to ensure that health was pr

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  • LibDem NHS Activists heartened by extent of health rebellion

    September 08, 2011 10:35 PM

    Lib Dem NHS activists take heart from extent of Parliamentary rebellion as new analysis shows "two-thirds of MPs" withhold support from Government on health bill. Liberal Democrat activists and Parliamentarians seeking to amend the Health Bill today released an analysis of the Report Stage votes , based on House of Commons Library figures , showing that more than  two thirds of the eligible  English Lib Dem Backbench  MPs failed to support the government on key votes, the  vast

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  • North West SLF launched

    September 08, 2011 2:35 PM

    Following a brief recent history of the national Social Liberal Forum from Kat Dadswell, John Commons, the Chair of the Manchester party, spoke on why he felt that Social Liberalism and by extension the Social Liberal Forum were particularly needed in the North West region. Former MP for Rochdale Paul Rowen made the point that we shouldn't be made to feel that opposing Conservative policies is a bad thing - we need to be on the side of our neighbours and residents in the North West. John Leech

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  • SLF fringe meetings

    September 06, 2011 9:07 PM

    Policy Forum: Open Public Services: Another fine mess they'll get us into?

    Saturday 20.15-22.15 ICC Hall 5

    What should we support and what should we oppose in the Open Public Services White Paper?

    Chris Nicholson, CentreForum, Linda Jack, Social Liberal Forum Mark Serwotka, PCS union, Lord Matthew Oakeshott

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  • Sign here for appeal and emergency motion on health reforms

    September 04, 2011 10:59 PM

    Please complete this form if you want to sign
    • the appeal to allow conference to debate NHS reforms (see this page for more information)
    and/or
    • the emergency motion on health reforms (see

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