Conference update

The weekend draws to a close and what are the highlights?  Too many to list but among them has to be the new Lib Dem policy on Education Credit, building on the Pupil Premium once resources are available.  It will provide a wrap-around support service for the most vulnerable children and their families, helping with parenting skills, with providing computer access and high speed broadband, and much much more.  Page 22 of the Conference Agenda has the detail if you're interested, but the motion was amended to remove the reference to Academies and to add in the children of Armed Forces personnel and of gypsy and traveller families who suffer educationally from moving around as the family moves, and in the case of Forces children have the added stress of knowing that a parent is away from home involved in war somewhere.  I'm delighted to have this policy in our arsenal ready for when the finances become available.
Debates on Employment support and on the harm caused by drug offences were excellent and good policy has resulted.
Tim Farron of course was inspirational.
And first thing this morning was the session on whether police accreditation is necessary or desirable as a precursor to attending conference.  There were excellent speeches on the wrongs of the system adopted this year - the people who haven't attended because of it.  Their voices are sadly missed and I hope we'll hear them at Gateshead next March.
And then tonight, we heard that Stockton had come 2nd in the Penhaligon award - of no interest to anyone but our members but we're very proud of what we've achieved in the past year to enable that.  Huge congratulations to the local Executive for the hard work.