Warwick University Liberal Democrats
Events are added as they are arranged, so check back often!
Warwick Liberal Democrats are a student society at the University of Warwick. Our mission is to promote and uphold the values of the Liberal Democrats at the University of Warwick and to make it easier for students to influence party policy, as well as for the party to talk to students.
The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.
We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity. We believe that the role of the state is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute fully to their communities and to take part in the decisions which affect their lives.
You can join us through the Warwick SU website.
We've reached the end of term, which means that it's time for Warwick Lib Dems to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
We're already putting together our programme for next term, and we've got some exciting plans in development. We'll be letting you know about them in due course through our email lists and our Facebook and Twitter presences.
In the meantime, we wish you all the best for the festive season.
We were delighted to welcome Lorely Burt, Liberal Democrat MP for Solihull, to campus to discuss BIS policy and to give us her insights into how the government can help students and young people.
The evening consisted of a short talk about the government's activities in this area, with a few welcome words of advice about graduate careers, followed by a question and answer session. Questions covered a huge range of issues, including banking reform, pensions and, of course, the breaking news of the resignation of Defence Secretary Liam Fox.
Following the talk we moved to the Dirty Duck, where debate continued in a less formal setting.
We would like to thank all those who came to the event, and in particular our thanks go to Lorely Burt MP, without whom it would quite literally not have been possible.
Warwick Liberal Democrats had a stall on the second day of the Warwick SU Societies Fair. Despite some difficulties with the electricity supply to our stall we had a successful day talking to fellow students.
Our stall had a dual focus: on the one hand, we sought to stress the considerable Liberal Democrat achievements in government; on the other hand, we shared Liberal Youth's campaigns on drugs policy and on gay marriage.
We distributed hundreds of leaflets and created a huge new mailing list of people interested in our campaigns and events. We also signed up new members both to our own society and to the party. We look forward to a strong year ahead.
There will be a cross-party social on 7th October at Varsity starting at 17.00, which is open invitation. Warwick Liberal Democrats will also be welcoming Lorely Burt MP to S0.10 at 18.00 on Friday 14th to give a policy talk with questions, which will be followed by a social in the Dirty Duck.
Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference was held in Birmingham, featuring numerous policy debates, speeches and opportunities to hold our ministers to account.
Unlike the other party conferences, ours actually sets party policy. In government, this is a huge strength for the party. At our last Conference party members demanded changes to the government's NHS reforms. As a direct result, major changes have been made.
Policies adopted at this Conference include calling for a complete reappraisal of UK drugs policy, repealing the disconnection provisions of the Digital Economy Act, and ending the gay blood ban. Conference concluded with a rousing speech by Nick Clegg. To see the full list of policy motions passed, see the summary on the party website.
Congratulations to all those receiving A-level results today, and particularly those who are now definitely coming to study at Warwick this Autumn. Going to university is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do and Warwick is a fantastic place to do it.
This is also a very exciting time for Warwick Lib Dems. At Westminster our party is in government for the first time in decades. This presents a lot of challenges, but it is also a huge opportunity for us - as Liberal Democrats and as Warwick students - to influence government. We want you to be a part of that too.
With that said, we do sometimes like to take some time off from saving the world (yes, that was a joke) to relax, and that is where our society socials come in. Previous venues include the campus pub and even the SU tearoom, so we (quite literally) cater for everyone!
We are still making final plans for our activities in Freshers week, so watch this space.