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.
Julian Huppert MP joined us by video link from his Westminster office to discuss the government's forthcoming draft Communications Bill and to answer our questions.
He made his concerns clear, but stressed the importance of the decision to publish a draft - rather than final - Bill. This will allow for full pre-legislative scrutiny of the proposals, drawing on evidence from civil liberties campaign groups as well as from the security services.
He also talked about the Defamation Bill which has just been published, which will, amongst other things, provide protection for academics from bullying libel cases.
This is the first time we have held a talk by video link, and it was a great success. Our thanks to to Julian Huppert, and to all who attended.
Our Annual General Meeting saw a very good turnout, including many members who had not previously attended.
Stuart Wheatcroft was re-elected as President, while Liam Spalding moved from his previous post of General Executive Member to be our new Secretary.
Duncan Mitchell left the post of Treasurer and was elected as Campaigns Officer. Stephen Ashton took over the post of Treasurer.
Co-options will be held to the remaining positions in the near future.
Liberal Youth, the organisation for Lib Dem students and young people, held its Spring Conference at the University of Leeds. Conference adopted new Liberal Youth policy on issues from internships to railways, from equal marriage to political education. New constitutions were also adopted for Liberal Youth and Liberal Youth England, which will help secure the future success of the movement.
Liam Burns, President of the National Union of Students, attended for a discussion session on how Liberal Youth and the NUS can work together, before joining a panel discussion on education. Both sessions were very interesting - as was the session by Ewan Hoyle on drugs policy reform.
Liberal Democrats from around the country met in NewcastleGateshead to debate the issues of the day, including how to support young people, how to protect the environment, and how to restore civil liberties.
A controversial topic was the Health & Social Care Bill; Conference applauded the work of Lib Dem Parliamentarians to improve the Bill, but decided not to express a firm acceptance or rejection of the Bill, but rather to leave that to Lib Dem MPs and Peers.
Conference is also a lively social event: with Lib Dems young and old, the Warwick delegation met people met people originating everywhere from Orkney to Winchester and from London to Aberdeen. The traditional end-of-Conference Glee Club was also a big hit, with its wide range of songs, laughter and general good humour.
The traditional close of Conference is the Leader's Speech. Nick Clegg opted to strike a consensual note, stressing the importance of unity in the face of challenges, but also stressing the importance of the Liberal Democrat contribution, both in Government and elsewhere.
Conference is a great opportunity to meet other Liberal Democrats, to get involved in the formation of party policy, and generally to have a great time. The next Federal Conference will be in Brighton in September: get in touch if you are interested in attending, or find out more at the party website.
You can also attend Liberal Youth Conference. Liberal Youth is the section of the party dedicated to young people and students, and plays in influential role in the formation of policy - as well as being a great group of people.
Please note that you must be a party member to attend either event; you can join through the party website, or if you would like more information then please get in touch with us here at Warwick.
Warwick Lib Dems held a joint action day with London Liberal Youth in support of Alison Hopkins, the Liberal Democrat candidate in a local by-election in Dollis Hill, Brent, London, and more generally to help London Lib Dems ahead of the London Assembly and Mayoral elections later in the year.
The weather was generally very good and we had a very successful day of campaigning. Other participants included Caroline Pidgeon, Lib Dem Leader on the London Assembly. Also involved was the first person to speak on Radio Warwick, now some years ago.
After the day's work we returned to central London for a bite to eat and some (after-dark) sightseeing around Westminster.
Society President Liam Spalding took to the panel of Warwick Question Time on Wednesday to discuss a range of issues, from health reforms to the Falkland Islands.
Appearing alongside him were representatives of Warwick Labour, Warwick Conservatives, the Warwick student newspaper The Boar, and the non-partisan Libertarian society. Organised by the Politics Society, several of these events take place each term, featuring representatives of majo ther political parties as well as appearances from other political groups on campus.
As ever there was lively debate, including substantial audience participation, in some cases in significant detail. Thanks are due to everyone who made this event possible, and our thanks in particular are due to Liam Spalding for representing us so ably on the panel.
How do you feel about the welfare reforms? What about tax reform? Banking? Education? Health?
It's a feature of politics that controversy is never far away. Over the coming weeks, we will be running a series of discussion events focusing on controversial issues. These will be highly informal, and are not restricted to members, or even to Lib Dem supporters.
Watch out for more information around campus, or follow our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We hope to see you there.
We hosted Simon Goldie, a contributor to the Liberal Vision website, to discuss the journey that so-called classical liberalism has been on over the last century or so. While not necessarily dominant then, it is ususally considered to have been strongest in the 19th Century, before suffering a decline and then near extinction in the mid 20th Century.
Simon Goldie gave us his perspective on the subsequent revival in classical liberal thinking, and also raised some interesting questions regarding liberal (and libertarian) philosophy.
This was a joint event with Warwick Libertarians, and we thank them for their assistance with the preparations. Thanks are also due to Simon Goldie for visiting us and delivering such an interesting talk, and for his enthusiasm to engage in debate.
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.