The leaving of Liverpool
Simon Wright MP (Lib Dem) Norwich South
"It's been brilliant, it's been good to hear Lib Dem ministers telling us what they're doing in Government", said Norwich South's Simon Wright. "We know what we've got to do, we know it's gong to be hard, but I think we're more ready for it."
The leadership had two aims at this conference: to convince its members that the coalition was a good idea and to explain why the forthcoming cuts were necessary.
On both points they've succeeded. Every keynote speech contained assurances that the Lib Dems would not be merging with the Tories.
The final re-assurance came from the Business Secretary Vince Cable. The Liberal Democrats were a party created out a merger he said (the SDP and Liberal parties), "but we will never merge again" he declared to loud applause.
And members now seem clearer about what the coalition is about.
"I learnt more about what's actually happening in Government, the initiatives they're working on, the things they've already achieved" said a councillor from Essex.
"None of this stuff was coming through the internal (publicity) channels, I was quite surprised how much they'd done".
On the second aim, delegates are certainly clearer about the need for cuts but still worried about what impact it will have at the polls.
"Next year will be difficult, we'll be doing well if we just hold onto our existing seats" said a councillor from Bedfordshire.
"We've just got to try as hard as we can to convince people why we have to make these cuts - but it won't be easy. Justifying the scrapping of BSF (Building Schools for the Future, the programme to rebuild secondary schools) will be particulary hard".
"I think we as a party, can accept loosing seats for a few years but if the economy hasn't improved after 3 years, I think we'll be in big trouble".
Because they're in Government, there's been more media interest, more security and a more of a buzz to this conference and the delegates have enjoyed it.
They go home knowing that being in Government means making unpopular choices.
Welcome to the political blog for the East. I'm Deborah McGurran, the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Political Editor for the region. From Lowestoft to Luton, this is the place for politics with an eastern twist.
Comment number 1.
At 23rd Sep 2010, john wrote:"it's been good to hear Lib Dem ministers telling us what they're doing in Government " - Yes they're doing as they are told...
Vince should remember that the lib dems were the product of the sdp and PART of the Liberal party . This latter still exists albeit in a lesser form. So what guarantee is there that there will not be a merger with a faction of the tories?.
This 'big society' is dangerous rubbish - elsewhere on the beeb web site there are articles about Suffolk. Privatising child care is something being mooted - but the biggest horror is the lack of accountability to the electorate . And if Nicholas Ridley endorses this form of local government ( because the americans do it ) then it is obviously anti worker . Having local services provided by the voluntary sector is a recipe for disaster . What if no one volunteers - no service will be provided - this is apart from the fact that we are being asked to work for nothing . Not even the Mill Owners on which this toryism is built made their labourers work for nothing!!!
So we are being americanised - which brings all their thuggish capitalistic free market ethos over here - perhaps Ed Miliband will be the next man to make a difference .
The lib dems will be known as the party of volunteers - volunteering to work with the tories ( come into my parlour said the spider to the fly) and reducing the local services to a volunteer status .
The only way these naif ( masculine) people are going to survive is perhaps with a merger of the tory party and the lib dems - otherwise it's good bye yellow brick road..
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