Suzanne Fletcher's Blog

A good day.  A splendid, and even healthy, breakfast where I smiled at how the muesli bowl of cereal was nearly empty, given the nature of the guests.  Just to show that although we are modern party in the 21^st Century here is bearded, sandaled husband eating his muesli

We listened, we learnt, and of course being good Liberals we talked and we questioned.  Nick Clegg talked about what was happening in Sheffield (Lib Dem run, of course!) and how they were sending power back down to communities and people, including the new community assemblies.   I was struck by the new community justice panels, not just putting those who had committed anti social behaviour onto a conveyor belt to become hardened criminals, but actually facing up to what they had done, facing their victims and hearing the impact on them.

Training sessions helped with improving my skills on dealing with data on the computer, in typical Liberal fashion with all of us picking up hints and tips from each other as well as the presenters.  A session on work to cut down the carbon footprint was full of useful ideas from Camden and Kirklees, as well, of course from each other too.  It isn't just what to do, it is how to do it, taking other people along with you.

In our final session Julia Goldsworthy MP talked about how the current huge crisis in confidence in Government is much more than about the scandal of the expenses.  That is a huge hook on which to hang a building frustration that people have on not having any power on how our money is spent and how decisions are made.  Housing and Planning are just 2 examples of how Councillors have to keep saying that they cannot influence and it is all in the hands of "Government".  Proposal from Labour and Tories are just scratching the surface, we need something much more radical, and that something is definitely not the Local Demcoracy Bill winding its way through corridors of power.  We heard more from Cllr Paul Scriven, Lib Dem leader of the Council.  One of the things he said that struck me was how it was his aim when he finishes to have less power - because more will have been handed back where it belongs - back to people, giving them more responsibility and a real say in what happens.

I left the conference buoyed up and inspired.  Yes I want us to be in a position of more power, yes we can do it, and yes - I want to hand it back .......