Gina Miller's Speech

Gina Miller delivered an impassioned speech on the need to continue with a unified fight against Brexit.

Let's be clear, in the debate we had in 2016 about Europe, there was scant idealism. Lies were told.

Miller called on people to put the national interest ahead of political divisions:

Essex County Council has been asked about plans to tackle the problem of loneliness across the County. Lib Dem Councillor David Kendall (Brentwood South) asked the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care what new initiatives are planned.

Reply from Leader of the Council

'People of all ages are impacted by loneliness and isolation, but this is particularly evident in older people, young parents and people with mental health issues or with disabilities. Social isolation has been shown to impact more on risk of death than AN8 blood pressure, being overweight or moderate smoking. As such I fully recognise the absolute need to address this and the new Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy strongly advocates for this.

Jo Swinson's Speech

In her keynote speech Jo Swinson declared that the Liberal Democrats are the only party who will put people at the heart of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

When society demanded better, it was liberals who delivered. The Fourth Industrial Revolution gives us the same opportunity, and Conference - we must deliver again.

Tom Brake's Speech

The Liberal Democrat (anti-Brexit) Spokesperson set out a vision for the UK staying in the EU with a real Brexit dividend of getting out of this madness. He also had a few words for some of the individuals responsible for this continued mess:

On Boris Johnson:

"If that is our PM's vision of No Deal Brexit Britain, what is the Brexit Britain vision of the man widely tipped to be the future leader of the Tory party, Boris - punishment-beatings, Road to Mandalay, prosecco - Johnson?

More and more care homes are closing down nationwide and in Essex, leaving frail residents and their families worried about their future home. Councillor Mike Mackrory (Leader of the Lib Dem Opposition at Essex County Council) asked the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care what contingency plans are in place to accommodate displaced residents from the care homes which are being closed.

The Liberal Democrats are opposing Government proposals to:

• criminalise "reckless" speech,
• make it a crime just to travel to certain places,
• criminalise what you read on the internet,
• give police more power to hold innocent people's DNA, and
• allow officers to detain people at airports without suspicion.

The party expects these reforms to raise an additional £15 billion per year, though this is likely to grow as the rate of wealth passed down increases in the coming years.

Liberal Democrat members will debate and vote on the proposals at the party's Autumn Conference in Brighton next week.

Proposals include:

Essex County Council has been challenged to ensure that careless motorists - not taxpayers - should pay for repairs when they damage Essex CC equipment.

Cllr Mike Mackrory (Leader of the Lib Dem Opposition at Essex CC) asked the Cabinet Member for Highways about the council's policy for recovering costs of damage to highway items caused by road traffic collisions.

Over a year ago, I started work on making 'upskirting', the practice of photographs up a person's skirt without their consent, a specific criminal offence.

I'm absolutely delighted that this bill has just been passed by MPs in the House of Commons.

This bill will protect everyone who chooses to wear a skirt in a public place and give them an option of recourse.

We returned this week from Parliament's long summer recess.

I used the break to give some thought as to the role my party should be playing in the British political system.

The country is bitterly divided over Brexit and the politics of the main parties leaves millions of voters, broadly those in the 'centre ground', feeling ignored while they get on with their internal civil wars.