Regional Congress Report
This summer's Regional Conference was in fact a Congress acknowledging that it was actually an opportunity for all West Midlands members to come together to contribute to party policy.
As I listened and contributed to the debates, I was reminded of our Constitution, which begins "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"
County Hall in Worcester was a good venue for a serious day during which Higher Education funding (specifically tuition fees or a graduate tax), Taxation (45% or 50% income tax rate) and Defence were the main topics.
Tuition fees or graduate tax ?
Arguments for both were made as well as regrets that the electorate did not allow our party to govern alone in 2010 so that we could prove (as they have done in Scotland) that £9,000 pa tuition fees are not necessary.
The view was also expressed that there is a graduate tax in all but name already in that graduates are generally the highest earners in the UK and their top rate income tax should suffice. Indeed if the really high earners paid a little more it would be possible to reinstate the universities' central government teaching grants. This led neatly onto the next debate.
Income Tax - a 45% or 50% higher rate?
This was a far too limited topic as some pointed out. Why quibble about 5% when there are more radical actions, which can be taken to bring more money into the Treasury? Others felt that the revenue brought in by the 5% extra justified the reinstatement. The result was close with those in favour of reinstating the 50% rate winning by just one vote.
I suggested that the Government had more than three choices when raising revenue. Presently taxation, issuing bonds and borrowing are their only options but why not do as Joe Chamberlain did and actually make some money?
It is absolutely possible for state owned industries to make money and those profits should be used for the benefit of all rather than a few shareholders. So what does Vince Cable do a week later? He is flogging the Royal Mail, which is running at a profit. Crazy!!
Defence policy
The hot topic at Federal Conference this September will certainly be defence so how appropriate that it will be in Glasgow just 1 hour away from Faslane where our nuclear submarines and Trident missiles are based. A round the table discussion left me feeling uneasy. There were just two women in the room, which was disappointing.
Many of those present were concerned at the recent large reductions in military personnel, which left the UK exposed to any threats from conventional weapons. Trident replacement was hotly debated but sadly this came before the publication of the Trident Alternatives Review (see below) on 16th July so we could not react to its recommendations.
Furthermore the defence policy group, of which two members were present, had completed its policy motion but could not speak about it as it was then with the Federal Policy Committee. It will be debated in Glasgow.
There was the usual concern that without a nuclear weapons system the UK would somehow be less important than we are now and Scottish independence was seen as a problem by those who insisted that the Trident system should remain. Those who oppose nuclear weapons made the case for a Nuclear Weapons Convention, which is on the agenda at the next NPT (Nuclear Proliferation Treaty) session.
I reiterated the recommendations of Toby Fenwick's clever booklet `Dropping the Bomb - a Post-Trident Future', CentreForum) which include ending CASD (Continuous at sea defence) whereby a Vanguard submarine, armed with Trident missiles, is continuously on patrol. There has already been one collision with the French equivalent and, though no real damage occurred, it could have been catastrophic. Many present knew next to nothing about Trident issues so there is a big task for the party to do before the next election to educate its own members never mind others.
All in all, a serious yet enjoyable day!