Spring conference: HSLD fringe and other key events

As you will know, the Liberal Democrat spring conference is taking place this coming weekend. As always, the Humanist and Secularist Liberal Democrats will be present and active.


We will be hosting a fringe meeting on Saturday evening, and active in two other events - listed below. We will also have a stall at stand B16 in the exhibition hall, and you are very welcome to stop by.


FRINGE MEETING
"Should you have faith in the Big Society?"
6:15-7:30pm, Saturday 12th March, Jurys Inn, Suite 7

The state is in retreat and faith groups may fill the void. What could this mean for secularism, equality and religious influence?

Speakers: Dr Julian Huppert MP & Dr Evan Harris.
Chair: Peter Kunzmann.


KEY MOTION
Community Futures (Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Policy Paper) - Motion F3
9:15am, Saturday 12th March, Main Auditorium

There are two important clauses in the motion and paper and we hope that you will be in the chamber to support them.

Section 3:10 of the Policy Paper: "that no organisation uses the delivery of public services to promote religious (or political) views to service users."


Section 5(c) of the motion: "Ensuring that public services are delivered without unjustified discrimination against service users or employees, by amending equalities legislation to narrow the exemption granted to organisations with a religious ethos, and in the interim requiring public sector commissioners to include non-discrimination clauses in their contracts with providers."


CONSULTATIVE SESSION
Consultation on the Inequality Policy Paper
3:00-17:30pm, Friday 11th March, Mercure St Paul's Hotel, City Suite C

The party is drawing up new policy on the remedies to socio-economic inequality. It would be very useful if we have a strong humanist and secularist showing at the meeting, pointing out that religious institutions can sometimes be a sources of socio-economic inequality themselves.

One example of this is religious requirements to enter some good schools. Although there are plenty of good schools that do not discriminate in their admissions policies, some do, and for some unlucky families, their choice of school may be limited.

Hopefully you will be able to come along to some, or all, of these events, and help keep humanist and secularist issues on the party's agenda.

As a final note, if you would like to help out on the stand for an hour or two, please visit the stand and speak to whoever is on duty at the time.