The Liberal Democrat Conference, also known inside the party as the Liberal Democrat Federal Conference, is a twice-per-year political conference of the British Liberal Democrats, the third-largest political party in the UK by the number of seats in the House of Commons, and the fourth largest by popular vote following the 2024 general election. The Conference is typically held over three days in the spring and four in the autumn, during the party conference season, at a variety of venues. (Due to COVID-19, the Conference was primarily an online event between spring 2020 and spring 2022 inclusive). It culminates in a speech by the party's Leader.
The Liberal Democrat Conference is organised by the Federal Conference Committee, an internal body of the Liberal Democrats. Conference is the ultimate decision-making body of the Liberal Democrats, one of the few British political parties to use its annual gathering for voting and policy resolution.
All-member Conference voting system In contrast to the annual Labour Party Conference, where 50% of votes are allocated to affiliated organisations (such as affiliated trade unions), and in which all voting is restricted to nominated representatives (known as delegates), who must be physically present in the main Conference Hall, and the annual Conservative Party Conference, where votes are traditionally not held, every member of the Liberal Democrats who attends its twice-per-year Conference, either in-person or online, has the right to vote in policy debates, under a one-member, one vote system.
There are no "weighted" votes reserved for the party's Elected Representatives, MPs, trade unions or for senior members of the party. A proposal can only become policy if Conference votes for it.
Conference Fringe
There are many types of Fringe events, consisting of workshops, debates and seminars, many of which are run by external organisations. Events held by the party's internal political groups, such as Liberal Reform, Social Liberal Forum and Young Liberals, are also a regular feature of the Fringe. There is also a well-established late-evening entertainment review, known as the Glee Club.
Conference Access Fund
Among the three largest UK-wide parties, the Liberal Democrats are unique in providing a Conference Access Fund that defrays costs for low-income and disabled Conference attendees.
The Fund offsets the costs of accommodation, childcare and travel for those on low incomes. For example, it provides £50 per night accommodation support on the understanding that the cheapest-available accommodation has been booked. It provides uncapped funding for disabled attendees. Members of the party directly contribute to the fund and are described as having donated "with generosity". The funding is ring-fenced.
Conference locations Conference is held twice per year, in Spring (usually March) and Autumn (September or early October). It is held in locations across England, Wales and Scotland, with Bournemouth and York being the most frequently used locations in recent years. The duration is usually three to four days. The party's first Conference was held in Blackpool, in September 1988.Roger Mortimore and Andrew Blick, Butler's British Political Facts, Palgrave Macmillan 2018, pp. 273, 274 All locations are accessible on public transport, by rail and road.
Conference processes The Liberal Democrat Conference is overseen by the Federal Conference Committee (FCC), which also selects motions and amendments for debates, runs Conference sessions and provides drafting advice and liaison. Its members are regularly elected and expected to be objective and fair in their selection of motions and amendments.
The Liberal Democrat Conference does not choose the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, who is instead elected by a party-wide ballot of all members in a one member, one vote contest. The system has been in use since the party's inception in 1988, which predates changes to internal party voting rules by both the Labour and the Conservative parties. Neither Liberal Democrat MPs nor any other internal party groups have special voting rights over either party policy or in the election of the party Leader.
Overview
The Liberal Democrat Conference takes place twice per year, first as the Spring Conference, usually held in March, and then the Autumn Conference, usually in September.Roger Mortimore and Andrew Blick, Butler's British Political Facts, Palgrave Macmillan 2018, p. 274 & 275
The first Liberal Democrat Conference was held in Blackpool, in the North West of England, from 25 to 29 September 1988, with the most recent being the 72nd Conference, from 14 to 17 September 2024, the first to be held since the party won a historic 72 seats, the highest number in the party's 36-year history.
The party held no in-person conferences after Autumn 2019, until Spring 2023, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022, on which date the first in-person Autumn Conference was due to resume.
In autumn 2020, the same pandemic caused all three of Britain's largest political parties to hold 'virtual' conferences. During that period, the Liberal Democrats were the only one of the three to hold policy votes at its Conference: the Conservatives traditionally do not hold votes at their Conference, while Labour replaced its Conference with an event titled Labour Connected, at which no votes were held. The Liberal Democrats used electronic cards to enable party members to vote online.
Motions
A Motion is put forward before each debate, and must be submitted to the party's Federal Conference Committee at least eight weeks before Conference. These are then published in the Conference Agenda.
Any party member can submit a motion, with the support of at least 10 local party members, a local party, Federal Policy Committee or an Associated Organisation (AO). Any party member can also speak either for or against a Motion. The debate ends with a vote, open to all members at Conference. If a Motion is passed, it automatically becomes Lib Dem policy. Emergency Motions can be submitted until a few days before the start of Conference.
Federal Conference Committee
The Liberal Democrat conference agenda is decided by the Federal Conference Committee, a democratically elected body of party members and officials. The current membership, in first name order (other than the chair and Vice Chair), after the most recent set of elections, in November 2025, is:
Federal Policy Committee
The Federal Policy Committee researches and develops party policy and oversees its policy-making process. At Conference, it provides policy papers for debate and compiles the election manifestos for Westminster elections.
The current membership after the most recent set of elections, which were held in November 2025, is:
List of Liberal Democrat Conferences (1988—present)
DateLocationParty PresidentSpeeches and Motions25—29 September 1988BlackpoolIan WrigglesworthFollowing a vote at the Liberal Assembly on 17 September 1987, and a Liberal Party Special Conference on 23 January 1988, the Liberal Party agreed to seek merger with the Social Democratic Party (SDP). A ballot of both parties' members was counted on 2 March 1988, with 65,098 voting in favour and 16,294 against. Following the merger, the new party is known as the Social and Liberal Democrats.
The Social and Liberal Democrats Leadership Election is held, in which Paddy Ashdown is declared Leader. The newly created party holds its first Conference, known as the SLD Conference, with its members referring to their party as "the Democrats".
In Ashdown's first speech as leader, entitled The Path Ahead, he says that he sees a "very exciting journey" ahead, and that the Labour Party, which has faced three consecutive general election defeats, could be replaced by the SLD. 3—5March1989BournemouthIan Wrigglesworth9—15September1989BrightonIan WrigglesworthThe Federal Conference votes for a party-wide members' ballot to change the party's name to the Liberal Democrats. The members vote for the change, and the result is announced on 16 October 1989.Roger Mortimore and Andrew Blick, Butler's British Political Facts, Palgrave Macmillan 2018, p. 273 10—11March1990CardiffCharles Kennedy15—20September1990BlackpoolCharles Kennedy15—17March1991NottinghamCharles Kennedy9—12September1991BournemouthCharles Kennedy7—8March1992GlasgowCharles KennedyIn the last Federal Conference before the 1992 General Election, amid much media speculation about the possibility of the forthcoming election resulting in a hung parliament, Paddy Ashdown tells party members: "This could be a different sort of election. It could be an election where we don't just change the leaders, we can change the quality of leadership as well. Where we don't just change our government, but change our system of government as well. Where we don't just pass a verdict on the past, but where we set a new course for our country's future as well".Leader's Speech, Liberal Democrat Federal Conference. (Glasgow; 8 March 1992) 13—17September1992HarrogateCharles Kennedy29—31May1993NottinghamCharles Kennedy19—23September1993TorquayCharles Kennedy12—13March1994CardiffRobert Maclennan18—22September1994BrightonRobert Maclennan11—12March1995ScarboroughRobert Maclennan17—21September1995GlasgowRobert Maclennan15—17March1996NottinghamRobert Maclennan22—26September1996BrightonRobert Maclennan8—9March1997CardiffRobert MaclennanAddressing the Federal Conference on the eve of the 1997 General Election, Paddy Ashdown tells party members: "We carry the torch of radicalism in our defence of individual liberties and progressive social policies. And in our fight to control the abuse of power and modernise our political system, we carry the torch of liberals and democrats and radicals and reformers in every generation for four hundred years who have fought the vested interests of the day, to modernise our political system, and control the power of the State. In every generation, we have been opposed by the conservatives and the reactionaries. In every generation, we have succeeded through our tenacity, through the force of our ideas, and through the strength of our cause... We have won the power to make the difference. We have proved ourselves in local government. We have proved our ability to change the agenda. To put education at the forefront of national debate. To demand open, honest taxation. To set a new style of co-operation in politics, which puts country before party where it is right and where it can make a difference. Yes - we have earned the right and the power to make a difference. We have proved our ability to win".