So, how does one go about getting a refund for the fee to attend #ldconf ?

[miss_s_b]

Because I was under the impression we were the fucking Lib Dems, not the fucking police state party.

You know, I understand that we are in government now, and that there have been all sorts of threats against Cleggy, etc. etc. But like Disgruntled Radical says, I have been elected as a conference rep by my local party to represent them at conference, and I should not have to submit documentation - my passport for fuck's sake! - to the police for accreditation and then hope that they will deign to give me permission to attend. This goes against everything we stand for.

But you know what's worse?

What's worse is that nobody told me this before I paid. There were some nebulous comments about how there might have to be some extra security checks, but that was it.
What's worse than that is that the page demanding you submit your passport number over the internet doesn't even have a sodding apology on it.

The day we demand "papers, please" to attend Lib Dem party conference is the day we have already lost.

Comments

[gwenhwyfaer]

Wow. Just wow.

If I hadn't already shredded my Lib Dem membership card in the middle of last year (because children are still being locked up for the heinous crime of being born to people facing political persecution... in two countries, one of which is this one), it would have been fed through the paper mincer today.

Aside from anything else, the extracts from the website that Disgruntled Radical quotes appear to suggest that there is the big Libby Demmy ball bobbing about the political aethers that somehow exists separately from, and has veto rights over, the membership - and even the internal structure - of the party itself! As I understand it, this is not how political parties are supposed to be structured, and certainly not how they should be thinking of themselves!

[(Anonymous)]

Saw this on Facebook:

"As somebody who worked at Lib Dem HQ I know that this is something the police demanded (note, not requested) due to the heightened security issues that could be faced at Conference.

Whilst many members may be uneasy about this, it's certainlyy not something that Conference Committee and/or HQ had any control over. I would request that any members upset with this direct these complaints to the right people who made the decision rather than the underpaid and overworked members of staff at HQ."

Of course, Merseyside Police didn't require this in Liverpool last year, and they didn't in Sheffield this year...

[(Anonymous)]

As to the necessity of this consider this point.

At Liverpool the hotel next to the conference centre where everyone gathered in the evening and where there were loads of fringe meetings had no security at all. Nothing. Not even a badge check on the door.

We had more security for fringe events than that at Blackpool when we were nowhere near government.

The Liverpool hotel was on technically private land so there were no demonstrations etc immediately outside. However you could get access without showing a pass even on the day of Cleggs speech

Hywel

Police demands ???

[disgruntledradical.blogspot.com]

I have written to Nick Clegg and Tim Farron about this. Concerning police demands I wrote: "I have heard that both Labour and Conservatives have agreed to this. That doesn’t surprise me but is no reason why we should accept it. It has also been said that the police demanded this rather than requested it. I know of no legal basis for such a demand. If there is one, we should be campaigning to change the law. If there isn’t, as I suspect, we should resist the demand."

Please write to Nick Clegg and Tim Farron.

[pseudomonas]

Too much WTF. Having gone to my first conference in Spring, I was planning to go along to the main one this year, but am holding off until this is cleared up.

[trialia]

Yeah... That's me not going for sure, then. I was thinking about it.

[staceyuk]

I'm not a member but if I were I would be unable to attend as I don't have a passport.

Don't have one as I have never needed one.