Nick Clegg’s Blog

Nick Clegg

Liberal Democrats Conference 2009

Day 4: Nick’s Agenda Highlights

Tuesday 22nd September 2009, Bournemouth

- Conference 2009:

10.00: Nick Clegg Outside Westminster visit: Bournemouth and Poole College’s community farm

- Conference 2009:

13.00: Nick Clegg Fringe Event: Liberty – Interview with Shami Chakrabarti

From the Fringe: The Liberty Fringe – Common Values and Liberal Democracy

Nick Clegg has outlined why only the Liberal Democrats will stand up to protect the civil liberties of British citizens. Speaking in conversation with Shami Chakrabarti, the director of civil rights group Liberty, Mr Clegg criticised Labour’s authoritarian measures and said that the Conservatives were flip-floppers.

He said that his family background – his mother was imprisoned in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp while his grandmother fled Russian pogroms to seek asylum in Britain – and his natural instinct to always question authority influenced his passion to protect civil liberties.

Mr Clegg said that Labour had brought in illiberal measures such as control orders, where people can be incarcerated without facing trial or even being told of the charges against them, because the party believed that any threat to collective safety justified targeting individuals’ liberty.

The Liberal Democrats, on the other hand, believe that infringing the rights of individuals through control orders is a slippery slope to further huge erosions of personal freedom, he said.

Mr Clegg contrasted the Liberal Democrats’ principled stand on control orders with Conservative “flip flopping”.

“In February 2007 as Tony Blair was trying to introduce control orders I said that they are wrong and we would vote against it,” he said.

“The Tory spokesman said he agreed with everything I said, they were wrong, and if it carried on the Tories would vote against it next year. In 2008 they did not fulfil that promise. That tells you all you need to know about the differences the two biggest opposition parties.”

Full coverage will appear here as events unfold.The Liberal Democrats 2009 Conference runs from 19th – 23rd September 2009.

For a full agenda of the Liberal Democrats 2009 Autumn Conference visit the Liberal Democrats Conference site: Here

- Conference 2009: Nick Clegg meets Terry Pratchett

Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats today met author Sir Terry Pratchett at the Liberal Democrats 2009 Conference. Sir Terry is at conference today to promote the Alzheimer’s Research Trust find out more about their work: Here

Nick Clegg

Liberal Democrats Conference 2009

Day 3: Nick’s Agenda Highlights

Monday 21st September 2009, Bournemouth

- Conference 2009:

13.00: Leadership in a Global Age – The Economy The Environment & Globalisation (Noreena Hertz)

Nick Clegg today took part in his second fringe meeting at Conference 2009 with economist Noreena Hertz at the Liberal Democrats Conference 2009 Fringe Event ‘Climate Clinic’. Following the launch of Nick Clegg’s campaign ‘One Planet, One Voice’ (http://www.nickclegg.com/oneplanet) they discussed the economy and climate change. You can also see an interview with Noreena Hertz following the event: Here

- Conference 2009:

17.30: Nick Clegg Meets… Poole – Public Meeting

Nick Clegg celebrated his 50th public meeting in Poole for his latest Nick Meets… event. To find out more about Nick Clegg’s public meetings visit: http://meet.nickclegg.com

Full coverage will appear here as events unfold.The Liberal Democrats 2009 Conference runs from 19th – 23rd September 2009. For a full agenda of the Liberal Democrats 2009 Autumn Conference visit the Liberal Democrats Conference site: Here