Getting more members involved in policy-making means making it easier - but also needs members actually to engage

There’s been some discussion on Lib Dem Voice about how the party can engage members more in making policy decisions if they are not able to come to Conference (and also in the LDV members private forum).

We are all proud of the fact that it is party members at Conference who take the decisions about the party’s policy - the only party which does so. This already puts us ahead of other parties in member decision-making over policy.

But there are of course some who are unable to come to party conference. They should also have the opportunity to participate too. It is however quite difficult to know how to do this - for example I don’t think we are quite yet at the stage where actual decisions about the party’s policy could be made remotely by everyone down an internet connection from their sofa at home.

However there are a number of things we have been doing to make it easier for people to contribute, mostly through using the internet.

Firstly every policy working group which prepares the major papers which come to conference, has its own consultation website, as does the manifesto development. This offers the opportunity for everyone to participate in discussion at an early stage when the direction can really be influenced.

Secondly we have also managed to develop some online discussion of the motions coming to conference this month, on Lib Dem Voice. There have been a series of articles by people who will be proposing motions in Brighton, making their case (here (followed up here and here), here, and here, with some more still to come). They have successfully got party members to comment and ask questions and generate some debate.

This has been another step forward in engaging more party members more in discussion of our policies.

Most of this is admittedly through the web, which also excludes some members. Party regional conferences and local party meetings are another route - I think everyone is very keen to encourage more policy discussion in these forums, but of course this ultimately lies in the hands of the people locally and regionally who are needed to organise them. The centre has done some innovative things to support this over the last few years, including a CD-ROM with a pack containing materials to facilitate such discussions, sent to all local parties as part of the Meeting the Challenge exercise.

I’m sure there is more that we can do (and very much welcome any ideas) but I’m pleased that over the last year we have taken these steps forward towards engaging more party members in developing our policy.

Of course, having set all these mechanisms up - online, and physical - there is one important further challenge: actually to get party members to make use of them and engage in them.

Of course we should publicise them as widely as possible - but if party members want to engage in making decisions, then they themselves do also need to make the effort to take advantage of the opportunities that do exist. It is very far from unknown for people who have had many chances to participate but have not done so, then to complain that they were not consulted. Of course we have a duty to make it as easy as possible to do so, but at some point party members do need to take up those opportunities.

Has everyone who might want to express a view at a later stage taken up the opportunity to do so when policy development can be really influenced?

I hope that as many party members as possible will do so - through conference, online and at regional and local events. Democratic engagement is the lifeblood of the Liberal Democrats, and I hope that members participating will keep it that way.