Speaking and Voting at Conference

Debates at Conference

• How do Conference debates work?

  Motions will generally be considered in the following order:

  1. Proposer of the Motion.
  2. Proposers of any amendments, speaking in turn.
  3. Speakers will then be called on all sides of the debate with the Chair seeking to ensure balance.
  4. Summators of the amendments, speaking in turn.
  5. The Summator of the motion will speak.
  6. The Chair will then take any votes on any amendments and/or any separate votes in turn - for and against.
  7. A vote will be taken on the motion as a whole - for and against.

  During these debates speakers will be invited to come to the lectern to speak.

  Other discussions at Conference will be more free-flowing often with the option of speaking or asking questions from the floor.

Speaking at Conference

• Who can speak at Conference?

  All Members Members of the Liberal Democrats who are registered for the Conference can speak in any debate. Registered Observers may speak with the permission of the Conference Committee.

• How do I go about speaking?

  Anyone wishing to speak in a debate needs to fill in a Request to Speak card and submit it to the Speakers’ Desk and wait to see if they are called by the Chair. A separate card should be filled in for every debate. Request to Speak cards are available from the Speakers’ Desk and from the stewards in the auditorium. They can also be collected from the Registration Desk.

• How do I complete a Request to Speak card?

  There are three key points to remember to maximise your chances of being called:

  1. Submit your card well in advance. If you hand your card in late, in a popular debate you’re virtually guaranteeing you won’t be called. The chairing team for the debate always meet well in advance to plan the debate.
  2. Fill in your card completely. The second major mistake potential speakers make is not filling in their card completely. As well as the information on the front of the card (name, local party, for or against the motion, etc.), there is a section on the back, for relevant background (professional or consumer experience, party background, etc.) and for a brief outline of what your speech is going to be about. This section is needed for the chair and aide to balance the debate – to make sure that people with relevant experience are called, and to make sure that they don’t call a whole string of people who’ll make the same point.
  3. Make sure it’s readable! Don’t take this as an invitation to fill every square centimetre of the card; and don’t write illegibly, or in very small letters, or in green ink... the easier you make it for the chair to read your card the more likely you are to be called.

• How long can I speak for?

  In every debate on a motion, 5 minutes will be allowed for Proposers of motions, 4 minutes for Proposers of Amendments and 3 minutes for all other speakers including Summators of both motions and amendments. The Chair may reduce these timings to allow more members to speak in a debate. If they do this they will announce the change during the debate. If you are speaking and the Chair asks you to bring your speech to an end, please finish promptly.

Voting at Conference

• Who can vote?

  Only Members of the Welsh Liberal Democrats are eligible to vote. Your Confernece Badge will indicate if you are a "Voting Member". If you are a Voting Member and wish to vote in a debate you must be in the Conference Hall by the end of the speech by the Summator of the motion as no-one will be allowed to enter the Hall once the voting has started.

• How do I vote?

  To vote, you should be seated and hold your Conference Badge in the air, with the “Voting” side facing the Chair. Please follow the instructions of the Chair on when to vote. You may be asked to keep your Conference Badge in the air for a long time to ensure that all the votes can be counted.

• How many votes does a motion need to pass?

  Decisions on policy motions and amendments are normally by simple majority of those voting. Votes on motions to amend the Party Constitution require a two-thirds majority.