As you will all know, Liberal Democrat party conference has been taking place this week in Glasgow. It included the launch of the party’s “pre-manifesto”, which contains a list of key policies which will form the basis for next year’s General Election manifesto. These include:

Raise the personal allowance to £12,500,

cutting income taxes by an extra £400 a year.Offering more free childcare:

moving to 20 hours a week for working families through until children begin school

Introducing a new ‘Carer’s Bonus’

so carers can take a proper break every yearReforming mental health treatment

by introducing new maximum waiting time rules.Creating a green economy

by phasing out coal and upping energy from renewable sources.The full pre-manifesto document is available at: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/oct/04/simon-hughes-accuses-tories-abandoning-human-rights-counter-ukip

Several local Lib Dems have taken to the stage at Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in Glasgow, including:

• Simon Hughes gave a speech on Saturday, which included discussing the value of human rights (report: <http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/oct/04/simon-hughes-accuses-tories-abandoning-human-rights-counter-ukip /> watch online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrX0YawEmG0).

• Cllr Ben Johnson spoke in a debate on housing, warning that Southwark Labour’s policies were leading to segregated communities in Bermondsey (listen online: http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/7876).