Nine things you might have missed at Liberal Democrat conference
Wednesday 18 September 2019 17:14, UK
Another MP defecting from the Tories and a new Brexit policy were the headlines from the Liberal Democrat conference in a sunny Bournemouth - but what else went on?
1. There were not one but two defections
Former Conservative minister Sam Gyimah might have been unveiled as the Lib Dems' newest MP at a Saturday night rally. But he was not the only defector to the party.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan's former policing adviser Leroy Logan has quit Labour and has now joined the Lib Dems.
He will also become policing adviser to the Lib Dems' London mayoral candidate Siobhan Benita.
Mr Logan attacked Mr Khan's failure to "grasp" knife crime in the capital.
And there could be further defections to come.
Ex-Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable told Sky News he is "very confident" one or two more MPs will defect to his party following "recent conversations".
2. People are actually talking about the Lib Dems again
Not only were the Lib Dems able to boast this year's conference was the highest attended since 2012 - with 3,234 party members making the trip to Bournemouth - but one party official noted to Sky News: "I've never known so many journalists at a conference before!"
3. One of the party's MEPs dressed as a fish
Chris Davies is Lib Dem MEP for North West England and chair of the European Parliament's fisheries committee.
He dressed as a fish in Bournemouth in order to promote his "Fish for the Future" campaign.
Mr Davies argues the EU's Common Fisheries Policy has helped build the UK's fishing industry into Europe's most profitable and aims to make fishing across the EU completely sustainable by 2020.
4. And you can also go speed-dating with Lib Dem MEPs
One of the more unusual events on offer in Bournemouth was a chance to go speed-dating with the party's newly installed 16 MEPs.
Sky News went along to discover how these EU politicians - in two minutes - would sell themselves to a prospective partner... especially if they were on the other side of the Brexit divide.
5. The Lib Dem 'Glee Club' has a new song for its new MPs
The Lib Dem "Glee Club" is a long-running tradition of the party's conference and gives party members the opportunity to sing - with varying degrees of rudeness - about their MPs.
With Chuka Umunna, Sarah Wollaston, Luciana Berger, Angela Smith, Phillip Lee and now Mr Gyimah having all joined the party from Labour and the Tories in recent months, they've also been afforded the "honour" of a song...
6. Party leader Jo Swinson was heckled
During a question and answer session, Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson was shouted down as she faced a grilling over her acceptance of former Tory minister Phillip Lee into the party.
The Bracknell MP has previously refused to back same-sex marriage and moved to block those with HIV from migrating to the UK.
Catherine Finnecy, a Chelmsford councillor, berated Ms Swinson during her answer and said afterwards: "She stood up there defending a UKIP policy and claimed it was liberal."
Prior to conference, the LGBT+ chairwoman of the Lib Dems had already resigned over the decision to allow Dr Lee to join the party.
7. You can buy lots of Lib Dem merchandise with the word "b*s" on it
8. The Lib Dems would restrict ministers' power to revoke UK citizenship
Lib Dem members voted in favour of a conference motion that would remove the home secretary's unilateral right to deprive people of their UK citizenship.
It comes after former home secretary Sajid Javid, now chancellor, stripped Islamic State recruit Shamima Begum of her citizenship after she joined the terror group.
In a Lib Dem government, under the wording of the motion, a home secretary would have to apply to a court before depriving citizenship from someone.
9. And, finally, Bournemouth is really very lovely in mid-September...
