Liberal Youth conference sees resignations over motion to auction Jerusalem on eBay

The University of Warwick Liberal Democrats society hosted the national Spring Liberal Youth Conference. Guest speakers included Solihull MP Lorely Burt, who visited Warwick earlier this term, and Lembit Opik, who encouraged delegates to ‘be radical’.

The event was held over the Valentines weekend and attracted over 60 delegates from around the country. Issues debated included the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, human trafficking and the national atheist bus campaign.

The event also saw three Warwick delegates resign their membership over a controversial motion put forward that proposed placing Jerusalem up for auction on eBay.

The Warwick delegates argued that the proposal tarnished the reputation of Liberal Youth, and that the proposal was irresponsible.

Elaine Bagshaw, Chair of Liberal Youth, stressed that the individuals that proposed the motion “don’t represent the majority of members in the organisation”, and that it was “borderline offensive.”

Luke Richards, President of the Warwick Liberal Democrats, said that while the motion was controversial, he was “proud that we have a conference that is an open forum for any debate”.

Bagshaw said, “Liberal Youth can have a huge influence on general party policy… It was our influence that ensured the [main] party kept its stance on tuition fees.”

Bagshaw described Warwick as a “great venue”, and called the conference “productive”.Richards echoed Bagshaw’s remarks, calling the conference a “resounding success”.

“I’m really proud that Warwick University won the bid to host the conference,” he said. “It was a real sign of not only the society developing and growing but of the real presence that the Lib Dems have at Warwick University.”

Liberal Youth is the student wing of the Liberal Democrats, and holds conferences twice a year to propose and debate policies to encourage the main party to adopt.