What we are
The Northern Liberal Network emerged from the frustration of the 2019 election, when we felt that although many of our policies were relevant to northern voters, we weren't able to communicate them effectively. We have only one MP in the north - but with many key target seats in the three regions as well as the prospect of taking control of local councils, we need clear messaging on northern issues.
Our primary goal isn't to make policy - that is the responsibility of the regional and federal conference. But we believe that by identifying common themes across regional conferences, and magnifying those issues at federal level, we can increase our influence and help the Liberal Democrats advocate more effectively on our issues.
By bringing together Liberal Democrats from across the north, we can campaign more effectively on issues that cross regional lines, and provide a forum for linking members with common interests.
We can promote engagement with the northern policy community - in thinktanks, universities and the media. And while many businesses across the north support the Liberal Democrats already and have ideas about how we can drive growth - they are often unsure how to engage with the party.
As a new organisation, we don't have a detailed blueprint for the next few years, but some of the ideas we are considering include:
- Mapping out policies that have been passed by Liberal Democrat regional conferences in recent years, identifying commonalities and preparing a composite to take to federal conference.
- Facilitating discussions with key thinktanks working on northern issues and hosting a fringe at Autumn conference, enabling members to stay engaged with the debates around devolution and the northern powerhouse.
- Hosting business events to drive more effective engagement with the business community across the north.
- Sharing campaign resources enabling us to run effective issue-based campaigns across the three northern regions.
- Working with spokespeople in portfolios beyond the obvious 'northern' issues to understand where there may be regional implications (such as in education).
Any member of the Liberal Democrats is eligible to join the network - so if you've got ideas, please contact us, or sign up to our mailing list to find out more!
