On the day that Gloucester City Football Club secured planning permission for a new stadium at Meadow Park, Liberal Democrats were debating the future of football at our Glasgow conference. It was good to listen to my old friend Paul Baker, the chairman of Cheltenham Town FC, who has kindly provided the Tigers with a home in the last few years. The Tigers have been homeless for the last few years since the old ground was flooded back in 2007.

Following on from this debate, delegates debated and voted on the party’s pre-manifesto policy paper “A Stronger Economy and a Fairer Society”. The debate was introduced by the Schools Minister, David Laws MP, who is also in charge of writing the party’s manifesto. He has been consulting members widely on what we want to do if in government again for the next 5 years.

David Laws is the minster responsible for introducing Free School Meals for year one and two infant school children in September this year, saving a family £420 a year for every child in this age group. Liberal Democrats will extend free school meals to all children in primary education, as resources allow.