Lib Dems in Milton Keynes Head for Conference

10.26.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 13th Sep 2007

Jill Hope (third from left) and the campaign team

Brighton is bracing itself for the arrival of thousands of Liberal Democrats for the Party's Conference, and amongst those attending will be local campaigners from Milton Keynes. Leading local campaigner Jill Hope, prospective parliamentary candidate for Milton Keynes North, will be taking her campaign team with her to Conference to take part in the debates and brush up on their skills in training sessions.

"The theme of our conference is the environment," said Jill Hope. "The big debates will focus on the need to cut down on pollution and to shift the burden of tax from income and on to greenhouse gas emissions. In Milton Keynes we're already ahead of the game with a Lib Dem Council that has trebled recycling rates to 36% since coming to power, introduced innovative litter recycling schemes and tough sustainable building regulations.

Jill Hope expects to speak in the debate about tackling excess packaging, following the very positive response she has had from members of the public in Milton Keynes to her campaign to make supermarkets take back excess packaging (see earlier news story dated March 2007).

"Over the next three weeks," says Jill, "people in Milton Keynes will see all three party conferences in action. What is different about ours is that members take the real decisions on policy. The Tories have discussions but no votes, whilst the Labour leadership either ignores votes or prevents debates from taking place."