Summary

  • The Liberal Democrat conference is taking place in Glasgow

  • In his keynote speech, Business Secretary Vince Cable attacked proposed Conservative spending cuts after the election

  • Answering questions from party members, party leader Nick Clegg said current drugs policy was "idiotic"

  1. Monday at conferencepublished at 17:49 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    That concludes our text coverage of Monday's proceedings at the Lib Dem conference. You can watch all the speeches in full on BBC Parliament and follow all the latest twists and turns at Today at Conference at 23.25 on BBC Two. Tuesday is set to be a busy day with the week's set piece economy debate and speeches from Energy Secretary Ed Davey, Care Support minister Norman Lamb and Party President Tim Farron. For the early birds, there is also a debate on the state of British football at 9.00 am. Please join us then.

  2. Rebecca Keating, BBCpublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    tweets:, external Should ministers have the power to build new homes? Here's why @DannyAlexander thinks they should. Read the BBC story #ldconf

  3. Get involvedpublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    @davidpartridge6 tweets:, external @BBCPolitics @BBCNews All fascinating stuff but the choice for next May is Cameron or Miliband. You may not like either but that's the fact

  4. Parliamentary round-uppublished at 17:24 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    We are now onto the final formal session of the day. Delegates are now debating a series of reports by the parliamentary parties of the Liberal Democrats.

  5. School amendment rejectedpublished at 17:15 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    Activists vote to reject a proposal to a ban state-funded schools from selecting children on grounds of faith. The rest of the amendment - which includes calls for an end to the current legal requirement for all state-funded schools to hold acts of collective worship and for non-religious schools to hold acts of worship of a broadly Christian character - is adopted.

  6. Ashdown vs Neilpublished at 17:10 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    Lord Ashdown during an interview with Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics
    Image caption,

    The Lib Dems' general election co-ordinator, Lord Ashdown, making a point earlier while being interviewed by Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics

  7. Dan Hodges, the Telegraphpublished at 17:08 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    writes: Ditching Ed Miliband will only help if Labour learns the lessons of his tragedy. Read more, external

  8. 'Tacked on'published at 17:08 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    Women and Equalities spokesperson Baroness Northover says the movers of the faith schools amendment are right to highlight the issue - but she adds that such an important issue should be thoroughly examined and not "tacked" on to a wide-ranging equalities paper.

  9. 'Equal treatment'published at 17:04 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    Summing up the debate on amendment three, Julian Huppert argues that everyone should be treated equally, but insists that religious discrimination still exists within the education system. The Cambridge MP says the amendment is not about closing faith schools or restricting choice, but stopping state-funded schools from selecting children and teachers on the basis of faith.

  10. Paul Waugh, Editor of PoliticsHome.compublished at 17:02 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    tweets:, external Labour seizes on Lib Dem MP David Ward's quote: "There is an awareness that to many people Nick [Clegg] is toxic."

  11. Simon Hughespublished at 17:01 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    Simon Hughes
    Image caption,

    Justice minister Simon Hughes speaking about faith schools during a series of "interventions" on the equalities motion

  12. Ross Hawkins, BBCpublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    tweets:, external Just bumped into Clegg in the corridor - I can confirm the chinos/jeans/flannels have gone. Suit again. 2nd costume change of day.

  13. George Osbornepublished at 16:54 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    tweets:, external Am at @Barrattplc Kings Rise development in Birmingham to see how @Helptobuy is helping build 127 new homes here, creating over 250 jobs

  14. Paul Waugh, Editor of PoliticsHome.compublished at 16:48 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    tweets:, external Given Clegg trouser debate, time for @NigelpMorris gag: "Have u heard about these corduroy pillows? They're making head lines"

  15. 'Huge difficulty'published at 16:47 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    Stephen Lloyd MP and Justice Minister Simon Hughes also add their voices to opposition to "amendment three" - which says a ban on selection by faith schools should be party policy. Mr Hughes argues that with eight months to go before the general election "to pull up our policy on something that will cause huge difficulty for all of us irrespective of our faith or belief is absolutely not the thing to do in the middle of an afternoon with a half-attended hall and almost no notice".

  16. Martyn Oates, BBCpublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    tweets:, external Vince Cable may be slamming the Tories in the hall but you can still buy a coalition cockatoo at the LD shop outside. See photo, external

  17. Faith schoolspublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    Back in the main hall, Vince Cable makes his third appearance on the conference stage today - and apologises to activists for "hogging" the rostrum. He is defending the role of faith schools in society, as he appeals to activists to reject an amendment advocating the ending of admission on religious grounds. People should have the right to send their children to a faith school if they so choose, he argues.

  18. Alexander on housingpublished at 16:34 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    Danny Alexander has said the government should consider commissioning housing if targets for building new homes are not met. Speaking at a fringe meeting in Glasgow, the Treasury minister suggested giving central government the power to build homes as a "backstop". "A truly radical approach would be for the government to also have a direct role in house building, not just affordable house building but in the private market also," he argued.

  19. Ross Hawkins, BBCpublished at 16:28 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    tweets:, external Vince: Help to Buy drives up prices; Osborne: lives have been transformed by Help to Buy #coalicious

  20. Mike Smithson, Polling analystpublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 6 October 2014

    tweets:, external Lord Ashcroft poll has 19% of 2010 LDs now saying LAB with 15% saying CON. That is seriously worrying for LAB. The gap has been much wider