The conference also backed a motion for individual regions within England to be federal states, with a constitutional standing equivalent to that of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with England.
Liberal Democrat conference has backed calls for further federalism in the UK, including the establishment of an English National Chamber for which representatives would be appointed by English regions.
In what would amount to a major constitutional overhaul, the conference also backed a motion for individual regions within England to be federal states, with a constitutional standing equivalent to that of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with England remaining as a single legal jurisdiction and some common functions being managed at an all-England level.
Councillor Prue Bray said: “At heart of the issue is England’s large size relative to the other states in the union, the answer to that is to introduce something which looks at England as composed of smaller unions, regionalization is that idea which underlies this motion.”
Councillor Bray added that the journey towards greater federalism had to be taken step by step, adding that if things carry on as they are ‘we may be looking at the breakup of the union’.
“The pandemic has shown us starkly, how unfit for purpose our current system of government is, in particular with regard to England”, she said.
“The UK government holds almost all power centrally and it is at the centre where all the poor decisions have been made on the pandemic, by contrast all the effective action has been taken at more local levels, where people understand what needs to be done in their area.
“I don’t think it is overstating the case to say that people have literally died because of the way the governing structures of our country are set up”.
Included in the motion, which passed with overwhelming support, was a call for the creation for a UK Constitutional Convention, with the aim of ‘drafting a new federal constitution that would set out the powers of the government at each tier, founded on the principles of democratic engagement, liberal values and respect for diverse identities’.
The Lib Dems are holding their conference virtually this year, with a particular focus on winning over former Tory voters as the party seeks to build on its shock by-election win in Chesham and Amersham.
Leader Ed Davey will be setting out his priorities and vision for the party later today during his speech to the party conference.
Basit Mahmood is co-editor of Left Foot Forward
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