Andrew George MP at Liberal Democrat Conference – Day One
Andrew George MP, has a full and varied schedule of events at the Liberal Democrat Conference at Birmingham, taking place this week:
On the morning of Sunday 18th September Andrew George MP joined an MPs’ tour of the stalls in the conference exhibition. The stalls are hosted by a huge variety of NGOs, charities, action groups, and stakeholder organisations and provide MPs with an opportunity to raise the concerns of constituents directly with these groups whilst also learning about their current campaigns and projects
Also on Sunday morning Andrew George MP attended an event at the Jurys Inn Hotel in Birmingham hosted by Crisis. Crisis is a national charity concerned with helping the homeless. The theme of the event was the Liberal Democrats’ vision for housing and how the Coalition Government can tackle homelessness and the housing crisis. Speakers included Simon Hughes MP (Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats), Stephen Gilbert MP (Chair of the APPG for Housing), and Duncan Shrubsole (Director of Policy at Crisis).
Mr George is Vice-Chair of the APPG for Housing and Planning and has long campaigned on the need to alleviate Cornwall’s housing crisis by providing more affordable housing for local families.
On Sunday afternoon Andrew George MP attended an event hosted by the Simon Wright MP (Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Space Committee) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Birmingham. The event featured a discussion with Vince Cable MP (Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, and Skills) of the UK space sector, the Government’s role in promoting its growth, rural broadband, low carbon technologies, and security.
Mr George is supportive of a proposed radio astronomy project which will put the site at Goonhilly (on The Lizard) at the heart of the UK and international space and astrophysics sector. He has also long campaigned for improved broadband access for rural communities.
On Sunday afternoon Andrew George MP hosted an event ‘Keeping the countryside affordable for all’, which is sponsored by Calor at the Jurys Inn Hotel. There was a short panel discussion followed by questions from the floor. Speakers included Dame Fiona Reynolds (Director General of the National Trust) and Cllr Heather Kidd (Shropshire Council). The theme of the discussion was how, at all levels of government, the Liberal Democrats can ensure that rural communities are affordable places to live and work in for everyone.
Mr George is the Chair of the Liberal Democrat Defra Team in the Commons.
On Sunday evening Andrew George MP spoke at the ‘Supermarketopoly’ event hosted by the Green Liberal Democrats at the Hyatt Hotel in Birmingham. Other speakers included Jane Beavis (Director of Public Affairs for the British Retail Consortium), Helen Rimmer (Friends of the Earth) and David Caro (Federation of Small Businesses). The theme of the discussion was the environmental impact of the big supermarkets and whether they add or remove value from high streets.
Mr George is Chair of the Liberal Democrat Defra Team in the Commons and is Chair of the Grocery Market Action Group (GMAG). The GMAG is an umbrella organisation of NGOs, charities and trade bodies that has successfully campaigned for Government to introduce legislation to create a Supermarket Adjudicator to ensure that supermarkets do not abuse their market power against the interests of customers and suppliers.