Conference diary – Wednesday

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11.15 – 11.45       Keynote Speech / Equalities / main auditorium

11.50 – 13.00     Daily Politics

13.00 – 14.00    Diversity Unit and Electoral Reform Society / fringe / Political Reform in  Dragon’s Den / speaking

14.00 – close     Closing speeches main auditorium including Party President

0 thoughts on “Conference diary – Wednesday”

  2. I read your speech and think you deserve much praise for your dedication to equality. It is with much hope that there is room in your immediate plans to finally remove inequality for children born before 2006 who are facing citizenship discrimination for the “crime” of being born out of wedlock to British fathers. Hopefully, this will happen with the upcoming Freedom Bill, for which we already submitted our idea, and received an unbelievable amount of support from the voting public.

    Most of us suffering are women (an anomaly I am at a loss to explain) and we feel we are just as deserving as those born “in wedlock” to be able to have equal access to British citizenship. Why the British government doesn’t believe we are deserving enough is beyond us, and this bigotry also goes against the Human Rights Act.

    Lynne, many of us are absolutely suffering and we need someone such as yourself to champion our cause and finally put an end to this blatant discrimination. We are in desperate need for you to “fight every day to set people free from inequality”. These are your own words. So, please. Please find somewhere in your already busy equalities schedule to fight for us women who are experiencing birth status bigotry, and set *us*, us illegitimate children, free from citizenship inequality. It would definitely be for us, “equality finally becoming a reality”.

  3. Congratulations on your speech yesterday.

    Like you and the other panelists at the Monday fringe meeting, I did not believe the financial cost estimate made by Ben related to the impact of implementing same-sex marriage. I believe that he quoted the impact assessment undertaken for civil partnerships.

    I have found the reulatory impact assessment undertaken for civil partnership Bill and this can be found at

    Click to access file23829.pdf

    It is rather dry reading and I only read the exec summary but could not find any sign of ‘billions’.

    Steve Gilbert during conference often referred to gay marriage (as did others). It would be good if the term ‘gay marriage’ was not used as it detracts from the underlying equality issue. What we are trying to do is take sexual orientation and/or gender identity out of relationship law. We want ‘marriage’ or equal marriage as you said.

    Paula

  4. Can I echo the comments of R Collins, though it should have course be pointed out that the discrimination is against fathers too and impacts on them as well.

    I hadn’t raisied there were more female children suffering as a result of the sexism – perhaps if we frame it in that way then the issue would have more chance of being dealt with.

  5. HHM,

    It’s mostly all females affected by this discrimination. Odd, I know, but true. Women being discriminated for the crime of being an illegitimate child born to a British father.

    Lynne, I’m curious, what are your thoughts on this?

  6. R Collins, it’s great you feel strongly about this. It’s very much a part of wider discrimination against unmarried fathers. they have very few rights when it comes to their children, only responsiblities and the whole issue needs looking at in full.

    For example they cannot access the child’s school/medical records, has no say in medical treatment, education etc. They can’t even apply for a passport for their child.

  7. HHM,

    Thank you. I agree that this issue encompasses a wider discrimination as it’s not only illegitimate children being affected, but fathers as well. How can fathers be a strong presence in their child’s life when all their rights are torn from them in the manner you have suggested above? In my case and in the case of other’s also affected, we have strong bonds with our dads. A marriage certificate doesn’t make that bond any more or less.

    I am hoping the Liberal Democrats come through on this. They were the ones who fought last year for this issue during the Borders bill. I sure hope they have more fight left in them again.

    Lynne, were you part of last year’s effort to get this discrimination resolved? Really curious who was responsible for submitting the clause to remove discrimination against all illegitimate children born to British fathers.