Welcome to the new website of the Humanist and Secular Liberal Democrats. Here you’ll find all our latest news and information, including how to join us and contact us, as well as details of our forthcoming events and copies of our newsletter.

The September edition of the HSLD Newsletter is now available, and members should have received their copy by now. You can also download one from this link.

Back issues of the newsletter are now on the site, and can be read here.

The Group’s one day conference postponed from June has been re-scheduled:

Date: Saturday, 8th December 2007

Place: Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London
(Five minutes walk from Holborn tube.)

The morning will include a Guest Speaker and debate on Dignity in Dying. The afternoon will consist of workshop sessions on topics to be chosen by members!

We can now confirm that Lord Taverne will be speaking at the Conference.

Further details should be available at Brighton and will follow in the next Newsletter. However the success of this event depends on you giving early indication numbers. If you think you might attend please email Vice Chair, Cllr. Vera Head: vera.head@tiscali.co.uk or phone 01494 727254.

Our Fringe meeting at this year’s conference will take place at 8.00pm on Monday 17th September in Glyndebourne 2 in the Holiday Inn.

The topic is ‘Is Atheism The New Religion?’ with guest speaker Keith Porteous-Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society.

(If you’re attending the fringe or the AGM but are not registering for the rest of Conference, you will need to bring your Party membership card in case of security difficulties)

Keith has led campaigning for the National Secular Society since 1996 after being the finance director for a number of large companies.

He is active in representing a secular and non-religious perspective in Whitehall and Parliament, mainly at Westminster but also in the European Parliament, Council of Europe, and to a limited extent in United Nations.

Keith recently worked with Dr. Evan Harris MP on the campaign for greater protection of freedom of expression in religious hatred provisions where the Government lost by 149 votes in Lords and 1 vote in Commons.

He gave verbal evidence to Select Committees including the Lords Religious Offences Committee and the Royal “Wakeham” Commission on the Reform of the House of Lords.

He also prepared numerous submissions to Government consultations including Census 2011 and he was responsible for older pupils being able to opt themselves out of Collective Worship (Section 55 Education and Inspections Act 2006).

The Group’s AGM will take place at Brighton on Sunday,16th September at 2:30 pm in The Walnut Suite of the Quality Hotel.
N.B. This will not appear in the Conference Directory (to find out why … come to the AGM!)

(If you’re attending the fringe or the AGM but are not registering for the rest of Conference, you will need to bring your Party membership card in case of security difficulties)

Click on the ‘more’ link for the agenda
The business of the meeting will include:
Apologies for absence.
Minutes of the 2006 AGM.
Reports from the current Executive Committee.
Consideration for approval of the annual accounts for the year ending 31 December 2006, together with the determination of the annual subscription for the coming year.
Nominations for the Executive Committee.
Discussion of the activities of the Group.
Nominations for the Executive Committee for 2007-08 will close at the end of the formal business of the AGM. In the case of contested elections a postal ballot will be held of all Group members to take place within 6 weeks of the date of the AGM. Nominations are sought for the post of: Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, and for three Committee Members without portfolio. (In addition, the Executive Committee has power to co-opt three additional members.)