Good people of the Liberal Democrats, how are we today!

It is so great to be here in Brighton and especially good considering the excellent weather we've been having lately. To be celebrating next to the ocean is a real treat. I'd also like to apologize for the delay in my arrival, I had some business to attend to in Westminster. However, it's great to be here now.

We've come a long way as a country and as a party since I was Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats, and I couldn't be more proud of the work that has gone into accomplishing that.

I'd like to start by extending my most sincere congratulations to Thechattyshow for his excellent second stint as Leader of the Liberal Democrats. In the darkest of hours, he and /u/Estoban06 were able to rise to the occasion and do some great things for our party during their tenure. At the end of the road, we've become more passionate, dedicated, and energized than ever before with an excellent crop of new members who have great promise to do extraordinary things and an impressive roster of members who have awoken from the retirement homes to lend hands to this liberal project. Some I would like to especially mention are /u/SapphireWork, our new Spokesperson for Home Affairs and Justice, /u/NorthernWomble, the Education Man, and Kef, our new Scottish Leader, among others. Together we will continue as the great positive force in British politics.

For our party, this term has certainly been an interesting one full of accomplishments and setbacks.

The "Clegg Coalition" between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party exemplified everything that a government should be: pragmatic, effective, and positive. In parliament, the coalition made great strides while working across the aisle with wide-ranging political forces to accomplish efforts such as the Budget, championed by the great Model-Saunders, that made taxes fairer, invested in people's health and education, and got the rare backing from one /u/Jgm0228. While the opposition played petty games, we did the real work for the people of this country.

That isn't to say that everything has been accomplished. Going forward, we need to ensure Liberal Democrat presence in future governments to tackle the issues going forward head-on.

A great example of this that will be especially relevant next term that's near and dear to my heart as the former Minister of State for Exiting the European Union and as our party's Trade and Brexit Spokesperson is the upcoming trade deal and negotiations on our future relationship. It's no surprise to anyone here today for me to tell you that I love the European Union. However, in our party's project of pro-Europeanism and globalism, going forward we must be realistic about how we apply these principles. On our future relationship with the EU, we must aim to be as close to Europe as possible while respecting the results of the two referendums. We should work hard to guarantee the maximum possible access to the European market and new markets around the world so that British business and the British people can thrive. A failure to do that would have massive consequences for the British public and our economy and we cannot give up until we are satisfied with our position in knowing that Britain will continue to have great ties with Europe going forward.

We must work hard, we must work smart, we must be positive, we must be pragmatic and I know that we can be all of these things. With the Liberal Democrats, the liberal project is safe.

I'd like to thank the Conference organizers for pressuring me to give this speech but also for their great work at organizing this conference. It truly has been a pleasure.

o7

By /u/TheNoHeart