It is hugely exciting to be heading to Brighton for the Lib Dem conference this weekend, where the party will be celebrating the election of 72 MPs!

I think many of us are still pinching ourselves when we realise just what a major force the Liberal Democrats are in the new Parliament, and how this will change the position and role of our party for the coming parliamentary term. Already the sense that we are an opposition party to be reckoned with is strong.

The new parliamentary party are still finding their feet (and their way around the building), but they have been quick to make it clear that they will be strong local champions.  Already our MPs have been focusing on the issues on which they were elected, in particular drawing attention to the state of our rivers and waterways, and the importance of the care sector in fixing our broken NHS.

This week in Parliament there has been much focus on the state of the NHS, and our MPs will be making sure that the role of carers and the social care system is not forgotten.  We cannot have a successful and healthy NHS without a successful and healthy social care system to support our GPs and hospitals.

For those of us who have been leading local councils, the change in the pace and quality of the conversations with the new Government are revealing. There was a strong sense over the past few years that conversations with government have been very short term and focused almost entirely on crisis management.  While the crisis in local government funding has not got any smaller (indeed in areas such as special needs education and young people’s mental health the picture is dire) there is a new sense from government that they want to work with local leaders on longer term solutions to the problems we all face.

At present this is mainly visible in the attitudes of ministers when they visit the LGA or come out to make local visits (in my case in Cambridgeshire), and we will wait to see what the budget or local government settlement offer; but the sense of partnership, even when it is partnership in recognising the scale of the problems, is  hugely welcome.

On a more personal note, while in Brighton I am looking forward to catching up with many of my colleagues from my time as an MEP.  Many of us who went through the emotional roller-coaster of the final months as members of the European Parliament will be meeting up, for the first time since the General Election.  While such meetings are always bitter-sweet, I know there will be much discussion of the attitude of the new Labour government towards the EU. Will they recognise the importance of re-setting our relationship with our closest and largest trading partners in improving productivity?

Brexit has done enormous damage to our economy, as well as to the rights and opportunities of our citizens. It is extraordinarily disappointing that Sir Keir Starmer has been so quick to rule out the EU offer of freedom to work and study for those under 25.  The ability to study and work abroad is enormously beneficial for young UK citizens, and young EU citizens also bring great benefits to the UK economy, both as students and as a valuable work-force in hospitality and agriculture.  Putting up barriers across boarders is so damaging to us all, socially, culturally and economically. I know I will have many conversation while in Brighton about how we mend our national conversation on the value of good relationships with our friends in other countries, not only in the EU but across many national boundaries.  Living and working alongside those from other places and cultures brings great creativity and understanding of different perspectives.  I hope profoundly that the new parliament will see a change in our national conversation on how respond to those from other places, with other perspectives and points of view, and I hope our new Liberal MPs will be leading that conversation, helping move our country to an appreciation of the value of different views and the value of creative discussion.