The weekend after the party gathered in Liverpool, Liberal Youth gathered in Leeds for our spring conference. There was plenty of campaigning, socialising and of course stimulating debates on policy. Stuart Wheatcroft has already written an excellent summary of the motion we debated and voted for on Ambitious Liberalism; for my part, I submitted a motion on Russia’s actions against Ukraine.
In writing this motion, I aimed to cover the two principal reasons I believe any self-respecting Liberal must stand against what Russia is doing in the region. Firstly, they are attempting to forcibly thwart the will of the Ukrainian people. When the Ukrainian people expressed a desire to look to the EU, they did not at the same time express a desire to go to war with Russia. They are seeking a better life; one bounded by democratic accountable institutions – the same promise extended by the EU to the former Warsaw Pact countries. In attempting to smear the Kiev government as a group of “fascists” as well as sending troops to occupy portions of Ukraine, Russia has attempted to corral the Ukrainian people into giving up these hopes for a brighter future.
Secondly, the actions of the Russian armed forces strike at the tap root of an orderly international environment; something that, again, Liberals have long argued and worked for. The UN Charter cannot be clearer; “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state”. Russia’s annexation of Crimea, complete with a referendum held at the point of a gun, as well as its presence in Eastern Ukraine, represents a clear violation of this basic norm of international law. As Liberals, we have long argued for rules to bound states’ abilities to decide when they go to war, as well as how they go to war. Russia’s war in Ukraine undermines those rules.
I was glad that conference resoundingly voted for the motion in the end, and I hope other bodies within the party join in pressing, not just for a firmer line against Russia, but also one in support of the Ukrainian people and their hopes for the future.
Beyond this, I would also like to express my thanks to the Liberal Youth executive for organising such a fantastic conference. It was gratifying to chair the reports from the executive (first time ever chairing at a Lib Dem event, apologies to all) and to call so many votes on so many motions of commendation. The executive this year has been dominated by talented and capable young people who have done so much to revive Liberal Youth. As Stuart remarked in his piece; our future as a party, in their hands, is a bright one indeed.
* Tim Oliver is a party member in Leeds, who has recently submitted a PhD on British foreign policy at the University of Hull.