THE PROPOSITION

What are the proposed reforms?

The introduction of a supporters' scheme. This is expected to be free of charge and supporters will have the right to vote in leadership elections.

Dropping the requirement for people to have been a member for a certain length of time before they can stand for selection. At present, members must be a fully paid-up party member for 12 consecutive months in England & Wales and nine consecutive months in Scotland before they can be assessed for approval to be Prospective Parliamentary Candidates. Removing the restriction of the party leader having to be an MP. All members and registered supporters would be able to choose from a wider pool of candidates.

This is arguably the most crucial point in British politics for more than 70 years. Why are we doing this now?

By engaging our supporters and growing our base, we strengthen our voice against Brexit. These proposals signal our openness to new people and will bring extra energy at a time of national crisis, reinforcing our efforts.

There is also political realignment, with the emergence of broad campaign groups involving many or all parties, such as the People's Vote and More United. Numerous parties have been labelled as 'centrist', 'moderate' or even 'liberal'. We need to be at the heart of that political realignment and show that the Liberal Democrats are the natural party for people fed-up of the extremes of British politics. The Liberal Democrats are changing British politics. We're opening up our party to new supporters and listening to our members about how best to do it.

Why have you sprung this on the party?

These proposals flesh out the strategy passed at the Liberal Democrat spring conference in Southport this year. We passed a motion that promised to "create a political and social movement which encourages people to take and use power in their own lives and communities" and to create "a much larger base of long-term, loyal supporters".

What data do you have to support this proposition?

A newly "open" Lib Dem party would be two to three times more popular than it is presently, according to research we commissioned from Data Sciences. The poll has a +/- 2% margin of error.

Is this just a poor man's Momentum?

No. This is a much more comprehensive set of reforms that will provide a home for those millions who are uncomfortable with the polarisation of British politics.

Momentum is a movement of the far left. We are creating a movement for people from the centre who believe in a free, fair and open society and oppose extremism and nationalism.

We must not be afraid to try something new to attract moderate people who want a better politics.

Are these proposals set in stone?

No, this is a democratic party and the leader cannot impose his proposals on it. However, the leader has made a series of recommendations that he believes will open up the party and enthuse membership and supporters.

There will be a consultation session, led by Vince, at the annual conference in Brighton. There is a consultative fringe meeting at conference solely about the supporters scheme.

There is also a consultation of all members, which will be published on the Liberal Democrat website shortly after Friday's speech. Its launches on 7th September and will closes on 14th October. When the consultation closes, Vince will ask the Federal Board to commission an all-member ballot. Final proposals will be subject to a vote at conference.

Letting fees are an unfair cost pushed onto tenants by greedy landlords.

Today a bill to abolish letting fees achieved third reading in the House of Commons and I spoke in favour of the bill

The leading cause of homelessness is the ending of a private rented sector tenancy. Whilst rental costs continue to spiral, people are becoming trapped: they cannot afford their rent and they cannot afford to move somewhere more affordable as a result of the myriad of administrative fees.

In an interview with The Guardian, I set out our ambitious plan to fix the UK's broken immigration system, end the Conservatives' hostile environment and celebrate the positive impact immigration has had on the United Kingdom.

Our policy paper, A Fair Deal for Everyone: Prosperity and Dignity in Migration, will be debated this month in Brighton. It calls for a new right to work for refugees and asylum seekers, major reform of the Home Office - giving control of work permit policy to the Business Department and student visa policy to the Education Department, policies to make family reunification easier and scrapping the net migration target.

Over the weekend, member Ruby Chow started a thread on Twitter asking Lib Dems who the top ten most important people in the party were to them.

What followed was a thread full of love for Lib Dems across the country who have encouraged, supported or inspired others.

Some members named MPs and Lords that inspired them the most:

The report - "Taxing Land, Not Investment" - calls for the abolition of business rates and its replacement with a tax on land values, the Commercial Landowner Levy (CLL). The levy would remove buildings and machinery from calculations and tax only the land value of commercial sites, boosting investment and cutting taxes for businesses in nine out of ten English local authorities.

The Government have refused to guarantee that MPs will see the full impact analysis of a no-deal Brexit before the final vote on departure from the EU.

The Government are clearly losing the plot.

Refusing to show MPs the full damage a no-deal Brexit would inflict on our country makes a mockery of the discredited mantra 'Taking Back Control'.

Our Exit from Brexit Summer Campaign is in full swing. Across the country, Liberal Democrats have been speaking to voters in their area about how disastrous Brexit is going to be.

In a speech today the Brexit Secretary set out the no-deal Brexit papers.

No one will be surprised that the Brexit Secretary was hot and flustered today. What he set out means a disaster for British families and British jobs.

We also have yet further confirmation that there is no prospect that a plan will be delivered in the next six months, not least on the Northern Ireland border and post-Brexit customs arrangements.

Yesterday, I sent you a video of Corbyn refusing to answer a question about whether we would be better off after Brexit five times.

Already this has been seen fifty thousand times on Facebook thanks to you all sharing it online - and with no sign of it slowing down.

You can watch it yourself here:

More than 7 in 10 Labour voters want to have a vote on the final deal that Theresa May has put together - with an option to stay in the EU.

It may be mid-August but the bad news about Brexit is increasing by the day! Senior Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg continue to peddle their populist nonsense, against the facts: the pound dropping against the Euro; international organisations moving their EU HQ out of Britain; and even the Governor of the Bank of England confirming Brexit will not be good for the economy. Only Vince Cable and the Lib Dems remain totally committed to an Exit from Brexit, and giving the people a Final Say on the deal, with more regions that voted leave now changing their minds.