The odds on a second Brexit referendum before 2020 have shortened to 2.48 after polls showed that, for the first time, a majority of Britons want to vote again on their country's future relationship with the European Union. It is becoming clear that the Government's Chequers 'deal' is not going to work and increasingly the choice is a "hard Brexit" or stay in the EU.

The dates and locations for Spring and Autumn conference 2019 have been announced.

Spring conference - York Barbican - 16-17th March 2019
Autumn Conference - Bournemouth International Centre - 15-18th September 2019

Conference is where our party makes decisions on our future direction.

You can participate in thought-provoking debates, meet like-minded people, make party policy, hear from experts on a range of topics at our fringe events and learn new skills at our training sessions.

Last year I attended ALDC (the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors and Campaigns) Kickstart weekend as part of their Future Leaders scheme.

15 or so young people in the party are offered individual mentorship to help them get to where they want to be in the party - whether that is an MP, a Councillor, or something else.

It's wise to choose for a private member's bill a discrete topic to address a problem which has been identified and can be relatively easily solved - and which the Government might be prepared to see implemented. But sometimes the concern to take forward a cause overtakes wisdom - thus my Refugees (Family Reunion) Bill which finished making its way through the Lords on 3rd July and has been taken up in the Commons by Tim Farron.

Today the Government reported that patients in need of cannabis-based medicines will be allowed access to them in 'exceptional circumstances'.

This is very welcome and long overdue change, which will be a relief for many patients and their families. It is disgraceful that people have been left to suffer for so long, because the Conservative Government have refused to accept evidence of the benefits of cannabis based medicines.

I want to tell you why I joined the Liberal Democrats and to encourage you to make the same journey.

As first-generation immigrants, my parents could have barely imagined the journey they or their children would make in the mother country. As an immigrant from South Asia, barely able to communicate in English, my mother built up a real estate business in London, in a country which has increasingly diversified in the intervening years.

Since its launch in 2013, the Membership Incentive Scheme has helped our party not just grow, but thrive.

The money from it has helped local parties grow their membership, fight campaigns and demand better for their communities.

In recent years, we've seen a worrying trend developing though. More and more local parties stopped actively recruiting new members.

This year's conference is in Brighton: all members are very welcome to attend. Details are on the national party web site

The last article talked about building your team - once you've got them you have to give them something to do. Delivering leaflets is essential, but the most effective thing we can do to get people to vote for us is talk to them.

Federal Conference Committee met this weekend - unusually at Amnesty HQ in London rather than LDHQ - to set the Agenda for Autumn conference in Brighton.

If you have not yet registered, please don't forget - conference runs from the 15th to 18th September, and you can sign up at https://www.eventsforce.net/autumnconference2018. Or, if you'd like to take advantage of our new refer-a-friend discounts, see https://www.libdems.org.uk/refer_a_friend