The Lib Dem delegates voted at their spring conference for their ministers to reconsider the NHS reforms contained in the Health and Social Care Bill, something that has been cited as a major prompt of the 'pause' in Andrew Lansley's legislation and a victory for the party's grassroots.
But there will be no such chance for the grassroots to assert themselves at next week's autumn conference. This afternoon, at a media briefing, Nick Clegg's PPS Norman Lamb confirmed that health will be debated only as an hour-long 'topical motion' and there will be no vote.
Proposals for it to be debated as a full floor motion were rejected by the Federal Conference Committee. An appeal of this decision was also rejected. It was then resubmitted as an 'emergency motion', after which the FCC decided to allow it to go ahead as a topical motion, an instrument that, crucially, does not involve a vote.
However, a Lib Dem staffer present did confirm that this decision was open to challenge from the floor via the standing orders, so there is an outside chance we could still see a vote. Lamb was at pains to emphasise that the FCC is an elected body, and that this was not a decision that had been imposed by the party leadership (although it's hard to imagine they are anything but pleased about it).
When pressed on the precise nation of this topical motion - when, for instance, might we see a draft of it? - we were told that it really was that broad. The conference would debate topical issues arising from 'health', no more, no less.
There will be one other opportunity for delegates to raise their voices on health. On Tuesday, there will be a 'report back session' on the NHS, featuring, among others, health minister Paul Burstow and Shirley Williams. Again, no vote, though.
Lamb informed us that we should expect “both a more assertive conference and a more assertive party” that won't be "euphoric" but will be in a "good and determined" mood.
If delegates choose to channel this new-found assertiveness towards ensuring a vote on health, Lamb might not be feeling quite so upbeat about things - after all, it wasn't so very long ago that he offered his own resignation to Clegg over the issue of NHS reform.
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