Delegate views: what can Lib Dems do?

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By Gavin Stamp BBC News political reporter, in Bournemouth

What issues do Lib Dem members think their party should be talking about in Bournemouth and taking a lead on in the run-up to the next general election?

ANDREW WALLER, YORK

It is not rocket science that the renewable energy capacity is out there. There could be a much more systematic approach from central government. The pressure is needed to provide a consistent level of funding for microgeneration schemes, like solar power, in people's homes. People are prepared to make the investment but the payback period is quite long. We need financial models which encourage it to happen.

ALEXANDER GATH, BURY ST EDMONDS

Labour and the Tories have failed miserably with the railways and we need to make the case for them. The railways need more investment but there is a sense that there is not sufficient accountability within the railway companies. They are taking a very short-term point of view and when they fail they are not disciplined. It takes time to create the infrastructure to run more trains but things are not improving fast enough. We have to be the party of public transport.

DOREEN HUDDART, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE

People have been very let down over housing. There are a lot of properties in Newcastle bought by speculators years ago which are now up for sale. We are desperate for three and four-bedroom houses because there are thousands of people on the waiting list. There are families with all their goods packed in boxes because they have got eviction notices and it is miserable for them. We have a plethora of properties which I would like to see councils take over.

RICHARD WILSON, LONDON

Post office closures show that Labour does not care about local areas. People want to have local shops and protect their area. We already have a lot of derelict shops and people have to travel further to get essential items. The Post Office sees them in purely economic terms and focuses on their bottom line. But people have other considerations. Local communities and authorities need to be empowered to take control of post offices. People are always complaining they can't access council services, like parking permits. Why can't those services be available in post offices. It is a question of thinking outside the box.

MONICA WHYTE, LONDON

There is a lot of money wasted on government bureaucracy and it is the people who can least afford it who are having to pay for it. The fiasco with the child credit scheme is an example. Someone needs to go in there and do a complete audit of the system and see why we are employing some of these people. It is not a gravy train. We need to see results.