At sundown tonight, Jewish communities in the UK and around the world will mark the beginning of Passover, the eight-day festival commemorating the liberation of the Israelites after 400 years of slavery in ancient Egypt.

The story of the Exodus has inspired generations; it's a story of hope and triumph. It shows us what's possible when we hold tight to faith in the midst of darkness and uncertainty. This is a message that's relevant, even today.

The killing of Sarah Everard shocked the nation. She was described by family and friends as "bright and beautiful", "kind and thoughtful" and caring and dependable". My thoughts have been with Sarah's family ever since we heard she was missing, and my heart still goes out to them.

Sarah's death has jolted our society into finally taking violence against women seriously. At the Spring Conference, I delivered a statement reaffirming the Liberal Democrat's commitment to ending violence perpetrated by men and the misogynistic culture allowing it to manifest. While the killing of a woman by a stranger is particularly awful and relatively rare - violence against women and girls is not. On average a woman is killed in the UK every three days. Most of them are killed by their partner or their ex. Male violence has become a normal part of life in the UK. No longer.

When Liberal Democrats say put recovery first, we mean creating a fairer, greener, more caring society, and at the heart of this plan is ensuring the recovery is green.

Britain can not only recover but become the world's first green powerhouse."

A recovery that faces up to the existential threat of climate change. We have all seen the warnings. Floods devastating communities across the UK. Fires burning the Amazon and across Australia.

Our country is hurting right now.

125,000 lives have been taken by this cruel virus. So many families, mourning the loss of a loved one.

Even those who have been spared the agony of bereavement are suffering enormous hardships. A whole year of isolation, fear, grief.

After so much hurt, we need hope. And that is what our wonderful NHS staff and volunteers are injecting into our lives as they work tirelessly delivering vaccines.

The UK's economic recovery starts with small business.

Small businesses lay at the heart of every local community, and every local economy, they create the jobs people need. In Government, Liberal Democrats championed small businesses and helped them create two million new jobs.

Now, during this pandemic, it's been the Liberal Democrats pushing for more action to support small businesses and the self-employed, every step of the way. We know how tough the past year has been, for almost every small business.

The UK has a proud history of providing sanctuary to those in need, but this Conservative Government has turned its back on refugees - hitting vulnerable children the hardest.

Today Liberal Democrats members have passed a motion calling for the resettlement of refugee children and families in the UK.

Good afternoon Conference.

Our country is hurting right now.

125,000 have been taken by this cruel virus.

125,000 mums and dads. Brothers and sisters. Sons and daughters.

125,000 empty chairs at kitchen tables.

So many families, mourning the loss of a loved one.

Even those who have been spared the agony of bereavement… even they are suffering enormous hardships.

Liberal Democrats are urging the government to fix its response to Covid-19.

The Liberal Democrats have watched in horror and disbelief as the government made mistake after mistake tackling the Covid-19 crisis.

We mourn the suffering and loss of life caused by the Conservatives' ineptitude. We demand the Government reassess its approach and address the long term ramifications of the pandemic.

For too long those with disabilities have struggled to obtain secure employment - a struggle intensified by Covid-19. Even though the huge increase of working from home could have made finding and keeping a job easier, disabled workers have instead been disproportionately impacted by furlough, reduced hours and redundancies.¹

Young people's lives have been severely disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Lockdowns have taken a toll on young people's education, mental health and future prospects - hitting those with fewer resources especially hard.

The Liberal Democrats believe significant policy changes are needed now to safeguard young people's futures. We want to make up for the opportunities missed in lockdown, giving young people the chance to flourish.