Eastleigh. Conference, I have never seen anything like it. Thousands and thousands of activists flooding in from every part of the UK. Young people arriving in their droves. Hitting the pavements, the phones, Facebook, Twitter, email - finding any and every way to drive our message home. I want to thank you all - you were just brilliant.
They said we'd never win it. The same critics who try to write us off time and time again. But, you know what? The naysayers can tear up those political obituaries. Liberal Democrats: you proved them wrong. And you proved what we have always known to be true: where we work, we win. There's no great mystery to it. Mike Thornton, Keith House and their team didn't just stop campaigning after the last General Election. They didn't hang up their boots and say: 'We got the seat, that's it for five years'. They kept at it. Recruiting activists. Taking council seats. Building up their support. And when the time came, they were ready. Mike, Keith, everyone who helped: You ran an exemplary campaign; you have electrified this party - thank you very, very much.
The challenge now, Conference, is building on this momentum. As we approach the upcoming council elections in May. As we prepare for the General Election. We need to be clear on the lesson from Eastleigh: The odds were stacked against us. A fierce campaign, under a national spotlight, dogged by difficult headlines from day one. Extraordinary circumstances. Yet we still won. We beat the Tories. We squeezed Labour - don't forget that bit. We won.
Why? Because, for the first time in a generation we could campaign on our record of local delivery and our record of national delivery too. Every leaflet dropped in the Eastleigh campaign combined both. And, when people took a long, hard look they liked what they saw. We didn't win in Eastleigh in spite of being in power. We won in Eastleigh because we're in power - locally and nationally. It's important that everyone in this room knows that.
It's three years since we took the decision to go into Government. I know some of you have had a quiet fear, ticking away at the back of your minds. The worry that the risk we took was too big. No, Liberal Democrats. It may have been a risk, but we took it for the right reasons: to steer Britain through a time of economic crisis; to govern in the national interest; to govern from the centre ground; to build a stronger economy, in a fairer society, enabling everyone in Britain to get on in life.
And that decision will pay off - for the country, and for us too. There is a myth that governing together, in coalition, diminishes the ability of the smaller party to beat the bigger party. The idea that, in Tory facing seats the Liberal Democrats will find it impossible to distinguish our record, our values, from theirs. But that myth has been utterly confounded. The opposite is true. The longer you stand side-by-side with your opponents, the easier your differences are to see. We don't lose our identity by governing with the Conservatives. The comparison helps the British people understand who we are.
And we are the party that shares the country's priorities: Fair taxes; better schools; jobs. The only party that will deliver a stronger economy and a fairer society, enabling every one to get on in life.
In the days after the by-election, even though we won, I was asked how I feel about our party no longer being a magnet for the protest vote. No longer the automatic 'none-of-the-above' choice. And my reply was this: the Liberal Democrats are not a party of protest, we are a party of change. A party that is for things, not simply against things. A successful political party cannot thrive just by picking up the votes that have been lost by its opponents. Our ambition is to reach out to the millions of people in this country who want a party that strikes the right balance between economic credibility and social fairness. We are not some kind of receptacle for people who don't like the world - and don't want to do anything about it. We grapple with the world. We strive to make it better. And the more people who see that, all the better too.
Conference, I don't pretend it's all sunny uplands from here. This journey we are on is not an easy one. As a party: from opposition to government. As a country: from austerity to prosperity. We will be tested more times along the way. And, throughout this journey, our focus will be the country's focus. The economy. Britain's economic recovery has proved more challenging than anyone imagined. The crash in 2008, deeper and more profound than we knew. Just two weeks ago, the uncertain outcome of the Italian election threatened to plunge Europe back into crisis. Suddenly we were reminded of the danger that looms when markets question the ability of governments to live within their means. Countries around the world face the same, hard truth: We must all pay the piper in the end. I want to make one thing clear: We will not flinch on the deficit. But to be unflinching is not to be unthinking. And the idea that the choice is between a cruel and unbending Plan A and a mythical plan B is simply not the case.
Balancing the books is a judgement, not a science. And our plan has always allowed room for manoeuvre. One of the most important things I have learnt in Government is this: in a fluid, fast-moving global economic environment, sticking to a plan requires government to be flexible, as well as resolute. Nimble, as well as determined. When economic circumstances around us deteriorated and UK growth forecasts suffered, voices on the right called for us to respond by cutting further and faster. But instead we took the pragmatic choice to extend the deficit reduction timetable. As tax receipts went down we let the automatic ebb and flow of government borrowing fill the gap. And it is simply not true - as our critics on the left pretend - that we are slashing and burning the state. By the end of this Parliament, public spending will still be 42% of GDP. That's higher than at any time between 1995 and when the banks crashed, in 2008. And most importantly, reducing the deficit is essential, but as a means to an end. And that end is lasting, sustainable growth. Sound public finances are one piece of the jigsaw. But so are better skills, more apprenticeships, smarter regulation, a more competitive tax regime for business. All of which we are delivering.
And, yes, productive investment in our infrastructure too: energy, housing, transport. Creating jobs today and boosting the long-term strength of our economy: the extension of High Speed Rail; the new network of technology centres; the Green Investment Bank; Cross Rail - the biggest construction project in Europe. And, in an unprecedented break from the straitjacket of Treasury orthodoxy, an offer of £50bn worth of guarantees from central government to those people willing to invest in UK's infrastructure and get construction going. No government has offered these kinds of guarantees, on this scale, ever before. And this year, Conference, we are spending more on capital than Labour spent, on average, between 1997 and 2010.
So let no one tell you that this Government isn't straining every sinew to invest every available pound into UK infrastructure. We will and must do more to mobilise investment into our long-term infrastructure needs. I agree with that. Vince agrees with that. Danny agrees with that. But, as we all equally acknowledge, there are no cost-free, risk-free ways of finding such huge sums of money. Not at a time when Labour left the cupboard bare and we still have the second highest deficit in Europe, behind only Greece. Ours is a growth strategy guided by liberal pragmatism from a Coalition government anchored firmly in the centre ground. The deficit down by a quarter. Fixing our banks. A million jobs created in the private sector. Money back in people's pockets. A stronger economy, a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life.
In the middle of the 20 Century, as Britain emerged from the ravages of war, its leaders were forced to think anew - just as we are now. The great liberal, Sir William Beveridge, established the modern welfare state, transforming this country forever. He said 'Liberalism is a faith, not a formula'. And what he meant is that liberalism is a set of timeless principles, married to an unshakeable belief in human progress. That is why liberals never run from change. Our role remains the same today. In this Coalition Government, so much of the radical thinking on economic reform is liberal-led. Not just rebuilding the old economy. Not just repeating the same mistakes of the past. But building an economy that is resilient, sustainable, open, green. Ideas deliberated in this conference hall, now being administered by thousands of civil servants, in order to benefit millions of British citizens. The world's first ever Green Investment Bank. The Business Bank; the bank levy; the Green Deal. Better schools and proper vocational learning. Greater shareholder democracy. Flexible working and shared parental leave. Tax cuts for working families, paid for by higher taxes on unearned wealth. We may be the smaller party, Conference, but we have all the biggest ideas.
And, remember: no one will know what we stand for unless we stand together. As our opponents argue among themselves and turn inwards it is even more important that we build on - rather than squander - the magnificent resolve and unity we have shown over the last three years. That unity is what our enemies most fear. That unity should make us proud.
Most importantly, liberals understand that economic renewal must be accompanied by social renewal. A stronger economy needs a fairer society. That is what this is about. Strong growth creates jobs and opportunities. If citizens are empowered and educated they are better able to grasp those opportunities. Their achievements, in turn, drive prosperity. Yet the Conservative and Labour governments of the past have, together, built a Britain characterised by intense concentrations of power. They allowed opportunity to be hoarded among elites. The untold story of the boom years is a story of lost potential. Previous governments placed unquestioning faith in London's financial sector. And it led them to squander the talents and prospects of dozens of places, and millions of people. GDP may have been rising, but in some of our biggest cities, former industrial powerhouses like Nottingham and Birmingham, the private sector workforces were actually shrinking. One square mile may have been raking in astronomical profits. But we are a country of 100,000 square miles. And across the nation, communities suffered serious neglect.
And just as Labour and the Conservatives allowed our economy to become grossly unbalanced, they ignored deep social divides too. Despite the steps we have taken in Government, Britain remains a place where, for the vast majority of people, the life you are born into still determines the life you lead. It doesn't have to be like that. Yesterday I spoke to someone I've gotten to know over the last few years. A man called Kevin McLoughlin who owns a painting and decorating company in London. Kevin left school at 15. His dad was disabled. His mum was out of work. But he managed to get an apprenticeship. 40 years later and his business is thriving. He now gives the same opportunity to hundreds of youngsters. He told me his main motivation is simply to build a successful, profitable business. These young men and women are an asset to his company. But he also said, the reason he keeps doing it is he doesn't believe for one moment that British youngsters don't want to work - someone just needs to give them a chance. To be a liberal is to know that every man, woman and child is capable of remarkable things. That there is something extraordinary in every person. To be a liberal is to know that when we, as individuals, flourish, we, as a society, become greater than the sum of our parts.
And to be a liberal in government is to help every individual be the best they can be. A fairer society. That's what the Pupil Premium is for. Billions of pounds to stop poor children falling behind. More free childcare. City Deals transferring economic powers from Whitehall to every corner of the UK. The biggest ever cash rise in the state pension; a generous new flat rate pension. And of course, raising the point at which people start paying income tax. So that millions of low earners pay none at all. And, as of April, millions of working people will be £600 better off. Liberal Democrat policies, delivered by Liberal Democrat ministers. Creating a stronger economy and a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life.
The Conservatives, on their own, will never deliver the fairer society - it's just not who they are. Take the Mansion tax. Even now, when millions of families are feeling the pinch, they still refuse to ask people who live in multi-million pound homes to chip in a bit more. The Conservative party knows it needs to stay on the centre ground to have any chance of speaking to ordinary people's concerns. At least the leadership seem to. But they just can't manage it, no matter how hard they try. They're like a kind of broken shopping trolley. Every time you try and push them straight ahead they veer off to the right hand side.
Did you notice the bizarre mixed messages from the Conservative party after Eastleigh? An article in one Sunday newspaper, promising: no lurch to the right. Others splashed with the promise to pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights. Something only one other European country has done: Belarus. The Conservatives would actively take away rights enjoyed by British citizens just to appease their backbenchers. Yesterday Theresa May made a speech arguing the option of leaving the Convention should remain 'on the table'. Well, I tell you, it won't be on the Cabinet Table so long as I'm sitting round it. Conference, make no mistake, no matter what the issue: Safeguarding the NHS, creating green jobs, stopping profit-making in schools, preventing a return to two tier O Levels, the Liberal Democrats will keep the Coalition firmly anchored in the centre ground.
What's the only thing as unlikely as the Tories delivering a fairer society? Labour delivering a stronger economy. Let's recap. First they destroy the economy. They spend all the money. They leave us with nothing. Then they oppose every single saving the Coalition has been forced to make with not a single suggestion for how to raise money instead. Then they finally do come up with an idea. And it's brilliant. But it's the Mansion Tax - and we came up with it first. Labour are embracing opposition in the worst possible way. All they are interested in is striking poses and playing parliamentary games. They try to lecture us about taxing the rich. Even though taxes on the richest are now higher than they were for every year under thirteen years of Labour. They conspired with Tory rebels to scupper Lords Reform, even though it was in their manifesto. By now I expected a re-energised Labour party, re-focused. The whole point of opposition parties is that they come up with ideas. But they haven't. Under Ed Miliband and Ed Balls, Labour remain a blank page in British politics. These people were in the government that crashed the economy before. They've given us no apology. No solutions. No plans. No sign that they even understand what they did. The truth is, left to their own devices, they'd do it again. And, I'm sorry, but you do not stand tall for one nation when you still bow to the union barons.
You can't trust Labour to build a strong economy. You can't trust the Tories to build a fair society. Only the Liberal Democrats can deliver a stronger economy and a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life. Get used to those words, Conference. Get used to saying them. That's the message I need you to deliver across the country. I need you to explain it to people each and every day, from now, for the next two years and beyond. Tell them that only the Liberal Democrats have the values and ideas to build a better future. Tell them that only we can deliver the stronger economy and fairer society Britain needs.
Conference, we are on the eve of an important anniversary: It is ten years since the invasion of Iraq. Ten years since we opposed that war. Standing on our own within Parliament but with the people, outside of it. As I look back I am reminded of all of the times that the Liberal Democrats have led, rather than followed. Whether under Paddy Ashdown, as early converts in the fight against climate change. Whether as a lone voice warning against corporate recklessness and greed. Whether as a pioneer for equal rights, irrespective of colour, gender and creed. Regardless of whether you are old or young; rich or poor; gay or straight. Those memories are proud memories. But there's a big difference between now and then. In the past we may have been right - but we couldn't do anything about it. Now we can. Think of equal marriage. Not just an idea in this hall, but the law of the land because of us.
We know that change is not always possible overnight. We know that reform is always met with anger by those who cling to the status quo. But we also know that, if you have the argument on your side. If you have the courage of your convictions, change is only a matter of time. Liberal Democrats, I have spent nearly three years asking you to hold firm. Three years urging you to remain steady under fire. And you have.
But today, Liberal Democrats, I have a different message for you: Win. Get back out there. Tell our side of the story. And we will win again. On the door step, in town halls, in government. Keep fighting for what we believe in. Keep winning. Building a stronger economy, a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat BIS spokesperson, Gordon Birtwistle said:
"Liberal Democrats having been working hard in government to deliver a strong manufacturing sector in a stronger economy.
"Under the last Labour government the competitive concerns of this vital part of our economy were ignored.
"Vince Cable has made a vital start to help revitalise manufacturing, but we must not stop there. The Government must take an active role in supporting manufacturing. We need further rounds of the regional growth fund to help create a more geographically sustainable economy. And we need a renewed commitment to ensure new workers have the skills necessary to support a strong manufacturing sector."
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, Stephen Williams said:
"In passing my corporate tax avoidance motion, the Liberal Democrats have again shown that we are the fiercest political opponents of tax dodging.
"The Coalition Government can go into the G8 with a strong mandate for real change.
"Supporters of Action Aid, Christian Aid and many more charities have chosen this important issue as their 2013 campaign and I am proud that the Liberal Democrats will stand side by side with them in making this the year of tax justice."
Conference I want to put an idea to you. An idea that is often obscured by figures, balance sheets and talk of AAA credit ratings. The idea is this: that the economy is about people
A few months ago, a woman came to one of my surgeries. She'd heard about my 'Get East Dunbartonshire Working' campaign to find 100 work or training opportunities in 100 days. She wanted to know what advice I could give to her son. He was just about to turn 18 and looking for a chance to gain skills and work experience, and she was worried about his future prospects.
Commenting, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on Work and Pensions, Greg Mulholland said:
"Liberal Democrats are committed to creating a fairer society. We want to ensure that those people who need help through the benefit system receive proper support and, if things go wrong, have access to justice.
"That is why Liberal Democrats in Government have been fighting hard to ensure that the Government accepted the recommendations of the independent review of Employment and Support Allowance. These changes are already meaning that more disability benefit decisions are being got right first time.
"There is of course more to do, and we also need to make sure that the difficult decisions we are taking to cut the deficit, including changes to legal aid, do not have an adverse effect on disabled people. It is vital the Government continues to monitor these changes and to protect vulnerable people."
I vividly recall how activists trekked to Fife, finding the experience of pounding the pavements and listening to voters unexpectedly therapeutic.
And over the last 3 weeks, as we have pulled together as a party, pouring our energy into Eastleigh has had a similar effect.
But no doubt many of you have been shocked at the revelations on Channel 4 News.
And whilst I've had numerous invitations to talk to the media about this, conference, I wanted to speak to you directly.
When a friend, Alison Smith, told me she had experienced unwanted advances I was shocked and concerned. When it was suggested that this was not an isolated incident I was deeply troubled, and sought advice.
I think it's fair to say that back then our party processes for dealing with this kind of situation were lacking. So it was a case of trying to deal with it in the best way possible - while recognising that great sensitivity was needed and the important liberal principle that you are innocent until proven guilty.
A number of women confided in me about similar experiences. We shared the objective of preventing other women from experiencing this kind of behaviour - they wanted to make it stop.
The women also had an entirely understandable wish for privacy which I was careful to respect - so of course I didn't name names when I spoke to people in the leader's office to express these concerns.
I made sure that further action was taken, and as you know Danny Alexander made clear that any such behaviour was unacceptable and had to stop.
I told the women who had confided in me what I had done, and encouraged them to let me know if they became aware of any subsequent incidents. If there were fresh reports of this kind of behaviour, I would have insisted on further action.
Let me be clear, to this day, I have not heard any account of inappropriate behaviour subsequent to the action Danny and I took.
Liberal Democrats, I'm sure we have lessons to learn. And the best way to learn those lessons is a thorough, independent, considered review that can gather all the facts, both from people who are willing to speak publicly, and from those who are not.
The findings will rightly be published. Transparency is important to give the whole of our party confidence that the Liberal Democrats have recognised our duty of care, reflected on our past shortcomings and that we are resolute in our determination to put things right for the future.
I wanted to tell you about what had happened directly. As you know, there is now a police investigation and two party investigations. The allegations have been made and they have also been denied. That is for the police and the investigations to resolve.
Conference, you know I have spent more than a decade campaigning for women to be respected for who they are and against their sexual objectification.
Contrary to some comments in the press I most certainly do not believe that women should ever have to put up with unwanted sexual advances to be successful in politics - or any walk of life for that matter. This has never been my view.
Anyone who knows me will immediately realise this would never have been said by me.
Conference, there has been intense scrutiny on the experiences of women in the Liberal Democrats.
But let's be clear, this is not just a "Liberal Democrat" problem
It's not even just a problem in politics
Or in business
Or the media
It's part and parcel of a wider problem. The year is 2013, but society is stuck in the past.
One in four women experience domestic violence
One in three girls have experienced unwanted sexual touching at school
In less than a year, the Everyday Sexism project has been overwhelmed by 20,000 women posting their experiences:
- A 12 year old schoolgirl catcalled by grown men on her way home
- Baby t-shirts for sale online with the slogan "Where's my bottle, bitch?"
- Countless women sharing shocking stories using the hashtag #followed
Anyone who thinks the battle for equality has already been won is sadly mistaken.
We will only build a stronger economy if women play a full part in the boardroom, in the newsroom and in the Cabinet room.
We will only build a fairer society if we challenge the casual culture where men are dominant by default.
That's why we should resolve today, on International Women's Day, to keep fighting for fairness.
As citizens in our communities, as activists in our party, and as Liberal Democrats in our government.
Conference, we have made great strides in government - with shared parental leave, flexible working and getting more women on boards.
I know it is unusual for me to speak at the start of the rally but there's an issue I want to address head on.
Today is International Women's Day. It is right that we come together as a party to celebrate the life changing advances in women's rights both at home and around the world. Advances that Liberal Democrats championed in opposition and are delivering in Government.
But it is also right that - following the events of recent weeks - we take a long, hard look in the mirror. No doubt you will be aware of the recent allegations that have been made about sexual harassment in our party. I won't talk about the specific allegations. They will be investigated thoroughly and independently and we must respect due process. And we must remember that due process is for the accused as well as the accusers.
But I do want to talk about the other side of this. The fact that the women involved feel let down. They deserved to have their concerns and allegations examined thoroughly and properly dealt with. But clearly, that has not always been the case.
When concerns were brought to the attention of members of my team we acted to address them. But this should not have just been the responsibility of a few individuals acting with the best of intentions. It must be the responsibility of the party as a whole to make sure we have the processes and support structures in place now and in the future.
We didn't, and as a result we let people down. Liberal Democrats, that is not acceptable to me.
For a party that cherishes equality and women's rights, we have no excuse for failing to live up to the highest standards in the treatment of women. The standards we - rightly - expect of others.
I joined this party because I believe in empowerment; freedom; dignity. I believe that, where an individual feels that they have been badly treated, or that power has been abused, they must have confidence that those concerns will be properly addressed.
That's why we have set up two inquiries. The first to look at the allegations that have been made, led by Alistair Webster QC. And the second, independent inquiry, to look at our party's procedures, organisational culture and how allegations made in the past have been handled.
We announced earlier today that this will be led by Helena Morrissey - who is known for her unmatched expertise in pushing equality and diversity at the top of the corporate world. And I will personally put in place whatever additional safeguards are needed.
In the meantime, we have set up a whistle-blower hotline, run by Public Concern at Work, for those who have information to come forward and to receive confidential advice. We have made counselling services available for those in need of support. And we will of course co-operate with the police if and when appropriate.
I will drive whatever changes are necessary to stop this ever happening again.
From now on, if you feel you have been a victim of harassment, it will be easy and straightforward to report it. And if you report it, it will be investigated fully and acted on effectively.
But the lessons we must learn are not just about the rules and processes we must put in place. This is about something bigger than that. It is about the way we conduct ourselves. It's about treating one another with respect.
Sexism must have no place in the Liberal Democrats. Harassment must have no place in the Liberal Democrats. Abuse of power and position must have no place in the Liberal Democrats.
I won't tolerate it. Our party should be better than that.
It is often said that Westminster is an old boy's club. It is. Parliament is stuffed full, in both the Commons and Lords, of hundreds and hundreds of men and precious few women. Men outnumber women by nearly four to one.
Too often, barriers are put in front of talented and committed women to stop them progressing. It's a male world, made by men for men, occupied for centuries by men and designed to work to the advantage of men. And Westminster is far from the only boy's club in our country.
In business, in the legal profession, in journalism and in countless workplaces up and down the country, men dominate and men make the rules. Where the man at the next desk does the same job as you but gets paid more. Where you're in a meeting full of men and you're treated like your voice doesn't count. Where you want to progress in your career but know that starting a family will make it impossible to get ahead.
In 21st century Britain there are glass ceilings for women everywhere you look. The loss of talent is immense. Our economy, and more importantly our entire society, misses out.
We need a culture change, in Westminster and beyond. If we want to lead that change then we have to set an example.
I am proud of what the Liberal Democrats are doing to make our country and our world a place where all women can have the same opportunities as men. The Liberal Democrats are building a stronger economy. To do that we need to harness the talents of women across the country.
And we are building a fairer society - where women are free to realise their potential.
Modern empowerment is about creating choices and spreading opportunity. This April, we will have cut taxes for millions of working people by £600, by raising the point at which you start paying Income Tax.
And because women are disproportionately in part-time work and low-paid jobs, it is women who benefit the most: as of this April, 1.3m women on low pay will no longer pay Income Tax at all.
We are levelling the playing field by introducing shared parental leave and flexible working - policies Liberal Democrats have campaigned on for years.
And they can be transformative. Right now, if a young couple are expecting a baby and they sit down to discuss how they will balance work and home. A life changing experience boils down to basic sums: How will we manage our income? How much will bills cost? How many hours do we need to work and where does childcare fit in?
And it's an equation where the answer is so often rigged because, whichever way you look at it, the solution ends up being the mother doing more of the caring, and the father doing more of the earning - even if that isn't what the young couple wants.
She gets the year-long maternity leave; after that, the expectation is she'll continue to be the primary carer - so she's the one who goes part-time. Lower pay, fewer shots at promotion. Work less, earn less.
It's heartbreaking to watch women who feel forced to lower their ambitions for themselves. And it's heartbreaking to see fathers missing out on being with their children.
As a father, I find the outdated assumption that men should go out and work and women should stay at home and look after the children frankly absurd.
So we are giving mothers and fathers more choice to decide for themselves how to balance their families and their careers. And we're helping parents with childcare, with more free early years education for all three and four-year-olds and for two-year-olds from lower income families.
That's not all we're doing.
At the top of our biggest companies, Vince Cable is pushing for greater and greater female representation in the boardroom. And he's getting results - there are now only seven FTSE 100 companies with all-male boards, down from 21 in 2010.
That's important progress, but we have to keep up momentum. There was some worrying evidence reported today, which warns this may have stalled. And Lord Davies is right to say that, if we don't make sufficient progress in the future, we may need to move to a more direct approach, like quotas.
For those whose working life is over we are levelling the playing field too. A generous new flat rate pension - designed and delivered by Steve Webb - means that women will no longer be punished in retirement for taking time out of their working lives to raise children or care for relatives.
We are creating a safer society for women, with measures to tackle domestic violence, forced marriage and stalking. And tonight, you'll hear from Lynne Featherstone how we have put lifting women and girls out of poverty at the heart of our international aid policy.
Lynne and I recently visited a dusty, old school in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, to see how an aid scheme to fund girls' education that I announced in 2011 - the biggest of its kind ever - was being put into practice. The children travelled from miles and miles around to get to the school.
And despite the poverty, despite the conditions, the young girls we met there dreamed big. Every single one of them wanted to be an engineer, or a doctor, or a lawyer. One even said she wanted to be Prime Minister. I said I had no doubt she could achieve it.
To think that girls like those Lynne and I met in Ethiopia might have their ambitions crushed just because they are girls - that they might die younger and live their lives in poverty and servitude - is devastating.
In Ethiopia, fewer than one in six girls go to secondary school. And we know the difference education can make to their lives. Girls who are educated will earn more. They are more likely to marry later. They are more likely to get themselves and their babies immunised against fatal diseases and those who have a secondary education are three times less likely to be HIV positive.
To meet them, to hear their stories and their ambitions, brings home the difference we - the Liberal Democrats - can make to their lives. At home and abroad, the Liberal Democrats are helping women take more control over their careers, their money and their lives.
But there is one area where we have not provided enough opportunity for women - in our own ranks. We need more female councillors, assembly members, MSPs and MEPs. And we need more women Liberal Democrats MPs.
I'm proud that we've already selected Julia Cambridge in Chesterfield, Claire Thomas in Hull, and Judith Bunting in Newbury. I'm proud that Layla Moran, who spoke so passionately and eloquently at our last conference rally in Brighton, was the first of our Leadership Programme candidates to be selected in Oxford West and Abingdon.
And you'll hear from another of our fantastic female Leadership Programme candidates, Sarah Yong, this evening. I know she'll be hugely impressive on stage tonight. But she'll be even more impressive when she's in Parliament.
Our job now is to get these women, and those we select in the coming months, elected. And my challenge to you - in every selection committee you sit on, with every candidate you support and every vote you cast - is to consider how you can help us change for the better.
When I speak to our leadership programme candidates I know that the future of our party is bright. When I saw the huge numbers of young people pile through the doors of our HQ in Eastleigh, I could see that the future of our party is bright.
We must be a more diverse party. And we will be a better party for it.
It now gives me great pleasure to introduce someone who has smashed more glass ceilings and done more for women in our politics and our party than just about anyone - Shirley Williams.
Last weekend we passed a milestone for our party - our 25th anniversary. A quarter of a century since the Liberal Party and the SDP merged and the Liberal Democrats were created. We have come a very long way.
So many times in those two and a half decades we have been written off. But every time we confounded our critics. The history of the Liberal Democrats is marked with elections we were not supposed to win: Eastbourne; Ribble Valley; Kincardine and Deeside; Newbury; Christchurch; Eastleigh (the first time); Littleborough and Saddleworth; Winchester; Romsey; Brent East; Leicester South; Dunfermline and West Fife.
So how better to mark that milestone - to celebrate our birthday - than by doing what we have done over and over when the chips were down: win a crucial by-election.
What we did eight days ago was remarkable. People said that by joining the Coalition we would lose our identity, our soul. That it would make it impossible to win elections in our own right. Some said that we were finished.
We proved, once again, you should never write off the Liberal Democrats. But it wasn't just about last Thursday.
For the three weeks beforehand, hundreds and hundreds of you turned out day after day, rain or shine, to make sure we won. We smashed our own by-election records left, right and centre:
- More volunteers through the door every day than ever before;
- More phone calls, from all over the country, than ever before;
- More donations from individuals than ever before.
What was especially exciting was how many young people took part in the campaign - many of whom were not even born 25 years ago. Everyone who came to Eastleigh saw the enthusiasm, the energy and the vibrancy of our campaign.
I want to thank every single one of you for all your effort and commitment. I want to thank Keith House and his formidable Eastleigh team. Victoria Marsom, our superb campaign manager, and Hilary Stephenson, our deputy chief executive. Two brilliant women who masterminded our by-election campaign. And, of course, our new MP for Eastleigh - Mike Thornton.
The unspoken story of the last year has been that Liberal Democrats are winning again. In council by-elections in every corner of the country, Conservative-facing and Labour-facing, we have been making gain after gain after gain.
Last year, contrary to the impression you'd get from the media, we actually made an overall gain at council by-elections. And then came Eastleigh.
It was not a campaign we wanted to have to fight. The circumstances that caused it were not ones we would ever have wished for. But we dusted ourselves off and we said bring it on. Our opponents threw everything they had at us. Controversy dominated the headlines. And yet, despite all that, we won.
Now no one can be in any doubt: the Liberal Democrats are winning again. And we won't stop here.
This May, we have county council elections across England. Many, once again, in areas where our principle rivals are the Conservatives. We showed in Eastleigh what we have always known - where we work we win.
So take nothing for granted. Work, work and work some more. If you do, we can and will win. In Eastleigh we showed something else too. We have a fantastic record locally - cutting council tax, creating jobs and protecting green spaces.
And we have a fantastic record nationally - cutting people's taxes, boosting the state pension, more money for schools, and creating more apprenticeships than ever before.
In Eastleigh, we didn't shy away from being in government, we embraced it and we campaigned on it with confidence. Every leaflet had a local message and a national message.
We won not in spite of being in power, we won because we are in power - locally and nationally.
I heard, shortly after the result, the Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps explaining that the Conservatives lost Eastleigh because governing parties don't win mid-term by-elections. I know denial can be a powerful thing, but he seemed to have missed entirely what happened.
Well, Grant Shapps I've got news for you. The Conservatives might not be able to win by-elections when they're in government. But the Liberal Democrats can. So when you speak to people ahead of May's elections, tell them what you are doing for them and their community locally.
And tell them what we are doing nationally. Tell them how we are building a stronger economy and a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life. Tell them what we are doing and they will respond.
And when our opponents tell us we are finished, remember Eastleigh. Remember what we did, together, for three weeks in February. Remember the buzz, and the enthusiasm. Remember how it felt when the result was announced.
When people tell you we don't have a chance, tell them: The Liberal Democrats are winning again.
