The conference season is under way. Liberal Democrats traditionally open the three-week policy-fest in Bournemouth, followed by Labour in Brighton, then Conservatives in Manchester.

New Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has secured a conference coup by landing another Conservative MP defector, Sam Gyimah. I know Sam well and am sorry to see him leave our ranks.

It is the Lib Dem strategy for Brexit that is grabbing the headlines. Jo Swinson is clear: Lib Dems will cancel Brexit, revoking Article 50.

There have been howls of protest that this is anti-democratic, going back on the will of 17.4 million voters.

But to be fair, they will only be able to implement this policy if enough people vote for them in a general election.

To command a majority in the Commons, they must grow their ranks of MPs from their current 18 (six of them defectors from other parties) to around 320.

It’s not going to happen and we all can democratically cast our vote on what we think of their, and everyone else’s, policies in due course.

Meanwhile, Theresa May continues to upset people from the backbenches. As is traditional, an outgoing prime minister can hand out awards to those who she feels need to be rewarded.

This is usually for those who have served the PM well, but can be for others too.

Theresa May has been a champion of women’s rights, equality and fairness. One of her better ideas was a bill on domestic violence, fallen by the wayside due to prorogation.

May started Women 2 Win, an organisation I co-chaired, seeking to get more women into the Conservative benches. This is one of her key areas. She is also a bit of a cricket fan.

Whilst not being much of a sports fan myself, I do see that notable sportsmen and women should be recognised in the honours list.

But in so doing, it is important to look at the individual in the wider context.

So how was it possible that Theresa May, champion of women’s rights and justice, could think that awarding a knighthood to a convicted girlfriend assaulter would not result in huge protests from the groups that she has worked so hard for over the years?

Irrespective of one’s views on Geoffrey Boycott (his conviction was more than two decades ago), it was an extraordinary, tin-eared, act by Theresa May.