It’s conference season. Instead of returning to Westminster after our holidays, MPs head for the seaside all over again.
By long-established custom the political parties have each autumn held their main conferences in some far off coastal town. The Lib Dems go first, then Labour, and finally the Conservatives. We always have the last week; I don’t know why – perhaps because we are the oldest party.
After the war we used to go to places like Llandudno and Scarborough,
even Margate. But then the conference simply became too big: with
nearly 4,000 delegates, 2,000 observers and another 2,000 media, we
were restricted to the larger resorts with enough hotel beds to go
round.
The pattern was north every other year – always Blackpool – and either
Brighton or Bournemouth in between. Then we fell out with Brighton,
allegedly because one year the Labour Mayor misused her official
welcome speech to lambast the Tory Government, so it became just
Bournemouth (my favourite) and Blackpool.
This year David Cameron has modernised us. We’re off to Birmingham for
the first time. Next year it’s Manchester, so the pattern is broken.
The traditional conference has changed too. In the old days it was
virtually a full week, with representatives (never “delegates”)
arriving on Monday evening for four full days of debate, culminating in
the Leader’s Speech on the Friday afternoon.
But few people can afford to take a full week off work these days, so
all the parties have cut back. This year the Conservatives are only
meeting from Sunday evening until Wednesday teatime.
What’s the conference for? It’s not for MPs. It’s really the
opportunity for party members – the activists in the local associations
– to have their say and to meet the shadow cabinet. And there’s the
chance for aspiring candidates to make their mark in the debates, as
William Hague famously did when he was just 16 years old.
As well as the main conference debates, there’s a lively fringe of
single issue meetings at lunchtime or early evening. This year I’m due
to chair a debate on Conservative tax policy.
The point is for those at the top of the party to test their policies
and their popularity with the people who do the work – the constituency
parties who deliver leaflets and canvass in elections. Despite all
attempts at stage management, the annual conference is where the
leadership is accountable.
Each year there’s been a good turnout from my local party in Sevenoaks.
We always try to meet up for a drink or a meal. Now, does anybody know
a friendly restaurant in Birmingham?
