It’s that time of the year when political nerds from all over the country come together to celebrate all that’s great and wonderful about UK party politics. Yes, it’s conference season. Again. It seems to come around earlier and earlier every year (in fact, Reform have already had theirs) but marking the end of summer and the start of a very busy political autumn, conferences are a go-go. As the party’s parties get into full swing, 56 is here to take you through what to expect, what you need to know and what to possibly avoid.
Liberal Democrats
Welcome to (usually) sunny Brighton. Lib Dems have generally chosen the English south coast for their autumn conference (with Bournemouth as the alternative to Brighton) after a couple of years in Glasgow in the early 2010s. Make of that what you will. As delegates descend on the seaside, they are still trying to wrestle with having far more MPs than the Greens or Reform but a zillionth of the coverage and interest. Leader Sir Ed Davey may never be accused of lacking energy or drive but as politics polarises, the party’s fight for attention gets even more challenging.
What to look out for: A typical Sir Ed stunt probably featuring the seaside, a wetsuit and some oversized yellow props.
What to avoid: See above.
Labour
The King of the North, and Everton fan, Andy Burnham will have a chance to properly celebrate his ascension to the throne among his own folk as Liverpool once again hosts Labour. Conference is the PM’s biggest opportunity yet to set out his future plans (and roll the pitch for the upcoming Budget) and get a boost in the polls, so expect a few voter-friendly policy announcements and very few open disagreements among reasonably happy delegates.
What to look out for: Labour’s front bench vying to be the dance floor sensation during those late-night parties
What to avoid: Too many late-night parties. There are more conferences ahead, folks!
Conservatives
Kemi Badenoch arrives in Birmingham in good spirits. Her arch-nemesis Nigel Farage hasn’t had his troubles to seek and has seen Reform dip in the polls even with £72 million in the bank from wealthy donors.
With much less cash to play with, Kemi is doing a pretty good job, has already seen off one PM at the Despatch Box and is doing her level best to make life tricky for the new one. Party stabilisation is one thing but moving on up might be this year’s theme. The level of business interest may signal how credible the outside world thinks the prospect of a Tory government in 2029 is going to be.
What to look out for: People pointing at the TV saying, “Who is that?” when new Shadow Cabinet members make their speeches.
What to avoid: Wearing anything turquoise.
SNP
It should be a celebration in Aberdeen (or the outskirts of Aberdeen, to be precise), with a fifth Scottish election win in a row and a new government, but the natives aren’t entirely happy. The SNP primarily exists to make Scotland independent, and despite 19 years in power, the prospect of separation doesn’t feel that much closer. John Swinney will be looking to energise his supporters around the government’s policies and at the same time offer a credible acceleration towards a new referendum.
What to look out for: Pretenders to the Swinney throne fluttering their eyelashes at delegates and battling for attention on the stage even though no vacancy exists.
What to avoid: Saying “I thought the conference was in Aberdeen? I can almost see Peterhead from here.” when you arrive at the P&J Live venue.
