The British Political Conference Season - The Insider Media Perspective

We're in the middle of the political conference season. Ed Miliband will be delivering his keynote speech to the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this afternoon following Nick Clegg's speech last week to the Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham. Next week it will be David Cameron's turn in the Tory conference. Here in Wales, Plaid Cymru also had their annual autumn gathering two weeks ago.

Whilst I was in Birmingham last week, I spent a few hours at the bar in the company of one of Wales' political reporters. We had a good chat about all things political and rugby (it is World Cup season after all!) and I asked him how in his experience, did the different political party conferences compare. What he relayed to me gave a fascinating insight into a media perspective on these political gatherings.

He said that in his view the Liberal Democrat conference was a 'very nice' kind of gathering. The kind where delegates will drink a cup of tea and have a sandwich. Certainly more professional now that we're in government compared to how it was in years gone by but still with a sense of eccentricity about it. I can't really disagree with that! What interested me particularly though was his view on the conferences of the other parties as I have no insider knowledge of them.

When it came to the 'fun' stakes, he said the Labour Party conference, particularly in Wales, was the worst. It was tribal and from what he was implying, didn't have any redeeming features of which to speak. I suppose the inner-party rivalries and the factionalism that was rife during the latter part of their 13 years in power took its toll internally.  His take on the Plaid Cymru conference was interesting in that he said in recent years, particularly since they went into government in Cardiff in 2007, they had tried to become more professional themselves and had lost a lot of the 'fun' aspect that had been before. It is now apparently, a party conference that runs on media spin and policy soundbites more than ever before.

But it was his take on the Conservative conference which for me was the most interesting. The Conservative Conference he said was easily the most enjoyable. He said that it was their over the top exhuberance that made it so much more lively than any of the others. Whilst liberals might be drinking tea and eating sandwiches, Tories would be drinking champagne and dining much more lavishly. I suppose this is the Conservative way.

He said that out of all of the party conferences, the worst in his personal opinion as a neutral observer was the Labour conference. The Lib Dem and the Plaid Cymru conferences came in on about par with each other but the Conservative Party conference was far ahead of the rest.

I know of friends who visit all party conferences on behalf of their work, and it would be interesting to hear whether this is the kind of view also held by those working in the voluntary sector or in private enterprise. For whilst this is only one political reporters take on this rather unique and quirky part of British political life, it surely must resonate with others who have experienced the goings-on at all of the party conferences in recent years?

Personally, I'm just thankful that I don't have to attend them all. 5 days at the Liberal Democrat Federal Conference per year is more than enough for me. It is an exhausting few days and I don't know how those lobbyists who live on the conference circuit manage to do so!

The one where Nick Robinson was turned away by security: A 2011 Birmingham Lib Dem Conference Review

I've been away for a week in Birmingham at the annual autumn Liberal Democrat party conference. Having not had a foreign holiday this year (for the first time since 2004), this was a welcome opportunity to stretch the legs even if the distance to the middle of the country didn't match that of my furthest trip away to Thailand back in 2008. Unlike last year, I decided to keep my laptop at home this time and to blog about it on my return. With it being my 35th party conference over the past 9 years (if my memory serves me correctly), I have much to be able to compare it too.

A Lib Dem conference perspective from Northern Ireland by Stephen Glenn can be read here and likewise another view from Sheffield boy Anders Hanson can be read here. For a Scotitish flavour, Caron had all angles covered. This meanwhile is my distinctively Welsh flavoured perspective on proceedings.

Another 5 days of amusing anecdotes came to a particularly surreal conclusion before my early departure on Wednesday morning. For personal reasons I changed my plans at the last minute and decided to leave for home early which meant missing Kirsty Williams' speech as Welsh Liberal Democrat leader and that of Nick Clegg who closed the conference. Instead, my last action of the week was a set of Radio Cymru and Radio Wales interviews in the ICC. I arrived a few minutes early at 7.55am, only to be told by the police that the security scanners would not be operational until 8am. This would prove tricky as I was expected on air after 8am and would have to walk right around the back of the ICC to the media entrance to gain entry entry in time. As it so happens, seconds later up came Nick Robinson the BBC's political editor seeking entry for a similar reason. I expected to see the police wave him through due to his 'importance' but I must admit to being rather pleased to see him being given the same treatment that I had just been subjected too. With an audible huff, he briskly made his way around the longer 5 minute alternative route around the building and I duly followed him. We both got to our destinations at 8am but it must be said that he did so quicker than I did - I've been known to walk quickly but Nick Robinson outpaced me at an impressive rate!

On arriving back at my hotel to pack for my departure, I was met at the entrance waiting for his taxi, by the immense presence of our Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael. I've only come to know Alistair well over recent months but in that time I've become a big fan and it was a nice way to end conference to see him greet me as I crossed the road towards him.

These events ended what had been another exhausting conference week.

The Policy
It must be said that the mood was one of a party in robust and quietly determined form. From the sheer bemusement of Liverpool 2010 when all walked around in a state of incredulity that the liberals were in government, here now was a party that was much more at ease and settled with itself and understood its role as a responsible party of Government.

No real dramas, no real nasty surprises, no real rebellions with which the media pack could get their teeth into. No, this was a week when the party exerted its controlled opinions on issues of importance such as the NHS reforms whilst acknowledging that we do so now from a position of strength in government and not a position of forlorn hopelessness on the opposition benches.

Things aren't going to be easy, but governing in the national interest is the right thing to do - the simple and unavoidable message from all at the Birmingham 2011 conference.

The Football
Away from the speeches and policy debates, it was a busy time to catch-up with old friends and to meet new ones. I also took the unique opportunity of a Lib Dem conference in Birmingham to make my first visit to the mecca that is Villa Park for some 7 or 8 years. Ironically, it was against the same Newcastle opposition that I saw at my first ever match at Villa Park with my father back some 16 years ago back in 1995 when Kevin Keegan's men were atop the Premiership table. With added irony, the 1-1 draw scoreline from that match was replicated last Saturday. It could've been better yet it could've been worse so on balance, I'll take a point.

The Fringes
The now traditional Roger Williams MP led RSPCA curry and beer night fringe was again well attended and quite bizzarely, our table which was headed up by both Roger and Mark Williams MP, won the quiz! That was followed by a very enjoyable 'Welsh Night' in which our hosts All Bar One had to put up with what I felt was a rousing rendition of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau by Ollie Dunckley, Chris Took and I - it duly won us a deserved round of applause!

My favourite fringes of the week had to be at the Guardian when an irritable James Landale from the BBC rightly provoked the ire of Paddy Ashdown and Lynne Featherstone who responded with no mercy but with great applause from the assembled throng. Also the Lib Dem History Group's launch of its new history on British liberalism in the company of Shirely Williams and once more, our Paddy.

My Aberystwyth Student Lib Dem Children
It was great to catch up with so many friends from over the years and many of them hailed from earlier times as a student in Aberystwyth University. Indeed this autumn marks the 10th anniversary of the incarnation of the current Liberal Democrat student society in the University as started by Andrew Falconer and Stuart Garlick and which I tentatively got involved in at that time. Over the past decade I have seen students come and students go. Some have moved on to higher things in the party whilst others have remained close friends whilst making a career outside of politics.

I caught up with many of them this past week and helped introduce many from our current intake to the weird but wonderful world of the Liberal Democrat conference. I must admit that as the 'Elder Statesman' of the group, I take a great paternalistic pride at seeing what at once were quiet but keen members grow to become positive, committed and enthusiastic members of the party but more importantly than that, to be good liberals. If my attempt at support and encouragement has helped them in their development as good human beings in any way over the past decade, then I am immensly proud to have played my part.

The Finale - Glee Club
It was particularly pleasing to be able to introduce at least 4 of our students to the almost indescribable event that is Glee Club (although Caron gives a good account of it here). Anyone who knows me within these circles will testify that I am not a Glee Club apologist. I adore it and its crazy, self-depracating ways and I will shout it loud and proud to anyone who will listen.

It really is like Marmite is Glee Club - you'll love it and come back for more each time or you'll never touch it with a 10 foot barge pole for as long as you live. I'm glad to report that my students unsurprisingly fell into the former category with myself. As Caron said in her piece, the comic singing interspersed with patriotic renditions (I led Glee Club in Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau and Cwn Rhondda!) and comedy turns from prominent Members of Parliament makes it an uniquely surreal experience for any first-timer. I also took slightly less clear photos of Paddy Ashdown (it's that man again!) whilst doing his (in) famous joke and also Party President Tim Farron whilst leading his rousing version of the Ting Ting's That's Not My Name which though only in its 3rd year is already becoming a cult classic!

Paddy Ashdown, one more time...
But I was destined to bump into our Paddy just one more time before I left. Whilst waiting for my interview for Radio Cymru on Wednesday morning, Paddy came down beside me to do an interview with Radio Wales. His with Ollie Hides began and Betsan Powys the BBC Wales Political Editor did all she could to stall the Welsh interview with me until the one being broadcast live a foot away from us came to an end. But time run out and we had to begin our Welsh interview despite the live 'interference' from the English interview alongside us! It's the first and probably the last time that I'll find myself going up against Paddy Ashdown!

So, the curtain came down on another conference. It was sad to leave because as I now rarely visit the spring weekend Federal conferences, this is often the only time of the year when I get to catch up with my extended British Liberal Democrat family in full. But at the same time, it is exhausting and I was more than ready to go home knowing that I had yet more anecdotes and stories to tell to the next generation of Liberal Democrat activists.

I'm ready for the Lib Dem conference, but is the Lib Dem conference ready for me?

The shambolic preparations for the 2011 Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham continues.

With just 10 days to go, scores of members are still awaiting to be given their accreditation to attend. Many have already paid for their travel and accommodation but are currently in limbo. Others meanwhile have delayed the booking of such until they've got confirmation that they can attend which means they'll have to pay more for last minute accommodation and transport once the clearance has finally been given (if it is in fact given).

10 days to go and still not knowing what is happening? Taking away the issue of the principle at stake which is a seperate matter, the process that is currently dealing with delegates' registrations is proving cumbersome and unfit for purpose. It's madness. Pure and simple.

Proper Planning Prevents...
I had my accreditation e-mail last month and as a result have been able to confirm my arrangements.

I booked my hotel room at the Etap on a good recommendation from York's Nick Love a few months ago and I booked my train tickets last week. This for me is rather unheard of - even whilst everything else has fallen into place the weeks running up to a conference, I've never planned my transport so far in advance. But my very reasonably £29 priced return train tickets arrived in the post yesterday.

Ready for a trip to my Nirvana - Villa Park

I've also gone a step forward and taking the opportunity to buy myself two tickets for the Aston Villa Vs Newcastle match on the Saturday afternoon having not been to Villa Park for some 7 or 8 years. At a bargain £40 deal for both tickets, I'll be delighted to lap up the atmosphere of the Hotle End. The tickets likewise landed on my doormat this morning.

So I am ready for conference. But is conference ready for me? Clearly not. Because whilst I've been accredited (for which I suppose I should be thankful) and have received my first conference pack as I commented with some excitment at the time here, I am still waiting for my conference pass to arrive in the post along with the second conference pack. This is rather frustrating. Normally, both packs will have been posted out by the end of August but here I am with barely a week to go before my train leaves Aberystwyth and I'm still unable to plan the detail of my week because that second pack with information on conference fringe events and training opportunites is still lost somewhere in the ether.

Yes, I'm aware that this information is on-line but I'm a conference traditionalist. Just like with the Xmas edition of the Radio Times, I want the hard copy on my lap so I can circle all of those fringes and policy debates that I want to attend. I want to see the fringe clashes in black and white and have to work through which ones I'll attend and which ones I'll have to miss.

But I can't do that yet and that's frustrating.

For once, I'm completely ready for conference except, that conference isn't ready for me.

A Gareth Epps Sized Lib Dem Conference Security Farce

I've been following with some incredulity this evening an astonishing exchange of messages on Facebook between Gareth Epps and the Chair of the Liberal Democrat Federal Conference Committee (FCC), Andrew Wiseman.

A few days ago, I received an e-mail that said:

"Dear Mark, just to confirm, we have received information from Greater Manchester Police that you have been successfully accredited for the upcoming Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference 2011. Your conference pass will be posted to you in September".

My e-mail response to the Lib Dem conference office was this:

"It's good to know. I was worried my past in the Colombian rainforests would come back to bite me. Maybe next year?"

The additional security measures at this year's conference has been met with hostility by a great number of long-standing liberals who deem the illiberal measures enacted for this September's Birmingham conference as a front against our civil liberties.

I sympathise with the sentiment and feel that having been a regular voting conference attendee, as designated by my local party for nearly a decade now, the concept of being 'checked out' by the police to ensure that I am suitable to attend is pretty demeaning.

But then I suppose I should count my blessings because at least I've been given permission to attend.

Gareth Epps
The same can not be said for many long-standing members who have had difficulties with their accreditation. Despite having paid for accommodation and planned for travel months in advance, delegates are now facing the uncertainty of whether they can attend or not.

Gareth Epps

More so, hundreds of already paid-up delegates are still awaiting news from Greater Manchester Police and are therefore in a state of limbo with only 2 weeks to go.

Gareth Epps is one of those in the former category and anyone who knows him realises what a ludicrous situation this is. Andrew Wiseman the FCC Chair has reacted on Gareth's Facebook wall tonight in a very matter of fact way which has not helped matters. Complaints that Gareth hasn't been sending the right passport style photo through to the conference office is missing the point entirely. Gareth Epps is a long-standing and well known Liberal Democrat activist, Federal Committee member and PPC (and nearly an MP in Reading for his efforts). He's opinionated, passionate in his views and is also very importantly, a keen member of the conference Glee Club.

Gareth Epps you could almost say is your stereotypical Liberal Democrat conference delegate for crying out loud and he's being refused entry now not only apparently by the police but by our own conference committee! If this can happen to someone like Gareth Epps who has the stomach to raise his voice and fight back against the authorities and these draconian measures, what about the quieter members who may not be so confident to challenge these dubious decisions? How many delegates may end up missing the conference because of these ill-conceived measures?

It is a complete and utter bloody farce.

Andrew Wiseman and his committee need to sort this out with a cold, sharp dose of common sense. If the likes of Gareth aren't able to enter conference, there'll be a blood-bath on the conference floor in the debate on this very issue on Sunday morning and it will be the members of the FCC that will be scrapped off the walls.

What's that coming over the hill? Is it a Conference? A Lib Dem Conference?

Oh yes it is.

I can't pretend that I wasn't ever so slightly excited when I saw the big brown package waiting for me in the post on Friday morning. I've been waiting for it for a few days now and what it signifies is that we are now on the cusp of the autumn party conference season.

I explained quite comprehensively here last September, why I enjoy attending Liberal Democrat conferences so much.

It really does feel like a family environment to me. Politics is an intense environment and it is comforting at times to be in the likeminded company of those who believe in the same values as yourself. I commented here about that growing Lib Dem family of mine after I attended Andrew Reeves' memorial service in London last month.

33 Lib Dem Conferences...and counting...
By my reckoning, this will be my 34th Liberal Democrat conference in a shade under 10 years since my first conference in Manchester in the Spring of 2002.

I have attended 19 Welsh conferences in that time (including the special conference in 2007 to discuss the formation of a possible Rainbow Assembly Coalition with Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives). Indeed, since my first Welsh Liberal Democrat conference in Llandudno in the Spring of 2002, I have been an ever present apart from the autumn conference in Llandrindod Wells in 2004. In addition, I have attended 14 Federal conferences including every major autumn conference since my first in Brighton in 2003.

Birmingham 2011
So my first venture to a conference in Birmingham will by 15th at a UK-wide level. The pre-conference documentation arrives in two seperate batches - firstly the agenda and policy papers in early August and then at the end of the month, the Conference Directory and Training Guide.

The good news begins merely in the fact that the first pack arrived in the first place. The added security arrangements this year have caused great controversy amongst the rank-and-file and the new hoops that had to be lept through to register was quite off-putting. So the fact that pack 'A' has arrived means that my mamouth attempt to register on-line was not in vain!

I have also already booked into central and more than reasonably priced accommodation for the week so I'm all set for the trip.

I will have to wait for pack 'B' to arrive to plan my whole week around fringe events, training events and policy debates but the first glimpse at the agenda brings a number of very interesting topics to the fore.

The Agenda - Policy Debates & Speeches
The fact that we're now in Government means that our debates mean so much more than they did when we were in opposition. The result of the NHS debate in the Sheffield spring conference led to a change on Government tack on changes to the health service - a clear sign that having the Liberal Democrats in government is helping to moderate the worst excesses of the Conservative Party.

A significant debate on late Sunday afternoon titled 'Protecting Individuals and Communities from Drug Harms' will see the party debate a call for a government-backed inquiry into the decriminalisation of drugs as reported here on the BBC website and as Steph Ashley excellently comments on here in what is a welcome return to blogging after a 9 month hiatus.

Another debate which I expect to find overwhelming support amongst delegates will be the one on Tuesday morning titled 'Science Not Stigma: Ending the Blood Ban' which will focus the fire on the Blood Service for refusing to take blood donations from homosexual men who practise safe sex when hetrosexual men and women who have had unprotected sex can give blood after just one year. With blood stocks running low, this is a scandal.

I'm also looking forward to the 'Community Politics' debate later that same day which will reaffirm the party's commitment to a form of bottom-up politics that has stood it in good stead for some 40 years. This is more important now than ever before since we've become entwined with difficult decision making in Westminster. The Ceredigion Liberal Democrat local party were one of the many who jointly put it forward alongside Party President Tim Farron. I will also take great interest in the debates on 'phone hacking and the Arab Awakening.

Finally, to go back to my earlier barb about the additional security measures introduced by the police for this now Government influencing conference, I will take great interest in the Sunday morning debate on these changes and the attempt by the grass-roots to rest its conference back from the contol of the apparatchiks. I rather wish them well in their attempt and will have my voting card on the day to make my individual mark in this and all of the other debates which I have mentioned above and more.

In addition, there will be the keynote speech by Nick Clegg to close conference but also a Q&A session with him in which party members can ask what they like without any pre-warning. There'll be speeches by Vince Cable and Chris Huhne which I will also want to hear as well as one by Steve Webb MP the Minister for Pensions (a particularly important issue for me representing as I am an area with a high proporition of elderly residents). I'll be looking forward also to Kirsty Williams' speech as our Welsh leader on the final day following what will also be a very interesting Q&A session on international affairs with amongst others, Paddy Ashdown.

So there's much going on but the above is a mere drop in the ocean of what will be occurring during the course of those 5 days in Birmingham.

I can't wait for pack 'B' to arrive in the coming weeks for me to complete my plans. But come what may, I have a particular plan for the Saturday afternoon - I'm off to Villa Park to watch my boys take on Newcastle! Well, kill two birds with one stone and all that!

A Proud British Piers Geek

Although situated in the opposite part of the country from where I type, I was distressed to read this morning that Hastings Pier has gone up in flames overnight and has caused some 95% damage to the upper structure.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-11473688

For some unfathonable reason, I've got a rather geeky love of British Piers. Ok, well it probably is fathonable and like with many things in my life, I can lay the blame with the Liberal Democrats.

Over the past 8 years, I have travelled the length and breadth of Britain's seaside towns on my annual visit to the autumn 'seaside' Liberal Democrat conference. In fact, this month's conference in Liverpool broke quite a trend - it was the first since I began going to autumn conferences in 2003, which did not have a Pier stuck at the end of it.

2003 - Brighton
2004 - Bournemouth
2005 - Blackpool
2006 - Brighton
2007 - Brighton
2008 - Bournemouth
2009 - Bournemouth

Indeed, I've also been to Liberal Democrat spring conferences in Torquay (2003) and Southport (2004). We've also held Welsh Liberal Democrat Conferences in Llandudno (2002 & 2008).

What do they all have in common? They all have Piers.

Pier-tastic
So, over the years I've grown to have a great attachment to these 19th century, Victorian fetes of engineering. They remind me of happy, enjoyable days away with my extended liberal  family. They have almost entirely been trips that have been welcomed with wonderful weather which of course has added to the fond memories.

Brighton though for me, has always been a sad conference because looking out from the Grand Hotel on the sea front, is the ruin of it's west pier which was itself destroyed by fire in March 2003, just months before my first visit there.

Closer to home, Aberystwyth of course has a Pier allbeit a shortened one from the original opened in 1865 after a storm in 1938 destroyed half of it.

A Proud Pier Geek
So, bizzarely, I've found myself to have been surrounded by this idyllic image of the Pier and it's one I now know, which will always stay with me.

Indeed, I've been meaning too, but have not yet done, but will, join the National Piers Society. http://www.piers.org.uk/

It's the old romantic and the historian in me all rolled into one I think that has made me an oddly keen enthusiast for this rather eccentric piece of British heritage. Mind you, as this BBC interview from 2008 shows, I'm not the only one. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7537242.stm

A Sad Day for Hastings
So it is with this in mind that I was particularly sad to find this morning that Hastings has overnight, associated itself with Weston-Super-Mare and Brighton as recent examples of piers that have fallen on particularly bad times.

There are in fact, or so says the National Piers Society website, 58 piers currently standing in the UK. Unless I'm mistaken, I've been/seen a poultry 11 or 12 of them. I must do better and visit more of those that we still have before they join the list of the 40 that have already disappeared.

Conference Blog: Day 6 (Wednesday - Goodbye)

The last day of a conference has always felt like a wake for me. After days of enjoyment in great company and contributing to the future well-being of my party, it really is a sad feeling to have to tear myself away from what I see as my extended family.

Vince Cable
The day began with the obligatory packing which automatically puts you into 'Goodbye' mode. After leaving my bags in the hotel storage, I made my way to the conference auditorium in the Echo Arena for the final time to hear Vince Cable's key note speech as Secretary of State for Business.

Vince gave a sharp, sombre but very well received oration which brought the conference to an excellent conclusion.

In fact, the conference continued until 4pm but I was to leave at lunchtime to get back home in good time. So Vince Cable's speech was my final piece of the action in Liverpool '10 and it was a good way to leave it. I then bought a few books at the Lib Dem History Group stand before a final walk around the Jury Inn conference bar to say my goodbyes. In particular, I bumped into the Chief Executive of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Martin Haymer and the Leader of Portsmouth City Council Gerald Vernon-Jackson.

Lib Dem MP Bingo
As I left, I noticed two more MPs who had avaded me throughout the week. This brought my 'Lib Dem MP Bingo' final tally to what I think is a very respectable 46 out of 57. For the record, the 11 MPs I did not see during the conference week were Stephen Williams, Don Foster, David Laws, Gordon Birtwistle, David Ward, Charles Kennedy, John Thurso, Robin Smith, Mike Hancock, Mike Crockart and Adrian Sanders. Of these, I know that Don Foster was there - indeed he was to give a speech to conference after I left. Charles Kennedy had also been spotted at conference early on. Gordon Birtwistle, David Ward and Mike Crockart were probably there but as new MPs, I don't know what they look like! I'm pretty sure I saw John Thurso but if it was him then he's shaven off his moustache which threw me. The only MPs which I gather definitely did not make conference this year were Stephen Williams, Mike Hanock and David Laws.

But the moral of the story is? To do it again next year! It's nothing other than an interesting side-line during the course of the week!

Goodbye to an excellent conference
So we set off at 1.30pm and so, sadly, came to an end what I would say is one of the best conference I've been too. It was bigger, more professional and of course attracted more attention from the outside world. Being in Government suddenly made it a totally different beast and we'll be getting used to it over the next few years. It was all very accessible and the weather even improved as the week went on.

As for Liverpool - I was greatly impressed (I should be, it's run by a Lib Dem council!). The problem with conference is that there's so much to do, you're always in that bubble for the duration of the gathering. As a result I didn't have time to get around to see Liverpool properly. But I'd be keen to go back and spend some days there to see it all properly. I'm sure that I speak for many who were this week who would be very happy if conference were to go back to Liverpool in the future.

But what makes the conference most of all for me and what therefore by definition makes it so difficult to leave, is the bumping into old and making new friends there. The next conference is a weekend affair in Sheffield in March before the autumn gathering this time next year in Birmingham. It's very likely that I won't see many of the faces that I saw during these past 6 days for 12 months. It's a sad thought but then, in a way, it's what makes conference such an enjoyable experience.

If we had it every month it would lose its charm and would destory the bank balance so it's probably right that we hold them as regularly as we do...probably!

The 2010 Liverpool Liberal Democrat Conference has come and gone and will now form a part of my memory bank of happy recollections of conferences past.

Now it's time to sleep.

Conference Blog: Day 5 (Tuesday)

It's usual for the conference to end with the leaders speech but because Nick Clegg had to fly to the UN to represent Britain, we had that conference highlight 2 days earlier than normal. So yesterday had a slightly odd feeling to it as the conference continued towards a different to normal conclusion.

I had planned to attend the Equal Marriage debate and listen to Simon Hughes' speech. Unfortunately I missed them but I gather the debate went through successfully to give the Liberal Democrats yet another distinctive policy position from that of our coalition colleagues.

Exhibitionists
I've barely had time to walk around the exhibition hall and look in at the myriad of stalls that are present. I put this right yesterday by spending my afternoon in the conference centre. I renewed by lapsed membershup of the Liberal Democrat History Group and had a chat with the Parliamentary Candidates Association stall. Lib Dem Image is always an useful stall to look around and this time was selling a handful of books. Usually there's an entire stall dedicated to political books but to to my disappointment, not this year. Mind you, that's probably a good thing for my bank balance!

There's a much greater array of external stalls this year with charities and organisations wanting to sell their wares to us members. In all, its been a diverse and interesting exhibition this year.

Secretary of State Chris Huhne MP
In between my stall hopping, I went into the auditorium to listen to Chris Huhne give his speach. He gave a forthright, no-nonsense statement on what he plans to do as a Cabinet Member for Climate Change. There was a good crowd there to listen to him and he was well received.

Paddy Ashdown Observor Interview
At 6pm, I got into the large queue for the Andrew Rawnsley interview with former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown.

It was an excellent hour+ in the company of a well loved, charismatic, fascinating individual. He's led a remarkable life from his time at MI6 to leading the newly merged Liberal Democrat party for 11 years to being High Commissioner in Bosnia. He backs the coalition entirely and had some terse exchanges with Rawnsley about the current political situation near the end of the interview.

A Final Supper
A good contingent of Ceredigion members (and friends!) then had an Italian as a final night meal in the Albert Docks. It was nice to get a good group of us together for the final evening of what has been an excellent conference.

Glee Club!
But no final evening conference is complete without the traditional end of week Glee Club.

Now, Glee Club is like Marmite. You love it or you hate it. When I first attended an autumn conference in 2003 I was told by the Liberal Youthers to avoid Gee Club, so I did. A year later in Bournemouth, I did go and I've never looked back.

Glee Club for me is the vocal equivalent of 'Have I Got New For You'. It's satire set to music where we mix traditional songs with comic compositions that laugh out loud at ourselves as Liberals but also at others.

I spent much of it this time round in the excellent company of Laura Gilmore and with another 500 or so friends. The majority there were lapping up such iconic Glee Club hits such as 'The Land','Letterboxes' and 'Losing Deposits'. There were some looking on in contrast in a mixture of incredulity and bemusement. Good friend of mine from Birmingham Mike Dixon was one of them as he told me beforehand that even after many years as a member of the party, he still doesn't 'get' Glee Club! You really do hate it or love it.

Paddy Ashdown made his annual visit with his 20 odd year old 'Two Tribes' joke which everyone lapped up and Tim Farron made a second fantastic rendition of his own take of the Ting Ting's 'That's Not My Name'. Simon Hughes led his London gang and friends in renditions of 'Bermondsey' and 'Simon Hughes' (to the tune of Postman Pat!), We also had 'turns' from new MPs such as Tessa Munt and Julian Huppert and also an amusing (if not quite in tune) rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' by Liberal Youth - quite apt as we are in Liverpool!

I got involved in the action on stage too as is my usual wont. The English always sing 'Jerusalem', the Scots (led by Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael) Flower of Scotland and likewise the Cornish and Yorkshiremen also sing their own local traitional songs. The Welsh contingent led Glee Club in 'Cwm Rhondda' (Bread of Heaven) in tribute to Richard Livsey and later on, I took the microphone to lead in 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau' (all 3 verses!).

It was great to see good friends Paul Pettinger and Naomi Smith sitting there whilst I was leading in our anthem and I caught up with them afterwards having not had time to talk to them throughout conference to date.

Having began at about 10.15pm, amidst a large ensemble, Glee Club came to an organised and apt end at 1.45am. We finished with 'Auld Land Syne' but in typical Glee Club fashion, we demanded more. Those of us left invaded the stage for an impromptu 3rd and final rendition of 'The Land' - certainly the right way to bring Glee Club to an end!

Apart from the heat (it was baking in there all evening), I'd almost go so far to say that this was one of the best Glee Club's I've been too, to date. It was a packed Glee Club throughout and there was a real positive atmosphere where the Glee Clubbers were more than enthusiastic in leading the evening on stage instead of just leaving it to the compares to do so. We had an excellent mix of songs and satire with all of my personal favourites having been sang (including my favourite 'Shirl in the World') and we didn't have an over-reliance on any one in particular. For example, a few years back, we had what I felt was a poor Glee Club (Brighton '06 I think it was) because it was poorly managed and ended up having far too many drunken renditions of Jerusalem - thank you but two is more than enough!

A Final Conference Bar Goodbye
The night came to an end with a final drink to say goodbye to friends old and new at the conference bar in case we don't see each other in the morning.

Glee Club night is always an odd one. It's a great evening but its very being means that it's almost time to go home. The end is in sight on what has been another excellent, Liberal Democrat conference.

Conference Blog: Day 4 (Monday)

We've been in government now for just over 4 months. In a way, we've got used to this very quickly. As a party and as members we've had to get ourselves into this new mindset and we have done so. So much so in fact, that, and particularly to newer members who know little else, we almost take the fact that we're in this position with a pinch of salt and just get on with it. But, taking a step back, yesterday was actually an incredibly historic day for our party. Monday 21st September 2010 was the day that Nick Clegg MP, Liberal Democrat leader, first addressed his conference as the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdon of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Really? After all these years of opposition, of mergers, of false dawns and dashed hopes, we're actually there. In goverment. In control. It really is an amazing thing.

Morning Media Mayhem!
I got up early at 6.40am to get to the media centre in the Echo Arena to hive a few interviews on Welsh Radio. On arriving I realised that I'd left my security badge back in the hotel room but thought that they'd probably be relaxed enough about it and just let me in. Not now that we're in government! All change! I had to dash back to the hotel, then dash back knowing full well that I may now miss the live slot. As it happens, when I came dashing into the media centre, Oliver Hides the Radio Wales presenter was introducing the package on the Lib Dem conference and Jenny Randerson AM who was being interviewd with me, frantically pointed in my direction behing Oliver's back to let him know that I was in the building! He was barely 30 odd seconds away from introudcing us when I took my seat! Never a dull moment! The interview went well and at 7.45am I repeated it with another in Welsh for Radio Cymru alongside Myrddin Edwards.

Academies Bill & the West Lothian Question
After a break back in the hotel, I made my way back to the conference centre and sat in on an excellent debate in the main hall about the Academies Bill. The party are against the policy and there's much discontent that the coalition have moved ahead on this issue even though it wasn't in the coalition agreement. So it was an unsurprisingly lively affair and I was rather pleased that the 'rebels' won and voted down what was seen by many as a 'wrecking amendment' put forward by the leadership. The motion was passed comfortably to the approval of many there. It certainly proves that conference can be as awkward as ever!
I actually decided not to use my vote at the end of the debate as the Academies Bill is only applicable to England and not Wales due to devolution. So, in the light of the 'West Lothian Question', I felt it right that I don't interfere as a Welsh member in a matter that only involves England. After all, I wouldn't want the English telling me what to do!

Kirsty Williams

We then had a barnstorming speech from Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams and we were all there as 'Welshies' to support her. It was very well received by conference and afterwards I was told by our media man Richard Thomas that her reference to Richard Livsey in her speech as a 'gently giant' came directly from my blog post that gave him that name. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased to have played a small part then, in what was an excellent performance by our Kirsty.

Lib Dem MP Bingo!

A gang of us decided on lunch at the Albert Docks and whilst we waited for our food, we decided to test oursevles on how many of the 57 Lib Dem MPs we could name without the aid of google or wikipedia. We actually did very well and named about 52/53 of them. I then decided to use this information and play 'Lib Dem MP Bingo' to see how many of thoe 57 I could spot in conference! I've spotted a good few of them in previous days of course but for the remainder of conference, I'm making a particular effort of keeping an eye out for those I have yet to see. I suddenly took great delight during the afternoon when I spotted such MPs as David Heath, Malcolm Bruce, Mark Hunter and John Leetch simply because it meant I could cross them off my list! I'm currently on 35 and would hope to extend that into the 40's before the end of play on Wednesday!

The Main Event - Nick Clegg's Speech
I've been to plenty of conferences in the past to know that you need to get your seat in early for the leaders speech.We arrived in good time yesterday but already the auditorium was filling up. It wasn't long, when, to my amazement, the whole room was full. In 15 UK-wide conferences, I have never seen delegates being turned away from the auditorium because there's no room left! Instead, they used an 'over-flow' room with a live link for other delegates to watch Nick's speech. I gather that even that was over half full!

So, indeed, here we were listening to the Deputy Prime Minister address us as our leader. We really have come a long way as liberals over the years.
His speech was surprisingly short at a little over 35 minutes (Charles Kennedy's speeches used to last for 50 minutes to an hour). But I thought it was a very well crafted affair and went down well with delegates in the hall. One of the biggest rounds of applause came when he reminded conference that the new coaltion goverment is scrapping ID cards - damned right! He also got a good yelp of approval when he maintained that the Iraq war was illegal. So it was a good speech and there's no doubt in my mind at least that it was well received by the members.

Socialising
After changing into my evening attire back in the hotel, the rest of the day went by in a relaxed manner with the only desire being one of catching up with old friends around the conference bar (and tracking more faces to cross off on my Lib Dem MP Bingo of course!). After a very nice reception given by Park Printers, we went to the annual official Welsh Lib Dem Night at the Cornmarket in the city centre where I gave another clip (but this time pre-recorded) for Radio Cymru. I bumped into one of our Ceredigion supporters Kathy Bracy who was with friends in the city for a PCS Union gathering. It was good to catch up with them during the evening.


The Randomness of Lib Dem Conferences (No.1)
I do enjoy the quirky occurrences that often happen in Lib Dem conferences and the people you meet who have random associations with others! Well, back at the conference bar in the Jury Inn last night was no exception. I found myself talking for some time to a pleasant enough chap from Portsmouth. It turns out that his uncle was Ray Crawford who was a member of the Ipswich team that won the league title under Alf Ramsey in 1962, won 2 English Caps and scored 2 of the goals in the giant-killing FA Cup shock of 1971, when, now playing for Colchester, they beat Don Revie's Leeds United 3-2! I must admit, it tickled me!

I also had a real in depth conversation with a really nice guy about faith and human motivation. He's a Hindu and he had what I thought was an excellent outlook on life, despite having had some tough life experiences to deal with including losing his mother when he was just 18.

It was also great to catch up with Rhiannon Wadeson again in the conference bar and to remind ourselves of our fantastic birthday trip in Latvia back in 2008!

It's the mixture of the surreal and the profound which we find at conference like this that just makes it so unmissable!

The Randomness of Lib Dem Conferences (No.2)
I had the interesting experience also, after the Nick Clegg speech, of bumping into the Times journalists Daniel Finkelstein and Matthew Parris in the hotel lift and then at the conference bar in the evening, I bumped into Tory MP Nigel Evans in the toilets. These really are bizzare times in which we live!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11382182

Revenge on McDonalds
The bar finished relatively early I felt and before we knew it we were the last there (quite a fete in itself!). So an eclectic group of 5 of us decided to walk down to the nearby McDonalds for a 'drive-thru' early breakfast. With it being just a few hundred yards away for where I'm staying, this seemed ideal. So we walked into the drive-thru to make our order. There we were confronted by a rather embarassed young man who told us that he couldn't serve us. The reason? We weren't in a motorised vehicle! Apparently, on health and safety ground he couldn't serve us as the drive-thru was for those in 4 wheels only and not on two feet! We tried to make him realise that at 5.30am, there was no real danger of us being run over by an errant car whilst being served by him - but he stood his ground! He did seem pretty embarassed at the fact that he wasn't able to take our money for an order because of this technicality but not to worry, we had a cunning plan!

Nick Love decided to go to the main road and hail down a taxi. On doing so, we all went around the corner from the drive-thru jumped into the aforementioned taxi, drove back through the drive-thru, and ordered our meals from a dumbfounded young man! For the sake of paying the taxi driver the cost of driving through the drive-thru, it was worth it for the 5 of us just to get the reaction from the McDonalds staff!

Suffice to say the actual food itself was pretty hopeless, so with our hotel breakfast bar nearly open, Nick and I decided to wait until 6am to get a proper breakfast, before going to bed!

A historic day came to an end then with a characteristic liberal rebellion against authority!

Conference Blog: Day 3 (Sunday)

Never before in a Liberal Democrat conference have I ever felt let down by former F1 World Champion Damon Hill - until today!

The enjoyment levels of the night before at conference can usually be tested by whether I've been able to make breakfast the following morning. Well, yesterday morning I failed and the same can be said for my room mate Ali Goldsworthy. So we both put up a forceful show of unity in having a much needed lie-in!

Damon Hill Let Me Down!
I decided that my first main event of the day would be one that I've been looking forward too ever since the conference directory landed on my doorstep a few weeks ago - the Motor Sports Association fringe! It was in the Hilton Hotel so, along with Nick Love from York Central Lib Dems, we made our way through blustery rain and past the uninspiring group of demonstrating Union activists towards an event that was advertised as having both Damon Hill and Tony Jardine present. As a big F1 fan, this was exciting stuff! So imagine my disappointment, when, having arrived early to beat the expected masses, we found that neither were present! Admittedly we had the very fine replacement of 2 time Le Mans 24 hour winner Allan McNish to listen too but no mention at all of the fact that two of those who were in the original line-up weren't there - no apology or anything whatsoever! Perhaps in an odd way it was a good thing. As it turned out, only about 25-30 of us were there in total. Had we known that those originally promoted as being there wouldn't turn up, the figures could've been even worse!

Nick Clegg Q&A
It was a quick dash over to the Echo Arena for the first time in the day at 2.30pm for the afternoon session of conference and the Welsh Liberal Democrat presentation. There were a few technical glitches but what stood out for me was the excellent performance made by our Welsh Assembly candidate for Montgomeryshire Wyn Williams. It was the first time I've heard him speak at a conference and in front of such a large crowd, I thought he did a smashing job.

We then had the informal but popular, Nick Clegg Q&A Session. The autitorium was full and there were some good questions asked of Nick by members (and some bad ones). Notably, there were good questions asked about pensions, Pakistan and the future direction of the party - all of which Nick answered well. He was in feisty but amusing form and was very well received by delegates. It was good to see Nick also field questions from the audience that hadn't been pre-selected by the conference committee. One of those asked off-the-cuff was by one of our Aberystwyth students Rory Roberson who got a question to Nick about FE funding. He asked the same question of Vince Cable the night before so he's had a good and productive weekend fair play!

Lunching with the English Defence League
Having not eaten all day, I decided to join the student gang who had already gone over to our adopted 'local', the Baltic Fleet for a late afternoon lunch. I'd watched a BBC4 documentary about food in the North recently and noticed that the word 'Scouse' comes from a local dish served in these here parts. It's basically a kind of meat stew/broth/cawl with red cabbage and I decided that I wanted to try some whilst I was in Liverpool. Well, here was my chance, and it must be said, it went down very nicely indeed. Less so were the group of 20-30 or so members of the Merseyside branch of the English Defence League who were eating/drinking/generally making some noise in the room next to us. The police had been tipped off and were keeping an eye on the pub as we arrived. I hope they didn't think that we were with them!

Awards from Nick Clegg
After a break back in the hotel, it was time for the annual Campaign Department's 'Oscars' awards ceremony. Every year the department gives awards out to local parties and campaign teams who have made a significant contribution during the year. Last year, I was delighted to receive an award on behalf of Ceredigion from Nick Clegg, and this year again, in front of our peers I was delighted to do so once more. Nick gave us a bottle of House of Commons champagne for having the best Poster/Stakeboard effort around the country (which I later found out at the bar annoyed our colleagues in Cornwall!). A group of around 15 of us huddled around Nick for a photo and it was great that the whole team that have made it here to conference could share in the event. It's very nice to be appreciated by your colleagues and this annual event is always a pleasant opportunity to celebrate the best practise of local parties the length and breath of the UK.

The Celtic Fringe (with Nick Clegg...again!)
Considering the fact that Nick Clegg will be going to the UN later this week and will be missing the end of conference, we really have been spolit rotten in having his company today! First there was the Q&A, then the much more intimate gathering of senior campaigners at the 'Oscars' ceremony and now, last thing at evening after a group of us 'Welshies' had had a Pizza Express evening meal, we had a joint Scotland/Wales social in the good company of the main man himself as well as Kirsty Williams AM and Tavish Scott MSP (kindly sponsored by the good people at ASDA). We've rarely had an opportunity to get together in such a way in conferences past in my memory so it was good to get the 'Celtic representatives' together in one room for an hour of bonhomie.

After an hour or so at the conference bar afterwards, I went back for an uncharacteristically early night at 1am to prepare for live radio interviews this morning. But as is ever the case, it was great to see some old and familiar faces during the evening. But there's still a few I haven't seen who I know are lurking around here somewhere so one of my mission's for these last few days will be to find them!

Conference Blog: Day 2 (Saturday)

It's been wet in Liverpool so far. In fact, I was taking to one of our students Richard Morgan-Ash last night and he said that in his recollections, he can't remember a wet autumn conference. Come to think of it, in the 7 odd years I've been conferencing, neither can I. Hopefully the weather will improve.

Yesterday was a good day though. A slow morning got going as we checked into conference and found our barings around the massive Echo Arena.

Security
As we'd been warned, security here is much more intrusive than normal but we've just got to make do with it. The knack is to plan ahead and make sure you're in the arena comfortably before the debate you want to see starts - easier said than done! During one of my forays through security yesterday, I happened to find myself behind former Richmond Park MP and Lib Dem Presidential candidate Susan Kramer. On being frisked by the staff, Susan swept up her arms and gave me a good whack in the face! Possibly my come-uppance for backing Tim Farron MP in the contest!

Conference Launch
After a decent (but not hugely spectacular) lunch in the (absolutely spectacular) Albert Docks, I made my way over to the conference hall for the official opening of conference at 2.30pm. Baroness Walmsley made the opening and we then had some rather dry but neccesary reports to conference by the conference and policy committees. There was a decent number in the hall at that time although I had expected more for the opening even if it is merely a ceremonial affair.

Tim Farron 4 President!
An excellent piece of planning for this conference is that the conference hotel, the Jury Inn, is literally about 200 yards from the entrance to the Echo Arena. So there's much to-ing and fro-ing between the two as delegates go back and forth to training events or fringe meetings.

I went in mid-way through to Tim Farron's 'Westmorland & Lonsdale' training event which was well attended. From behind me I heard a question being asked by a recognisable voice. I turned round and there was the face of a very kind gentleman who has helped us out in Ceredigion on a few occasions 5 or so years ago. I caught up with him afterwards to say hello but I'm damned if I can remember his name!

We then had a gathering of Tim Farron supporters in a quiet nook of the conference bar for a pep-talk by the man himself on the launch of his Presidential bid. Tim really is an excellent and inspiring speaker and the 25-30 of us there were well psyched for the nominations signing and sticker stickings over the days ahead.

Indeed, just like with Ros Scott's successful campaign 2 years ago when conference was plastered in delegates wearing her campaign sticker ('I'm 4 Ros' I think it was), this conference has already taken on a distinctly 'Tim to Win' feel.

Rally
The rally which was being led by the Electoral Reform Society was packed out and inspired us all to go out and campaign for a positive 'YES' vote in next year's AV Referendum. Art Malik was excellent and highly amusing as compare and we had some excellent speeches. Notably for me, it was good to see former MP Martin Bell there weighing in with his support. I bought his autobiography 'An Accidental MP' many years ago and have always been a fan. Jo Swinson was unsurprisingly excellent and very infectious with her enthusiasm and then, Tim Farron appeared once more as a (very very very) last minute replacement for Charles Kennedy. As ever, he almost stole the show (but then maybe I'm being biased here!).

Finally, Nick Clegg spoke very well in that laid back, relaxed conference style of his and brought the rally to a close. The fireworks that marked the end of the rally was quite surreal - we're clearly now a party of government!

Fringe Troughing
Once a student, always a student as they say. So when we were given the nod by Cardiff's Rachael Hitchinson that Liberal Youth had a fringe event with free food and wine, we made a quick dash back to the Jury Inn to get in there quick. We were successful and indeed listened to an excellent fringe about HE Funding with Vince Cable, the main man on the panel. It finished with Q&As and an excellent question by a 14 year old school pupil - I'd never have had the guts to ask a Secretary of State a question in front of over 50 people when I was that age!

Lib Dem BOTY Awards
I've made a concerted attempt over recent weeks to get my blog 'up-and-active' and as a result, was keen to go, for the first time, to the Lib Dem 'Blog of the Year' Awards ceremony. I was interested to see the faces behind many of the names in the Lib Dem blogosphere and it was great to see such a diverse and eclectic bunch! It certainly made me feel as if 'I'm not alone' out here, blogging away! Congratulations to the winners of the 2010 BOTYs and particularly to Millennium Elephant for winning blog of the year! Hopefully the curse won't strike again and they'll all continue blogging into 2011!

Conference Bar
If Friday night was a calm, quiet affair, last night was anything but! As expected, most conference delegates arrived during the day and their presence was felt in an over-flowing conference bar. It was great to bump into a number of faces from around the country I was hoping to see. The York contingent were out in force with Nick Love, Billi Williams and the English Mark Cole (aka Tom Holvey) and it was good to see the likes of Sam Potts, Marie Jenkins, Mike and Veronica German, Amy Kitcher, Kev O'Connor and Bob Griffin there too.

An absolutely incredible development transpired during the late evening at the bar. As an over-flow mechanism, there's a smaller additional bar and they serve what I can only presume is a local beer called 'Cains'. Unbelievably, you can get a pint of it for just £2.45. That's 2 pints for a £5! It's unheard of generally nowadays but in a conference bar?! It's even nice to drink! Incredible!

I left the bar around 2.30am and there were still plenty there in my wake, soaking up the pretty unique atmosphere that is a Liberal Democrats conference bar in the early hours!

Conference has very much, 'come alive' now and it should be an excellent next few days ahead.

Conference Blog: Day 1 (Arrival)

We're in Liverpool for the Liberal Democrat conference and my laptop is usefully hooked up to the wi-fi here in our Hampton by Hilton Hotel which is usefully just a 5 minute walk from the conference centre.

I plan to blog where I can throughout the week to give a sample of life at a conference 'as it happens'.

I'm staying with a group of our students from Aberystwyth University at the Hampton and we all arrived yesterday mid-afternoon. After a 7 hour bus trip I was shattered and needed a break before setting off into town for the evening.

We happen to be next door to a well known Liverpool pub famed for its real ales called the 'Baltic Fleet' so we all happily went there for a few drinks at 6pm. Mike Dixon from Birmigham also called in for a drink and a catch up - was good to see him. Good also to see Emma Hall from ALDC again. Then, a catch up with the Cardiff Lib Dem contingent over an Italian at 'Ask!' in the city centre. A few drinks before a few of us, tired from a day of travelling, set back early for our hotel.

Having said that, I couldn't resist calling into the Conference Bar in the Jury Inn to see who was about.

Most delegates will be arriving today so it was rather calm last night at the conference bar. Still, it was good to catch up briefly with old friends such as Anders Hanson, Simon Wilson and Gerald Vernon-Jackson whilst there. For what felt like an 'early night' at a conference, 2am wasn't really that early!

Today
I've woken and fought my way through the crowds to get myself a 'self-service' breakfas here in the hotel. I personally can't stand them. I can see the advantage as it means you can pretty much within reason, eat as much as you like. But it's far too unorganised and chaotic and far too commcercial in its ways. Give me a good old-fashioned B&B style breakfast ordered and brought to my table any day.

Conference officially opens today at 2.30pm and I'm looking forward to some fringes and training during the course of the afternoon and evening.

Mostly, I'm looking forward to seeing an influx of friends arriving today and look forward to catching up with them later this evening.

The Annual Liberal Democrat Family Reunion - Hello Conference!

I love Liberal Democrat conferences. There, I've said it.

Non-political friends of mine don't get it. Surely, what coluld be more tedious than watching people talk at a podium in detail about constitutional ammendments?! They couldn't be further from the truth!

It's now 9am on Friday morning and I'm all ready for a long road trip by bus to Liverpool and the autumn 5 day federal conference. I'll be travelling by bus from Cardigan to Aberystwyth, then to Dolgellau, then to Wrexham, then to Chester and then, finally, to Liverpool.

It's going to be a long day of travelling but it'll be worth it.

I've been going to Liberal Democrat conference now since I was 19 years old when I went to the 2002 spring conference in Manchester. But the autumn conference is a different kettle of fish entirely. The spring conference is a weekend affair and whilst I've been to many of them since 2002, I have missed the odd one along the way. The autumn conference though, very much a part of the 'political conference season', is a 5 day event and therefore a much bigger beast than it's younger spring brother. My first autumn conference was in Brighton in 2003 and I've never missed one since.

I can't remember looking forward to a conference as much as this one. There's many reasons for that...

Liverpool
Firstly, there's the location. I've only made a fleeting day-trip visit to Liverpool back in 2005 so this is a city that I want to explore! I want to go to 'The Cavern' and eat some 'scouse'! The party held a spring conference in Liverpool back in 2008 (I think) but it was one of those that I missed so I'm looking forward to seeing the new BT Echo Arena on the Albert Docks which is acting as the concference venue, in all of its newly finished glory.

It's going to need to be ready for us because, I gather, there will be 8000 delegates descending on conference this year. This is an unheard of number in the time that I've been an active member of the party. Around 7,000 of these are paid up members and there'll be a further 1,000 members of the media. Long gone are the days when 'The Sun' deliberately ignored our conference so to not give us the oxygen of publicity and credibility!!

I've also got the bonus of having booked my accommodation directly opposite from the conference centre and conference hotel (Jury Inn) at the Hampton by Hilton. One of the usual annoyances of conference is having to walk back and forward between hotel and conference venue - but not this year!

I'm also looking forward to travelling on the 'Ferry 'cross the Mersey' because I'm sentimental like that!

Meeting Old Friends and Making New Ones

I think this will be my 14th UK-wide Federal Liberal Democrat conference. Over the years, having worked for the party as the Constituency Organiser for Ceredigion and having attended training events and by-elections and of course these conferences, I've made many good friends in the party. For every additional conference I attend, there's more 'old faces' for me to greet and new opportunities for me to meet new ones. It's like a big, happy family reunion and I love it.

In most cases, like those distant living relatives who you only see at family weddings or funerals, these will be friends who I only meet at conference time. This means I may only see them once or twice a year depending on if they and I go to one or both of the yearly conferences. But with the particular advent of Facebook, communications between us all are much more regular so when we do finally meet again at conference time, we usually have a good idea of what each other has been up too over the preceding 6-12 months.

Policy Debates
As a party, the Liberal Democrats pride ourselves on being a democratic party. On a 'one member, one vote' basis, we debate party policy on the floor of conference and decide what our policies will be. This year is going to be particularly interesting as we are now, for the first time in 65 years at a national level, in Government. There's going to be some friction this year I'm sure but I'm looking forward to seeing more of this discussion, debating and disagreement than normal. There are some excellent policy debates this year and I'm ready to use my voting card!

Training & Fringes
For most of my time as a conference go-er, I've spent hours of my time in training events. This year however, now that I'm not working directly for the party, I'm looking forward to taking in more of the policy debates above and allow the younger members to get the teeth into the excellent training that is avbailable. Having said that, I have circled 2 training events that I plan to attend and they should be very useful.

The fringes are always one of my highlights. Always an opportunity to listen to some good speakers (and get some free food) on a topic of particular interest. I always attend the Liberal Democrat History Fringe meetings and pick others depending on the topic in question. I must admit this year to looking forward to going to the 'Motor Sports Association' Fringe. Yes, I'm a fan, but it's the draw of having former Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill there which has won me over specifically!

Proper Planning Prevents P*** Poor Perfomance!
Planning ahead for the week is always a good plan. This time I really have excelled myself. I've actually gone through the Agenda and Directory and pencilled in a whole week's worth of activities 2 weeks in advance! So I'm feeling particularly prepared - for once!

A Sad Start
But I leave for Liverpool with a great sense of sadness after the news last night that Richard Livsey has passed away. http://johnmarkcole.blogspot.com/2010/09/rip-richard-livsey-liberal-giant.html

But we must carry on and continue the good work that Richard dedicated his life too - serving our communities. We'll do that by being good liberals and for the next 5 days we'll have the great comfort of being able to be in each other's company.

Richard Livsey, 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.