Party conference season
Encyclopedia
In the United Kingdom
the party conference season refers to the period of three weeks in September and October of each year which contains the annual political party
conferences. They have in the past taken place in seaside resorts such as Blackpool
, Brighton
and Bournemouth
, largely because there was plenty of cheap accommodation available in such towns at the end of the summer holiday season, but increasingly they have also taken place in major cities such as Manchester
, Liverpool
and Birmingham
.
The conferences take place before the end of the summer recess and mark the commencement of the new political year. There is an unofficial agreement between the parties that they will stagger the timing of their conferences so that media attention is undivided.
In 2010 these are as follows:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the party conference season refers to the period of three weeks in September and October of each year which contains the annual political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
conferences. They have in the past taken place in seaside resorts such as Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, largely because there was plenty of cheap accommodation available in such towns at the end of the summer holiday season, but increasingly they have also taken place in major cities such as Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
The conferences take place before the end of the summer recess and mark the commencement of the new political year. There is an unofficial agreement between the parties that they will stagger the timing of their conferences so that media attention is undivided.
In 2010 these are as follows:
- UKIP - 2 to 4 September, in Torquay
- Plaid CymruPlaid Cymru' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
- 9 to 11 September, in Aberystwyth - Green Party of England and WalesGreen Party of England and WalesThe Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
- 10 to 13 September, in Birmingham - Trades Union CongressTrades Union CongressThe Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
- 13 to 16 September, in Manchester - Liberal Democrats - 18 to 22 September, in Liverpool
- LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
- 26 to 30 September, in Manchester - ConservativesConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
- 4 to 7 October, in Birmingham - Scottish National PartyScottish National PartyThe Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
- 14 to 17 October, in Perth