What is the point of a party conference? Is there any genuine political gain for the party, its members, or the general public?
At the start of October, the Conservative Party Conference took place in Manchester, attracting thousands of party members to the four-day event. It also saw thousands of protestors demonstrating their resentment of the current government, with trade-unionists, NHS-workers, campaign groups and members of the public all taking to the streets. But what actually happens within the conference centre?
As well as the ‘Main Stage’ events that see various cabinet ministers address members of the party, the bulk of the conference is made up of the ‘fringe’ events. These range from thinktank-run debates to charity receptions. MPs fill their timetables in the preceding weeks with events that might be perceived to be relevant in their respective constituencies, and madly rush around trying to ensure they visit every stall that they pledged to.
What isn’t listed on the agenda is the huge drinking culture that surrounds the conference, with party members (and MPs) taking advantage of the various evening receptions to kickstart the night, before continuing into the early hours in the bar of the Conference Hotel and beyond.
So, what is the actual purpose of the Conference, and what is gained from it, aside from a bad hangover? The Prime Minister believes it is a chance for his party to “set out [their] values to the British people” and to “prepare for the election next year.” Peter Booth, Chairman of the National Conservative Convention, described it as a “great opportunity to mix with government ministers” and “meet colleagues and friends from up and down the country.” Yet in reality, is it possible to present this event as anything other than a money-making scheme for the party?
The Conservative party has roughly 172,000 members, and each Conference ticket costs nearly £250, on top of the annual membership fee. Journalists who wished to attend the event were charged up to a staggering £1250 for final release tickets, which invited understandable criticism from journalist groups and free speech organisations.
In addition to ticket revenue, larger scale corporate proceeds come in the form of sponsorships from banks, companies and news agencies, who in return can represent themselves at the event through hosting a fringe event or a drinks reception (The Spectator evening reception is known to be particularly exclusive.) The conference presents itself as an opportunity for members to feel a sense of involvement, perhaps even influence, in the party they associate themselves with. Whether they ‘have their say’ at a Policy Forum event or snap a photo with James Cleverley at the Conservative Friends of India reception, attendees are inundated with a stream of superficial participation, all with the supposed intention of member inclusivity.
In reality, conference is little more than a profitable excuse to top-up the party purse. With the Tories being 17 points behind in the polls ahead of next year’s election, they’ll need every penny.
“Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives at No10 Downing Street” by UK Prime Minister is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.