Comments on: Do you remember your first party conference? http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html Our place to talk - an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:35:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Martin Land http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-42177 Martin Land Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:32:14 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-42177 Nigel Ashton, David Spender and I share the same memory. In 1975, I was a Hull University Politics student, so it was easy enough to come up early and spend a few days at the Scarborough Conference. Like Nigel, I can remember Peter Hain and Simon Hebditch marshalling all us YL and ULS members in an attempt to have the PLO representative speak. I remember walking out as well. Other than that, I had the dubious privledge of being hit by Cyril Smith's mother with her handbag for saying something unfavourable about him in a fringe meeting! I went to the Llandudno Conference the following year; and that's it - 32 years of blissful abstinence! Nigel Ashton, David Spender and I share the same memory. In 1975, I was a Hull University Politics student, so it was easy enough to come up early and spend a few days at the Scarborough Conference. Like Nigel, I can remember Peter Hain and Simon Hebditch marshalling all us YL and ULS members in an attempt to have the PLO representative speak. I remember walking out as well.
Other than that, I had the dubious privledge of being hit by Cyril Smith’s mother with her handbag for saying something unfavourable about him in a fringe meeting!
I went to the Llandudno Conference the following year; and that’s it – 32 years of blissful abstinence!

]]> By: Peter Welch http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-42171 Peter Welch Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:15:46 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-42171 My first conference was Llandudno: it was also Jim Wallace's first conference iirc. I remember Tony Greaves speaking in the famous fringe meeting the evening before the Alliance vote. I was a teenager at the time, but it is a bit scary to think that the Orpington by-election was much more recent then than Bermondsey is now... Very sad news about Claire Brookes. My first conference was Llandudno: it was also Jim Wallace’s first conference iirc. I remember Tony Greaves speaking in the famous fringe meeting the evening before the Alliance vote. I was a teenager at the time, but it is a bit scary to think that the Orpington by-election was much more recent then than Bermondsey is now…

Very sad news about Claire Brookes.

]]> By: TimberWolf http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-42165 TimberWolf Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:35:13 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-42165 The first Liberal Assembly I attended was in 1961 at Edinburgh. For the first time a vote was held on joining the Common Market, as it was then. As a Free Trader I was one of the five delegates who voted against. The first Liberal Assembly I attended was in 1961 at Edinburgh. For the first time a vote was held on joining the Common Market, as it was then. As a Free Trader I was one of the five delegates who voted against.

]]> By: Tony Greaves http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-42159 Tony Greaves Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:54:43 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-42159 No relation...but my brother got the nickname of Jimmy in the army. Claire died on Friday evening after about eight years of a mentally degenerative illness. Very sad. But just like her to die on the eve of a conference. Tony Greaves No relation…but my brother got the nickname of Jimmy in the army.

Claire died on Friday evening after about eight years of a mentally degenerative illness. Very sad. But just like her to die on the eve of a conference.

Tony Greaves

]]> By: James Graham http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29247 James Graham Sun, 09 Sep 2007 10:53:14 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29247 7 - pretty sure it was John Leech. Farron is a conference addict! 7 – pretty sure it was John Leech. Farron is a conference addict!

]]> By: Richard Huzzey http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29243 Richard Huzzey Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:42:49 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29243 5 - Yes, I remember at 2005's Autumn conference it was mentioned that one new MP was attending for the first time. I think it was Tim Farron, but could be wrong... 5 – Yes, I remember at 2005′s Autumn conference it was mentioned that one new MP was attending for the first time. I think it was Tim Farron, but could be wrong…

]]> By: David Spender http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29222 David Spender Sat, 08 Sep 2007 19:07:59 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29222 Like Nigel, Scarborough in 1975 was my first Liberal Assembly. I also remember those late night YL caucus meetings and the accompanying walkouts. The other abiding memory was the civic reception where Claire Brooks discovered that the waitresses were being paid less than the waiters and tried to make a speech about it. When the authorities turned off the microphone she sat down in the middle of the dance floor, rapidly joined by every YL present. Happy days! Like Nigel, Scarborough in 1975 was my first Liberal Assembly. I also remember those late night YL caucus meetings and the accompanying walkouts. The other abiding memory was the civic reception where Claire Brooks discovered that the waitresses were being paid less than the waiters and tried to make a speech about it. When the authorities turned off the microphone she sat down in the middle of the dance floor, rapidly joined by every YL present. Happy days!

]]> By: Hywel Morgan http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29221 Hywel Morgan Sat, 08 Sep 2007 19:04:35 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29221 Mind you being an MP when you attend your first conference has a certain class about it. I wonder if anyone has done that since? Mind you being an MP when you attend your first conference has a certain class about it. I wonder if anyone has done that since?

]]> By: James Graham http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29215 James Graham Sat, 08 Sep 2007 16:59:04 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29215 ...hang on a minute. Tony is Jimmy Greaves' <em>sister</em>?! …hang on a minute. Tony is Jimmy Greaves’ sister?!

]]> By: Alex Wilcock http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29213 Alex Wilcock Sat, 08 Sep 2007 14:18:23 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29213 The party has indeed come a long way, Nigel, but not all Chief Whips have. I remember a similar clash, though technically it was the MP who was revolting ;-) Half a dozen or so years ago, I put in a question to the Parliamentary Party about Colin Breed, who – in common with one other of our MPs, I think – had voted to retain Section 28. Unlike the other, he was in the Shadow Cabinet at the time, but still decided both to be an illiberal bigot and to break the Manifesto on which he was elected (I know it was in there; I wrote those bits). He’d not done his electors the courtesy of saying he was against that bit when he stood, either. Anyway, never mind deceiving the electors of southern Cornwall, Shadow Cabinet members are entirely party appointments, which means he was speaking for me and the rest of us. And as he regarded my partner and I as second-class citizens who should be directly discriminated against, I didn’t trust him to do so. I asked a straightforward question along the lines of “Colin Breed voted in favour of retaining Section 28, breaking the whip and the Manifesto. If he’d voted for similarly discriminatory legislation on racial grounds, his career would instantly have been over. It’s over thirty years since Enoch Powell was sacked from even the Tory Shadow Cabinet for making racist remarks. How homophobic does Colin Breed have to be before he gets sacked from ours?” I don’t have the wording to hand, but that was the gist of what I put on the card (and I had no problem getting called). Then Chief Whip Paul Tyler was very taken aback, and his answer entirely consisted of variants of “I’m an MP, and who do you think you are, young man? You can’t tell us what to do.” Needless to say, he mentioned neither the person nor the issues involved… The party has indeed come a long way, Nigel, but not all Chief Whips have. I remember a similar clash, though technically it was the MP who was revolting ;-)

Half a dozen or so years ago, I put in a question to the Parliamentary Party about Colin Breed, who – in common with one other of our MPs, I think – had voted to retain Section 28. Unlike the other, he was in the Shadow Cabinet at the time, but still decided both to be an illiberal bigot and to break the Manifesto on which he was elected (I know it was in there; I wrote those bits). He’d not done his electors the courtesy of saying he was against that bit when he stood, either. Anyway, never mind deceiving the electors of southern Cornwall, Shadow Cabinet members are entirely party appointments, which means he was speaking for me and the rest of us. And as he regarded my partner and I as second-class citizens who should be directly discriminated against, I didn’t trust him to do so.

I asked a straightforward question along the lines of “Colin Breed voted in favour of retaining Section 28, breaking the whip and the Manifesto. If he’d voted for similarly discriminatory legislation on racial grounds, his career would instantly have been over. It’s over thirty years since Enoch Powell was sacked from even the Tory Shadow Cabinet for making racist remarks. How homophobic does Colin Breed have to be before he gets sacked from ours?” I don’t have the wording to hand, but that was the gist of what I put on the card (and I had no problem getting called).

Then Chief Whip Paul Tyler was very taken aback, and his answer entirely consisted of variants of “I’m an MP, and who do you think you are, young man? You can’t tell us what to do.” Needless to say, he mentioned neither the person nor the issues involved…

]]> By: Edis Bevan http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29209 Edis Bevan Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:05:13 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29209 My first must have been at the 1967 conference, Blackpool if my failing memory serves. This was the September before I went up to University so I was switching from the National League of Youg Liberals to the Union of Liberal Students and the main business for me was making contacts with the Sussex ULS people at conference, who included then-famous footballer Jimmy Greaves sister and notorious 'Red Guard' figure George Kiloh . It wasn't conference in those days of course but 'Assembly'. I remeber a very dark hall, poky little annexes for fringe activities, and lots of angst about generational differences. Our elders were really scared of us young types... My first must have been at the 1967 conference, Blackpool if my failing memory serves. This was the September before I went up to University so I was switching from the National League of Youg Liberals to the Union of Liberal Students and the main business for me was making contacts with the Sussex ULS people at conference, who included then-famous footballer Jimmy Greaves sister and notorious ‘Red Guard’ figure George Kiloh .

It wasn’t conference in those days of course but ‘Assembly’.

I remeber a very dark hall, poky little annexes for fringe activities, and lots of angst about generational differences. Our elders were really scared of us young types…

]]> By: nigelashton http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29205 nigelashton Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:30:13 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/do-you-remember-your-first-party-conference-1287.html#comment-29205 My first was the Liberal Assembly in Scarborough in 1975 - Jeremy Thorpe's last conference as Leader. There was a general feeling of disappointment as we had failed to make to make progress in the October 1974 general election (the second of that year) despite fielding an almost full slate of candidates for the first time ever. The Young Liberals had a highly organised presence. There was a YL caucus every evening which decided the line to take on the following day's motions. A YL daily bulletin was then typed up and run off on a duplicator overnight and handed to delegates on their way in. I remember there were several major rows that year. The YLs tried to suspend standing orders to allow a representative from the PLO to address the Assembly. When that failed we walked out in protest. There was a Parliamentary question and answer session and the YLs wanted to know what the MPs were doing to promote gay rights. It was made clear to us in advance that the platform was not going to take any questions on gay rights so one member asked one anyway which caused uproar when the Chief Whip refused to answer on the grounds that it wasn't the question that was on the card submitted. The Party has come a long way on gay rights since the 1970s! We also caused some embarrassment to the Party by distributing copies of the infamous SIDS leaflet outside the local army recruiting office. Some peace activists had recently been arrested and charged with the obscure offence of 'incitement to disaffection' for distributing SIDS (Some Information for Discontented Soldiers) and we wanted to show our solidarity. Conference is a lot better organised nowadays and lot larger, but it seems to lack some of the raw political excitement of my early conferences - or maybe it's just me getting old? My first was the Liberal Assembly in Scarborough in 1975 – Jeremy Thorpe’s last conference as Leader. There was a general feeling of disappointment as we had failed to make to make progress in the October 1974 general election (the second of that year) despite fielding an almost full slate of candidates for the first time ever.

The Young Liberals had a highly organised presence. There was a YL caucus every evening which decided the line to take on the following day’s motions. A YL daily bulletin was then typed up and run off on a duplicator overnight and handed to delegates on their way in.

I remember there were several major rows that year. The YLs tried to suspend standing orders to allow a representative from the PLO to address the Assembly. When that failed we walked out in protest.

There was a Parliamentary question and answer session and the YLs wanted to know what the MPs were doing to promote gay rights. It was made clear to us in advance that the platform was not going to take any questions on gay rights so one member asked one anyway which caused uproar when the Chief Whip refused to answer on the grounds that it wasn’t the question that was on the card submitted. The Party has come a long way on gay rights since the 1970s!

We also caused some embarrassment to the Party by distributing copies of the infamous SIDS leaflet outside the local army recruiting office. Some peace activists had recently been arrested and charged with the obscure offence of ‘incitement to disaffection’ for distributing SIDS (Some Information for Discontented Soldiers) and we wanted to show our solidarity.

Conference is a lot better organised nowadays and lot larger, but it seems to lack some of the raw political excitement of my early conferences – or maybe it’s just me getting old?

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