Birmingham conference diary - Sunday morning
Travelled down to Telford yesterday evening and came into Birmingham this morning.
As is always the case for a major party conference, a significant proportion of the City centre cordoned off. The hotels will have done very will out of the conference, some other traders less so - last time I looked there was a net commercial benefit to cities of hosting a big conference but there can be some inconvenience involved. Hope we don't cause too much for Birmingham this time.
There are more than 5,000 representatives attending the conference this time, all at their own expense, which I understand is a record.
The Sunday morning is the "National Conservative Convention" which basically is mostly the constituency chairmen with some Area and Regional officers added. "Ordinary party members" which now includes me are also entitled to attend but not speak or vote.
I was a member of the Convention until nine days ago, when I stood down as Cumbria chairman on finishing my three years: came anyway to listen.
Speeches from David Cameron and Grant Shapps at the convention, both on excellent form.
Whatever the press reports - and I have often found that the conference in the hall and the one reported in the media are amazingly different - I think this is going to be a good and positive conference.
Must run to catch Grant Shapps' official opening of the conference ...
As is always the case for a major party conference, a significant proportion of the City centre cordoned off. The hotels will have done very will out of the conference, some other traders less so - last time I looked there was a net commercial benefit to cities of hosting a big conference but there can be some inconvenience involved. Hope we don't cause too much for Birmingham this time.
There are more than 5,000 representatives attending the conference this time, all at their own expense, which I understand is a record.
The Sunday morning is the "National Conservative Convention" which basically is mostly the constituency chairmen with some Area and Regional officers added. "Ordinary party members" which now includes me are also entitled to attend but not speak or vote.
I was a member of the Convention until nine days ago, when I stood down as Cumbria chairman on finishing my three years: came anyway to listen.
Speeches from David Cameron and Grant Shapps at the convention, both on excellent form.
Whatever the press reports - and I have often found that the conference in the hall and the one reported in the media are amazingly different - I think this is going to be a good and positive conference.
Must run to catch Grant Shapps' official opening of the conference ...
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