ConservativeHome's Bournemouth 2006 Conference blog

Hannah Parker: Painting and Positioning

I decided to head away from the Conference centre on Tuesday morning to take part in the Conference version of ‘Challenge Anneka’.  Local MP, Tobias Elwood, wanted to see our Conference leave a true legacy in the Bournemouth community.  All week local party members and delegates having been travelling to beautiful St Mary’s Church on the outskirts of the city. 

The de-consecrated church had been approved for use as a community centre some years ago – but never actually renovated as such.  The team has made fantastic progress and are on schedule to complete the project before the end of conference. I was one for three candidates armed with rollers and paint brushes trying to make a small, if not slightly patchy, contribution to this brilliant effort. 

In my stint there were people arriving with their suitcases on their way out of town wanted to make their contribution – even if they only had a suit to wear.   We would not be Conservative if we did not believe in serving our communities; proving it at this at our conference shows the non-political world that we mean it.

For those who have never been to a Party conference, it is often hard to comprehend just how exhausting the four days can be – and as we get to day three, this year is no exception - there is no lack of enthusiasm but the eyes are a getting a little bleary and voices strained.  The last night of conference sees the biggest boom for local restaurants with many private get-togethers, and bookings essential.

I joined one MP and his team at the closest curry house to the Highcliffe.  The place was heaving and we got in only to find a shortage of chairs meant it was either the floor or Italian!  There is something quite surreal about going into a restaurant knowing that everyone in there is a card-carrying Conservative. I always have some sympathy for the poor couple who booked a quiet romantic dinner for two and have no idea what they have let themselves into!

Back at the bursting hotel bars people were doing a last evening’s card-swapping, intelligence gathering and networking. Candidates can be found trying to make a last ditch attempt to identify the chairman or agent of associations.  Last night one overheard many positive comments about IDS and Osborne’s platform performances, which clearly had been well received.  Word also came through that Boris had been pursued by the largest press pack ever seen at conference due to his anti-Jamie Oliver lines.

All that said my overriding perception as I left the bar tired and voiceless is the buzz of excitement that can be actively sensed, and I have never experienced at Conference before.

Hannah Parker: Monsoons and Dragons

The day kicked off for me, with a female candidates breakfast, once I had got through the monsoon-like downpour. There were a fine number of men supporting the event, whilst I am sure they are very enlightened to the reform agenda, I suspect it had more to do the cancelled London breakfast in the next door marquee!  Frances Maude & Bernard Jenkin both made it clear that they make no apologies for the position action changes that have been made to candidates selection. 

Bernard commented that Tory candidature has been a heavily male dominated process for 300 years and it was time to level the playing field – this message was reiterated at the Bow Group meeting late in the evening.  I agree, but this is for talented male colleagues to hear.

Listening to the Today programme yesterday, the two lead conference items bore absolutely no resemblance to the event I am attending.  I caught one of the Council leaders quoted on Today who had been nicely packaged to appear to take a divisive line on tax – he told me in the interview he had endorsed the current party stance and added those comments in addition - this apparently ended up on the cutting room floor - surprised?

Going into the Main Hall, I was really impressed.  The new set works well; texting, emailing and variety. The "Meet the Candidates" session brought six potential MPs to the platform to take part in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style policy pushing session.  Each had to sell a policy they supported to the panel, who then quizzed them on their suggestions and then the audience voted to put one policy to Oliver Letwin’s panel. 

Despite not personally agreeing with a couple of the suggestions, notably on the NHS and ages of consent, the passion and quality of ideas was impressive. The speakers held their ground well to challenges from people including Anne Widdecombe and Michael Brown. In the end an environmental policy, to have self generated electricity in all new homes, won the day with those in the hall.

Selected candidates had a private reception with Lord Ashcroft last night.  The Deputy Party Chairman has again chosen to support target marginal seats.  Our prospective MPs, unsurprisingly, turned out well to meet our prime supporter. 

It was early Tuesday morning when I left the Highcliffe – which was still bursting at the seams with thousands of delegates.  The profile is the youngest I have seen in my party life. People are hugely engaged and even the cynics are smiling.  Large numbers of new attendees and people who have not turned out for years are here… and generally we’re feeling good about political life.

Hannah Parker on the Conference haves and have-nots

Bournemouth welcomed its thousands of temporary Tory residents with glorious sunshine and gale force winds.  The Mrs Prescott Promenade certainly had a few formally finely coiffed victims yesterday.  Whilst the cold air blew down the seafront there was no lack of hot air at the bars and spirits are clearly up around the Highcliff. Yesterday, however was a story of the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ and the currency was conference passes.  Apparently due to higher security alerts, thousands of people have not got their obligatory passes and therefore the new top venue is the Pavilion car park where hundreds of party members are queuing at all hours in the hope that the Dorset constabulary will approve their application.  Whilst the ‘have-nots’  (including MPs, MEPs, Diplomats, speakers etc) start the day aspiring just to get into the event, the ‘haves’ are enjoying a conference that definitely has a buzz about it.   

I spent my evening (once I became a ‘have’) at the Highcliff fringe which was brimming with aspiring candidates like myself.  Events of choice included a W2W (Women2Win) meeting with the Girl Guiding Association on the subject of equality.  Among the speakers, Melissa Kite from the Sunday Telegraph gave her full support to all women short-lists and the necessity to see more women in Parliament particularly on the Tory benches. There was a sparkling Conservative Future (CF) reception and an excellent meeting in which the Editor, Tim Montgomerie, and Oliver Letwin gave their thoughts on Compassionate Conservatism  - many meetings suffering from the missing ‘have not’ speakers and guests. Candidates and Association officers flocked to the main Candidates reception and everyone was trying to get the latest information on selections: What applications are in? Is there a favourite? Which seats in coming up soon? This is the big opportunity for seat intelligence and wooing officers. 

This conference has an energy an optimism that I have never seen before – and that is coming across in every forum.  The media is doing its best to try to find divisions and discomfort in party members but my overriding feeling after day one of the conference is that  for the first time in well over a decade the Party feels good  about itself... roll on the rest of the week.