I don't think this has reached the public sphere yet, so just to let you know that next year's Conservative Party Spring Forum is planned to be held in Gateshead (Southerners may need to consult this map).
It's some way away, but I'd suggest Liverpool as a good venue for a conference in 2009 now that Bournemouth is out of the running and Blackpool remains unpopular with delegates. A riverside 10,000 seater conference centre is due to be completed by the start of 2008, the year the city celebrates being European Capital of Culture, but unfortunately the LibDems have bagged it for their autumn conference.
See here for some more political reasons for going to Liverpool.
This year's Forum is in Nottingham, March 16th-18th.
Deputy Editor (born and bred Scouser)
Good decision by CCHQ on this, Gateshead is exactly the type of place where we ought to be holding our conferences and is also a very nice place to visit. Yes it is and I'm a Londoner saying that.
Posted by: Matt Davis | January 09, 2007 at 13:44
Sam, spot on with the Liverpool suggestion. I made the same suggestion on another thread a couple of days ago.
The new Arena and Conference Centre by Kings Dock would only suit the smaller Spring Forum though.
Posted by: Adrian Owens | January 09, 2007 at 14:38
I believe that Liverpool would be an awesome conference venue and could actually be very good for the main conference also. We do afterall want to win seat back in cities like Liverpool.
Posted by: Merseysider | January 09, 2007 at 14:44
Holding the Spring Forum in Gateshead is the best piece of internal news to come out for ages.
An excellent decision.
Posted by: Gareth Knight | January 09, 2007 at 15:03
Adrian, I meant to link to that comment thread above and have done now.
Posted by: Deputy Editor | January 09, 2007 at 16:24
Liverpool's conference centre is due to be completed by 2008? Let's hope they are better organised than Wembley and Stratford then.
Posted by: sjm | January 09, 2007 at 16:40
Holding the Conference in Liverpool would send out a strong and effective message about winning back seats in inner cities. We should go for it!
Posted by: Sally Roberts | January 09, 2007 at 16:49
Whereabouts in Gateshead (Gatsheid to the initiated) will we be having it? The Sage? Theres a travel lodge or is it the Hilton opposite that. They keep changing the place. I'm up there on Friday, meeting my old nursing gang for lunch, so I can find out what is where these days. Its got to the stage that I got lost walking from the metro to the Infirmary in Newcastle, last year(where I trained) for a reunion. I couldnt believe it! Mind you, I did go to Yorkshire in 1969, so must expect a few roads and stuff to get changed around.
Posted by: Annabel Herriott | January 10, 2007 at 00:00
just register
just register
Posted by: BobbieBarnie1234 | January 18, 2007 at 18:46