I once had a Jorno friend that used to attend every Tory conference. I've no idea why he suffered it but he always packed three bottles of whisky and a hip flask. He said it was the only way he could get through it. Totally pissed.
Ian, your writing on this matter is perfection. You have a wonderful way with words. Too many gems to pluck, but it was good enough to have me reading the juicy bits out loud to my husband as he put the shopping away.
I hope you survive it. And I hope Farage self-combusts at this early starter for 10.
You had me laughing out loud for some time with this paragraph…😀😂👍🏻
‘I was once having breakfast at conference when I heard the excited babble of young people behind me. You always notice the young people at these things because there are so few of them and those that are present are invariably the weirdest of the lot. They were from some kind of Labour students group. They all had a copy of the conference document and were trying to get it signed by every member of the front bench. I cradled my head in my hands. For god sake take drugs, I thought. For god sake fuck each other, or go to Tibet, or develop an addiction, or write terrible poetry that doesn't rhyme. Anything but this.’
Strong agree re Shy Creatures which I read on your recommendation on bluesky. This led to me to Small Pleasures, also beautifully written so you’re in for a treat if you’re yet to read it.
I've always thought party political conferences would be kind of fun. But it's obviously more like getting into bed with a rotten corpse. Is British politics dead and, if so, when did it die?
I always suspected the point of party conferences was simply to be seen, to glad-hand and make profitable personal contacts. Of no use whatsoever for furthering the governing of the country in favour of all of its people. Thanks for confirming.
I attended Labour Party conferences in the late 80s and early 90s as an ordinary delegate. No doubt it has changed probably not for the better. However, I found they offered a chance for the political geek in me to tick off names in my I-Spy book of Labour Politicians. The highlight was standing next to Tony Blair at the 1992 conference (God I'm sad), closely followed by an evening at a Welsh Labour Party Piss-up with Neil Kinnock (then still party leader) giving the funniest speech I've ever heard. If only he had been more relaxed and human in public, he might have become PM.
More seriously I think for most delegates conference these days is really about political education. It's often a great honour to be chosen by the local party. To go to meetings and hear people they have only read about or seen on TV and then to feed these ideas back to members at home. And also meet and talk to fellow delegates about their common experiences. The set piece debates are also fun, And nobody, unless they are irresponsibly naive, thinks that passing resolutions means anything any longer.
And don't forget party conferences usually mean a week of media attention, which still worth having.
Saw a great line a few years ago. "Every year I go to the Labour conference and it makes me wonder why on earth I vote Labour. Then I go to the Tory conference and remember." Can't remember the author but it was quoted in a Marina Hyde piece.
I once had a Jorno friend that used to attend every Tory conference. I've no idea why he suffered it but he always packed three bottles of whisky and a hip flask. He said it was the only way he could get through it. Totally pissed.
I can't blame them.
Ian, your writing on this matter is perfection. You have a wonderful way with words. Too many gems to pluck, but it was good enough to have me reading the juicy bits out loud to my husband as he put the shopping away.
I hope you survive it. And I hope Farage self-combusts at this early starter for 10.
You had me laughing out loud for some time with this paragraph…😀😂👍🏻
‘I was once having breakfast at conference when I heard the excited babble of young people behind me. You always notice the young people at these things because there are so few of them and those that are present are invariably the weirdest of the lot. They were from some kind of Labour students group. They all had a copy of the conference document and were trying to get it signed by every member of the front bench. I cradled my head in my hands. For god sake take drugs, I thought. For god sake fuck each other, or go to Tibet, or develop an addiction, or write terrible poetry that doesn't rhyme. Anything but this.’
wish I hadn't read this at lunchtime
It pretty much turned me vegan (till I get hungry)
Bacon, Brie, Stuffing, Turkey, Cranberry Mayo on a small baguette. 1999.
That’s what you call painting with words - thank you Ian, very vivid.
Strong agree re Shy Creatures which I read on your recommendation on bluesky. This led to me to Small Pleasures, also beautifully written so you’re in for a treat if you’re yet to read it.
Not the main issue here, but I recently read & enjoyed Clare Chambers' book The Editor's Wife and you might like that, too
Thank you for bringing a little levity to the soul crushing political situation we are all living through
I never thought I'd hear you say 'achingly beautiful'.
Feeling the feels.
It's like return of the living dead.
A sadistic twisted plot to retraumatiise a country who's trauma was never acknowledged let alone given time to heal.
Why do the deplorables we fought to make fuck off out of public life, away from the mic, and soap box or turn as pundit.
Just fuck off. And stay fucked off. You were fucked off for reasons unchanged to provoke any audacious return to torture us more.
Fuck off .... nobody wants you.
This is because you don’t go to the SNP conference which is a hard core Autumn session of the Whisky Olympics.
I've always thought party political conferences would be kind of fun. But it's obviously more like getting into bed with a rotten corpse. Is British politics dead and, if so, when did it die?
I always suspected the point of party conferences was simply to be seen, to glad-hand and make profitable personal contacts. Of no use whatsoever for furthering the governing of the country in favour of all of its people. Thanks for confirming.
I attended Labour Party conferences in the late 80s and early 90s as an ordinary delegate. No doubt it has changed probably not for the better. However, I found they offered a chance for the political geek in me to tick off names in my I-Spy book of Labour Politicians. The highlight was standing next to Tony Blair at the 1992 conference (God I'm sad), closely followed by an evening at a Welsh Labour Party Piss-up with Neil Kinnock (then still party leader) giving the funniest speech I've ever heard. If only he had been more relaxed and human in public, he might have become PM.
More seriously I think for most delegates conference these days is really about political education. It's often a great honour to be chosen by the local party. To go to meetings and hear people they have only read about or seen on TV and then to feed these ideas back to members at home. And also meet and talk to fellow delegates about their common experiences. The set piece debates are also fun, And nobody, unless they are irresponsibly naive, thinks that passing resolutions means anything any longer.
And don't forget party conferences usually mean a week of media attention, which still worth having.
Yeah ignore this cynical bastard :-) …I like them too.
Saw a great line a few years ago. "Every year I go to the Labour conference and it makes me wonder why on earth I vote Labour. Then I go to the Tory conference and remember." Can't remember the author but it was quoted in a Marina Hyde piece.