This evening I attended Islington Liberal Democrats’ traditional pre-Conference Pizza and Politics, at which local party members get the chance to discuss what will be coming up on the agenda (at Bournemouth, from this Saturday, in this instance). Islington South PC Bridget Fox chaired the event, at which presentations were made by Ruth Polling (of the Federal Conference Committee) and Jeremy Hargreaves (the latter hotfoot from chairing a meeting of the Federal Policy Committee). How much hotter off the press can you get? Moreover, this year we had the bonus that the emergency motions had already been discussed by Conference Committe well in advance, rather than being left up until the last minute, so now we know that there will be one on Afghanistan (thank God, as there is precious little else relating to foreign affairs); the others will be balloted on. The main item for debate will be the pre-manifesto for the general election. I would have preferred some of its language to be punchier, but the contant is sound and there is an acknowledgement that no-one can know exactly what the economic situation will be in six or nine months time.
Islington LibDms, in contrast to many other London local parties seem to have an unending supply of generous hosts with beautiful houses (and a willingness to throw them open to a horde of enthusiastic activists gesticulating while holding glasses of wine and plates of pizza). These evenings are a good fund-raising tool and give ordinary party members the chance to have some input into the Conference itself, even if they are not going to attend it in person. Does either the Labour or Conservative Party do the same? No prizes for guessing the correct answer to that.