Labour Party Conference 2024: Saturday

Back home after 5 days away at Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. This year I went as a Labour Councillor (self funded apart from the conference fee which is paid out of our ALC subs). Which meant that unlike delegates I could go and see the debates, speeches and fringes that interested me. Mostly about pensions and housing. I did not miss the early morning pre conference delegation meetings either. 

I travelled down with my UNISON and work colleague, Joseph Ogundemuren who is also a Labour Councillor in Hackney but he was part of the UNISON delegation. We travelled by train to Liverpool on the Saturday, to go to the London Labour reception that evening. At the station I passed the statue, once again, of "Battling Bessie Braddock". 

The London Reception was in a huge room in the ACC centre, Albert Docks. The PA was pretty awful but it was well chaired by Dawn Butler MP and I enjoyed the speeches by Prime Minister Keir Starmer (I am still in some way shocked that Labour is in power), London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and others (many others!).  Keir (A London MP of course) seemed in a particularly good mood and was clearly excited and pleased to be there. 

It was good to meet and chat (aka gossip) with various London Labour Party members, some of which I have known for many years but usually only meet at Conference. 

Saturday had also been Labour Women's Conference which apparently went well. The official Labour conference opened 11am Sunday. I will try and post on my personal Conference experience during the next few days.