partyconf

TUV conference – seeking to capitalise on growth in the polls with an instruction to members to “go back to your constituencies as evangelists for Ulster”

| Readers 3092

Around 150 TUV members gathered in the Royal Hotel, Cookstown for their annual conference under a banner of “Bringing Strength to Unionism”. They’re easily the most vocal audience of the (many) local party gatherings I’ve attended in recent years. Every seat seemed to have been provided with a union flag, but people applauded so vigorously they mostly forgot to wave the flags. The party is on an election footing and there was an emphasis on translating growth in the polls …

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Alliance Party Conference – a heartfelt appeal for hope to prevail over fear amid tight margins in two elections next year #APNI2026

| Readers 1538

Party president David Alderdice opened proceedings with a call for members look forward with “hope not fear”. That’s the strapline that the party is using to externally frame their policies and values, speaking into local and global conflict and social divisions. But it also speaks loudly to the internal challenge of the upcoming local government and Assembly elections. Maybe electioneering has totally changed, but the conference felt like a missed opportunity to spur unelected members on to get out and …

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Ulster Unionist Party conference report – well attended but at times unexpectedly muted #uup25

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Mike Nesbitt standing on stage at UUP 2025 conference

Within minutes of starting, the 220 seats in the Crowne Plaza ballroom were nearly full of Ulster Unionist members and conference observers. (The back row filled first.) The defeated Slovakian football team had spent the night in the hotel, and at times it felt like the UUP delegates will similarly tired and jaded. While the attendance will have pleased organisers – who followed the SDLP pattern of not streaming the conference online – and the morning’s smorgasbord of speakers were …

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SDLP Conference Report – seeking to build something new that values hopes over fears #SDLP25

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Clare Hanna surrounded by family and political colleages at the conclusion of her speech at the October 2025 conference. The conference stage backdrop is a vivid red colour.

Last year’s conference witnessed the baton of leadership being passed from Colum Eastwood to Claire Hanna. A year later, the new leader was benefitting from a reinvigorated internal party machine. Hanna was less reticent and more forthright in discussing her vision for Irish unity, and was supported by Assembly colleagues who felt confident to celebrate their work in Opposition up on the hill. Executive parties have to make a show of highlighting delivery in their conference panels and speeches, sometimes …

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Alliance Party Conference report #apni25

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deputy leader Eoin Tennyson hugs Alliance leader Naomi Long, while audience stand to applaud

The 2025 Alliance Party conference comes shortly after the first anniversary of the restoration of the Stormont institutions, and a day after the Programme for Government was finally agreed and published. It also marks a changing of the guard within the party with manifesto-supremo and deputy leader Stephen Farry absent for the first time in perhaps 35 years. I’ve been attending and writing up online coverage of party conferences for a mere 15 years. Back in 2010, party met in …

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SDLP conference – two leader’s speeches delivered to packed room of rapt delegates #sdlp24

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For the third weekend in a row, the Crowne Plaza’s ballroom was hosting a party conference. The SDLP adopted their traditional long and thin configuration – 240 seats laid out, for those who count these things – bringing back memories of the same room delivering a former new leader’s moment in the light back in 2011. There was an upbeat mood at the SDLP conference. Throughout the speeches and discussions, there was an emphasis of stepping up, stepping forward, and …

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DUP Conference report #DUP23

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Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s speech to conference (YouTube) in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in south Belfast was long and steady. (At five thousand words, it had a higher word count than any of the last six addresses by leaders to their main annual conference.) It was subtle in how it underlined certain issues, but avoided saying anything incendiary, or taking any serious potshots at other parties. This was not a speech that intended to light any fires. Instead it was about …

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DUP Conference – smaller event enthusiastically embraces new leader #dup22

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“We have cause for optimism” said Stephen Dunne, North Down MLA in his mid-morning speech. He was referring to the party’s “strength and the determination to defend Northern Ireland’s place in the Union”. But walking into the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Shaws Bridge, I wondered if “optimism” was on the minds of DUP delegates returning to the scene of leadership challenges and fractious votes over the last 18 months. Today was their first conference since the pandemic, and the first …

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Alliance Party Conference #APNI2022

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After a two-year gap, the Alliance Party conference returned exactly two months before the Assembly election. Deputy leader Stephen Farry must have been relieved that he didn’t have to step in to deliver the leader’s speech this year! There were plenty of party stalwarts in the Crowne Plaza seats, and plenty of fresh young activists who weren’t on the scene two years ago. Yet the mood was slightly muted, at least until the leader and her deputy spoke. That can’t …

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Alliance conference in party mood despite leader’s absence #APNI2020

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Alliance delegates gathered again in the Stormont Hotel for their annual conference, marking the 50th anniversary of the party’s formation and celebrating a year of growing success at three successive elections (local, European and Westminster). The mood was upbeat, attendance was strong, yellow clothing was prevalent, and while there are no elections just around the corner to fire up the crowd, there was a sense of achievement and satisfaction at the party’s fortunes.

Three figures were notably absent including party leader Naomi Long who had been diagnosed with a severe respiratory infection and was on bed rest and fluids under doctor’s orders. Deputy leader Stephen Farry delivered the conference main speech which also held from PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne, former Secretary of State Julian Smith, and young councillors.

DUP Conference – subdued members reminded that NI has new identities that need space to grow and prosper #dup19

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The DUP conference included multiple references to ‘next generation unionism’. The days of Union Flags being left on delegates’ seats to be waved with proud fervour during the leaders’ speech now seem to be over. Shouts of “for she’s a jolly good fellow” have also been banished, along with Willie McCrea’s singing from the front. The conference is now more sober in its organisation, as is the mood.

Alliance demands better from parties, politicians and the Secretary of State #apni19

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READ AND LISTEN BACK to the main speeches at today’s Alliance Party Conference on the second anniversary of the last NI Assembly election and exactly two months before the next local government poll. Naomi Long pulled no punches in her criticism of Secretary of State’s “appalling dereliction of duty” to restore the Stormont institutions.

Foster expresses deep regret for party’s mistakes over RHI while Boris imagines ‘UKNI’ dystopia but fails to excite DUP activists #DUP18

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Read back key sections and listen to speeches from today’s DUP Conference. Arlene Foster apologised for the party’s mistakes over RHI, hinted at a ‘cultural deal’ and expressed her wish for devolution to be restored. Boris Johnson spoke about buses, Brexit and light sabres …

UUP Conference: “in a battle to save the Union from the DUP” – speeches & audio #UUP18

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Listen back to and read key speeches. The UUP’s annual conference was dominated by messaging aimed at differentiating the party from its larger competitor in the run up to the local government elections. If the UUP are to arrest their general decline, it must be with a strong performance in May’s council elections at the expense of the DUP. That is the only test that the UUP will be measured against.