partyconf

2015/6 Party Conference dates + podcast

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 12, 2015, 9:28 am

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Party conference season is a bit like a prolonged pilgrimage for those of us who attend the annual gatherings of up to ten political parties operating in Northern Ireland. What what are they really like? The bulk of the conferences are squeezed into October and November, with the remainder running in January or March before election season begins. We’ll update this post with links to conference write-ups as well as new details when they become available. So far, the line-up – …

Round-up of press reaction to DUP conference #dup14

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 24, 2014, 12:58 pm

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So what did the Monday papers think of the DUP’s weekend conference in La Mon? In an Irish Times opinion piece under the headline of “DUP leader’s subtle message of co-operation to end gridlock” Gerry Moriarty pulled out Peter Robinson’s statement – buried in his speech – about the need for the DUP and Sinn Fein to do business together. There is still a bitter rump in the party that hates hearing that line but Robinson realised that, in the …

Noisy DUP conference focuses on election and a one-sided understanding of respect and tolerance #dup14

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 22, 2014, 9:21 pm

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The DUP were in election mode at their annual conference this year. Gone was any outreach to soft unionist voters. Faced with a first-past-the-post election in May 2015, the DUP reverted to core values for core voters. Attendance in the main hall of La Mon Hotel for Peter Robinson’s address was a little down on the previous couple of years: the seats were all taken but there were fewer people standing at the back. New members I’d noticed a few …

Local press reflect on SDLP conference, support for McDonnell, abortion & other NI leaders

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 17, 2014, 9:55 pm

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The Belfast Telegraph published the results of their straw poll survey of 50 delegates at the SDLP party conference on Saturday. When walking through the exhibition space outside the main hall I declined the opportunity offered to answer the interviewer’s questions. 32% of surveyed delegates did not want Alasdair McDonnell to lead the SDLP into the 2016 Assembly election. And only 36% positively did want him to, leaving 32% undecided (or unwilling to express an opinion). From the mood of …

Review of the SDLP conference – lacking passion and oomph … perhaps waiting for a new leader #sdlp14 [audio]

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 15, 2014, 11:11 pm

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The SDLP conference took place on Friday and Saturday in the Ramada Hotel. Using the same venue as the UUP’s get-together four weeks ago, the nationalist party had chosen to divide the main ballroom in half, swapping delegate seats for more exhibitor space. But it wasn’t just the layout and configuration that contrasted with their unionist cousins. This year’s SDLP conference lacked passion. That’s not entirely true: on Saturday afternoon Dolores Kelly and Alex Attwood delivered speeches with gusto and …

2014/5 NI Party Conference dates and venues (updated)

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 4, 2014, 6:55 pm

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Workers Party NI conference table sweets and agenda

This post will be updated as dates and venues are confirmed by the parties. Saturday 11 October – PUP – Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim, BT41 2JH [reviewed] Saturday 18 October – UUP – Ramada Hotel, Shaws Bridge [reviewed] Saturday 25 October – Workers Party – The Grosvenor Hall, Glengall Street, Belfast Friday 14 and Saturday 15 November – SDLP – Ramada Hotel, Shaws Bridge [reviewed and press round-up] ? … – éirígí – … Friday 21 and Saturday 22 November – …

Party Conference Speeches – if only they were a chance to scrutinise & refresh arguments & messages!

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 2, 2014, 6:50 pm

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An August Economist magazine featured a timely article [PAYWALL] looking forward to the Autumn party conference speeches. Focussed on the main English conferences the unnamed writer noted: The process can begin as soon as June. An early task is to cook up one or two big policy announcements, without which no conference is complete (an unwritten rule that has cost taxpayers many millions over the years). Welcome to NI where the Executive agree policies and ministers *never* announce policies outside …

PUP conference – Irish language, welfare reform, parading, Matt Baggott and the leader’s speech

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 13, 2012, 10:04 pm

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Billy Hutchinson - newly elected as PUP leader

Today was Billy Hutchinson’s second conference as leader of the Progressive Unionist Party. His taking over the reins last year was seen as a last gasp attempt to keep the party open for business. The number of people attending the conference was up this year: I’d estimate a hundred people were in the Ramada Encore room, though not all had yet paid their party dues. The PUP seeks to give working class loyalists a voice. The big question for the …