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

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 …

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

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 …

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