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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Apr 24, 2024 15:54:29 GMT
The Lib Dems still have dreary debates about resolutions by attendees that their leaders often have to spend time distancing the party offer from but they're not exactly ratings hits even when BBC Parliament shows them. BBC Parliament doesn't show any party conference coverage. Stopped doing it in 2021. |
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Post by timrollpickering on Apr 24, 2024 15:57:43 GMT
The Lib Dems still have dreary debates about resolutions by attendees that their leaders often have to spend time distancing the party offer from but they're not exactly ratings hits even when BBC Parliament shows them. BBC Parliament doesn't show any party conference coverage. Stopped doing it in 2021. I guess I had better things to put on the TV during returns to my hotel room in recent years. But if even BBC Parliament is unexcited about watching Liberal Democrat conference attendees debating motions why should the public at large embrace them again? |
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Post by doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ on Apr 24, 2024 16:18:39 GMT
Let's at least agree that our Conferences (and that's "our" collectively, for all parties) far outweigh whatever happens with the American equivalent.
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john07
Labour & Co-operative
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Post by john07 on Apr 24, 2024 17:12:16 GMT
Even if it’s a dingy B&B that hasn’t seen a lick of paint this century? If it's somewhere to sleep and get changed that's good enough for many an attendee. And you should see some of the hotel rooms in Birmingham and Manchester I've been in... You’ve stayed at the Britannia then? |
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Post by tonyhil on Apr 24, 2024 17:16:45 GMT
My recollection is that the Liberal Party/Liberal Democrats (and the fact that I can't remember which shows how long ago it must have been) stopped using Blackpool as a venue at least partly because of the puritanical attitude of a significant proportion of B & B owners towards same-sex couples.
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Post by doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ on Apr 24, 2024 17:51:47 GMT
If it's somewhere to sleep and get changed that's good enough for many an attendee. And you should see some of the hotel rooms in Birmingham and Manchester I've been in... You’ve stayed at the Britannia then? Imagine going to your first Manchester Conference and getting lumbered with Sachas  |
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Post by newsouthender on Apr 24, 2024 18:38:45 GMT
Sorry rant incoming as these poverty porn articles really grind my gears and this one is particularly badly researched and damaging. I grew up here in the eighties and came back about 5 years ago when hybrid working became a thing. The issues around the tourist business have been going on since the late sixties. Essentially, there was a gradual shift from people staying full weeks in the old ‘wake weeks’ tradition to short breaks and day trips. The vast number of B&Bs and hotels were therefore wholly unsuited to the new trade and many went to rack and ruin with HMOs, bail hostels, drug rehabilitation and poorly supervised childrens’ homes replacing them with all the problems that they bring with them. While the sex establishments on Cookson Street are understandably not to everyone’s taste, they are wholly better than the massive street prostitution problems that we previously had in areas like Palatine Road. This has virtually gone apart from the toothless woman of a certain vintage who occasionally plies her trade near the Tesco Express on Central Drive. The claim about tourists being randomly stabbed is puzzling. There have been incidents involving rival football supporters and drug gangs but these can happen anywhere. I have never heard of such an attack on a tourist heading for the Pleasure Beach or Zoo. It is true that the dodgy Albanian gangster money laundering businesses are prevalent but again these can be seen all across London. I often invite colleagues to visit from London and they universally love it. The beautiful sunsets over the cliffs, the miles of ‘proper’ sand and the friendly and fun venues plus some of the best vintage fairground rides in the world as well as icons like the Tower and Winter Gardens. The Victorians knew how to do levelling up. So please give us a try as this season has been tough so far with all the rain, you may be pleasantly surprised. |
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johnloony
Conservative
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Post by johnloony on Apr 24, 2024 18:41:04 GMT
My recollection is that the Liberal Party/Liberal Democrats (and the fact that I can't remember which shows how long ago it must have been) stopped using Blackpool as a venue at least partly because of the puritanical attitude of a significant proportion of B & B owners towards same-sex couples. Blimey! It’s almost as if businesspeople went into business to run a business without realising that businesses are run according to market forces. |
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Post by doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ on Apr 24, 2024 19:11:18 GMT
Sorry rant incoming as these poverty porn articles really grind my gears and this one is particularly badly researched and damaging. I grew up here in the eighties and came back about 5 years ago when hybrid working became a thing. The issues around the tourist business have been going on since the late sixties. Essentially, there was a gradual shift from people staying full weeks in the old ‘wake weeks’ tradition to short breaks and day trips. The vast number of B&Bs and hotels were therefore wholly unsuited to the new trade and many went to rack and ruin with HMOs, bail hostels, drug rehabilitation and poorly supervised childrens’ homes replacing them with all the problems that they bring with them. While the sex establishments on Cookson Street are understandably not to everyone’s taste, they are wholly better than the massive street prostitution problems that we previously had in areas like Palatine Road. This has virtually gone apart from the toothless woman of a certain vintage who occasionally plies her trade near the Tesco Express on Central Drive. The claim about tourists being randomly stabbed is puzzling. There have been incidents involving rival football supporters and drug gangs but these can happen anywhere. I have never heard of such an attack on a tourist heading for the Pleasure Beach or Zoo. It is true that the dodgy Albanian gangster money laundering businesses are prevalent but again these can be seen all across London. I often invite colleagues to visit from London and they universally love it. The beautiful sunsets over the cliffs, the miles of ‘proper’ sand and the friendly and fun venues plus some of the best vintage fairground rides in the world as well as icons like the Tower and Winter Gardens. The Victorians knew how to do levelling up. So please give us a try as this season has been tough so far with all the rain, you may be pleasantly surprised. I wholeheartedly agree. Were a similarly minded "journalist" to visit Clacton-on-Sea I'm certain we'd here whinges about the biased 750-words coming out of a clueless northerner. |
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graham
Non-Aligned
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Post by graham on Apr 24, 2024 19:39:04 GMT
My recollection is that the Liberal Party/Liberal Democrats (and the fact that I can't remember which shows how long ago it must have been) stopped using Blackpool as a venue at least partly because of the puritanical attitude of a significant proportion of B & B owners towards same-sex couples. Not specifically re-party conferences but I am aware of Hotels /Guest Houses which refused to give rooms to unmarried Hetrosexual couples.! |
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Post by timrollpickering on Apr 24, 2024 20:03:07 GMT
If it's somewhere to sleep and get changed that's good enough for many an attendee. And you should see some of the hotel rooms in Birmingham and Manchester I've been in... You’ve stayed at the Britannia then? How did you guess?! |
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john07
Labour & Co-operative
Posts: 15,774
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Post by john07 on Apr 24, 2024 20:28:13 GMT
You’ve stayed at the Britannia then? How did you guess?! I stayed there twice. The second time was booked before my first visit. |
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Post by iainbhx on Apr 24, 2024 20:59:47 GMT
You’ve stayed at the Britannia then? How did you guess?! The Manchester Britannia remains the only hotel I have ever walked out of. I am amazed anywhere stops there twice. Obviously, I've never stopped in the Birmingham one but I remember that it had to be frequently visited by council officers because of a lot of complaints and we shut it down a couple of times for infestations. Not warnings, they were ignored as you'd expect, actual shut downs. |
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Post by timrollpickering on Apr 24, 2024 22:34:38 GMT
My recollection is that the Liberal Party/Liberal Democrats (and the fact that I can't remember which shows how long ago it must have been) stopped using Blackpool as a venue at least partly because of the puritanical attitude of a significant proportion of B & B owners towards same-sex couples. Post merger the conference has been held in Blackpool three times, though one was when the party were still SaLaDs in autumn 1988. Otherwise it was held there in 1990 and 2005. ISTR some row in 2005 with some Lib Dem person or publication slagging off Blackpool, so checking: I used to go Blackpool as a kid as I liked the Illuminations. The Liberal Democrats refused to go back to Blackpool for conferences since 1990 apart from 2005 when we needed a venue. It wasn't popular then either. Liberator magazine which is a liberal magazine described Blackpool around then as a "1950s theme park." I assume Liberator was too low profile or the blogosphere too young to notice this as I can't recall reports of Charles Kennedy having to enjoy every single attraction of the sea front and eat endless rock and candy floss or whatever passes for penance for Lib Dem leaders when their party upsets Blackpool. But his colleagues waited a few months instead of metaphorically Alan Bradleying him. |
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Post by timrollpickering on Apr 24, 2024 22:39:16 GMT
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
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Post by The Bishop on Apr 25, 2024 12:22:06 GMT
Interesting to see the co-writers of that, given how much their political paths have diverged in the subsequent decade.
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Post by greenhert on Apr 25, 2024 17:34:54 GMT
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john07
Labour & Co-operative
Posts: 15,774
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Post by john07 on Apr 25, 2024 18:03:29 GMT
The Manchester Britannia remains the only hotel I have ever walked out of. I am amazed anywhere stops there twice. Obviously, I've never stopped in the Birmingham one but I remember that it had to be frequently visited by council officers because of a lot of complaints and we shut it down a couple of times for infestations. Not warnings, they were ignored as you'd expect, actual shut downs. I stayed at the one on Princess Parkway half way to the Airport. I was really struggling to find a hotel anywhere in Manchester. It was pretty grim on my first stay. The TV in the room didn’t work and there was a general aura of grime. I had already booked another stay around three weeks later and paid. In absence of any alternative I did go back again. |
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Post by lackeroftalent on Apr 27, 2024 9:19:49 GMT
Given the rumours sloshing around that Rishi Sunak will call a general election on Monday (perfectly possible this is just noise).
If it happens, would this be the latest a parliamentary by-election has been cancelled?
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The Bishop
Labour
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Post by The Bishop on Apr 27, 2024 10:23:11 GMT
Could it even be cancelled at this stage?
I know that Manchester Gorton was, but then May's announcement came with over a fortnight still to go until polling day.
This might be more like Liverpool Edge Hill in 1979, which still went ahead despite Labour losing the VoNC (thus causing a GE) earlier in the week.
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