Conservative Party Conference

Conservative Party Conference held in Manchester at the Central Convention Complex in 2011

The Conservative Party Conference (CPC) is a four-day national conference event held by the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. It takes place every year in October during the British party conference season, when the House of Commons is usually in recess. The event's location has alternated between Birmingham's International Convention Centre (ICC) and Manchester's Central Convention Complex since 2008. Previously, it had alternated between Blackpool, Bournemouth and Brighton.[1] In contrast to the Liberal Democrat Conference, where every party member attending its Conference, either in-person or online,[2] has the right to vote on party policy, under a one-member, one vote system,[3][4] or the Labour Party Conference, where 50% of votes are allocated to affiliated organisations (such as trade unions), and in which all voting is restricted to nominated representatives (known as delegates),[5] the Conservative Party Conference does not hold votes on party policy.[6]

The conference, which consists of fringe events, receptions, and speeches, gives Conservative Party members, the press, and the public a chance to learn about the party's ideas and policies for the year ahead.[7] The focal event is the leader's speech, which is given by the incumbent Leader of the Conservative Party at the end of conference. In some special circumstances, the leader will make a speech at the opening of conference.[8] An exhibition area is also featured every year allowing businesses and Conservative Party-affiliated organisations to promote their brands and messages from exhibition stands throughout the conference period.[9]

The chairman of the Conservative Party Conference is always the current president of the National Conservative Convention, the parliament of the Voluntary Party. The National Convention meets twice a year—its Annual General Meeting is usually held at Spring Forum, with another meeting usually held at the Party Conference.[10] Since 2017, the Democratic Unionist Party has hosted an annual reception at the conference, owing to the alliance between the two parties in the 2017–2019 parliament.[11]

  1. ^ Maguire, Patrick (4 October 2018). "Party conferences should return to Blackpool". New Statesman. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Liberal Democrats – Spring Conference Online". Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  3. ^ "How is policy decided?". Liberal Democrats. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Standing orders for Federal Conference – Glossary of terms" (PDF). Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Labour Party Rule Book 2020 (Chapter 3 – Party Conference — Clause III – Procedural rules for Party Conference)" (PDF). The Labour Party. April 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Party Conferences". Institute for Government. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  7. ^ Wilkinson, Michael (31 August 2016). "What will happen at the Tory Party Conference? Everything you need to know". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 May 2019 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  8. ^ "Conservative 2016 conference agenda". BBC News. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Conference".
  10. ^ "Party Structure and Organisation". Conservative Party. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Big question of the Tory conference: where are the youth?". Irish Times. 6 October 2017.