While the spin doctors put a lot of energy into trying to ensure everything runs without a hitch, all too often circumstance conspires to derail the best-laid plans. The unwritten rule of British politics, that if something can go wrong at conference it usually will, means both euphoric new Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his defeated Tory rivals will have to be on their guard in the next few weeks.
So, as Labour folk pack their bags and head to their conference opening in Liverpool Sunday, and the Conservatives prepare to decamp to Birmingham, POLITICO recalls nine moments where party conferences went awry.
Keir Starmer gets a glittering
Labour Leader Keir Starmer’s final conference speech in opposition got off to an unusual start last year. Before he had even started speaking, he was covered in glitter by a protester who mounted the stage. As the shiny green and blue plastic covered Starmer’s jacket, a dude claiming to represent the People Demand Democracy party yelled “we demand a people’s house.” Nope, we had no idea what he was on about either.
Seemingly unfazed by the interruption, Starmer wiped the glitter off and removed his jacket as the People Demand Democracy guy was dragged away. In a metaphor so apt it could have been scripted, Starmer rolled up his sleeves and got on with his keynote address. “Protest or power; that’s why we changed our party, conference,” he declared.
Never guilty of missing an opportunity to boost their election war chest, Labour fundraisers even flogged £20 “Sparkle with Starmer” t-shirts calling on fans to, erm, “unleash your inner shimmer.” They sold out.
Liz Truss steers the Tories into the iceberg (lettuce)
Poor Liz Truss. Nothing seemed to go right during her 49 days in Downing Street — including her one and only party conference as Conservative leader in 2022. The pandemonium in Birmingham kicked off a week after her mini-budget precipitated market turmoil, taking the pound to a 37-year-low against the dollar.