Party conference season

In the United Kingdom the party conference season is the period of three weeks in September and October of each year, whilst the House of Commons is in recess, in which the annual political party conferences are held.

Political party conferences have traditionally taken place in seaside resorts such as Blackpool, Brighton and Bournemouth, largely due to there being plenty of cheap accommodation available in such towns at the end of the summer holiday season. However, they are increasingly taking place in major cities with modern, purpose-built conference centres such as Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester,^[1] with all of the major UK political parties' conferences taking place in towns and cities in 2014.

There is an unofficial agreement between the parties that they will stagger the timing of their conferences such that media attention be undivided, though smaller parties do not always abide by this rule firmly. In 2012 for example, there was an overlap between the Liberal Democrat and United Kingdom Independence Party annual conferences, with the latter concluding on the opening day of the former, and in 2013 the Liberal Democrat and Green Party of England and Wales conferences overlapped by three days.

2016 conference season

Labour Conference at ACC Liverpool

The dates and locations of the 2016 conferences will be as follows:

• Green Party of England and Wales – Friday 2 September to Sunday 4 September 2016 at the University of Birmingham^[2]
• UKIP – Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 September at the Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth^[3]
• Liberal Democrats – Saturday 17 September to Tuesday 20 September at the Brighton Centre, Brighton^[4]
• Labour – Sunday 25 September to Wednesday 28 September 2016 at the ACC Liverpool, Liverpool^[5]
• Conservatives – Sunday 2 to Wednesday 5 October at International Convention Centre, Birmingham^[6]
• Scottish National Party – Thursday 13 to Saturday 15 October at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow^[7]
• Plaid Cymru - Friday 21 to Saturday 22 October at the Pavilion, Llangollen ^[8]

2015 Conference Season

Temporary fences in Manchester during the Conservatives conference

The dates and locations of the 2015 conferences were as follows:

• Liberal Democrats – Saturday 19 to Wednesday 23 September at the Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth^[9]
• UKIP – Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 September at Doncaster Racecourse Doncaster Racecourse, Doncaster^[10]
• Green Party – Friday 25 to Monday 28 September at the Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth^[11]
• Labour – Sunday 27 to Wednesday 30 September at the Brighton Centre, Brighton^[12]
• Conservatives – Sunday 4 to Wednesday 7 October at Manchester Central, Manchester^[13]
• Scottish National Party – Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 October at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, Aberdeen^[14]
• Plaid Cymru – Friday 23 – Saturday 24 October at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth^[15]

2014 Conference Season

The dates of the 2014 conferences were as follows:

• Green Party of England and Wales – 5 to 8 September, at Aston University Birmingham^[16]
• Trades Union Congress – 7 to 10 September, in Liverpool^[17]
• Labour – 21 to 24 September, in Manchester^[18]
• UKIP – 26 to 27 September, in Doncaster^[19]
• Official Monster Raving Loony Party – 26th, 27th & 28th Sept, in Llandrindod Wells, Powys
• Conservatives – 28 September to 1 October, in Birmingham^[20]
• Liberal Democrats – 4 to 8 October, in Glasgow^[21]
• Scottish Green Party – 11 to 12 October, in Edinburgh^[22]
• Plaid Cymru – 24 to 25 October, in Aberystwyth^[23]
• Scottish National Party – 13 to 15 November, in Perth^[24]

At their annual conference, the Scottish National Party held a leadership election following Alex Salmond's announcement of resignation. Nicola Sturgeon, formerly Salmond's deputy, was elected as their new leader.

2013 Conference Season

The dates of the 2013 conferences were as follows:

• Trades Union Congress – 8 to 11 September, in Bournemouth
• Green Party of England and Wales – 13 to 16 September, in Brighton
• Liberal Democrats – 14 to 18 September, in Glasgow
• UKIP – 20 to 21 September, in London
• Labour- 22 to 25 September, in Brighton
• Conservatives – 29 September to 2 October, in Manchester^[25]
• Plaid Cymru – 11 to 12 October, in Aberystwyth
• Scottish National Party – 17 to 20 October, in Perth

2012 Conference Season

The dates of the 2012 conferences were as follows:

• Green Party of England and Wales – 7 to 10 September, in Bristol
• Trades Union Congress – 9 to 12 September, in Brighton
• Plaid Cymru – 13 to 15 September, in Brecon
• UKIP – 21 to 22 September, in Birmingham
• Liberal Democrats – 22 to 26 September, in Brighton
• Labour- 30 September to 4 October, in Manchester
• Conservatives – 8 to 11 October, in Birmingham
• Scottish National Party – 18 to 21 October, in Perth

See also

• Conservative Party Conference
• Labour Party (UK) Conference

References

1. "Can Blackpool ever win back major political conferences?". Blackpool Gazette. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
2. "Autumn Conference 2016". greenparty.org.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
3. "Bournemouth – UKIP". ukip.org. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
4. "Autumn Conference". libdems.org.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
5. "Welcome to Annual Conference". labour.org.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
6. "The Conservative Party Conference 2016". conservatives.com. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
7. "SNP Conference 2016". snp.org. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
8. https://www.partyof.wales/events/2016/10/21/annual-conference-2016/
9. "Autumn Conference". libdems.org.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
10. "Doncaster – UKIP". ukip.org. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
11. "Conference". greenparty.org.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
12. "Annual Conference". labour.org.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
13. "The Conservative Party Conference 2015, Manchester 4-7 October 2015". conservatives.com. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
14. "SNP National Conference". snp.org. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
15. "2015 Conference". plaid.cymru. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
16. "Conference". Greenparty.org.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
17. "Trades Union Congress - TUC Congress 2014". TUC.org.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
18. Archived April 13, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
19. "UKIP to hold its biggest ever Annual Conference at Doncaster Racecourse – as the Party goes from strength to strength in South Yorkshire". UKIP. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
20. Archived April 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
21. "Autumn Conference". Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
22. "Conference 2014 Scottish Greens". Scottishgreens.org.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
23. "Plaid Cymru". Partyofwales.org. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
24. Archived July 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
25. "Members Area". Conservativepartyconference.org.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2015.