Anders Hanson

I said to someone earlier this week that by going to conference you see both the best and the worst of the Liberal Democrats. You see the party at its most organised, professional, intelligent, thoughtful and enthusiastic. You also see the party at its most bizarre, argumentative, dishevelled and disorganised. I suppose by being that it is also a real cross-section not only of the party, but the country as a whole. People may see politicians and politics as unrepresentative and out of touch. In reality, a political party is a pretty diverse set of people and I have certainly met far more people from far more different backgrounds by being active in the Liberal Democrats than I would have done otherwise.

This contrast and mix of people is one of the great things about the party conference, and why it is important to have it. Janet Street-Porter in The Independent this week seemed to use party conferences as her key piece of evidence as to why political parties will never be environmentally friendly, because if they were they wouldn’t all travel miles to eat, drink, waste paper and energy talking to themselves, when in reality they could do it all by video-conferencing. Well, despite this being a particularly poor piece of proof that politicians are serious about the environment, the other reason I believe she is wrong is because a handful of delegates sat huddled around a videophone is hardly going to be an effective replacement for real human contact and the diversity of things that happen at conference.

So here’s a few reasons for those who wonder why conference is important:

• Not only do you meet Liberal Democrats from other parts of the country with diverse experiences and backgrounds, but you also meet some who are putting Liberal Democrat beliefs in to practice on the ground. Its proof that where Liberal Democrats really behave as Liberal Democrats and work hard, the party can and does make it a difference. It is actually quite enthusing and makes you realise why you spend so much time doing the work to get people elected.
• You get access to ‘experts’ and representatives of all sorts of companies, organisations and bits of the party, which as an ordinary person in the street you don’t always get a chance to listen to and quiz. If you have a particular political interest or bugbear then you are bound to find something for you. Not only can you learn from them, but you can also challenge them and quiz them about all the things you’ve ever wanted to know about their subject.
• You genuinely get a say in party policy. Liberal Democrat conferences are not just a showcase for the party, but also genuinely decide on policy. Making policy is not one of the main reasons I go to conference, but it gives you a chance to have your say, to speak out if you wish and also hear some brilliant speeches by people who are really passionate about their subject.
• Making friends. You get to know so many more people, and at every conference you get to know more. Some of my non-political friends have been in disbelief at how many people I claim to have as friends on Facebook. Well the reason is simple, if you get active in politics and go to conference you get to know loads of people. They might not be close friends, but they are people who, even if you haven’t seen them for a year or more, you can still have a chat and a drink with. Liberal Democrat Conference makes you feel part of a real community.

I could also talk about the training, the freebees that you pick up on the stalls, the diverse interest groups that try to sell you what they do, the chance to find out about new opportunities for you to get involved in the party in different ways, finding out more about the reality of getting or being elected… and so on. But these are just another part of what conference does for you. Any Liberal Democrat who wants to be more than just an armchair member really should go to conference. It becomes addictive, but for all the right reasons.

…and now I am off there too.  My train to Brighton is in 20 minutes.

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CONFERENCE