Autumn Conference plans

After extensive feedback from members, the Federal Board has agreed a plan for our Autumn Federal Conference.

We agreed that it would be in the best interests of the party to hold such an event if possible, and that due to the unusually close proximity between the event and the next Westminster general election, the maximum benefit would come from amending our normal conference plans so that it can be tailored to the requirements, opportunities and risks of an event so close to a general election.

These include making it a 2.5 day event (14-16 September 2024 in Brighton), providing the best trade-off between a shorter conference lowering costs and staff time while also preserving enough time to maximise the benefits of conference, including commercial income. The Tuesday rather than the Saturday would be dropped in order to maximise the chances for members to participate.

The event will include exhibition, fringe, training as well as items in the main hall. More details will be published in due course as the details are finalised. There will be online viewing available, but unfortunately due to the resource requirements, online voting will not be available.

Technically, this will be a Special Conference so that we can avoid time being taken up on lower priority items just ahead of a general election, such as constitutional amendments. If a general election is called just before conference is due, then it will be cancelled.

Note - as with any Board decision, this one is subject to scrutiny by the Federal Council.