With the party conference season now underway, it is worth considering what value parties place in public affairs and whether it is worth the time and resource.
This is not a new issue, but one that is worth considering again especially following a General Election. The Lib Dems are doing their very best to continue to be heard, and the claims that Labour MPs were going to defect were an obvious attempt to secure some attention.
Labour’s party conference will start to change under Corbyn’s leadership. Instead of being a carefully managed stage show where the leaders get to shine, it could revert to its former role of being a real decision-making body.
The challenge for the Conservative Party this year will be to not be too triumphalist despite their electoral success. They will want to avoid talking too much about Europe and instead they will focus on Corbyn. There will be the same sort of issues and message discipline that characterised their electoral campaign.
The SNP conference will face a similar triumphalist challenge but its one that is less important to them. It is not so damaging to them as it is for the Conservatives, and will not have the same potential electoral implications. UKIP meanwhile will no doubt try to work out the best way of campaigning in the forthcoming referendum and what the role of Nigel should be.
The fringe meetings going on around the main conference have been, for all the parties, where the real action is. You could hear about the policies that the main speakers want to avoid, and there is a chance to hear what party members and activists really think. In the days before social media, politicians could be a little more open than would otherwise be the case but this is largely no longer true.
The reasons for attending conferences remain fairly consistent:
- Networking – the range of people and organisations all in one place is hugely impressive. You get to see and hear a range of views and issues that could be interesting and potentially useful as well. Normally you would need an excuse to network with some of them but the conference provides the perfect excuse. The range of networking opportunities is vast – from parties to fringe events, mutual contacts to new introduction and even meeting up with old friends. All good networking!
- Getting involved – parties like to see organisations playing an active role. That does not have to be direct involvement, but helping to facilitate debate and making a conference a success all counts. This involvement, bringing in more diverse voices, can also make your argument and campaign stronger. Not only does it demonstrate that you are not afraid to air the issue but it can bring new points of view in. Importantly, it can help build a basis of support as well.
- Know what makes the parties tick – it is quite possible that Labour and the Lib Dems will move away from the central control of recent years and will re-establish the sense of democracy that, it can be argued, has been lessened if not totally lost. Policy-making would become not just the preserve of a few key central contacts but of a wider movement and membership. As a public affairs person you need to know and understand how this works and what it means. The conference can help.
- Insight – the ‘who does what where’, ‘what is being said by who’, ‘who is talking to who’ are all available at the conferences. Some of this will be ideal political gossip but some could be useful in a campaign.
- Opportunities for follow-up – this is often the part of party conference activity that falls by the wayside but is really the most important part. In any contact you make, ensure that you create the opportunity for some actions after the party conferences are over. This could be as simple as a letter or more involved like a joint event. The follow-up needs to fit your campaign but the critical point is that you can keep the story and dialogue going.
I admit to really enjoying the party conferences. From my first Labour Party conference in 1995 through to this year’s conferences, I always find them interesting and useful. But attendance needs to be built into overall public affairs activity, it should be not be seen as a semi-detached add-on.
The party conferences work best when you put a plan together.