Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Top ten conference moments
This is an old Financial Times blog but it brings back some memories of Liberal Democrats Federal Conferences of old and those of our predecessor parties.
Number one of the top ten conference moments is the 1992 resolution to ban goldfish prizes at fairgrounds. Although this seems like one of those kooky Liberal Democrats ideas, it was a Labour government that implemented it.
I was also there for the David Steel 'Go home and prepare for government' speech, although the least said about that the better. I was also there for one of the events mentioned in number 4, namely Black Wednesday. I had just remortgaged and sat there shell-shocked in the hall as the interest rate reached stupid levels before settling down again.
I am sorry that I was not at the Glee Club when Paddy Ashdown swung through the window dressed as a frogman. Did that really happen or is it just apocryphal?
I am also gutted that I was not present when at the end of a particularly long and tedious debate on commerce policy, the chair reluctantly gave way to a point of order: “I am a witch,” the lady told the stunned conference hall. She went on to explain she had detected “evil spirits particularly concentrated on Simon Hughes”.
This year we are in Glasgow. I have registered and booked my accommodation and transport. Let us hope that we have at least one incident with comparable entertainment value.
Number one of the top ten conference moments is the 1992 resolution to ban goldfish prizes at fairgrounds. Although this seems like one of those kooky Liberal Democrats ideas, it was a Labour government that implemented it.
I was also there for the David Steel 'Go home and prepare for government' speech, although the least said about that the better. I was also there for one of the events mentioned in number 4, namely Black Wednesday. I had just remortgaged and sat there shell-shocked in the hall as the interest rate reached stupid levels before settling down again.
I am sorry that I was not at the Glee Club when Paddy Ashdown swung through the window dressed as a frogman. Did that really happen or is it just apocryphal?
I am also gutted that I was not present when at the end of a particularly long and tedious debate on commerce policy, the chair reluctantly gave way to a point of order: “I am a witch,” the lady told the stunned conference hall. She went on to explain she had detected “evil spirits particularly concentrated on Simon Hughes”.
This year we are in Glasgow. I have registered and booked my accommodation and transport. Let us hope that we have at least one incident with comparable entertainment value.
