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 such as Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, with all of the major U.K. 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

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

• Labour - Sunday 25 September to Wednesday 28 September 2016 at the ACC Liverpool, Liverpool^[1]
• Liberal Democrats - Saturday 17 September to Wednesday 21 September at the Brighton Centre, Brighton^[2]
• Conservatives - Sunday 2 to Wednesday 5 October at International Convention Centre, Birmingham^[3]

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^[4]
• UKIP - Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 September at Doncaster Racecourse Doncaster Racecourse, Doncaster^[5]
• Green Party - Friday 25 to Monday 28 September at the Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth^[6]
• Labour - Sunday 27 to Wednesday 30 September at the Brighton Centre, Brighton^[7]
• Conservatives - Sunday 4 to Wednesday 7 October at Manchester Central, Manchester^[8]
• Scottish National Party - Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 October at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, Aberdeen^[9]
• Plaid Cymru - Friday 23 - Saturday 24 October at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth^[10]

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^[11]
• Trades Union Congress – 7 to 10 September, in Liverpool^[12]
• Labour – 21 to 24 September, in Manchester^[13]
• UKIP – 26 to 27 September, in Doncaster^[14]
• Official Monster Raving Loony Party – 26th, 27th & 28th Sept, in Llandrindod Wells, Powys
• Conservatives – 28 September to 1 October, in Birmingham^[15]
• Liberal Democrats – 4 to 8 October, in Glasgow^[16]
• Scottish Green Party – 11 to 12 October, in Edinburgh^[17]
• Plaid Cymru – 24 to 25 October, in Aberystwyth^[18]
• Scottish National Party – 13 to 15 November, in Perth^[19]

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^[20]
• 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

References

1. "Welcome to Annual Conference". labour.org.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
2. "Autumn Conference". libdems.org.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
3. "The Conservative Party Conference 2016". conservatives.com. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
4. "Autumn Conference". libdems.org.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
5. "Doncaster - UKIP". ukip.org. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
6. "Conference". greenparty.org.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
7. "Annual Conference". labour.org.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
8. "The Conservative Party Conference 2015, Manchester 4-7 October 2015". conservatives.com. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
9. "SNP National Conference". snp.org. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
10. "2015 Conference". plaid.cymru. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
11. "Conference". Greenparty.org.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
12. "Trades Union Congress - TUC Congress 2014". TUC.org.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
13. Archived April 13, 2014 at the Wayback Machine
14. "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.
15. Archived April 1, 2014 at the Wayback Machine
16. "Autumn Conference". Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
17. "Conference 2014 Scottish Greens". Scottishgreens.org.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
18. "Plaid Cymru". Partyofwales.org. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
19. Archived July 1, 2014 at the Wayback Machine
20. "Members Area". Conservativepartyconference.org.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2015.