I bumped into a very relaxed Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in a Cambridge car park today. We talked about next week’s Conservative conference in Manchester and he told me an extra 2,000 people were going. Talk about positive vibes!
This will be the first time I have attended the Conservative conference. I am swamped with a choice of fantastic events to attend, and impressed by the vast range of inspirational speakers who will be addressing crucial issues affecting our daily lives, including bullying. And, of course, I shall also be working hard while I am there. 🙂
Being a southerner, I’m really pleased we are holding the conference north of Watford. It’s where we need to work hard and persuade voters to cross over to us. It’s very clever tactics.
Andrew is a patron of the charity I support as chair of trustees for Headway Cambridgeshire. Whenever I see him, he is always very relaxed and chilled out. I remember campaigning with him during the last general election when I was the Eastern Region Conservative Press Officer. During a visit to Harwich to support our man there, Douglas Carswell, who was an extremely hard working candidate, I remember Andrew stopping a group of workmen who were smoking and he gently ticked them off. They looked stunned, but obeyed and instantly stubbed out their cigarettes.
Even though there are 2,000 extra supporters attending the conference, there are many others who can’t make it, like Tory blogger Justin Hinchcliffe. As he rightly points out, the cost adds up at the end of the week. When I asked him if he would be going, he replied:
“I’m not, I’m afraid. Although Blackpool was trashy and everyone complained, it was at least cheap. Not all of us can afford £100 per night (min!) to stay in Manchester, the train fare, the endless drinks etc ON TOP on the pass. Quite a few people agree with me. I imagine our conference must cost close to £1k for each person attending.â€
So for Justin and others who can’t make it, I shall record some video diaries and wish they had been there to share it with me.
P.S. Don’t forget to pack your brollies!
It looks like being a vibrant event. Good luck, Ellee!
hope you enjoy your week in Manchester 🙂
Why did Andrew tick off the workmen for smoking…was it inside a building? or just the fact that he is Shadow Health Sec.
Being a northerner who left school during the miners’ strike and enjoyed the ‘best’ years of Thatcherism, here’s one vote you’ll not be winning.
And your grammar never gets any better.
I suppose the extra 2,000 heads are mostly constituents of Cambridge, right? You are definitely correct, really a positive vibe. I am pretty sure the conference would yield favorable fruits and success.
Wish I were going with you, Ellee, I’d like to say a few things to Andrew Lansley. Are you going to Iain Dale’s bash? Are you tweeting from the event? Hope you take some pics and report back.
I hope you have a great time and I think you are right to mention the brolly 😉
Anne, Andrew was pointing out the obvious about smoking being bad for your health.
Raymond, that’s what makes going to Manchester an inspired choice to move Conservatives forward in the north.
Pip, I have got details of Iain’s event and hope to go, and lots of others too. I will certainly be twittering and writing posts when I can. You can follow me on: http://twitter.com/elleeseymour
Thanks, Ellee, will do.