Roll up, roll up
Party conferences this year revolve around the familiar settings of Bournemouth, Brighton and Manchester. But one party used to be more adventurous.
— For its first conference in 1981 the newly formed Social Democratic Party (SDP) opted to have a rolling conference with meetings in Perth, Bradford and London, with the entourage travelling between them (to quote the Conservative Research Department) ‘rather like Trotsky in his armoured train’.
— The following year the train rolled between Cardiff, Derby and Great Yarmouth, but broke down between Peterborough and Ely on the last leg.
— The travelling conference was then abandoned, but during its last assembly as a major party in 1989, leader David Owen gave his speech on the seafront at Scarborough due to a bomb scare.
Euro millions
How much do we send to the EU per week?
£350 million gross contribution excluding rebate (due to rise to £375 million by 2019).
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