The joy of conference season

IT'S AUTUMN and for the British political establishment that can mean only one thing party conference season. 

As politicians and party members meet for the last time before next year's General Election MP's are feeling the pressure to reassure people that they will be fighting fit for the campaigns ahead of them. The conferences are politicians opportunity to try out new ideas before committing to them in their manifestos. It is the equivalent of Paris or London fashion week for political junkies as they get a peek at the upcoming policies on offer. 

This year has been no different as the key parties look back at the mistakes and successes of the past year and lay out their future plans. 

For Prime Minister David Cameron it is an opportunity for back slapping over the debatable success of the Scottish referendum. For Labour it was a chance to prove that they had moved forward from its defeat at the last General Election and was ready for a new future. For the Liberal Democrats it is a time to demonstrate that they still exist, something which hasn't always been obvious since it joined the coalition government. 

As always though it is the crackpots and cranks which lead the way and monopolise the news cycle, which could explain the amount of coverage given to the UKIP party conference despite it having no MP's in Parliament.

It also a chance for individual politicians to flex their muscles and attempt to stand out from the crowd. It was no surprise to many that London Mayor Boris Johnson was among the forefront of this particular group.

In true Boris style he managed to someone try and stabilise the Conservatives and reaffirm his support for Mr Cameron while stealthily positioning himself as the saviour of the party.

Speaking at a fringe meeting ahead of his formal speech on Tuesday Mr Johnson demonstrated this ability with his usual panache.

"It is only if the great conservative family unites and we stop Ed Miliband seizing back control of this country that we will be able to deliver the referendum that this country wants and deserves," Johnson told activists.

"I say to the quitters, the splitters and the 'Kippers, there is only one party that can sort out the European issue."

"When you look at the vast leads that this party enjoys on the key questions of the economy and prime ministerial qualities, I think they (voters) will come over in droves," he said.

Being entirely honest though, while there is a certain interest in hearing plans for the future and debating which ones may actually make the grade, it is for the blunders which many will get the most entertainment. Staying true to form Labour leader Ed Milliband provided the greatest faux par so far by forgetting to mention the deficit in his speech, after all who would think the economy would be an important point.

With the Tories suffering body blows from defections and resignations, Labour trying to persuade people that Mr Milliband isn't completely incompetent, the Liberal Democrats pleading for someone to throw them a life ring and UKIP posturing on its overblown ego if the conference season is a good opening to the political season then the election campaign should be interesting to watch at the very least.

Green's looking at new direction

THE season of political party conferences gets underway today with the Green Party starting its annual roundup.

During the course of its four day conference party stalwarts are expected to signal a change of direction from its previous focus on environmental issues. Instead leader, and former Guardian journalist, Natalie Bennett aims to position the party to the left of Labour as an effective alternative to current parties.

Speaking at the People's march this week she said: "We marched from Bedford to Luton, there was massive support. We don't believe there is any place for the profit motive in the NHS, the internal market with NHS services competing is a failed policy - we would keep it public owned and free.

"We are really the only opposition to three parties who all back the same political and economic system, which is not working. We are proposing real change," she added.

As part of its new agenda there is expected to be more discussion about plans for a £10 minimum wage to be imposed across the board, regardless of age or circumstances.

Bennett told the Guardian: "We need to offer people hope for the future – a living wage, secure employment and no more zero-hours contracts.

"Under our plan no one would be paid less than £10 an hour in 2020," she said. "It is a scandal that under the coalition government the number of workers earning less than the living wage has risen by a staggering 50%. It makes a mockery of David Cameron's 2010 statement that a living wage is 'an idea whose time has come'."

The change of direction reflects the impact which the coverage received by the United Kingdom Independence Party during the European Elections had on the party.

At the time Green members, who have long stated that they are the fourth political party, complained that the UKIP media exposure was unwarranted and damaging to its own campaign.

"A difference between the Greens and UKIP is that we are not a one-person party, we are team and we have three women - Caroline Lucas in the House of Commons and Jenny Jones in the House of Lords and myself - all happy to work together, not competing," said Bennett.

Separately adding: "We got 6.6 per cent of the vote in May and I would be very happy if we got the same percentage of political coverage in the national media - but we are seeing our figures going up anyway,"

It is a change which poses risks for the party, which is polling below the Liberal Democrats, as they may alienate core voters with drastic and seemingly ill conceived policies.

Promising to impose a wealth tax of 1% on top earners will appeal to some voters, however, it seems unlikely to provide the necessary capital injection needed to fulfil additional plans for benefits and the health service. Meanwhile as the three main parties have already discovered raising the minimum wage dramatically would have detrimental impact on small business owners unable to meet the higher outlay, thereby driving up prices, the living wage and creating a potential inflationary spiral.

Re-branding themselves as a left wing party may seem like a good idea in an increasingly politically apathetic era. Without clear solutions though they could find that they have moved too far away from the policies which have brought voters to them in the past.