Welcome to The Liberty Lounge
Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 13:58 We are midway through the party conference season.
Each year since 2005 we have tried something different. Last year, for example, Forest organised two conference events – one at the Cavern Club in Liverpool (Labour), the other at the Comedy Store in Manchester (Conservative).
Every event has an element of risk but none more than Stand Up for Liberty! at the Comedy Store. A 60-minute drinks reception was followed by an hour of stand-up comedy that had some people walking out (I underestimated the amount of swearing!) while others went on Twitter to say what a fantastic event it had been ("By a very substantial margin, the best fringe event of the last 10 years").
Although the Cavern Club event was a great success as well we decided to give Labour a miss this year. Instead we are putting all our efforts into two events at the Conservative conference in Birmingham.
First up is The Liberty Lounge on Monday 8th October. This is an abbreviated version of our original concept so instead of a six hour, multimedia extravaganza (we couldn't get the space) The Liberty Lounge is now a two-hour event about tobacco, food and drink. Tag-line, 'Free food, free drinks, free speech'.
Guest speakers include David Nuttall MP, Angela Harbutt (Hands Off Our Packs), Chris Snowdon, Rob Lyons (deputy editor, Spiked), and John O'Connell (research director, TaxPayers Alliance) but the star of the show is writer and comedian Timandra Harkness who will act as compere.
The Liberty Lounge will also feature a short film – co-written and presented by Timandra – entitled Your Days Are Numbered: The Maths of Death – plus the Hands Off Our Packs video Plain Packaging? No Minister!.
This is the first time we have hosted an event inside the secure area (which means you need a conference pass to attend) so it will be interesting to see who (if anyone!) turns up. Anyone attending conference is welcome to come.
I'll post details about our second (invitation only) event next week.
PS. Click here to download The Liberty Lounge flyer.
Reader Comments (9)
How about having an air cleaner and a smoke generator running throughout the time you are there?
I am at last in the right country and possibly even in the vicinity of an event but it seems that I can't get in. I am sure that you will let us know how it goes.
Hi Simon
I would have loved to have attended this event. I find your and Chris Snowdon's blogs and books to be a voice of rationality in the public health debate.
I've checked out the prices on the Conservative conference website and it would cost me £400 to attend, which I can't really justify.
I hope to make it to your Freedom Dinner next year (suggest you hold it in Edinburgh!), so looking forward to that.
All the best,
Richard
Hi Simon
Do i get an invite ? I would have to book hotel and Birmingham seems to be very popular at moment.
Thank you.
Peter
Peter, as my post says, "Anyone attending conference is welcome to come". As Richard rightly points outs, however, it is expensive to attend the conference for which you need a security pass).
In previous years we have organised our events outside the secure area so guests haven't needed a pass. This year we made a deliberate decision to hold our event in the main conference hotel – where most of the Cabinet will be staying – in the hope that it will raise our profile among leading opinion formers and decision makers.
Hi Simon
Re your reply to Peter. I do understand the reasoning behind your decision to hold the event within the main hotel. It will be interesting to see who turns up and what their reactions will be.
I hope you will be posting on the blog after the event to let us know how it went.
Out of interest, why did you not hold an event at the Labour party conference this year. They were responsible for the smoking ban, after all and I would have thought that engaging with them would be a useful exercise.
It sounds like the Freedom Dinner is more for me and I hope to attend next year.
All the best,
Richard
Richard, there are hundreds of events at all party conferences, most of them panel discussions, and we like to offer something different. That usually costs money – thousands of pounds for venue hire, catering and promotion – so there are financial as well as political considerations.
We currently have a Conservative-led Coalition so for that and financial reasons we decided this year to focus exclusively on the Conservative conference.
Thanks for your reply, Simon.I hadn't really considered the financial side. All the best with your event.
All the best,
Richard
Labour isn't listening anyway so however much it cost to attend the Labour Party conference, it would be a complete waste of time, effort and money.
Criminalistion under Labour would be a reality within the first five years of office - the Tories will leave it at least another 10 unless they end up in coalition with the LibDems and then they'll be pushing it as soon as possible after they are elected.