party conferences

SDLP conference – two leader’s speeches delivered to packed room of rapt delegates #sdlp24

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 5, 2024, 5:09 pm

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For the third weekend in a row, the Crowne Plaza’s ballroom was hosting a party conference. The SDLP adopted their traditional long and thin configuration – 240 seats laid out, for those who count these things – bringing back memories of the same room delivering a former new leader’s moment in the light back in 2011. There was an upbeat mood at the SDLP conference. Throughout the speeches and discussions, there was an emphasis of stepping up, stepping forward, and …

UUP Conference – new leader calls for hope at disappointing party conference #UUP2024

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 28, 2024, 4:17 pm

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The UUP conference began with a closed session that was supposed to ratify Mike Nesbitt as their new leader. The suggestion that he’d rather wait until he could address the members in person seemed to be ignored, and a vote to ratify him went ahead. It was one of a number of semi-chaotic moments. The agenda stretched from eleven o’clock to half past three, with a series of panels and speeches, a long lunch break, and a guest speaker slot …

Green Party NI conference – growing in numbers and diversity and hope #greenconference2019

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on February 9, 2019, 5:31 pm

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Watch back key speeches from the first Green Party NI conference under its new leader Clare Bailey which took place in a new location with refreshed branding, showing off some new (and returning) council candidates in front of a sea of new faces at their best-attended annual gathering.

Foster expresses deep regret for party’s mistakes over RHI while Boris imagines ‘UKNI’ dystopia but fails to excite DUP activists #DUP18

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 24, 2018, 5:32 pm

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Read back key sections and listen to speeches from today’s DUP Conference. Arlene Foster apologised for the party’s mistakes over RHI, hinted at a ‘cultural deal’ and expressed her wish for devolution to be restored. Boris Johnson spoke about buses, Brexit and light sabres …

UUP Conference: “in a battle to save the Union from the DUP” – speeches & audio #UUP18

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 20, 2018, 2:58 pm

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Listen back to and read key speeches. The UUP’s annual conference was dominated by messaging aimed at differentiating the party from its larger competitor in the run up to the local government elections. If the UUP are to arrest their general decline, it must be with a strong performance in May’s council elections at the expense of the DUP. That is the only test that the UUP will be measured against.

2018/9 NI Party Conference dates

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 16, 2018, 1:40 pm

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Listing Northern Ireland political party conferences planned for autumn 2018 and spring 2019. Post will be updated as precise dates and venues are confirmed, and links will be added to post-conference reviews.

Green Party plea for clean politics and genuine power sharing while looking forward to next year’s council elections #GreenConf18

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 12, 2018, 4:31 pm

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GREEN PARTY NI held their annual conference in Belfast with a focus on the upcoming local government elections next May and an emphasis on the need for better government and better governance in Northern Ireland.

SDLP Leadership team delivers on stage but can the party turn the corner?

David McCann on April 7, 2018, 7:33 pm

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The SDLP gathered for the first time in over two years for their conference at Titanic Belfast. In what has been a political year of many highs of lows for the party it was a relatively low key affair for most of the morning. Delegates (those who turned up) debated a steady stream of motions on welfare reform, environment and policing. The only potentially controversial motion that was up for debate was one regarding the naming of parks after actors …

2017/8 NI Party Conference dates

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on August 17, 2017, 9:32 pm

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PARTY CONFERENCE SCHEDULE – a list of the 2017/18 party conferences and gatherings most relevant to followers of NI politics. It’ll be updated with information as and when the parties confirm and share their plans, and updated with links to Slugger’s conference coverage after each event.

PUP Conference receives internal and external advice on its image & reform – will it listen & act?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 15, 2016, 4:28 pm

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PARTY CONFERENCE season has started with the Progressive Unionist Party meeting at Corr’s Corner Hotel. Both internal and external voices critiqued the party’s perception problem and hinted at ways that it could addressed. The impact of women in the party continues to grow. Deputy leader John Kyle was honest about the disappointing election result. And party leader Billy Hutchinson called for progress on legacy issues, economic growth, welfare reform, and the persistence of poverty and deprivation.

2016/7 NI Party Conference dates

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 20, 2016, 11:48 am

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PARTY CONFERENCE SCHEDULE – a list of the 2016/17 party conferences and gatherings most relevant to followers of NI politics. It’ll be updated with information as and when the parties decide and share their plans, and updated with links to Slugger’s conference coverage after each event.

LIVE blog for the SDLP Conference and Leadership election…

Mick Fealty on November 14, 2015, 8:00 am

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CONFERENCE LIVE: You can follow today’s proceedings of today’s SDLP conference and leadership election results in our CoverItLive live blog. David and Alan and other selected tweeters will keep you up to date with news and interviews, the leader’s speech at 12pm and finally the details of the results at 5pm.