• Contact
  • About
  • Authors
DONATE
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  • Login
Central Bylines
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Brexit
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Transport
    • World
    Handshake with Europe

    Always with EU? Some realism about rejoining

    Protester

    Roe v Wade: men benefit from abortion rights too – and should speak about them more

    Bruce Kent at a Stop Trident rally

    Bruce Kent (1929 – 2022) – a personal view

    Factory

    Cutting emissions from construction and automotive materials by a third

    child labour

    World losing fight to end child labour

    Protester and injunction

    Jesus wept: meet Mark Coleman, retired vicar and Just Stop Oil activist

    Cotton mill

    Gardens of the revolution: Fashion revolution at the Chelsea flower show

    Flowers

    This writer’s life: a diary. Part 3: Garden blessings

    Vigil for Visas

    Vigil for Visas: delays in issuing visas to refugees from the war in Ukraine cause misery and fear

    Trending Tags

    • Johnson
    • Ukraine Conflict
    • Brexit
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Transport
    • World
  • Politics
    Power to the people

    Power to the people

    Patriotism in the UK

    Johnson isn’t a patriot, he’s a pariah

    Return to imperial measures

    The return of imperial measurements?

    Gun Control

    ‘Gun Free Zone’ (a ‘Found’ poem, extracted from Trump’s NRA conference speech in Houston, a few days later)

    Statue of a bishop

    Johnson can’t govern so he lies instead

    Fraud and government schemes

    Fraud and government schemes

    East midlands greatest hits

    East Midlands Conservative greatest hits, Spring 2022

    Voting

    Boris Johnson won’t remove himself – we all have to help

    Anti-rascism protest

    Anti-racism campaigners in Stoke-on-Trent demand change

    Trending Tags

    • Levelling up
  • Opinion
    Adobe stock licensed image by Jorm S

    Freedom and conservatism

    This work is from the National Child Labor Committee collection at the Library of Congress. According to the library, there are no known copyright restrictions on the use of this work.

    Reflections on Boris Johnson’s ‘high skill, high wage future’ speech. Fashion – Fix up, look smart! 

    Adobe Stock licensed image by motortion

    Reflections on Boris Johnson’s ‘high skill, high wage future’ speech: the invisible half of the population

    Official United Kingdom Parliamentary photographs 2020 Tom Randall (politician) - CC-BY-3.0

    Why do people become MPs?

    Image by Central Bylines Team - derived from eligible Creative Commons sources

    Gaslighting an electorate – the moral bankruptcy of Edward Leigh 

    Adobe Stock licensed: Gibberish
by egokhan

    Lucy Allan talks gibberish

    Image by Number 10 for flickr licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    Red wall voters to Johnson: in the name of God, go!

    Say no to the elections bill

    Say no to the Elections Bill

    Trending Tags

    • Lifestyle
      • All
      • Art
      • Books
      • Dance
      • Festivals
      • Fun & Games
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Poetry
      • Sport
      • Theatre
      • TV
      Image by author

      Anne Boleyn

      Portrait of William Byrd by The Trustees of the British Museum ©, licensed by CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

      William Byrd – “a Father of Musick”

      Waverly community garden

      Launch of Better Together Community Garden in Clayton

      Illustration by AB Wyze

      Here I’m sat

      Liverpool in Paris

      Gun Control

      ‘Gun Free Zone’ (a ‘Found’ poem, extracted from Trump’s NRA conference speech in Houston, a few days later)

      Bally Gill, David Morrissey, James Graham and Joanne Froggatt - sherwood cast

      Sherwood: what lies beneath?

      O'Rourke

      O’Rourke

      Fighter,Pilots,Cockpit,View,Under,Cloudy,Blue,Sky

      Top Gun, I feel the need…..

      Trending Tags

        • Dance
        • Food
        • Music
        • Poetry
        • Recipes
        • Sport
      • Business
        • All
        • Economy
        • Technology
        • Trade
        cloudy beer

        UK’s first cloudy beer

        Cost of living crisis

        Crisis? What crisis? The cost of living crisis and political responses

        Adobe Stock licensed image by hanohiki

        Bad news for Newark: 110 jobs lost as town’s top employer withdraws to the EU 

        Promotion image from Colleague Box website

        Pandemic start-up success story hampered by Brexit barriers

        Image licensed by Pixabay

        Information is power: its loss can be devastating

        Photo by Matt Bango on StockSnap

        Hassle in High Peak: Robert Largan’s solar farm shenanigans

        Adobe Stock licensed - image by blackday

        British Gas-lighting a nation: how energy companies are exploiting their customers with increased prices

        circular economy

        Reflections on Boris Johnson’s ‘high skill, high wage future’ speech

        Dog wrapped in a blanket, luckily he does not have to pay the bill.

        Fuel bills and service blunders as energy prices start to bite

        Trending Tags

        • Levelling up
        • Economy
        • Technology
      • Region
        • All
        • East Midlands
        • West Midlands
        Image by Number 10 used under CC2 - Prime Minister Boris Johnson met Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on 10 October 2019 to discuss the UK's Brexit proposals.

        The Northern Ireland protocol

        Waverly community garden

        Launch of Better Together Community Garden in Clayton

        Rent seeking

        A ‘high skill, high wage future’? Rentier capitalism: who owns the future?

        Liverpool in Paris

        Mark Serwotka

        Trades unionists demand action on the cost-of-living crisis at rally in Stoke-on-Trent

        East midlands greatest hits

        East Midlands Conservative greatest hits, Spring 2022

        Allens Cross Community Centre

        St Bart’s Pantry, open for business!

        women in power 2

        Women in power

        Vera Brittain plaque

        Midlands blue plaques part 1: Vera Brittain in Buxton

        Trending Tags

          • East Midlands
          • West Midlands
        • Events
        No Result
        View All Result
        • Home
        • News
          • All
          • Brexit
          • Education
          • Environment
          • Health
          • Transport
          • World
          Handshake with Europe

          Always with EU? Some realism about rejoining

          Protester

          Roe v Wade: men benefit from abortion rights too – and should speak about them more

          Bruce Kent at a Stop Trident rally

          Bruce Kent (1929 – 2022) – a personal view

          Factory

          Cutting emissions from construction and automotive materials by a third

          child labour

          World losing fight to end child labour

          Protester and injunction

          Jesus wept: meet Mark Coleman, retired vicar and Just Stop Oil activist

          Cotton mill

          Gardens of the revolution: Fashion revolution at the Chelsea flower show

          Flowers

          This writer’s life: a diary. Part 3: Garden blessings

          Vigil for Visas

          Vigil for Visas: delays in issuing visas to refugees from the war in Ukraine cause misery and fear

          Trending Tags

          • Johnson
          • Ukraine Conflict
          • Brexit
          • Education
          • Environment
          • Health
          • Transport
          • World
        • Politics
          Power to the people

          Power to the people

          Patriotism in the UK

          Johnson isn’t a patriot, he’s a pariah

          Return to imperial measures

          The return of imperial measurements?

          Gun Control

          ‘Gun Free Zone’ (a ‘Found’ poem, extracted from Trump’s NRA conference speech in Houston, a few days later)

          Statue of a bishop

          Johnson can’t govern so he lies instead

          Fraud and government schemes

          Fraud and government schemes

          East midlands greatest hits

          East Midlands Conservative greatest hits, Spring 2022

          Voting

          Boris Johnson won’t remove himself – we all have to help

          Anti-rascism protest

          Anti-racism campaigners in Stoke-on-Trent demand change

          Trending Tags

          • Levelling up
        • Opinion
          Adobe stock licensed image by Jorm S

          Freedom and conservatism

          This work is from the National Child Labor Committee collection at the Library of Congress. According to the library, there are no known copyright restrictions on the use of this work.

          Reflections on Boris Johnson’s ‘high skill, high wage future’ speech. Fashion – Fix up, look smart! 

          Adobe Stock licensed image by motortion

          Reflections on Boris Johnson’s ‘high skill, high wage future’ speech: the invisible half of the population

          Official United Kingdom Parliamentary photographs 2020 Tom Randall (politician) - CC-BY-3.0

          Why do people become MPs?

          Image by Central Bylines Team - derived from eligible Creative Commons sources

          Gaslighting an electorate – the moral bankruptcy of Edward Leigh 

          Adobe Stock licensed: Gibberish
by egokhan

          Lucy Allan talks gibberish

          Image by Number 10 for flickr licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

          Red wall voters to Johnson: in the name of God, go!

          Say no to the elections bill

          Say no to the Elections Bill

          Trending Tags

          • Lifestyle
            • All
            • Art
            • Books
            • Dance
            • Festivals
            • Fun & Games
            • Movies
            • Music
            • Poetry
            • Sport
            • Theatre
            • TV
            Image by author

            Anne Boleyn

            Portrait of William Byrd by The Trustees of the British Museum ©, licensed by CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

            William Byrd – “a Father of Musick”

            Waverly community garden

            Launch of Better Together Community Garden in Clayton

            Illustration by AB Wyze

            Here I’m sat

            Liverpool in Paris

            Gun Control

            ‘Gun Free Zone’ (a ‘Found’ poem, extracted from Trump’s NRA conference speech in Houston, a few days later)

            Bally Gill, David Morrissey, James Graham and Joanne Froggatt - sherwood cast

            Sherwood: what lies beneath?

            O'Rourke

            O’Rourke

            Fighter,Pilots,Cockpit,View,Under,Cloudy,Blue,Sky

            Top Gun, I feel the need…..

            Trending Tags

              • Dance
              • Food
              • Music
              • Poetry
              • Recipes
              • Sport
            • Business
              • All
              • Economy
              • Technology
              • Trade
              cloudy beer

              UK’s first cloudy beer

              Cost of living crisis

              Crisis? What crisis? The cost of living crisis and political responses

              Adobe Stock licensed image by hanohiki

              Bad news for Newark: 110 jobs lost as town’s top employer withdraws to the EU 

              Promotion image from Colleague Box website

              Pandemic start-up success story hampered by Brexit barriers

              Image licensed by Pixabay

              Information is power: its loss can be devastating

              Photo by Matt Bango on StockSnap

              Hassle in High Peak: Robert Largan’s solar farm shenanigans

              Adobe Stock licensed - image by blackday

              British Gas-lighting a nation: how energy companies are exploiting their customers with increased prices

              circular economy

              Reflections on Boris Johnson’s ‘high skill, high wage future’ speech

              Dog wrapped in a blanket, luckily he does not have to pay the bill.

              Fuel bills and service blunders as energy prices start to bite

              Trending Tags

              • Levelling up
              • Economy
              • Technology
            • Region
              • All
              • East Midlands
              • West Midlands
              Image by Number 10 used under CC2 - Prime Minister Boris Johnson met Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on 10 October 2019 to discuss the UK's Brexit proposals.

              The Northern Ireland protocol

              Waverly community garden

              Launch of Better Together Community Garden in Clayton

              Rent seeking

              A ‘high skill, high wage future’? Rentier capitalism: who owns the future?

              Liverpool in Paris

              Mark Serwotka

              Trades unionists demand action on the cost-of-living crisis at rally in Stoke-on-Trent

              East midlands greatest hits

              East Midlands Conservative greatest hits, Spring 2022

              Allens Cross Community Centre

              St Bart’s Pantry, open for business!

              women in power 2

              Women in power

              Vera Brittain plaque

              Midlands blue plaques part 1: Vera Brittain in Buxton

              Trending Tags

                • East Midlands
                • West Midlands
              • Events
              No Result
              View All Result
              Central Bylines
              No Result
              View All Result
              Home Politics

              Postcards from Brighton shore: a party member at the Labour conference

              Anne Holland reports on her time at the Labour party conference and the highs of seeing people again and the mass of motions and meetings.

              Ann C HollandbyAnn C Holland
              05-10-2021 17:40
              in Politics, UK
              Photo Ann C Holland

              Photo Ann C Holland

              Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
              ADVERTISEMENT

              The Labour conference lasted five very full days. We arrived at Brighton after a 6.30 am drive from home. My first meet up was with Steve Bray and friends and the Brexit-shaped elephant in the room.

              Conference day one

              Conference began at 2.30pm with deputy leader Angela Rayner giving a great update to enthusiastic stand-up applause. This was followed by the general secretary, David Evans, who gave an interesting speech, in which he stood for re-election and talked about why he joined the party. He also said the party’s finances appeared better than expected.

              The next step was to decide which fringe groups I would visit. The first was about the education system recovery plan with Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL, my union) and Kate Green (Shadow Secretary for Education). Then I joined the Labour Women’s Reception.

              Day two

              On the Sunday, I peeped into a church service but it was too Evangelical for me so I went back to conference to hear Ed Milliband (shadow spokesperson for Environment, Energy and Culture) speak on the Green New Deal, the High Street and business recovery. There were votes too, some by hand, others by card.

              In the afternoon, I went to the Odeon Cinema for ‘Brexit isn’t working: What can Labour do?’. This featured Lord Adonis (Chair of European Movement), Polly Toynbee (The Guardian), Anas Sarwar (Leader of the Scottish Labour Party) and Carwyn Jones (former Wales First Minister).

              Later, I voted in favour of proportional representation (electoral reform), along with 80% of the delegates. Sadly, the motion fell despite as the unions voted against. However next year in Liverpool, there is another chance.

              In the evenings there even more fringe events with receptions to meet MPs. I didn’t go to many of those, though I did attend an excellent Labourlines with at least half the shadow cabinet who gave fabulous five minute speeches. Angela Rayner was superb, Jonathan Ashcroft brilliant and there were speeches by Lisa Nandy and many more.

              I met most of the Channel 4 crew and also Len McClusky. I preferred talking to those I bumped into rather than in a busy hall.

              Day three

              The third day was stunning. It was largely about economics, business and trades. Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor, was amazing. I hadn’t seen much about her before but she was lively, highly intelligent, very confident, incredibly sharp. Her background in economics and the Bank of England really shone through. She was applauded after every sentence!

              In the afternoon, the Mayors discussed Devolution. That evening, in the Hilton Brighton Metropole, we had the delight that is John Bercow. He said what we wanted to hear. He was interviewed by Guardian journalist, Jonathan Freedland.

              Day four

              The fourth day started with the environment, society and governance (ESG), China and Human Rights. The crimes against the Uyghurs such as genocide, forced family break up and forced moves for work have seen little action so far by our government.

              Then the day moved on to early years education and skills by Kate Green, shadow minister for education. She criticised the government for exam chaos and rising class sizes from 2010 onwards. I much preferred Blair’s education, education, education. During his time as Prime Minister, I was fortunate to see my school expand, receive increase funding and send thousands of students on to university. Green asserted that a Labour government would remove the charitable status from private schools and give every child digital access.

              A health and social care debate followed with motions on the NHS, social care, public services and LGBT+ rights.

              The afternoon debates covered justice and home affairs with immigration and asylum policy, Black Lives Matter and violence against women and girls. (David Lammy was superb).

              A further motion followed as the National Union of Mineworkers moved a motion on the Miners scheme.

              After another busy day, I was glad to go back along the shore to my hotel and watch Liverpool beat Porto 5-1.


              More from Central Bylines

              • Brexit bingo: Operation Yellowhammer’s full house
              • EU haulage firms now avoiding the UK
              • There’s something about Nadine – Update

              Day five

              The highlight of the day was the Leader’s Speech and the outcome was superb. Keir Starmer dealt beautifully when a handful of individual hecklers spoke out. He used the teachers’ trick: joke, ignore or shout the next sentence.

              Momentum had been aiming to make the his speech look weak but it was tremendously welcomed by the 6,000-strong audience where most stood and applauded him after every sentence. The audience was impressive. The Leader was outstanding.

              I felt immensely proud of the party. There were deep feelings of hope and a better future for our young ones.

              Labour values

              The values of the party (integrity, decency ,equality,and opportunities for all) stand out from those of the government. One of the Leader’s quotes that stood out was ‘under my leadership Labour will be back in business’. Another was ‘Labour will never again go into an election with a manifesto that isn’t a serious plan for government’. The final sentence was ‘I came into politics to go into government to change millions of lives for the better‘.

              ADVERTISEMENT
              Previous Post

              Three women a week: the murder of Sarah Everard

              Next Post

              Clutching at straws: has there been an increase in wages for the poor?

              Ann C Holland

              Ann C Holland

              Ann Holland is a retired headteacher with a strong record of improving school performance, achieving an OFSTED 'outstanding' ranking 4 times. She has also been a school governor, National Trust worker, a volunteer for Cotswold Warden support charities, a performer in several music groups, a Labour Party Officer and a student support volunteer. Born on Merseyside, she is an avid Liverpool supporter as well as a good painter, contributing a diary and many pictures to Central Bylines.

              Related Posts

              Power to the people
              Politics

              Power to the people

              byTrevor Russel
              28 June 2022
              Patriotism in the UK
              Politics

              Johnson isn’t a patriot, he’s a pariah

              byMike Stafford
              24 June 2022
              Return to imperial measures
              Politics

              The return of imperial measurements?

              byPippa Musgrave
              17 June 2022
              Gun Control
              Poetry

              ‘Gun Free Zone’ (a ‘Found’ poem, extracted from Trump’s NRA conference speech in Houston, a few days later)

              byLynda Tavakoli
              16 June 2022
              Statue of a bishop
              Politics

              Johnson can’t govern so he lies instead

              byMike Stafford
              8 June 2022
              Next Post
              Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash

              Clutching at straws: has there been an increase in wages for the poor?

              Want to support us?

              Can you help Central Bylines to grow and become more sustainable with a regular donation, no matter how small?  

              DONATE

              Sign up to our newsletter

              If you would like to receive the Central Bylines regular newsletter, straight talking direct to your inbox, click the button below.

              NEWSLETTER

              LATEST

              Handshake with Europe

              Always with EU? Some realism about rejoining

              1 July 2022
              Protester

              Roe v Wade: men benefit from abortion rights too – and should speak about them more

              28 June 2022
              Power to the people

              Power to the people

              28 June 2022
              Image by Number 10 used under CC2 - Prime Minister Boris Johnson met Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on 10 October 2019 to discuss the UK's Brexit proposals.

              The Northern Ireland protocol

              27 June 2022

              MOST READ

              Handshake with Europe

              Always with EU? Some realism about rejoining

              1 July 2022
              Image by Number 10 used under CC2 - Prime Minister Boris Johnson met Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on 10 October 2019 to discuss the UK's Brexit proposals.

              The Northern Ireland protocol

              27 June 2022
              Protester

              Roe v Wade: men benefit from abortion rights too – and should speak about them more

              28 June 2022
              Official_portrait_of_Angela_Rayner_MP

              Angela Rayner has class, her attackers have none

              6 May 2022

              BROWSE BY TAGS

              Blue Plaques Climate change Community Cost of living crisis Covid Energy Farming Johnson Latest Levelling up My Little Town Rwanda Ukraine Conflict Voting Whistleblower
              Central Bylines

              Central Bylines is a regional online newspaper that supports citizen journalism. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in Central England and beyond.



              Learn more about us

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Contact
              • About
              • Donate
              • Privacy policy
              • Bylines network
              • Back Editions
              • Shop

              © 2022 Central Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Home
              • News
                • Brexit
                • Education
                • Environment
                • Health
                • Transport
                • World
              • Politics
              • Back in the news
              • Opinion
              • Lifestyle
                • Dance
                • Food
                • Music
                • Poetry
                • Recipes
                • Sport
              • Business
                • Economy
                • Technology
                • Trade
              • Regional Events
              • Donate
              • Newsletter sign up
              • A Cotswold Diary
              • Authors
              • BYLINES NETWORK
              • Contact

              © 2022 Central Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              Welcome Back!

              Login to your account below

              Forgotten Password?

              Retrieve your password

              Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

              Log In
              X